Thailand warns jet skiing tourists not to disturb whales
Thailand’s natural resources and environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa has a message for tourists: don’t go chasing whales on jetskis.
Last week sightings of Bryde’s whales off the coast of Petchaburi province went viral prompting a flood of tourists to the area.
That led to a group of about 20 tourists hopping on jetskis and chasing them in the water.
Varawut has ordered local authorities to safeguard the area from such activity and educate tourists.
"Bryde’s whales which appear seasonally in Petchburi are precious gifts from nature. Tourists are urged not to disturb the whales because with such disturbances, the mammals may not return to the site" he said.
They are also putting themselves in danger, he said.
Thailand has stringent rules on whale watching as part of a revamp of its marine tourism strategy and Varawut wants authorities to make sure they are being upheld.
The Bryde’s whale is one of 19 proitected mammal species in Thailand.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025