Island in eastern Thailand listed in ‘Top 100 Green Destination Stories’
A small island in eastern Thailand has been listed in the Green Destination Foundation’s Top 100 Green Destination 2022 Stories. The island of Koh Mak is located off Trat province. The Green Destinations Foundation is based in the Netherlands, and is dedicated to sustainable tourism.
Koh Mak’s story is titled, “Koh Mak, the journey to becoming the first low carbon destination in Thailand.” The story details how Koh Mak worked to implement low-carbon tourism.
According to the story, the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) initiated the low-carbon efforts. DASTA developed a “Low Carbon Family” including the government sector, the public sector, and local people. These groups work together to reduce carbon emissions in four areas: 1) energy consumption with efficiency and using alternative energy 2) efficient use of water 3) waste management, and 4) preserving the community’s way of life.
In 2015, DASTA launched three campaigns. The first campaign “Eat it Fresh” focused on campaigning for restaurant operators, hotels, and resorts on Koh Mak to buy seafood locally, and grow fruits and vegetables free of pesticides.
The second campaign was “Help Koh Mak counting to 10,000 trees.” This campaign focused on expanding Koh Mak’s green areas and encouraging tourists to practice “green” behaviours. Such behaviours included eating local foods, and not running water while brushing their teeth.
The third campaign was “A good host.” The campaign encouraged Koh Mak residents to better their communities by actively reducing their carbon footprints.
Koh Mak is one of the three most popular of the 50 islands off Trat. If you’re looking to take a sustainable vacation, Koh Mak might be the place to go.
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