We have received news about the Southern Similan this week. These islands are were closed off until somewhere in October. Koh Tachai will stay closed indefinitely. This Wednesday the Thai government closed another 3 islands: Koh Khai Nok, Koh Khai Nui and Koh Kha Nai. This decree was ordered to allow nature, including coral reefs, to recover a bit. Tourism has grown to massive proportions on these islands. Nature struggles to survive.
Koh Tao currently does not face closure. There are some discussions going on about temporarily closing off a bay for divers and snorklers (to give nature some time to recover herself), but at this point in time we do not yet expect any negative consequences for CoralGardening and the building of the first CoralGarden. We will study the situation in the coming weeks.
This situation does not only show us that we do not travel alone on our journey to better reefs, but also that many roads can lead to Rome.
A view of the Similan Islands, located off the coast of southern Thailand Photo: Hendric Tay