The project, and the event, were held in honour of His Majesty the King’s 6th Cycle Birthday (72 years) this Sunday (July 28), said an official report of the event.
The event was presided over by Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos and Rear Admiral Suchat Thammapitakwet, Commander of the Royal Thai Navy Region Third Area Command and Director of the Phuket branch of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center (Thai-MECC 3).
The initiative involved the laying of boat mooring buoys and a beach cleanup at Koh Hei, both aimed at preserving the marine ecosystem and promoting environmental awareness. The installation of the mooring buoys is to prevent the destruction of coral reefs and marine habitats caused by boats dropping anchors.
Joining to support the project were local organisations and businesses, including the Phuket branch of the Tourism Council of Thailand, Andaman Rotary Club, Rawai Beach Rotary Club, along with tour boat operators Nikorn Marine Co Ltd, Nonthasak Co Ltd and Bohemian Marine, as well as Indochina Productions (Siam) Co Ltd and several others.
The project, which began on April 19, involved placing mooring buoys at seven points around Koh Hei, including in front of Coral Beach, in front of Krahang Beach, in front of Banana Beach, and four points for submarine viewing spots behind the island.
Each buoy was anchored using four 2-ton underwater cement bases. The work was successfully completed by July 24, 2024.
The equipment used in this activity included 21 2-ton cement buoy bases, 12 orange floating buoys and buoy tie-down ropes. The project was supported by a purchasing budget of B239,000 baht, reported the Third Area Command.
The trash collection activity saw the participation of 120 individuals from the participating organisations as a well as Royal Volunteers, who worked together to clean a 500-metre stretch of the east side of Koh Hei beach, collecting a total of 750 kilogrammes of trash.