CORAL REEFS in Thailand are currently facing the onset of widespread but mild coral bleaching, as some reefs in both the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand show symptoms of heat stress. Tourists are meanwhile encouraged to observe signs of coral bleaching and report them to authorities.

Despite around 5 to 10 per cent of corals in the coral reefs in many provinces reportedly suffering from bleaching, the Marine and Coastal Resources Department has predicted that this year’s bleaching will be minor and short in duration.

The reported 5-10 per cent bleaching rate matches a warning issued by the NOAA Coral Reef Watch (CRW) throughout the Indo-Pacific Region.

Bleaching occurs when the reef suffers stress from extreme environmental changes in temperature, reduction, or pollution, causing individual corals to expel symbiotic algae living in their tissues and turning the coral completely white.

The algae produce food for the coral and are therefore indispensable. After the algae are expelled, the coral weakens and will die if the bleaching period is severe or extended.

The worst bleaching has been identified in coral reefs in Phuket, Krabi, Chumphon and Rayong.

Marine and Coastal Resources Department director-general Jatuporn Buruspat said he had already received reports of coral bleaching in some coral reefs of both the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand.

The scale and severity of this year’s bleaching appears small, he said, and there was no reason to be concerned.

“Only initial signs of bleaching have been observed, which is normal for this time of year, as the temperature of the seawater is usually higher than [the yearly] average,” Jatuporn said.

“From the weather and seawater temperature forecast, we have projected that the situation of coral bleaching in Thailand’s seas will be mild and short.

“The rainy season has already begun and more rain and overcast is expected, which should reduce seawater temperature.”

The Marine and Coastal Resources Department has a system in place to monitor seawater temperatures and it could be used to measure and forecast bleaching events, he said. Jatuporn also asked that tourists help officers by monitoring the condition of coral next time they go diving.

As for the CRW’s bleaching alert of last Friday, the entire Gulf of Thailand and northern part of Andaman Sea have been designated as a warning area due to rising seawater temperature.

CRW’s long-term bleaching forecast predicted that the situation in Andaman Sea would be resolved this week, but the seawater temperature in the Gulf of Thailand would remain too hot for coral until the end of June. That makes it very likely that coral reefs

in the Gulf of Thailand will be affected by widespread bleaching.

Niphon Pongsuwan, an expert on marine ecosystems for the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, said the recent coral bleaching was caused by high seawater temperatures. Starting from May 5, temperatures in both the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand had increased beyond safe levels for coral, at 30.5 degrees Celsius.

“The seawater temperature in the Andaman Sea was on average around 30 to 30.5 degrees Celsius throughout this month, while the seawater temperature in the Gulf of Thailand was relatively warmer at around 30.5 to 31 degrees Celsius, which is harmful to coral,” Niphon said.

The highest seawater temperature was recorded last week at Koh Man in Rayong, he said, where it soared to as high as 33 degrees Celsius.

Still, this year’s coral bleaching was not a cause for worry, he said, because the period of warm seawater was expected to be too short to cause large-scale damage to the reefs.

As well, it was also found that many corals that survived the latest mass bleaching event in 2010 have developed increased tolerance to heat and can survive in hot water for a longer period than previously.

“Thailand faced the heaviest bleaching event in 2010, when 40 to 70 per cent of corals died,” said Niphon, “but we have observed that during the mass bleaching event in 2016, the majority of corals survived the prolonged heat.

“This signifies that coral reefs in Thailand have develop traits to tolerate and survive in warmer water.”

However, Niphon warned, even though this country’s coral reefs have proven adaptable to changes, the survival of many coral reefs remains a serious concern due to the impacts of excessive tourism and water pollution.

The area is being planted by carefully selected tree species, along with erosion-preventing Vetive grass, and two check-dams are being built to prevent debris and toxins pouring into the natural water sources consumed by locals.

Officials, local citizen activists who opposed the housing construction, and soldiers from the 33rd Military Circle were taken on Sunday morning to tour the area being reforested, led by Thanya Netithammakun, chief of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP).

Thanya said the DNP was ready to merge the area back into Doi Suthep-Pui National Park once it is officially given the order.

Doi Suthep Forestland Reclamation Network coordinator Teerasak Rupsuwan said his group was waiting for a committee to be established this week to set up and oversee a management plan for the forested area at the foot of the sacred Doi Suthep.

Plai-auw Thongsawat from Chiang Mai’s Green City Council said a panel had joined with the DNP to begin rehabilitation work now, a period when the judges’ houses are not yet dismantled. Tree seedlings need to be nurtured for the first phase restoring 20 rai (3.2 hectares), with the area greened over then next 3-8 years. About 74 rai have been handed back so far from the housing project and are in need of reforestation.

After the structures were demolished, the reforestation could begin in full force, she said.

The activity also included a flight of 15 paramotors circling the controversial project while waiving green flags and signs saying “dismantle”.

The controversy that brought out locals in persistent protest was resolved early this month when the government agreed to return a large chunk of the housing project, so that it could eventually be returned to the original overseer, the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park.

The housing project of 45 houses and nine condominiums were being built for the Administrative Office of Appeal Region 5.

The demarcation line will be drawn to clearly separate the returned part from the area that the court will be allowed to use, comprising two office buildings and four flats.

The entire 147-rai area used to be part of the park before it was declared degraded forest and used by the Royal Thai Army. That body later handed it over to the Treasury Department, which allowed the court to use it for the housing project.

Chakthip has asked that police officers perform their duties with caution so as to prevent their deaths or injuries, said police spokesman Pol Colonel Krissana Pattanacharoen.

Krissana was referring to an incident in which Pol Senior Sgt-Major Suchat Chewpreecha, 51, of Tha Maka precinct was killed on duty at 10am on Saturday while on a motorcycle chase of a suspect who was also riding a motorbike. The suspect’s bike lacked a licence plate.

Suchat crashed into an Isuzu sedan and was then crushed by a passing truck. The unnamed truck driver fled the scene but was later apprehended by police.

The Provincial Police Region 7 was in the process of providing the entitled welfare and compensation to Suchat’s family as per the regulation, Kissana said.

And almost half of respondents suggested the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to inspect products both before and after it obtains their hallmark.

Nearly 66 per cent of members of the public interviewed by NIDA said celebrity product reviews play an important role in their purchasing decision.

People’s confidence in the FDA hallmark was the focus of the nationwide phone poll of 1,251 respondents aged over 18, conducted May 21-22 by the Bangkok-based National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA).

It found that most people (71.78 per cent) said they looked for the FDA hallmark on a product for safety reassurance, while 27.98 did not and another 0.24 per cent said they were unsure.

A crackdown by police and the FDA over products using the FDA hallmark meant for other goods or fake FDA hallmarks has recently made the news. Still, over 56 per cent of respondents said they still have faith in the FDA, as it was a credible and long-established agency to ensure safety standard in products. Some said the problem was caused by business operators and not by the FDA. However over 42 per cent said their confidence in the FDA had been affected because it meant the agency didn’t strictly inspect goods, while under 2 per cent of respondents said they were unsure.

Asked if product reviews by celebrities had helped boost credibility of products and convince them to buy, nearly 66 per cent admitted they had, because the celebrities were accepted by Thai society and they had helped make the products better known and appear more attractive. However, nearly 33 per cent said otherwise, citing that their decision to buy a product hinged on quality, price, personal satisfaction and need. Some of this group also said they looked for the FDA hallmark when shopping.

The respondents were also asked how the rights of consumers should be protected, by choosing one or more from a list of proposed solutions. The most-endorsed solution – by over 54 per cent of respondents – would increase FDA measures to inspect products both before and after it obtained the FDA hallmark.

Next most popular, at just over 34 per cent, was harsher punishment for regulation violators, followed by the establishment of more state agencies to oversee consumer protection work at just under 34 per cent). Strictly controlling advertisements, especially those using celebrities, so they do not exaggerate earned just over 32 per cent of votes, with the suggestion of increasing inspectors to check on product standards was chosen by just over 27 per cent.

The alleged fraud reportedly took place during January-July 2017 when 191 police joined the cooperative’s debt management project on the invitation of the then-Loei police chief, who reportedly reneged on what was promised, resulting in the policemen landing in debt which has now doubled and even tripled.

Krissana said the Provincial Police Region 4 had received the complaints from the 191 policemen. A committee has been set up and asked to investigate within 30 days. While approving the panel, Chakthip also urged them to proceed carefully and thoroughly as per the law.

Krissana urged the public to wait for the probe findings before casting aspersions, and promised that even if the accused were a high-ranking officer, he would face serious disciplinary and criminal punishments as many policemen had been affected because of the alleged fraud.

He said they would also probe if the project could be considered a pyramid scheme. If it involved many officials, the police may ask the National Anti-Corruption Committee and the Anti-Money Laundering Office to join the investigation.

Krissana insisted such an alleged wrongdoing was an individual matter that did not represent the Royal Thai Police in any way.