Four Square Kilometers of Coral 'Unique in Thailand'
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Volume 13 Issue 9 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 March 4 - 10, 2006 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with HUGE REEF IN THIS ISSUE NEWS: Suwat pushes for ac- tion on Phi Phi; Tsunami test causes consternation. Pages 2 & 3 DISCOVERED INSIDE STORY: Out-of-this- world plans for Ao Phuket. Pages 4 & 5 Four square kilometers of coral ‘unique in Thailand’ AROUND THE REGION: Wrecked roads result in By Sylvie Yaffe ructions. Page 8 AROUND THE ISLAND: Valley of PHANG NGA: Marine scientists the Dolls. Page 11 inspecting coral reefs along the Andaman coast have discovered PEOPLE: Life’s a non-stop an uncharted reef off Tai Muang song for VJs.Pages 12 & 13 covering, they say, at least four LIFESTYLE: Music: Iggy pops square kilometers – larger than in; Cocktails: Piña Colada. any known reef in the region. Pages 14 & 15 The discovery, made in the AFTER DARK: Up the hill to first week of January, was docu- Ratri Jazztaurant. Page 18 mented by Songpol Tippaya- SPA MAGIC: Royal Spa & wong, Head of the Thailand Health Club. Page 19 Marine and Coastal Conservation Unit (MCCU) of the WWF (for- ALL AT SEA: Small is beau- merly known as the World Wild- tiful. Page 20 life Fund). The MCCU were sur- FIRST PERSON: ‘Crashes an veying a reef nearby when they occupational hazard,’ says were tipped off by local fisher- limo leader. Page 25 men. MONEY TALKS: Alternatives to “We never thought the reef oil. Page 31 would be so large,” said K. Songpol, a Phang Nga native. SPORT: Rugby 10s and “I have never even seen a Cricket Sixes; Supermodel reef that is one kilometer wide kick-boxers. Pages 32 & 33 by one kilometer long in Thailand, PROPERTY: Home of the and so far we have surveyed only Week: Laguna; Construction: four square kilometers of this Untouched by humans – indeed, unseen by all but a handful of people – the coral of the newly-discovered reef is truly spectacular. – Photo by Songpol Tippayawong Baan Thai Surin Garden; De- new reef. It is actually bigger, we cor: Mirror, Mirror. have yet to survey the exact from the [reefs at] the Similans, hard corals, 112 species of fish would have been degraded [be- Pages 34-37 boundaries.” Surin or Richelieu – it is not slop- from 56 families, including the cause of the run-off from the The discovery follows a ing, and it is home to species parrot fish Chlorurus rakaura, mining],” he said. PLUS report in January this year that never before seen in Thai wa- which has never been seen in For now, K. Songpol is about 13% of reefs inspected ters as well as species [that be- Thai waters before. keeping the location of the reef AROUND THE NATION 6; QUEER along the Andaman coast in the fore were] only seen in the K. Songpol, who has a secret in order to protect it. NEWS 7; HOROSCOPES 13; HAP- weeks after the tsunami had 50% Similans, such as a rare type of worked at the Phuket Marine “Right now I’m not telling any- PENINGS 16; MOTORING 17; TAKE or more of their coral destroyed sweet lips. Biological Center at Cape one exactly where it is,” he said, A BREAK 21 & 22; OUTSIDE IN, by the waves. “We also found one rock Panwa for the past eight years, adding that the reef must first be BOOKS 23; EDITORIAL, LETTERS, Describing the reef, K. formation with over 20 lobsters explained that tin mining in the surveyed, the coral’s condition ISSUES & ANSWERS 24 & 25; Songpol told the Gazette, “It was in it. We named that site ‘lobster area was the likely reason that assessed and the boundaries of YOUTH ’N A SIA, LAW 26; MOMMA great – very big and healthy. It is condo’,” he said. the reef remained undiscovered the reef established. DUCK, THE TIME MACHINE 27; in good condition and only about Although the MCCU has for so long. “We believe it will have the TOON TOWN, PHUKET D IARY 28; 1% of it was damaged by the tsu- yet to complete its assessment of “I think that because of the capability to boost tourism in the COMPUTERS 30; GARDENING 37; nami. the reef, the team has so far re- tin mining many years ago, people CLASSIFIEDS 38-47. “It is completely different corded more than 30 genera of assumed that coral this area Continued on page 2 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS March 4 - 10, 2006 Suwat pushes for fast action on Phi Phi By Anongnat Sartpisut “Why doesn’t the EO care about the noise pol- PHUKET: In an abrupt govern- lution caused by the gen- ment about-face after more than erators?” a year of blocking rehabilitation Officials from the of Koh Phi Phi Don following the EO agreed to reconsider tsunami, Deputy Prime Minister allowing cables to be laid Suwat Liptapanlop has urged re- underwater if Krabi Pro- development be pushed ahead to vince sends them a re- hasten the island’s return to its vised Initial Environmen- former status as a tourism hot- tal Examination (IEE). spot. The project IEE is At a meeting held at the now undergoing a re- Royal Phuket City Hotel, govern- view, for resubmission to ment representatives from Phu- the EO. Finally, V/Gov Chai ket, Phang Nga and Krabi dis- The reef teems with marine life. – Photo by Songpol Tippayawong cussed redevelopment progress said that although locals in the three provinces. agree to a 20-meter-wide strip of shoreline to be ‘DISGRACEFUL’ designated a no-con- Huge reef discovered struction zone in order to From page 1 or with just one or two govern- Krabi Vice-Governor Chai Pa- preserve the beachfront, the Land Department and area [but only] when there is a ment bodies. Without participa- nichpornpan complained that con- good management plan. We are tion from local people, dive op- struction has been started on only the EO have already ap- proved a 30m-wide zone, doing a field survey and we are erators and tour operators, we three of the planned 50 houses Suwat Liptapanlop: Swept aside objec- collecting scientific data in order won’t have an effective manage- for tsunami victims on Koh Phi tions about coral damage. causing anger among some island residents. to zone the area and put down ment strategy,” he said. Phi Don. some mooring buoys.” For the dive communities in V/Gov Chai said, “Can you underwater cables, the Environ- He added that, with the tour- mental Office (EO) – under the ism season in full swing, hotels K. Songpol expressed con- Phuket and Khao Lak, the dis- imagine this – that tourists can cern that enforcement of environ- covery came as both a bombshell approach to within sight of Koh the Ministry of Natural Resources and other tourism businesses and Environment – has not au- were irked because no develop- mental conservation laws was and a cause for joy. Jeroen Dek- Phi Phi Don, yet they cannot dis- lacking, which might jeopardize natel, managing Director of embark due to boat congestion in thorized this project, claiming that ment of land by the beach can the necessary construction work start until the dispute is resolved. the reef. “There are a lot of good Fantasea Divers, told the Gazette, the bay? It’s disgraceful that re- laws in Thailand, but enforce- “I’m absolutely delighted. Any development plans still have not would destroy or damage sur- Deputy PM Suwat ordered rounding coral reefs. the Vice-Governor, the Land De- ment needs to be more effect- new dive site means that it takes been approved.” ive.” the pressure off existing dive He also commented on two Currently, people on the is- partment and the EO to discuss land use generators to produce the issue further and reach a fi- He explained that a man- sites. It’s also great news for the key problems the island faces: agement strategy was crucial to Khao Lak diving community, who supplies of water and power. electricity. nal decision. However, no dead- Deputy PM Suwat asked, line was set. protecting the reef. The strategy have been hard-hit. It’s a special Thailand’s Provincial Wa- should include: raising awareness gift for them.” terworks Authority has agreed to among local people; zoning and However, like K. Songpol, produce water using reverse os- Phuket gears up for polls the reintroduction of some rare he also made a plea for the mosis technology to sell to Phi species of marine life; promoting newly-discovered reef to be Phi Don residents, depending on PHUKET: Voters in Phuket and candidate for Phuket’s Parlia- tourism, with participation from treated with due care to ensure government funding for the across the country will be busy mentary District 1 while Wisut local villagers; and continual coral that it is not damaged. The great- project. in April with two national elec- Santikul stand for District 2. restoration. “We have already est amount of damage done to Despite a 620-million-baht tions: the Parliamentary election Whether the Democrats – introduced 100 giant clams [at the reefs these days, he said, was by budget approved on September 6 slated for April 2 and the Senato- who held both seats in Phuket until new reef],” he said. inexperienced divers. last year by the Provincial Elec- rial election on April 19. Parliament was dissolved – will With a good management “Let’s do what they do in tricity Authority to link the island Dr Sriyada Palimapan will field candidates is not clear.