Latest News

Back to Latest News back

 

Koh Lanta transforms into one of Thailand’s most sustainable tourism destinations

Koh Lanta transforms into one of Thailand’s most sustainable tourism destinations
November 3, 2020

A raft of innovative initiatives, buoyed by local entrepreneurs and community-based organisations, is transforming Thailand’s Koh Lanta into an exceptional environmentally-friendly destination.

Little has changed on Koh Lanta since the Thai island quietly started to welcome guests three decades ago. Beaches without footprints still sprawl beneath rainforest canopies, the calls of wild macaques echo through dense mangroves and only moments from the shore shoals of tropical fish flit amongst coral reef.

Life indeed moves at a gentler pace on an island that has so far avoided the throngs of tourists that have long since taken over many of the country's other resort destinations. While mainland Krabi starts to creak under the burden of increasing arrivals and Phuket to the west has long been lost to the masses, Koh Lanta still offers travellers a truly authentic experience amid some of Thailand's best-kept natural attractions.

Like many of the world's unspoiled natural havens, however, byproducts of modern life have placed an inevitable strain on the environment. In response to the growing threat of environmental degradation -- both on land and at sea -- organisations and individuals are fighting back to ensure Koh Lanta keeps its paradisal appeal for generations to come.

Anurat Tiyaphorn, owner of Pimalai Resort & Spa, Koh Lanta’s first five-star resort explains "the island was isolated when I first visited about 30 years ago -- there were no cars, no roads, even.

“Tourists nowadays are looking for that same experience in a place where nature is preserved. We are just one of many on the island working towards preserving this natural beauty."

With its deep-rooted relationship with the island and prime location on legendary Kantiang Beach, Pimalai is ideally situated to champion marine conservation efforts. The resort, in association with Scubafish Dive Centre and Lanta Diver, conducts clownfish release and coral propagation programmes around idyllic offshore islands of Koh Haa and Koh Rok. This includes a cycle of moving living rocks to make a base for the newly propagated corals in the nursery. Once developed, the corals are then relocated and the process begins again, according to Lanta Diver's Naiyana Leethongdee.

Leethongdee notes "it feels like there's more environmentally-friendly thinking across the island than ever before" adding that the company encourages visitors to join them on the propagation dives and learn more about how to conserve the island's aquaculture.

Back on dry land, guests are also invited to join the Pimalai team, local residents and fellow business owners on their monthly cleanup of Kantiang Beach, which ensures one of the island’s star attractions remains pristine. The “Community Trash Free Days” take place on the second Wednesday of each month. Public cleanups extend beyond the beach, however, to the island’s mangroves. Tucked away in the island’s interior, these bucolic waterways are home to unique flora and fauna. Organised boat tours of the mangrove help generate income and also fund the preservation of this rich ecosystem.

Much of the rubbish recovered from these areas is put to good use. One organisation, in particular, recycles non-biodegradable materials into intricate handicraft products such as bags and bracelets. In addition to the standalone store located in Koh Lanta’s Old Town, the items are available to buy at Pimalai.

Eco-entrepreneur Aumpa Arthan explains “my friends and I got the idea to set up this store after seeing how much plastic waste there is on Koh Lanta. So we came up with the idea to recycle used milk cartons, plastic bottles and rice sacks into new products.

“We’ve received great feedback from the tourists who support us buying these products.”

Such socially-responsible initiatives are manifold across the island. Pimalai, which last year became the first property on Koh Lanta to receive the coveted Green Globe certification, runs educational programmes as part of its Rak Lanta (Love Lanta) project that advises local communities, small business owners and schools on how to effectively segregate and recycle non-compostable materials, as well as providing waste bins and garbage storage facilities around the Kantiang Beach community. With this aim of reducing island-wide waste to zero, Pimalai has also set itself a series of ambitious five-year environmental targets. These practical onsite measures include reducing electricity consumption by 15%, daily water use by 10%, carbon footprint by 10%, and waste by 5%.   

To celebrate the achievements of this unique culture of sustainable practices and cultural preservation, Pimalai recently produced a documentary short capturing the places, personalities and organisations that are putting Koh Lanta’s sustainability credentials in the spotlight. It is available to watch here

For more information, visit www.pimalai.com 

Image top: The vibrant marine life of Mu Ko Lanta National Park; and image above Koh Haa is one of the wonders of Koh Lanta National Park

Related Articles

31st October 2020 - GlobalData highlights domestic tourism may not be sufficient for Thailand tourism recovery

21st October 2020 - GlobalData highlights need for card payments in Thailand

23rd September 2020 - Banyan Thailand launches initiative inviting city residents to embrace active outdoor lifestyle

1st September 2020 - Thailand faces tourism industry risk

6th August 2020 - Thailand halts tourism boosting ‘travel bubble’ plan as Asian Coronavirus cases rise

15th October 2020 - Santiburi Koh Samui commits to CSR projects and signs UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Pledge

10th April 2020 - Thailand resort Santiburi Koh Samui receives 2020 Green Hotel certification

31st August 2013 - Koh Samui aims to become low-carbon tourism destination


Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.

 

supplier directory

The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.

See the directory see all

TicketSearch Pty Ltd

TicketSearch is focused on providing businesses, organisations, and venues with affordable, efficient, and powerful self-managed ticketing solutions. The organisation has offices in Australia, New…

read more

Attractions / Entertainment / Technology / Ticketing / Venues

 
 

PlayRope

Playrope Aqua-Fun, are the Australian & New Zealand exclusive distributors for Vortex Aquatic Structures International, the world leader in aquatic playgrounds and urban water landscapes.…

read more

Aquatics / Attractions / Parks / Play / Recreation

 
 

IEDM

iEDM integrate Design, Engineering and Delivery Management services to convert existing spaces into exciting new entertainment venues. Our team consists of highly qualified professionals with diverse…

read more

Consultants / Design

 
 

24/7 Software

The world's greatest properties run on 24/7 Software Whether at commercial properties, corporate facilities, sports arenas, or public entertainment venues, we're proud to lead the way in…

read more

Entertainment / Security / Sport / Technology / Venues

 
 

BH Fitness

BH Fitness, part of the long-standing and iconic bike manufacturer BH Group, is a global leader in fitness equipment for both Commercial and Home markets. The company, with the headquarters based in…

read more

Fitness / Recreation / Sport / Technology / Wellness

 
 

State Wide Pool Services

Known as Hydrilla since September 2020 - see www.ausleisure.com.au/suppliers/hydrilla-pty-ltd

read more

Aquatics

 
 

Ausfit

Ausfit began in 1992, providing software services to the health and fitness sector including ClubWise, a fully hosted web-based product which combines state of the art club management software,…

read more

Billing / Finance / Fitness / Technology

 
 

Myzone

Email for trade enquiries: Enquiriesapac@myzone.org  Customer support desk - Click Myzone support or go to ‘help’ on myzone app to access live support. Myzone® is the leading…

read more

Fitness / Sport / Technology / Wellness

 
 
 
 

get listed with our suppliers directory

Get your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!

list your business