Last month, the United Nations announced the first Unesco Global Geopark in Thailand, located in the far-southern province of Satun.
While the 2,597-square-kilometre area's new status does not grant it any legal privileges, such geoparks are strictly protected under their respective national laws.
Unesco's announcement, one posits, could not have come at a more opportune time for locals and environmentalists alike.
The internationally-recognised status could very well save Satun's seas from the clutches of the government, which has urgently pushed for the construction of a large deep-water port in Pakbara Beach's waters, in the province's La-ngu district.
Such ports, often located further away from the shoreline, are built to dock ships which are too large to operate near the shallows.
Reports from the Marine Department state the 29-billion-baht megaproject calls for a 2,000-rai operation area placed 4.5km away from the beach. The actual port will take up 292 rai of the space, with the remaining area being reserved for arriving and departing ships.
The project is currently undergoing an environmental impact assessment.
While several Pakbara locals have vehemently opposed the port's construction, the sounds of commotion from a mere flock of small birds would never likely be able to interfere with the intentions of economically-aligned Big Brother.
local colour: A beachside food market at Pakbara, La-ngu district.
The government's reasoning is simple: build the port, and the South will reap economic benefits from it. A deep-water port surely entails the construction of more warehouses to store cargo, new roads, railways and grandiose industrial estates surrounding it.
This belief stems from Thailand's supposed need to pounce at the chance to develop its commercial marine industry, or risk lagging behind other port nations, such as Malaysia and Singapore.
The government believes it can solve the plethora of environmental effects the project may bring with it, all in the name of capitalising on emerging business opportunities.
But it is precisely these environmental effects that are set to directly damage the cultural significance Satun possesses -- the very qualities which had won the province Unesco's geopark status in the first place.
Land expropriation and the construction of dikes in Pakbara's seas are just some of the processes which will cause profound changes in Satun's agriculture and fishing industry, residential areas and religious sites.
Ever-soothing: A naturally-occurring pool in Thale Ban National Park, in Satun's Khuan Don district. Photos: Suthon Sukphisit
Commercial and industrial areas will gradually replace these local staples. What should be cautioned from this point is how industrial development will not benefit the locals. Rather, major investors in the project -- both domestic and foreign -- will have the most to gain, while many locals will be forced to vacate their homes to make way for the port's workers.
To paint a clearer picture, we ought to take a look at the districts which Satun's global geopark status currently covers.
The area is one of the latest in Unesco's collection of 140 geoparks in 38 different countries to-date. The southern province's new geological heritage site covers Manang, Thung Wa, Muang and La-ngu districts, the latter of which the port is planned to be built in.
A clear example to introduce Satun's cultural uniqueness with can be found in Thung Wa district. Widely-known as a commercial gateway to the northwest Malaysian state of Penang, it is the northernmost district of Satun, connecting the province to neighbouring Trang.
Used as part of an international trade route, one of the main products exported by Thailand through it is mangrove tree charcoal.
Ever-soothing: A naturally-occurring pool in Thale Ban National Park, in Satun's Khuan Don district. Photos: Suthon Sukphisit
What was many years ago a tranquil and quiet area has now been transformed into a multi-ethnic, bustling community, complete with a characteristic cultural blend of Chinese and Muslim elements. Several Sino-Portuguese buildings in the district also remind one of those found in other coastal provinces, namely Phuket and Phang Nga.
Another district on Unesco's global geopark zone worth mentioning is the predominantly-Muslim La-ngu district. Home to Pakbara beach and its namesake pier, the area is normally used by tourists wishing to travel to neighbouring Tarutao and Lipe islands by ferry, both situated in the Andaman Sea.
Of course, the deep-water port's construction would naturally change the appearance of the area, which would depreciate the value of the entire experience for many admirers of Mother Nature's aesthetics.
An evening food market -- the largest of its kind in Pakbara -- appears every Sunday along the beach. Locals and tourists are welcome to indulge in the variety of ethnic Muslim food on offer at the market. It is also a local custom to sit on place mats and admire the sunset, as one continues to enjoy said food.
Satun is undoubtedly one province not short on cultural value. Boasting several orchards, traditional-style mosques and the 196-sq-km Thale Ban National Park, its bountiful, natural gifts ought not to be tampered with.
One would not like to see such a fortunate province fall prey to economisation, slowly becoming more and more unrecognisable as it changes according to heavy industrial investment. We should learn from the transformation of Chon Buri after the launch of Laem Chabang Port in 1991.
As people with similar mindsets look towards transforming Satun into an industrial area, Cornucopia believes the province's newly-realised Unesco Global Geopark status can tell us something: that nature has managed to use its own charming qualities to protect itself from unwarranted change.
Ever-soothing: A naturally-occurring pool in Thale Ban National Park, in Satun's Khuan Don district. Photos: Suthon Sukphisit
