There has already been a lot of criticism of the department’s move this week to investigate the current directors of three marine national parks in the South – Ao Phang Nga National Park, Mu Ko Similan National Park and Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.

The probe was in response to complaints that the parks’ revenues have increased massively in the past year, but the directors have failed to improve the facilities.

DNP director-general Thanya Netithammakun said there was no need to be concerned that “decent, working people” would be punished because the committee would focus on corruption allegedly perpetrated by former park directors, not the current officials.

According to a previous report, the three current national park directors – Sarayut Thantian of Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, Worapoj Lomlim of Ao Phang Nga National Park and Ruamsin Manazhongprasert of Mu Ko Similan National Park – were the targets of the investigation.

“Not punishment”

“The Preservation Area Manage-ment Office 5 launched the investigation because there were complaints against them [the directors] filed with the department, saying that the three national parks failed to manage the parks properly, so they [investigators] have to find the truth about this,” Thanya said.

“This is not punishment. We only have to make things clear by letting the committee inspect previous corruption and we are asking for information from the current national park heads,” he added.

He said he had been surprised that hardworking national park directors had been subjected to allegations of corruption, so he ordered the committee to investigate former national park inspectors and why the national parks were able to boost their revenues so much in one year.

According to a previous report, all three national parks raised Bt1.025 billion this year, compared to last year’s income of Bt187 million.

A source in the department said that several other parks were being investigated in addition to the three marine parks after complaints were filed against them.

However, most of the cases just involved seeking information from the parks in question, with no punishments having been meted out yet.

Meanwhile, prominent marine biologist Thon Thamrongnawasawat, who works closely with the marine parks, posted several pictures on Facebook showing improvements in facilities at the parks, in particular Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi, which mitigate the impact of tourism on natural resources.

“As the allegations about the three national park heads were about waste management and mooring buoys, I have nothing to say at all, but we have a load of evidence, which clearly proves that they did very hard and decent work. We have to protect these good and hardworking men,” Thon said.