Single Use Plastics Banned In Thai National Parks

Single Use Plastics Banned In Thai National Parks

Styrofoam And Single Use Plastics Banned in Thai National Parks

From yesterday (06th April 2022) the Thai National Parks office has banned the use of single us plastics and styrofoam products in all National Parks. This includes marine parks so this may affect you on our Phi Phi day trip and Similan Island liveaboards. Although most of the plastics we find on the dive sites are not jettisoned from boats, it’s still a welcome move.

How Will This Affect Diving?

As a dive community, Phuket has long practised good environmental policies. Septic tanks on the boats, no food waste in the ocean, no touching marine life and absolutely nothing to be thrown overboard. On every boat in Phuket you will be briefed on these policies either by the tour leader or your dive guide. Instructors and guides pick up plastic waste during dives and very often guests and students follow the example set.

guide nikki with a single use plastic bottle

guide nikki with a single use plastic bottle

Whichever dive agency you train with, environmental issues are covered so it’s extremely rare that divers are not aware of what’s detrimental to our ocean environment. Very little if any of the plastic waste comes from the dive industry so no real change for us.

Hopefully the non-diving day trips will be be educated of their responsibilities. Operators should make the rules clear to their guests, if not then they should pay the fine.

What Happens If You Break The Rules And How Will They Be Enforced?

The cynical among us will see plastics banned in Thai National Parks as another opportunity to gouge tourists. On this occasion we really think it’s aimed mostly at domestic tourists. Trash is a real problem anywhere in Thailand but it’s something you definitely don’t want to see in parks.

You could be fined up to THB 100,000 if caught using single use plastics. Enforcement will be sporadic at best but there’s no excuse to be carrying single use plastics. Pretty much reusable anything is readily available nowadays so you won’t get any sympathy from us.

A lot of the plastic waste we see comes from the local markets. Everything from curry to soft drinks is served in plastic bags and then put in another plastic for you to carry. Finding a way for these small operators to use sustainable materials while still being able to make a living is a conundrum. Education is the only solution.

It’s a problem that affects us, some of food we prepare for our guests is ordered from small local businesses. We do ensure all plastic packaging or bags is brought back to shore and either reused or disposed of properly.

What Can You Do?

For many of us the single use plastic mantra has been drummed into our brains for decades. Reusable shopping bags and water flasks are part of everyday life but it’s not the same for everyone. Set an example, bring your own environmentally friendly products and others will follow.

Sunscreens that damage coral reefs have also been banned for awhile now so at least the Thai government are aware of the issues…finally.

We sell Reef Repair environmentally friendly sunscreen onboard

Posted in News & Updates on .

Popular Services

diving-at-racha-noi-phuket

Racha Noi North Tip

Racha Noi North Tip is a picturesque little bay and a beautiful Phuket diving location. Granite boulders topped by lush tropical vegetation make a great setting for diving. Boulders reach out from the island on either side of the bay and continue underwater giving the dive site a 'Similan Island' feel. The shallow area of the bay is composed of sand interspersed with small hard coral bommies. Leaves from the island gather here so attractin [...]

Find Out More
Manta Queen 3 Thailand Liveaboard Cruising

Manta Queen 3

Manta Queen 3 cuts an imposing figure on the Similan Island liveaboard scene. This very large vessel was launched in 2011 and comfortably accommodates 31 divers. Her generous proportions offer a very stable cruise and plenty of space to relax between dives. The unusually high number of air-conditioned cabin configurations ensures everyone can find something to suit their needs: Master 2 person en-suite cabin, Family Master en-suite 4 per [...]

Find Out More

Daily Schedules

M/V Kepsub Schedule

Jobs @ Local Dive Thailand

Local Dive Thailand is one of Phuket's fatest growing & most vibrant scuba diving operations, we are always looking for quality staff to join us, so feel free to have a look at our jobs listing page.

Job Listings

Contact LDT

Local Guides, Local Knowledge, Local Experiences

Don't trust your diving to amateurs or freshly minted dive guides, dive with local experienced experts from Local Dive Thailand. Our Scuba Diving Phuket Tours will take you to see the rarest of the rare critters, you will be amazed by the macro life our guides can find, in the secret places only they know. To put it in perspective, if you were going to climb Mount Everest you would certainly hire a local sherpa to lead the way & keep you safe. Diving is similar because there is absolutely no substitute for local experience & local knowledge, Local Dive Thailand's guides are Phuket's Sherpa's of the Andaman Sea!

Learn More About Us

Scuba Diving Phuket, Phi Phi & Thailand

When talking about Scuba Diving in Phuket, you should believe the hype, many seasons we have had Whale Sharks grace us on our regular and easy to reach dive sites and on a good day you can add Sea Horses, Sea Moths, Snake Eels, Frog Fish & Octopus to what you can see on any given dive and so much more. If we are heading to Phi Phi Island for the day, you can possibly see Hawksbill Sea Turtles and Black Tip Reef Sharks, also don't forget the King Cruiser, 84 meters of beautiful wreck and the most amazing reef nursery for fish and nudibranch. Local Dive Thailand day trip tours to these locations are not to be missed when you are scuba diving Phuket, get in touch with us and book an 'awesome' day of diving.

Book Your Day Trip

Related News From Local Dive Thailand

See why we are Thailand's leading scuba diving Phuket tour provider, stay up to date & watch out for news & special liveaboard offers!

Teaching Scuba Diving In Phuket The Archives

How Do I Become A PADI Scuba Diving Instructor In Phuket?

Being a scuba diving instructor in Phuket ia an achievable dream. White sand beaches, palm trees and blue skies need not be just the description of your yearly holiday. With a little hard work and determination it can be the narrative for your daily life. The life of a PADI pro can be idyllic, most opportunities are in amazing tropical locations with clear blue water and year round sunshine. You'll make new friends from all over the world and [...]

Read Full Story
turtle at manta bay phuket Amazing Local Dives

Manta Bay – A Beautiful Phuket Dive Site

We started diving the beautiful Phuket dive site at manta bay a few years ago. Mainly when Banana Rock was too busy but the new coral growth and marine life has seen us return frequently. It's now a regular dive site for the second immersion on the Racha Noi/Yai scuba diving tour. There's plenty to see for all levels and conditions are generally very easy. Everyone! It's a very simple dive site. The shallow areas are perfect for PADI D [...]

Read Full Story
beautiful scenery in phuket to go with the july news News & Updates

Phuket News July 2022

The big Phuket news for July 2022 is the legalisation of cannabis. Laws are somewhat smokey but at the moment it's a free for all. Weed shops are popping up everywhere at such a rate they may takeover 7-11. A clarification of the law will come soon but at the moment you can spark up a fat one without the fear of being arrested as long as your not in a public space. Our dive boat is unfortunately a public space so smoking weed is not allow [...]

Read Full Story

Local Dive Thailand Office In Phuket


Find Us On Google Maps