Environmental protection announcement for 52 Thai islands

BANGKOK, June 23 (TNA) - The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has issued an announcement to protect the environment of 52 islands in Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan Districts of Surat Thani Province in the Thai South. Noppadol Thiyajai, Deputy Secretary-General of the ministry's Office of the Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, told journalists on Monday that expanding local tourism has affected the environment of many islands in both districts, covering Tao Island, especially in catchment areas, swamp forests, mangrove forests, beaches and cliffs. Noppadol noted that the urbanization law could not be enforced effectively to protect the environment, prompting his office to have, thus, exercised Section 45 of the Environmental Quality Preservation and Promotion Act B.E. 2535 to issue a ministerial regulation to protect the environment in seven sub-districts of Koh Samui District and three sub-districts of Koh Pha-ngan District, taking effect for five year since May 31, 2014. According to the senior official, the protection covers 52 local islands, including Samui and Phangan Islands. Under the announcement, the eighth of its kind, the office prohibits any activities which will change local ecosystems, including oil drilling and the construction of high rises, hotels and residences on environmentally sensitive small islands. However, the senior official acknowledged that the regulation does not have a retroactive effect, and that his office's staffs will explain the regulation with local authorities late this month. According to the senior official, such protection will expand to roads lined with big rubber trees in Chiang Mai Province in the Thai North and in Ranong Province in the Thai South. (TNA)