Hungarian diver summoned by police for touching pipefish in Thailand

A Hungarian diver was summoned to the police station in Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand yesterday for allegedly touching a pipefish. Police say he was formerly charged with touching protected marine life once before in 2020.

In a video entitled “Scuba diving in the paradise, Koh Phangan” on the YouTube channel “Paradise Films by Attila Ott,” the diver is pictured touching a pipefish with his hands in the waters of Koh Pha Ngan, reports Matichon.

Touching or possessing ornamental fish without permission is a criminal offence in Thailand, according to the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Apichai Ekwanakul.

Yesterday, the Director of the Surat Thani Marine Resources Conservation Centre, Chonthichan Phoptaptim, travelled to Koh Pha Ngan Police Station to file a complaint against the foreigner, providing the clip as evidence.

Police charged Attila Ott of Hungarian nationality with, “catching or possessing ornamental fish (Genus: Trachyrhamphus) without permission,” in violation of Section 45 and Section 100 of the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act (1992) and summoned him to the station to acknowledge the charge.

On September 1, 2020, Ott was charged with touching or possessing marine life in an environmentally protected area in Koh Pha Ngan. He was prosecuted by the police and deported from the kingdom for his crime.

However, the Hungarian filed an appeal with Surat Thani Immigration asking to come back to Thailand to take care of his elderly relative living on the island. He was allowed back to Koh Pha Ngan.

Yesterday, Ott told the police that the clip in question was taken a very long time ago. Police instructed him to bring evidence and witnesses to the station to back up his claim. Police didn’t say what kind of punishment the diver was looking at if found guilty of the charge.

Apichai said…

“The DMCR would like to thank all relevant authorities including the Office of Marine Coastal Resources 4, Koh Pha Ngan Police and Immigration Police for collaborating and working quickly to bring offenders to justice.

“Most importantly, I would like to thank all the people who have been keeping an eye on the marine and coastal resources to protect them from being destroyed.

“Anyone who sees this kind of behaviour again, please do not delay in informing officials on the hotline 1362, open 24 hours per day, so that we can take action in a timely manner.

“Divers, please follow the department’s regulations: Don’t touch, only look with your eyes. Don’t take anything back except photographs and memories. Help the ecosystem under the sea in Thailand to remain sustainable forever.”

In August last year, a Dutchman was arrested for parrotfishing in Phuket, southern Thailand.