Officials are hunting for the owner of a sailboat which damaged coral in the Hat Nopparat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.
Officials of the Hat Nopparat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park dove to see coral reefs near the Yawasam island after the Facebook page Monsoongarbage Thailand posted a picture of coral allegedly damaged by a sailboat on Jan 2.
The officials found a long strip of damaged marine resources, mostly staghorn coral and sea anemones. They then filed a complaint with the pictures of damaged marine resources with the Ao Nang police station and asked the Krabi office of the Marine Department to identify and search for the sailboat.
Officials said the boat belonged to a foreign tourist and usually docked at the Krabi Boat Lagoon pier in Nua Khlong district. The owner of the boat was called to acknowledge a charge related to the National Park Act.
National park officials warned that the owner of any tourist boat which illegally entered protected areas would be fined for 5,000 baht for violating the National Park Act. (TNA)