Bankok Post
18 March 2015
When Asst Prof Thon Thamrongnawasawat comes out to speak, you know that marine life is in clear and present danger.
In the last two weeks, his name returned to the spotlight after he posted an open letter online lamenting the environmental degradation of Similan National Marine Park in the Andaman Sea, especially the condition of the coral reefs and marine environment at the beautiful and popular Koh Tachai.
Asst Prof Thon, a marine biology lecturer at Kasetsart University and an established environmental writer, has focused on the effects of pollution, land encroachment and tourism on marine ecology, and how the food and tourism industries exploit the fragile environment of national parks. Asst Prof Thon, who received a Ph.D. in marine biology from James Cook University in Australia and is a member of the National Reform Council, talks to Life about the problem of conserving Thailand’s marine resources.