Krabi’s Emerald Pond defaced by tourist graffiti

The famous Emerald Pond in Krabi has recently been defaced with handwriting and scratches by visitors, and the chief of Khao Pra Bangkram Non-Hunting Area is preparing to prosecute anyone who is caught writing or scratching their names onto the stones there.

An approximately 1-metre-long area of the Emerald Pond is covered in hastily scratched handwriting, names and pictures.
Tourists are saying that it looks completely out of place and are sad, as they recognise the pond is a precious place for Thais. They’ve asked for authorities to put up signage to prohibit further damage and graffiti.

The head of Khao Pra Bangkram Non-Hunting Area, Wutthipong Chusangrat, says he will remind the officers in the area to enforce the law more strictly, and will run a public-relations campaign to raise awareness about the importance of preserving the pond and the natural environment.
If the officers in the area catch anyone defacing the areas, they will be formally warned, asked for their identification and expelled from the area, he said.
If the person repeats the act, he or she will be punished by law, he added.
However, he claims, there is a lack of manpower at the pond, while there are a lot of visitors every day and almost impossible to control.