Trang diving spots to close for four months

Trang diving spots to close for four months

The monsoon season closure of marine tourist destinations in Trang is confirmed, from June 1 to Sept 30. (Photo by Methee Muangkaew)
The monsoon season closure of marine tourist destinations in Trang is confirmed, from June 1 to Sept 30. (Photo by Methee Muangkaew)

Many islands, diving and snorkeling sites in the southern province of Trang will be closed to tourists from June 1 to Sept 30, the chief of the Hat Chao Mai National Park confirmed on Tuesday.

Park chief Manote Wongsureerat said Koh Mook, Koh Waen, Koh Chuak and Koh Kradan islands as well as Morakot cave and all shallow-water coral areas in the sea of Trang would be closed for the four months.

The closure was for the safety of visitors during the stormy monsoon season and to allow the environment to recover, and was approved by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. It applied to all national parks on the Andaman coast, he said.

Mr Manote said he did not understand why local tour operators were protesting against it. The four-month break had been implemented smoothly for two years.

Business operators had been informed of the temporary closure since April. The closure period had actually been shortened  from the previous six months to only four months to benefit the tourism sector.

Pratheep Jongthong, president of the Trang Tourism Association, said the four-month closure of marine destinations in Hat Chao Mai National Park would cost local businesses about 100 million baht in lost revenue.

He asked national park officials to only issue warnings to business that defy the ban, instead of taking harsh legal action against them.

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