Ao Nang erects multi-million-baht fish statue

PHUKET: A 5-million-baht bronze sculpture of a sailfish was erected at Ao Nang Beach on June 29.

“We have been planning to build a sculpture in Ao Nang for about a decade, but could never find the funds in our budget to do so,” Ao Nang Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) President Pankum Kittithonkul told the Phuket Gazette.

“We searched for something unique that would represent our community. We believe it shows everyone how important the environment is to Krabi.”

The sailfish commemorates an incident about 10 years ago, when local fisherman caught an enormous number of the iconic marine animal off of Phi Phi, Mr Pankum explained.

“I urge locals and tourists to stop by our new landmark. It is a great place for couples or families to spend time, enjoy the environment and take photos,” Mr Pankum added.

Ao Nang OrBorTor has also made plans to erect a seashell sculpture in the near future, but has no concrete date for its completion.

In February this year, a 143-year-old ma haard tree was felled to be carved into a sculpture in Krabi Town, to commemorate Krabi’s dedication to environmental tourism. The move was met with heavy criticism on social media networks (story here).

— Nichana Madsatool