Thai-Scottish park ranger resigns after row with racist foreigner
A renowned half-Thai, half-Scottish park ranger announced his resignation following a conflict with an allegedly racist foreigner in the sea off Krabi in southern Thailand.
The Thai-Scottish park ranger, 29 year old Siranudh “Sai” Scott, better known on social media as Sai Merman, made headlines in February after an argument with an Italian tourist. The Italian man reportedly violated a national park rule by snorkelling in a restricted area.
Sai earned the nickname “merman” after swimming 30 kilometres from Ao Nang to Koh Poda to raise awareness about marine life conservation. In addition to his work for natural reserves, Sai is also known as a member of an influential family and business operator in Thailand, the Singha Corporation.
Sai recently informed his followers that he had resigned from his position at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), but promised to continue his advocacy for wildlife conservation. In his post, he wrote…
“I chose to sacrifice my position for an opportunity to expose the truth behind each issue in the sea of southern Thailand. My love for the sea is greater than any prestigious position. Thank you for the opportunities. I will always support the government officials, and I will keep going.”
In another post, Sai shared a screenshot of a message he sent to the director-general of the DNP. In summary, Sai expressed his willingness to resign from his role as an advisor to the director, encouraging the director not to hesitate to remove him if necessary.
Sai stressed that he had been committed to protecting natural reserves, even though some residents and business operators may have disapproved of his actions.
The former park ranger did not provide a clear explanation of what ultimately led to his resignation. However, based on his recent social media posts, it is suspected that criticism from locals following a confrontation with a foreign tourist over a racist remark may have been a contributing factor.
In his final post as a park ranger, Sai shared video footage of an argument with a foreign man, which occurred first on a boat and later on a beach. Sai accused the man of racism after he allegedly greeted him with “Ni Hao,” a Mandarin Chinese phrase meaning “hello.”
Sai stated that he was confident the greeting was intended as an insult, claiming the foreigner laughed with his girlfriend afterwards. In the video, Sai can be heard saying…
“Your boat is stuck, so I might take this chance to remind you to be a bit more respectful. Don’t be racist. I heard you say ‘Ni Hao’, okay? We are not Chinese, we are Thai. Try that again and I will have you deported.”
The foreign man denied the accusation and insisted he had neither said nor known the phrase Ni Hao. Nonetheless, Sai ended their sea excursion and instructed them to return to their boat and their hotel.
Public opinion on the matter is divided. Some praised Sai’s actions, while others criticised him for overreacting.
Detractors argued that threatening deportation over the use of Ni Hao was inappropriate, with many stating they would not find the Chinese greeting offensive.
Some local business operators also joined the online discussion, highlighting past tensions with Sai. They accused him of lacking understanding of the sea and the traditional livelihoods of locals.
They urged him to focus on larger commercial operators who release wastewater into the ocean, rather than obstructing local fishermen and small-scale workers.
The recent controversy surrounding the allegedly racist tourist and Sai’s disputes with local communities are believed to have played a role in his decision to step down.
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