Two divers from Europe arrested in Thailand

Local press from Thailand is reporting the arrest of two divers from Europe. A Dutchman and a Hungarian were arrested and taken into custody after they caught and photographed a protected species of sea creature during one of their dives conducted in Koh Pha Ngan, in the southern province of Surat Thani.

Probably everything could be explained by the fact of ignorance of regulations and protected species, but Nation Thailand reports that the detained Hungarian is not only a diving instructor, but also the owner of the Pink Panther diving centre, which is located on the island. In turn, the Dutchman detained with him is also a resident and works as a chef at one of the restaurants located on the island.

-- Advertisement --

In contrast, no one should be surprised that the arrest of the two men came after they published their photos and videos online. The footage they posted proved to be excellent documentation and evidence that not only sparked outrage under their social media posts, but also provided the police with grounds for arrest.

We tracked down the suspects and identified them as a Hungarian national and a Dutch resident on the island. Salad Beach is a protected area, making their actions punishable by a maximum fine of 100,000 baht or one year’s imprisonment, reported Sophon Thongdee of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources

The men were also fined for immigration offences – the Dutchman for failing to notify a change of address within 24 hours, and the Hungarian’s wife for failing to inform officials within 24 hours that a foreigner was staying at her property.

As you can see from the example above, thinking underwater is as elementary an activity as breathing and if you forget to do it you can get into serious trouble.