10 Aircrafts To Become Artificial Reef Off Phuket

[george]

10 Aircrafts to become artificial reef off Phuket

PHUKET: -- Deputy Phuket Governor Worapoj Ratseema Friday revealed that 10 aircrafts would be sunk in the sea off Phuket next month.

He said the aircraft would serve as artificial reefs and attractions.

According to him, the Royal Thai Airforce has provided four planes and six helicopters for the Phuket's project to build artificial reefs.

-- The Nation 2008-04-04

[NBT TV Phuket]

The Nation put that news under 'Breaking' today, and last week Bangkok Post Horizons section said the planes had 'already been dumped' !

According to our sources, as we reported below on 14 March and on http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=174612, they are still due to dumped on May 5th:

Anyone in Bangtao know different?

MiniVDO: 10 decommissioned planes will be put in the sea off Bangtao Bay in Phuket as artificial reefs.

To see or download mini-video, go to http://news.prd.go.th/news_detail.php?newsid=216482

The Royal Thai Air force has approved to donate 10 of its decommissioned planes and helicopters to dump into the Andaman Sea off Bangtao bay in Phuket to be used as artificial reef like ‘fish apartments’ to create new diving sites in the region. Phuket Vice Governor Worapote Ratasrima held a meeting with related officials in preparation for the installation work which is scheduled for May 5th. According to the meeting, four decommissioned DAKOTA C47 planes which served in the Korean and Vietnam wars and six helicopters will be put in the designated site, about 1 kilometre from shore. The operation, is under the cooperation of the Thai Diving Association or TDA, Marine and Coastal Conservation centre and Phuket Tourism Sports and Recreation office. It is expected that it can add 3 more diving locations in Bangtao bay with estimated divers of over 2,000 annually.

from Andaman News TV11 (VHF dial) at 8.30am & local Cable TV channel 1 + maybe FM90.5 Radio Thailand 6pm, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, & possibly FM108 Mazz Radio 7.30pm in Phuket, Friday 14 March 2008 & http://news.prd.go.th

-------

We also broke the story during interview on 26th October 2007!

To see or download mini-video, go to http://news.prd.go.th/news_detail.php?newsid=215094

Our interview is with Rainer Gottwald, CEO of TDA Diving Association (Thailand) and Pragon Geatgun, Vice President, just before a Meeting of their board members at Sea Bees Diving, Chalong, & before their General Assembly on Wednesday. They have recently trained sea gypsy fishermen & local officials to dive safely with scuba diving equipment, and are seeking sponsors for artificial plane reefs to be installed on west coast sites; and also hosting the World Underwater Photo Championships & maybe CMAS General Assembly in 2009 in Phuket. But first Rainer explained what TDA and CMAS stand for, plus new ideas & issues for the dive industry:

…….

Contact: www.tda-cmas.org

[email protected]

[email protected]

Tel : 076-206514 - 5

Fax : 076-206094

from Interview for Andaman News TV11 (VHF dial) 8.30am + maybe FM90.5 Radio Thailand 6pm, both broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, FM108 Mazz Radio 7.30pm in Phuket & Phuket Cable TV Channel 1 at 7, 10.30 or 11pm, Friday 26th October 2007 & www.Thaisnews.com

[Flatouthruthefog]

10 Aircrafts to become artificial reef off Phuket

PHUKET: -- Deputy Phuket Governor Worapoj Ratseema Friday revealed that 10 aircrafts would be sunk in the sea off Phuket next month.

He said the aircraft would serve as artificial reefs and attractions.

According to him, the Royal Thai Airforce has provided four planes and six helicopters for the Phuket's project to build artificial reefs.

-- The Nation 2008-04-04

I approve. At least these are going down on purpose..................

[Fantasteak]

I dont suppose that they will be useing the Thai air 747 that I flew on last week from Bkk to london in. I think that even the local marine life would be dissapointed with such an old crate.

[fiddlehead]

Hasn't April Fools Day come and gone?

[stevenl]

The operation, is under the cooperation of the Thai Diving Association or TDA, Marine and Coastal Conservation centre and Phuket Tourism Sports and Recreation office. It is expected that it can add 3 more diving locations in Bangtao bay with estimated divers of over 2,000 annually.

Our interview is with Rainer Gottwald, CEO of TDA Diving Association (Thailand)

Ah, and anybody believes it is a coincidence that the planes will be located of Bang Tao, where mr. Gottwald has a diving center. A pity the site is too far for nearly all divers diving from Phuket.

[12DrinkMore]

Unfortunately that site west of Phuket will be subject to the westerly monsoons and not diveable during the low season. Pity they didn't choose the other side of Phuket, giving some interesting dive sites to the east, which is sheltered from the westerly monsoon. And even though 1 km offshore is reachable by longtail boats, almost all dive boats leave Chalong harbour and head south to the Racha islands or east. None will bother to cruise around south of Phuket island and then head up north.

Another half baked idea from Thailand.

[smartecosse]

not half baked if you happen to own a dive shop conveniently located there

the fact that 90% or so of the divers that visit phuket won't get any advantage from it doesn't seem to matter

[NBT TV Phuket]

MiniVDO: The old plane parts have arrived in Phuket to be dumped in the sea off Bang Tao bay to create artificial reefs.

To see or download mini-video, go to http://news.prd.go.th/news_detail.php?newsid=216719

Andaman News NBT (VHF dial) at 8.30am & local Cable TV channel 1 + FM90.5 Radio Thailand 6pm, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, & FM108 Mazz Radio 7.30pm in Phuket, Monday 21st April 2008 & http://news.prd.go.th or http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish

Ten old plane parts comprising four BT-47 Dakota aircraft and six S-587 helicopters yesterday arrived in Phuket at a pier. The decommissioned aircraft will be dropped into the sea in Bang Tao bay in Thalang district on May 5 to create artificial coral reefs. Arriving at the check point at Tha ChartChai, the convoy was welcomed by the Phuket Vice governor Worapote Ratasrima along with Tourism Authority of Thailand officers who stated that this is the first place in the country where such huge objects are being prepared to create artificial reefs. These planes were used during the Vietnam and Korean wars. The dive site created by the plane wrecks will cover 2,500 square metres, with depths ranging between 15 and 20 metres. Before dumping into sea, the plane wrecks are properly cleaned of oil or petrol. They are expected to last at least 200 years and are expected to attract thousands of divers per year. The project is a successful cooperation among Phuket Provincial authorities, Cheng Tale Sub-District Administration Organization, Tourism and Sport Authority of Phuket, Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Office Center 4, Thailand Diving Association (TDA) & For The Sea Foundation.

[glaitong]

Too bad for the airframes. Those C-47 wings make nice executive desks.

Phuket now has its own Sanam Ben Nam.

[PhilHarries]

I'd be interested in the details of the project as it is not just a matter of taking them out there on a barge and hoying (throwing) them over the side. If it is going to be a dive site you have to make sure it is safe. I saw a program a while back from Canada I think where they were sinking this old airliner for the same purpose. They had it sat on the sea bed in special cradles that supported it and anchored it down against the currents.

As for the location I can't comment but it sure sounds like palms have been greased.

[NBT TV Phuket]

Interview - Sakanan Plathong, Advisor to ‘For the Sea Foundation’ for artifical plane reef project

To see or download mini-video, go to http://news.prd.go.th/news_detail.php?newsid=216748

Our interview is with Sakanan Plathong, from the Department of Biology at Prince of Songkhla University, who is also Advisor to ‘For the Sea Foundation’ (or FSF), one of the main organizers to make artificial coral reefs with 4 obsolete aircraft & 6 helicopters from the Thai Air Force, now at the Phuket Deep Sea Port for preparation to be dropped into Bangtao Bay, Cherng Talay around 5 May.. First Sakanan tells us how they are preparing them: ……. Contact: [email protected] www.ForSeaFoundation.org

Interview for Andaman News NBT (VHF dial) at 8.30am & local Cable TV channel 1 + maybe FM90.5 Radio Thailand 6pm, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, & possibly FM108 Mazz Radio 7.30pm in Phuket, Thursday 24 April 2008 & http://news.prd.go.th or http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish

[NBT TV Phuket]

We have just heard the planned dropping ceremony of planes & helicopters on 5 May at bangtao has been postponed, provisionally until November, due to bad weather in monsoon season.

[NBT TV Phuket]

MiniVDO: http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/prev....php?news_id=37

The strong wind and big waves forced authorities to postpone the planned sinking of the Artificial Reef Squadron into Bang Tao Bay in Phuket until November.

The Nagris cyclone which hit Burma also resulted in very big monsoon waves of 3-4 metres high off Bang Tao bay in Phuket where the 10 decommissioned planes under the nick-name ‘Artificial Reef Squadron’ were to be sunk, forcing the authorities to delay the sinking operation. The plan drew vast attention from Thai and foreign journalists who came to the site to join the operation; like this South African journalist & historian Louis Vosloo, who knew about the planes’ backgrounds:

After a final decision, the Choeng Thale local government issued a letter informing others and press members, while a press conference was also held. Paitoon Panchaipoom, Director of Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Centre admitted that he had never experienced such weather before, while Suwalai Pinpradap the director of TAT’s local office saw the delay in a positive way, saying that sinking the planes in November will have more tourists witnessing the ceremony as it would be in the high season and a good way to publicize the artificial reef in the future. The plane wrecks will now be kept at Phuket Deep Sea Port until November.

-----

MiniVDO: http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/prev....php?news_id=36

Special report - Artificial Reef Squadron to be sunk off Bang Tao Bay in Phuket in November

All were prepared for these ten decommissioned planes and helicopters, the so-called ‘Artificial Reef Squadron’, to be sunk off Bang Tao Bay in Phuket to create Thailand’s largest artificial reef, hoping it would become a new site for divers in the Andaman Sea. The plane wreckages had been transported down to Phuket on 20 April prepared to be placed in the seabed on May 5th, but they were hindered by strong winds and dangerously big waves that arrived with the monsoon quite early this year. With concern for safety of staff and the dangers of the operation, the authorities have decided to postpone the placement until November this year which should be after the end of the monsoon season. Before this delay, all agencies concerned had been working together to make sure that the move would be beneficial to the country and that sinking the plane wrecks in the sea bottom did not do any harm to the environment. The project is a result of cooperation among Phuket Provincial authorities, Cheng Tale Sub-District Administration Organization, Tourism and Sport Authority of Phuket, Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Office Center 4, Thailand Diving Association (TDA) & ‘For The Sea Foundation’. Jens Hofacker,Thai Diving Association’s Chief Examiner, told us that this is the 1st time for such a project in Thailand and the TDA hopes to conduct more activities like this in future:

Sakanan Plathong from Prince of Songkhla University or PSU, who is also on the advisory committee member in the ‘For the Sea Foundation’ insisted that the artificial reef would be beneficial to the community. Study results and previous experience with such objects like concrete, cars, train bogies and plane wrecks, have been placed in the sea in the United States and Canada and they have proved to work well. Before the placement all objects harmful to divers or the environment were removed, for example oil, cables, and sharp objects were carefully inspected and removed. And this what it is going to be like after the sinking. The site is expected to be extraordinary and exciting for divers, as well attract more fish for local fishermen. Asked why Bang Tao Bay was chosen as the location, the advisor to the ‘For the Sea Foundation’ stated that the main objective of the placement is to create a new dive site, to attract divers from other natural reef sites, to give nature a break.

So while we all wait for the monsoon to subside in November, the four Douglas C-47 Dakota Skytrain military transport aircraft and six Sikorsky S-58T helicopters will be kept at Phuket Deep Sea Port, even better prepared to take off and land in their final resting place at the bottom of BangTao Bay.

From Andaman News NBT (VHF dial) at 8.30am & local Cable TV channel 1 + maybe FM90.5 Radio Thailand 6pm, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, & possibly FM108 Mazz Radio 7.30pm in Phuket, Tuesday 6 May 2008 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/