The serene waters of Ao La on Koh Racha Yai, situated south of Phuket, were recently embroiled in controversy when tourists from a Chinese tour company, Jinyang Holiday Group, engaged in activities harmful to marine life and environment. They posed for photos with seemingly innocent starfish in hand and ventured onto delicate coral reefs, drawing the ire of local marine officials.
Yesterday, the top brass of Jinyang Holiday Group made a formal apology for the unsettling incident. Sirikwan Saengravee, the company’s manager, admitted the actions of the tourists were inexcusable considering the fragile status of marine life within the area.
Saroch Ubonsuwan, the director of the Phuket Marine Resources Conservation Center, and Suthep Chualong, head of the Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center, had promptly reported the incident to the Suthep Police….
