According to a number of Thai media sources, on May 14, the staff of Nopparathara Beach-Phi Phi Islands National Park in Thailand dived and inspected the areas of Red Island, Chicken Island, Poda Island and other areas in Ao Nang Town, Fuzhi County, Krabi Province, and found that 50-70% of the corals were bleached when they dived to a depth of 2-4 meters and the sea temperature was 32 °C.
In this regard, the director of the national park, Mr. Yutapong, said that in order to prevent the destruction of coral reefs and prevent various activities from accelerating coral bleaching, the national park needs to take urgent action to protect the natural environment, ecosystems and natural resources, so it has decided to temporarily suspend snorkeling activities in the following areas, including the northern, east and west areas of Chicken Island, the northern area of Poda Island, Red Island, Railay Beach and Yawasam Island, as well as the surrounding coral reefs, from May 16, until the coral bleaching problem is resolved.
In addition, he further said that human actions and activities can exacerbate the problem of coral bleaching, and the national park aims to prevent damage to coral reefs during coral bleaching and provide time for corals to recover, ensuring that coral bleaching is effectively addressed. But other tourist attractions are still open as usual, such as Phi Phi Island, Maya Bay, etc.