In the early hours of the morning, a walk along Rin Beach, the site of the infamous Full Moon Party, offers a glimpse into the regular environmental risk posed to the resort island of Koh Phangan in Surat Thani province.
At 4am, a team of 15 workers arrives on the scene to start to clearing up the venue, with three trucks and stacks of equipment in tow. They get to work on clearing the litter, consisting largely of beer bottles, plastic straws and bottle caps.
- Related story: Southeast Asia's idyllic islands buckle under tourism strain
The scene is a familiar one to Bunsong Limpraphakon, chief of the Rin Beach Tourism Association, who said the cleaning team's goal is to "bring the beach back to normal again" on the day after the big party.
The beach venue welcomes over 15,000 party-goers every month, according to Mr Bunsong. He said that figure can go up to 30,000 some months, making the team work even harder to keep the 2-kilometre shoreline in conditions as pristine as possible.
Despite the poor image of these islands produced by scenes of the post-party beach, Mr Bunsong said the mess is only ever short-lived. Similar efforts to keep the beach clean are undertaken in Koh Tao and Koh Samui.
cause for degradation: The Full Moon party on Rin beach, Ko Phangan, hosted around 20,000 tourists on March 31 and led authorities to beef up security measures on the resort island. PHOTO: Supapong Chaolan
all aboard: Tourists at a pier on Koh Samui. Last year, around 800,000 tourists visited the island. PHOTO: Supapong Chaolan
The government is currently in the process of creating a new set of laws called Section 17 to curb the environmental problems threatening these islands' dwindling natural resources.
The law recognises these areas as being in need better protection and regulation, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Surasak Karnjanarat.
On March 15, Gen Surasak visited Koh Samui to chair a meeting on the environmental and communal well-being of the Surat Thani islands.
His ministry, alongside 22 other organisations including state agencies, and tourism and hospitality associations, signed the Section 17 agreement to commit to better protection of the beach, coral reef and marine species from degradation.
"The problem with the three islands is that they are enormous and they have been developing for a very long time," Gen Surasak said.
"The problems are so many that I alone can't list them all."
Despite clean-up efforts, the trash and accompanying problems seem to keep piling up.
Besides the trash left over from events like the Full Moon Party, tourist boats can damage coral reefs by dropping their anchors onto them.
Wastewater from hotels and sediment from construction can also flow into the sea, causing further harm, Marine and Coastal Resources Department chief Jatuporn Burutphat was quoted saying.
Land development is another issue in the resort islands. Legal disputes arise when private developers claim parts of public areas, including beaches, he said.
Mr Jatuporn said that if legal measures fail to manifest, "we'll see the problems escalate to a point where we can't restore any of the damage done to our natural resources."
Section 17, bringing together state administration regulations and marine environment laws, sets out to prohibit any activity deemed harmful to ecosystems in Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Koh Samui. The laws collectively cover the protection, mitigation and restoration of natural resources.
"When Mr Jatuporn first told me we needed to manage the three islands together at the same time, I replied jokingly: 'Is the idea really doable?'" said Gen Surasak, referring to his initial doubts about implementing the scope and ambition of the idea.
However, gradually understanding the severity of the issues did away with his doubt.
"We had to take action," Gen Surasak decided.
He said Section 17 offers hope for the islands and their recovery.
For Mr Bunsong, chief of the Rin Beach Tourism Association, the laws are most important for addressing the issue of wastewater being released into the sea by businesses, as well as protecting coral reefs suffering from bleaching due to rising sea temperatures and build-ups of plastic waste.
In an article by BBC, Thailand was listed among the countries where plastic waste threatened a disease outbreak on coral reefs.
According to Sophon Thongdi, deputy chief of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, Section 17 addresses a range of environmental restrictions on land and in water.
"Any activities which will cause damage to marine and coastal resources are prohibited," he said.
He added that even gestures as seemingly small as tossing trash into the sea can add up to bigger problems.
Koh Phangan currently gets around 7,300 tonnes of garbage per year, said Surat Thani governor Witchawut Chinto.
In Koh Tao, 42,000 tonnes of trash have been measured per year, while Koh Samui can get up to 250,000 tonnes. The latter's high figure has been attributed to ongoing incinerator breakdowns.
Mr Witchawut said a part of the problem was the fact that the islands do not have enough facilities to cope with all the garbage.
Besides this concern, the visitor numbers to the islands continue to climb, said the governor. Last year, over two million tourists travelled to Surat Thani -- around 132,000 on Koh Tao, around 800,000 on Koh Samui and over 458,000 on Koh Phangan.
Mr Witchawut said the numbers are only likely to rise.
Between the three islands, around 60 tourist boats run per day.
He said that authorities have no "systematic management" policy for regulating the number of tourists on the islands.
However, Section 17 could be used to penalise business practices known to cause environmental harm.
For example, resort owners could be strictly prohibited from discharging wastewater into the environment, while boat operators would be forbidden from dropping their anchors on coral reefs, said Mr Sophon of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department.
As for tourists, he continued, they are encouraged to refrain from any activity that puts natural resources at risk, including sea-walker tours.
clean break: Municipal staff clean up the beach on Koh Tao, left. PHOTO: Thiti Wannamontha
piling up: The trash crisis on Koh Tao has raised concerns over its effects on the environment. The island is reportedly suffering from a lack of waste processing plants. PHOTO: Supapong Chaolan
Sea-walker tours let people experience the underwater world without all the training and equipment involved in scuba diving. Tour operators give visitors helmets attached to an air tube on board the boat.
In these tours, paths are cleared for visitors to step through parts of the coral reefs. Walkers can carelessly stomp on these areas, or sometimes stop to carve their names into the reef.
In the future, Mr Sophon said these sea-walking tours will be more carefully regulated for impacts.
"Those who violate the laws will be jailed for one year and/or face a fine of up to 100,000 baht," he said.
"These punishments will take effect from July 1 this year."
Business operators should welcome these legal measures as they will allow them to maintain their reliance on natural resources -- if depleted, their services go to waste.
Krissana Promkoh, vice president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, is a resort owner who said that Section 17 is a positive move in taking action against environmental wrong-doers.
Like Mr Bunsong, Ms Krissana is most concerned about wastewater. She has seen its increasing impact on her own business.
Koh Samui, the largest among the three Surat Thani islands, currently has 2,000 hotels and restaurants that serve 700,000 visitors every year. Each of them are behind the daily production of wastewater.
The lack of facilities to treat wastewater poses a large challenge to business owners. On Koh Samui, there are three wastewater treatments plants for Chaweng and Lamai beaches, as well as the Mae Nam area.
Plans to build more facilities are reportedly on the agenda, but new construction has been delayed due to budget constraints.
While some business operators are concerned about their impacts, "many others are selfish," said Ms Krissana. "They directly discharge dirty water into the sea though this is clearly against the law."
Past efforts to solve the problem were unsuccessful due to insufficient manpower and lax law enforcement, she added.
Still, Ms Krissana said she is optimistic about Section 17 -- if it does not stop these negative trends, it can at least slow the degradation of marine life in Koh Samui.
As the Koh Samui government seeks to implement a project to transfer tap water from the Surat Thani mainland to the islands in the upcoming years, the island needs up-to-date environmental laws now more than ever. Once water becomes more easily acquired, larger amounts of wastewater are bound to follow.
Gen Surasak said authorities are aware of the challenges that could arise from water supply development projects.
"Some people suggested they will create a cutout of me 'admiring' me for my approval of the tap water project, but I brushed this off," the minister said, adding he acknowledges that "when tap water comes, wastewater will follow."
However, he stressed he wants to use the past an example to move forward in protecting the environment.
Other state agencies have expressed eagerness in offering further protection to natural resources in the three islands.
Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said he wants to see Thailand screen its visitors. The country should not focus on the number of visitors but must pay more to the "quality" of them, he said.
Travellers to Thailand should be nature lovers, said Mr Weerasak.
He added that tourism should be done in the spirit of sustainable tourism.
The Tourism and Sports Ministry has a 20 million baht budget to study how to help keep irresponsible tourists away from Thailand's natural wonders, he said. Officials are in the process of brainstorming measures to keep these foreign visitors out of special tourist attractions by imposing extra fees on them.
The measure would serve as a way to incentivise business owners to balance profit motives with environmental concerns.
Ms Krissana is making her own environmentally-friendly changes by having her hotel wastewater treated and reused for watering trees.
"Cultivating a sense of accountability [among businesses] is a beautiful idea, but it will take some time to bear actual fruit," Ms Krissana said.
In the meantime, stricter law enforcement, like that which is proposed under Section 17, can address these issues promptly, she said.
While maintaining Thailand's tourist-friendly reputation, authorities must learn to be stern with those who abuse their welcome in the Surat Thani islands before their vacation becomes cause for degradation.
out the window: Resorts on Koh Tao. Last year, around 132,000 tourists visited the island. PHOTO: Thiti Wannamontha
washed up: Tourists arrive at Koh Tao, the Surat Thani island famous for its diving spots. PHOTO: Thiti Wannamontha
wearing out welcome: Koh Phangan has faced a slew of environmental issues, including the degradation of marine life, due to tourist practices and over-development. PHOTO: Supapong Chaolan
troubled waters: The diversity of marine life, a large draw for visitors to Koh Tao, is under threat. PHOTO: Thiti Wannamontha
keeping afloat: A sunset at Koh Tao. Authorities are in the process of creating Section 17, a set of laws to curb environmental problems affecting the islands of Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and Koh Tao. photo: Thiti Wannamontha
