Thai marine authorities have seized two dive boats and arrested their operators following an investigation into mooring practices at Racha Yai Island, one of the best-known diving destinations off Phuket.
The action followed complaints that a diving vessel had remained at Ao Tue, also known as Tue Bay, with its stern secured directly to the base of a mooring buoy.
Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) investigated the reports after Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchat Chomklin ordered officials to inspect the site and take legal action if violations were identified.
Mooring Practice Put Reef At Risk
According to authorities, securing vessels in this way can cause the base of the mooring buoy to move as boats are affected by waves and wind.
The movement creates a risk that the buoy structure could strike or scrape nearby coral, potentially breaking and damaging the reef.
Officials also said that prolonged occupation of the mooring prevented other vessels from using the designated buoy.
The investigation concluded that the mooring practices breached measures introduced under a 2023 Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment announcement covering the protection of marine and coastal resources around Racha Yai and Racha Noi islands.
Two vessels were subsequently seized and two boat operators arrested before being transferred to investigators at Chalong Police Station.
The cases were registered as Criminal Case Nos. 969/2026 and 967/2026.
Potential Penalties
The alleged violations fall under Section 22 of Thailand’s Marine and Coastal Resources Management Promotion Act.
Those found guilty of violating measures introduced to protect marine and coastal resources can face imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to 200,000 baht, or both.
The DMCR said authorities would continue monitoring marine protected areas and enforcing regulations, while calling on tourism operators and visitors to comply with measures intended to protect Thailand’s marine environment.
Local reporting by The Phuket News independently detailed the enforcement action and cited information supplied by the DMCR.
Authorities Look At Wider Boat Management
The enforcement action comes as authorities consider how tourism vessels operate around the Racha Islands more broadly.
On 7 September, just days after the boats were seized, the DMCR held discussions concerning the organisation of tourist boat activity around Racha Yai and Racha Noi.
Among the issues considered were designated mooring areas, passenger pick-up and drop-off locations, navigation routes, management of boat numbers and appropriate use of mooring buoys.
The discussions underline the balancing act facing some of Thailand’s most popular marine tourism destinations. Racha Yai and Racha Noi attract divers, snorkellers and other visitors, but the boats supporting that tourism operate alongside sensitive coral reef ecosystems.
Properly installed and used mooring systems can help reduce the need for boats to anchor directly onto reefs. Their effectiveness, however, depends on vessels using them as intended.
For dive operators, the Phuket enforcement action is therefore about more than two boats. It is a reminder that the infrastructure designed to protect popular dive sites must itself be used in a way that does not transfer pressure back onto the reef.
The DMCR has said it will continue monitoring activities within protected marine areas and has encouraged members of the public to report activities that could threaten marine resources.
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