Andaman Coast Of Thailand Research Articles

COMMUNITY BASED-TOURISM (CBT) MANAGEMENT DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ALONG THE ANDAMAN COAST OF THAILAND

Community-based tourism (CBT) have been challenged in the Coronavirus 2019 era. This qualitative research aims to explain the CBT management during the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic in five communities of five provinces along the Andaman coast of Thailand. The data were collected via online in-depth interviews and online focus group discussions, from totally 10 key informants of CBT entrepreneurs (two from each province/community). The data were analyzed by using content analysis. The results revealed that the CBT management during the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic was based on the communities’ cultural and natural resources. The tourism operation was focused on building confidence and safety for tourists.

Community-Based Tourism Management during the Coronavirus Pandemic along the Andaman Coast of Thailand

The spread of the coronavirus pandemic from the end of 2019 until the present has drastically changed the trends in the tourism service industry around the world, also in community-based tourism in Thailand. This qualitative research article aimed to explain community-based tourism management during the coronavirus pandemic and includes multiple case studies in five communities of five provinces (Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang, and Satun provinces) along the Andaman coast of Thailand, which creates an understanding of the characteristics of community-based tourism management for application in specific situations. The data were collected from January to March 2022 via online in-depth interviews and online focus group discussions, with ten key informants and community-based tourism entrepreneurs (two representatives from each). Then, the data were verified using triangulation and analyzed by using content analysis. The results revealed that the community-based tourism management in the Andaman coastal area of Thailand was based on the communities’ cultural and natural resources. The tourism operation during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic was focused on building confidence and safety for tourists, namely: 1) characteristics of vaccinated tourists entering the communities and preferred quality tourists; 2) communities’ readiness for receiving tourists — service staff was regularly checked for coronavirus, renovations were done, and tourism activities were designed to be appropriate in a pandemic situation; 3) public relations and communication of the communities’ good image were pursued; 4) community development sought to achieve the standard of the Thailand Safety and Health Administration; 5) a surveillance system was established to monitor community situations. However, recommendations based on this research are that the government should support community-based tourism operations through tax measures, financial projects allocated to the communities, and technology to promote tourism on various platforms. Results from this research can be applied to community-based tourism entrepreneurs, especially in other areas of Thailand.

Gracilaria khanjanapajiae sp. nov. (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) from the Andaman coast of Thailand

ABSTRACT Taxonomy and diversity of the Gracilariaceae has been increasingly investigated by using integrated morphological and genetic approaches. The Indo-Pacific is likely a hotspot for diversity of these macroalgae. Collections of flattened Gracilaria samples from Natai beach, Andaman coast of Thailand, were morphologically and genetically analysed. Our results clearly indicated the presence of a new species, G. khanjanapajiae sp. nov., in Thailand. In comparison to other known Indo-Pacific flattened species, G. khanjanapajiae can be distinguished by its dentate blade margin, deep spermatangial conceptacles (verrucosa-type) and numerous lateral and basal nutritive filaments within mature cystocarps. This new species resembles G. srilankia in having similar branching pattern and male reproductive structures, but differs in blade margin features. Phylogenetically, G. khanjanapajiae was more closely related to G. spinulosa from Taiwan than other Thai and Indian Ocean species. This present study highlights the continuing discovery of Gracilaria diversity and distribution in the tropical Indo-Pacific.

Mesoscale/Microscale and CFD Modeling for Wind Resource Assessment: Application to the Andaman Coast of Southern Thailand

Situated in the southern part and on the western coast of Thailand, the Andaman Coast covers the provinces of Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun. Using a coupled mesoscale atmospheric model and a microscale wind flow model, along with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, this paper presents a detailed assessment of the wind energy potential for power generation along the Andaman Coast of Thailand. The climatic data are obtained from the Modern Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), along with a high-resolution topography database and Land Use Land Cover digital data. The results are compared to the equivalent wind speeds obtained with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) atmospheric model. The results showed that, at 120 m above ground level (agl), the predicted wind speeds from the models proposed were 20% lower for the mesoscale model and 10% lower for the microscale model when compared to the equivalent wind speeds obtained from the WRF model. A CFD wind flow model was then used to investigate 3D wind fields at 120–125 m agl over five potential sites offering promising wind resources. The annual energy productions (AEP) and the capacity factors under three different wake loss models and for five wind turbine generator technologies were optimized for 10-MW wind power plants, as per Thailand’s energy policies. With capacity factors ranging from 20 to 40%, it was found that the AEPs of the best sites were in the range of 18–36 GWh/year, with a total AEP in the vicinity of 135 GWh/year when using a single wind turbine model for the five sites studied. The combined energy productions by these wind power plants, once operational, could avoid GHG emissions of more than 80 ktons of CO2eq/year.

Influence of DAP1 Genotype and Psychosocial Factors on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Thai Tsunami Survivors: A GxE Approach

Background: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder found in individuals afflicted by a traumatic event including the natural disaster. “Tsunami” occurred in Andaman coast of Thailand on December 26, 2004, in which 33.6% of survivors were diagnosed as PTSD. This study aimed to explore the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). rs267943 genotype is located on chromosome 5 in the intron of the death-associated protein 1 (DAP1) gene and psychosocial factors for PTSD. Methods: Participants (N = 1970) were recruited from volunteers who have complete data both of DAP1 gene and psychosocial factor. Results: Using a binary logistic regression model, significant gene-environment interactions were found for the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs267943 and psychosocial factors including depression (adj. OR = 6.0, 95% CI = 4.29 - 8.39), neurotic personality (adj. OR = 2.73, 95% CI = 2.18 - 3.42), planning (adj. OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.20 - 1.93), use of emotional support (adj. OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.21 - 1.94) with statistical significant p < 0.001 and self-distraction (adj. OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.15 - 1.85) with statistical significant p < 0.05. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that GxE studies can be utilized to shed light on the origins of PTSD.

Carbon storage in seagrass ecosystems along the Andaman coast of Thailand

Abstract Seagrass ecosystems are important contributors to mitigation of climate change, since they are responsible for large carbon sinks. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the importance of variability of carbon storage in various ecosystems. In this study, we estimated carbon storage in several structurally different seagrass meadows along the west coast of Thailand and determined whether degree of exposure, human disturbance, and meadow type influenced carbon storage within these meadows. Carbon content within the living vegetation was on average 3±2.7 Mg ha−1, whilst average storage of carbon in the sediment was 122±35.3 Mg ha−1. Meadow type and disturbance had a significant influence on total carbon storage in the ecosystem, while the degree of exposure of the bay did not show great differences. Uniform meadows had a higher average total carbon storage than mixed meadows (133±36.2 and 110±41.3 Mg ha−1, respectively). Undisturbed meadows had a higher average total carbon storage than disturbed ones (140±36.5 and 103±34.8 Mg ha−1, respectively). The results obtained contribute to our understanding of carbon storage on an ecosystem scale and can provide a baseline for proper management, conservation, and climate change studies in the region.

Shell occupation by the land hermit crab Coenobita violascens (Anomura, Coenobitidae) from Phuket Island, Thailand

Abstract Shell occupation by the land hermit crab Coenobita violascens Heller, 1862 was investigated from January 2011 to March 2012 on Phuket Island in the Andaman Coast of Thailand. The samples of C. violascens were collected monthly using multiple quadrat sampling. Twenty shell species from 11 families were found occupying by C. violascens, which were mainly marine gastropods (90%). The three most common occupied shell species were Chicoreus brunneus (Link, 1807) (21.3% of hermits), followed by Filifusus filamentosus (Roding, 1798) (14.9%) and Laevistrombus canarium (Linnaeus, 1758) (14.9%). Biconical shells and those with ovate apertures were the most commonly occupied shell types. Furthermore, individual C. violascens probably occupy the shells of at least three different gastropod species during their lifetime. Interestingly, C. violascens shows a tendency of occupying specific categories of shells in relation to shell species, shape and aperture shape. Other aspects of shell occupation by C. violascens compared to congeneric species are also discussed.

Carbon Content in Different Seagrass Species in Andaman Coast of Thailand

Seagrass meadows have one of the highest carbon sequestration and storage capacities than any other ecosystems. Carbon that is stored in the ecosystem is accumulated in the deposited sediment as well as in the living, above and below ground biomass, with a different rate of carbon sequestration and storage between the species. The objective of this research was to investigate carbon storage in the living plants and in the sediment among species of different size in tropical waters. The samples were collected from Phuket province, Thailand, in the high density monospecific patches of different size species (Enhalus acoroides as a big, Thalassia hemprhicii as a medium and Halophila ovalis as a small size species). Total carbon and carbon stored in above and below ground, was significantly different between the species (p<0.05), with the highest values in below ground parts of E. acoroides and T. hemprichii 238.10±85.07 and 134±21.55 g Dw m-2, respectively. Average organic carbon in the sediment was significantly different (p<0.05) as well, with E. acoroides having highest organic carbon content in the deeper layers of the sediment 1.14±0.25 % Corg, while the other two species had higher organic carbon in the top and medium layers of sediment. The results of this preliminary research propose that big size species have higher carbon content than smaller species, which reflects in higher sequestration rates of carbon from the ocean, thus reducing the ocean carbon budget. Moreover, it provides necessary information on size of the species which is the key for the future carbon storage studies in the region.

Variations of tidal exposures and seasons on growth, morphology, anatomy and physiology of the seagrass Halophila ovalis (R.Br.) Hook. f. in a seagrass bed in Trang Province, Southern Thailand

Halophila ovalis is a seagrass species which is widely distributed throughout the world and is found in a wide range of habitat along the vertical gradients from upper intertidal to subtidal areas. Differences in tidal exposure control physical factors relating growth and responses of marine plants. To determine variations in growth, morphology, anatomy and physiology of H. ovalis growing in different environments, plants were collected at three levels of tidal exposure (upper intertidal, lower intertidal, subtidal), two seasons (dry and rainy) and at two sites (Laem Yong Lam; YL and Koh Muk; KM, on the Andaman coast of Thailand). The seagrass showed the slowest growth rate in the upper intertidal zone as they spent about 4 days to produce new leaf pairs with a rhizome elongation rate of 3.61mmday−1. The biggest leaf size of H. ovalis was found in the lower intertidal zone. The lowest maximum relative electron transport rate (rETRmax) was found in plants growing in the subtidal zone. Optimum light for photosynthesis (Eopt) of intertidal seagrass was higher than those of the subtidal population. Higher total chlorophyll and carotenoids content were found in subtidal seagrass while higher anthocyanins content was found in seagrass growing in the upper intertidal area. Responses of H. ovalis in this study are concluded to occur mainly as a consequence of light differentiation and desiccation stress in different places and times.

Are changing diver characteristics important for coral reef conservation?

Abstract Scuba (self ‐ contained underwater breathing apparatus) diving can act as an incentive ‐ based conservation mechanism and protect reefs by funding conservation and replacing more consumptive uses. However, diving must be sustainable. One challenge to sustainability is changing reef conditions and diving clientele over time. This paper examines these changes with respect to diving on the Andaman coast of Thailand using a Wildlife Tourism Model. In 2012 a questionnaire was administered to 591 scuba divers and compared with 506 questionnaires collected in 2000. Findings include: the 2012 industry has a higher proportion of low and medium specialization visitors that have lower expectations and lower overall satisfaction, yet remain willing to return; the average per capita economic contribution of divers to the local economy and to dive companies declined by more than 30% by 2012; Andaman coast diving continued to grow in 2012, dominated by mass ‐ market tourism that had diversified into several niches; the results verify the use of the Wildlife Tourism Model as a tool to understand industry sustainability, and suggest further development of the model to capture the extension into specific, niche markets. Changes to diver characteristics in 2012 restrict the ability of diving to fund conservation, provide alternative livelihoods, support environmental choices by operators, and control dive pressure exerted on reefs. Results suggest the operationalization of Limits of Acceptable Change by both managers and dive operators to grow the conservation value of diving. The results of this study suggest that the Wildlife Tourism Model can be used to inform management choices in emerging dive destinations. For instance, creating spatial zones that target the tourist composition most appropriate to meet the conservation goals of each reef system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Hybrid identities: juxtaposing multiple identities against the ‘authentic’ Moken

The Moken and Moklen are an indigenous population residing along the Andaman coast of Thailand. They have been represented, both in popular and academic discourse, as seafaring nomads living in traditional boats and small temporal coastal communities. The overwhelmingly precept of the existing literature about the Moken is one of vulnerability and of stemming the erosion of ‘authentic’ Moken cultural identities. Identification of Moken as being under threat transpired as a consequence of the 2004 Asian tsunami, in which many Moken were killed and the plight of others who had their houses and sources of livelihood destroyed was propelled onto an international stage. This paper critically discusses how Moken identities and associated discourses of vulnerability have been depicted in media and academic literature as fixed and traditional. We argue that such rigid identity narratives contrast sharply to the contemporary realities of the Moken identities as articulated by the Moken we interviewed.

Relationship between environmental conditions and recovery of the coral reefs in the Andaman coast of Thailand

Relationship between environmental conditions and recovery of the coral reefs in the Andaman coast of Thailand

A new flat Gracilaria: Gracilaria lantaensis sp. nov. (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta) from the Andaman coast of Thailand

:Collection of a flat red alga of the genus Gracilaria from the Andaman coast of Thailand was described as a new species, G. lantaensis sp. nov. based on detailed morphological characteristics and rbcL sequence analysis. This species typically grew intertidally on exposed mud-sand shores. It was characterized by its slender thalli with narrow-bladed branches, its smooth margin with a few brachlets and its reddish-pink color. Spermatangial conceptacles were of the textorii-type. Cystocarps were spherical and possessed numerous nutritive filaments at lateral and basal positions in the cystocarp cavity. Gracilaria lantaensis was morphologically similar to G. yamamotoi but differed in branching pattern and cystocarp structure. RbcL sequence data also indicated the genetic distinction between G. lantaensis and other species of Gracilaria. Gracilaria lantaensis was grouped with a major assemblage of Gracilaria species, and sister to some Indian Ocean species with denticulate margins, e.g. G. beckeri, G. capensis and G. denticulata.

Mangrove biomass estimation in Southwest Thailand using machine learning

Mangroves play a disproportionately large role in carbon sequestration relative to other tropical forest ecosystems. Accurate assessments of mangrove biomass at the site-scale are lacking, especially in mainland Southeast Asia. This study assessed tree biomass and species diversity within a 151 ha mangrove ecosystem on the Andaman Coast of Thailand. High-resolution GeoEye-1 satellite imagery, medium resolution ASTER satellite elevation data, field-based tree measurements, published allometric biomass equations, and a suite of machine learning techniques were used to develop spatial models of mangrove biomass. Field measurements derived a whole-site tree density of 1313 trees ha−1, with Rhizophora spp. comprising 77.7% of the trees across forty-five 400 m2 sample plots. A support vector machine regression model was found to be most accurate by cross-validation for predicting biomass at the site level. Model-estimated above-ground biomass was 250 Mg ha−1; below-ground root biomass was 95 Mg ha−1. Combined above-ground and below-ground biomass for the entire 151-ha stand was 345 (±72.5) Mg ha−1, equivalent to 155 (±32.6) Mg C ha−1. Model evaluation shows the model had greatest prediction error at high biomass values, indicating a need for allometric equations determined over a larger range of tree sizes.

A picture of change: using photovoice to explore social and environmental change in coastal communities on the Andaman Coast of Thailand

Coastal communities experience a wide array of environmental and social changes to which they must constantly adapt. Further, a community's perception of change and risk has significant implications for a community's willingness and ability to adapt to both current and future changes. As part of a larger study focusing on the adaptive capacity of communities on the Andaman Coast of Thailand, we used Photovoice to open a dialogue with communities about changes in the marine environment and in coastal communities. This article presents the results of two exploratory Photovoice processes and discusses prospects for using the Photovoice method for exploring social and environmental change. Changes examined included a number of broader environmental and social trends as well as ecological specifics and social particularities in each site. Participants also explored the social implications of environmental changes, the impacts of macro-scale processes on local outcomes, and emotive and active responses of individuals and communities to change. Photovoice is deemed a powerful method for: examining social, environmental, and socio-ecological change, triangulating to confirm the results of other scientific methods, revealing novel ecological interactions, and providing input into community processes focusing on natural resource management, community development, and climate change adaptation.

Why local people do not support conservation: Community perceptions of marine protected area livelihood impacts, governance and management in Thailand

Conservation success is often predicated on local support for conservation which is strongly influenced by perceptions of the impacts that are experienced by local communities and opinions of management and governance. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are effective conservation and fisheries management tools that can also have a broad array of positive and negative social, economic, cultural, and political impacts on local communities. Drawing on results from a mixed-methods study of communities on the Andaman Coast of Thailand, this paper explores perceptions of MPA impacts on community livelihood resources (assets) and outcomes as well as MPA governance and management. The area includes 17 National Marine Parks (NMPs) that are situated near rural communities that are highly dependent on coastal resources. Interview participants perceived NMPs to have limited to negative impacts on fisheries and agricultural livelihoods and negligible benefits for tourism livelihoods. Perceived impacts on livelihoods were felt to result from NMPs undermining access to or lacking support for development of cultural, social, political, financial, natural, human, physical, and political capital assets. Conflicting views emerged on whether NMPs resulted in negative or positive marine or terrestrial conservation outcomes. Perceptions of NMP governance and management processes were generally negative. These results point to some necessary policy improvements and actions to ameliorate: the relationship between the NMP and communities, NMP management and governance processes, and socio-economic and conservation outcomes.

Post Tsunami Job Satisfaction Among the Fishers of Na Pru Village, on the Andaman Sea Coast of Thailand

The paper examines job satisfaction among fishers in a tsunami-impacted area on the Andaman coast of Thailand. Following the tsunami, many predicted that fishers would be reluctant to resume their fishing activities. Observations in the fishing communities, however, indicated that as soon as fishers obtained replacements for equipment damaged by the tsunami, they began to fish again. Nevertheless, most fishers reported they would change fishing type, and that if they had the opportunity they would leave fishing altogether. Whether or not these attitudes can be attributed solely to the impacts of the tsunami is not clear at this point, but this supposition is provided some support from data collected from small scale fishers in two towns near Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand which reflected more positive attitudes towards the occupation. While attitudes towards the occupation are more negative than those reported for many other fisheries, the scores for the job satisfaction categories indicated that the sample means for all job satisfaction categories except Self-Actualisation are above the midpoint on the scales. This, in turn, indicates general satisfaction with the occupation—perhaps the challenge and adventure of the job are perceived as being a little too much following on the heels of the Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated the area. Hence, although fishers say that they would leave the occupation for another, it is unlikely that they will unless the alternate occupation, at the very least, meets the satisfactions provided by fishing.

Indian Ocean tsunami recurrence from optical dating of tsunami sand sheets in Thailand

Sand sheets deposited by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and three Holocene tsunami predecessors in western Thailand have been dated by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). Ages from the modern Indian Ocean tsunami sand sheet allow an assessment of the suitability of OSL to date tsunami-deposited sediment in tropical beach-ridge plain depositional environments. They show that, provided appropriate precautions are taken to correct for incomplete bleaching of sediments, OSL can provide a robust chronology of tsunami recurrence. Ages from the tsunami-deposited sand sheets underlying the 2004 tsunami deposits provide a chronology of the largest tsunamis in western Thailand over the late Holocene. Three sand sheets, likely deposited by tsunamis of similar magnitude to the 2004 event, were dated by luminescence to 380±50, 990±130–1410±190, and 2100±260years before AD 1950 (at 1-sigma precision). The youngest of these compares with previous radiocarbon ages of detrital bark high in buried soils (Jankaew et al., 2008), which suggest that the most recent large-scale predecessor to the 2004 tsunami occurred soon after 550–700cal BP. The OSL ages from the lower two sand sheets, provide constraint on tsunami recurrence that was not previously available from radiocarbon dating. The ages imply that between 350 and 1100years separate successive tsunamis on the Andaman coast of Thailand, with an average tsunami recurrence interval of around 550years. These results contribute to the growing body of research on tsunami recurrence in the Indian Ocean region and show that OSL can provide independent estimates of tsunami recurrence for hazard analysis, particularly in areas where suitable material for radiocarbon dating is unavailable.

Measurements of NORM in beach sand samples along the Andaman coast of Thailand after the 2004 tsunami

A hyper-pure germanium detector-based gamma-ray spectroscopy low background counting system was used to determine the levels of natural radioactivity from beach sand samples along the Andaman coast of Thailand following the 2004 tsunami. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were found to lie in the range of 2.7±0.1↔23.5±0.4, 3.0±0.1↔34.6±0.6, 10.7±0.9↔654.3±21.6 Bq kg −1 respectively. The total gamma absorbed dose rate in air at 1 m above the ground surface ranges from 3.5±0.1 to 52.8±0.9 nGy h −1 with an average value of 31±1 nGy h −1 corresponding to annual effective dose of 0.038 mSv. The latter was found to be significantly lower than the world average value of 0.07 mSv y −1 for outdoor annual effective dose, as reported by UNSCEAR(2000) but consistent with values for sand found by others. The results from this study will be used to establish a radiological baseline map in Thailand and used as reference information to assess any alterations in the radioactivity background level due to the changes in the topography of the location, other developments around the area or any artficial influences on the environment.

Post-tsunami rehabilitation of fish cage farms on the Andaman coast of Thailand

A post-tsunami rehabilitation of cage culture along the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand was carried out in five provinces (Ranong, Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang and Satun) from September 2007 to February 2008. Based on the survey conducted, the money compensated subsequently used to buy materials for cage re-construction and cage repair accounted for 28.1% of the total, and to buy seed, feed and chemicals for culture operations, 15.8%. A surprising finding is that 56.1% of compensated money was used for other purposes. The analysis showed that the quality and quantity of equipment, seeds and feeds invested in aquaculture farms were increased in comparison with the pre-recovery period. Importantly, the farm area, growth rate, amount of product and revenue were improved during the post-tsunami rehabilitation period. Additionally, the area and quality of houses, household consumption, household infrastructures, health care and education were also improved. The satisfaction level of cage farmers in regard to the recovery programs was high (weigh average index = 3.88). The results from this study showed that the net economic profit (NEP) achieved was 41,030.49 baht/crop (33.9 baht = 1 US$) for sea bass culture, while NEP for grouper culture was 59,529.98 baht/crop. The result from the present study indicated that the economic value of cage culture farms was profitable. However, the seed shortage, high cost of trash fish, disease outbreak and marketing were among key problems and constraints encountered. In this study, we also found that the knowledge about fish marketing and culture techniques was poor. Therefore, technical, marketing and financial support are required for the future.