Later, in its voyage around Thailand, the Rainbow Warrior participated in solidarity activities with local communities, people’s movements, and partner NGOs in Nakhon Si Thamarrat, Surathani, Koh Samui, Chumphon and Prachuab Kirikhan to promote a common vision of green development.
Greenpeace is calling on the Thai Government to prioritize and support investments which will help put Thailand on a green development pathway, by technological leapfrogging with bold policy innovations and a new solidarity across social classes and generations.
Rainbow Warrior arrived in Nakhon Si Thamarat province to a colourful reception by a flotilla of about forty fishing boats and local communities from Sichon who are opposing Thai government’s plans of setting up a nuclear
power plant in the province. Here we talked about the dangers of investing in nuclear energy and called on the Thai government and the National Energy Policy Council to get smart and phase out dirty coal and dangerous nuclear energy from the 2010 Power Development Plan.
The Rainbow Warrior joined a protest-at-sea organized by the Siam Gulf Preservation Network Group off the island of Koh Samui to call on the Government of Thailand to abandon its fossil-fuel driven development plans and immediately adopt measures to safeguard marine biodiversity in the Gulf of Thailand and the livelihoods of its coastal communities.
The Gulf of Thailand is home to hundreds of coral species as well as endangered whale sharks, dugong, dolphin, sea turtle species. In the past 35 or so years, more than 5,000 offshore oil wells have been drilled in its waters. At the same time, experts have noted the steady decline of quality in the country’s most important marine waters, as well as relentless industrial encroachment on valuable marine ecosystems. However, the government continues to approve the increased entry of heavy industries, even as pollution and environmental impacts remain only minimally addressed.
Prachuab KiraKhan is a stronghold of grassroots community activism in Thailand. Greenpeace and community representatives from PKK and Chumphon sealed a commemorative ‘environmental justice’ time capsule. The time capsule contained statements, articles, books, photos, videos, banners, and other memorabilia. It was sealed in the town of Bo Nok, beside the “Glory of the Earth” monument dedicated to Charoen Wataksorn, a prominent activist who devoted his life to protecting and upholding environmental values and community rights.
On 1st October 2010, to mark the culmination of Turn the Tide tour Greenpeace activists blocked the gates of Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate’s Office and installed a Countdown Clock with the message “Time is running out” as part of a community protest, led by the Eastern People’s Network, to demand an end to dirty development and the pollution nightmare in Rayong Province, Thailand.
And finally to mark the end of the Thailand leg of the tour Greenpeace activists in two inflatable boats launched from the Rainbow Warrior entered Map Ta Phut industrial estate waters today and unfurled banners stating 'Pollution knows no borders'.
And finally to mark the end of the Thailand leg of the tour Greenpeace activists in two inflatable boats launched from the Rainbow Warrior entered Map Ta Phut industrial estate waters today and unfurled banners stating 'Pollution knows no borders'.
The Turn the Tide Tour of Rainbow Warrior in Thailand successfully highlighted that the right to a clean and healthy environment is assured in the Thai constitution. Dirty development which imperils the lives of communities infringes on this basic right that should be safeguarded by the government.
We’re now sailing onwards to Indonesia and the Philippines with the same message. Join us and Turn the Tide!