Greenpeace ship to visit Phuket

PHUKET TOWN: The fabled Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow Warrior, will arrive in Phuket on Thursday to launch the environmental organization’s “Toxic Free” campaign. This will be the ship’s first visit to Phuket. Thara Buakumsri, a member of Greenpeace (Thailand), told the Gazette that the 55-meter vessel, carrying a multinational crew of 33, will arrive in the morning, tying up at the deep sea port in Ao Makham. The main objective of the visit is to introduce Greenpeace’s members and to explain on-going and future projects to local organizations. Crew members also want to exchange information on environmental issues and to show their support for environmentalists in Thailand, particularly those concerned with waste treatment and other pollution-related problems. One particular focus of the visit will be the impact of hotel development on the laying of eggs by sea turtles. The Rainbow Warrior will leave Phuket on Saturday, sailing south around Singapore, and then north to Prachuap Khiri Khan. It will then go on to Klong Toey in Bangkok, its last destination in Thailand, arriving on February 5. The vessel will be open to visitors from Phuket between 11 am and 4 pm on Thursday.