Visionary behind Phi Phi Model dies

Former Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park chief Sarayuth Tanthien, the creator of the Phi Phi Model, passed away on Wednesday.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) posted on Facebook that Sarayuth died after collapsing while attending a vegetarian festival in the southern province of Phangnga.
During his leadership from 2015 to 2017, he increased the park’s revenue.
The park used to earn about a million baht per year, but after he took charge, its revenue increased to 978 million baht in his first year managing it.
Sarayuth is known for implementing the Phi Phi Model, a national park management plan supported by marine experts and relevant sectors.
The model emphasises transparency and sustainable management while facilitating the island’s natural recovery, including coral reef restoration.
The park had the budget to buy 14 patrol boats and increase anchor buoys to 200 to welcome more visitors.
In the past, the national park had only one inflatable boat and eight anchor buoys.
The number of tourist boats increased from 90 to about 1,900 tourist boats in 2017. In late 2017, Sarayuth had health problems and asked to be transferred to Ao Phangnga National Park in Phangnga province, which was his hometown.
He resigned at the end of last year before reaching the retirement age.
According to Thon Thamrongnawasawat, deputy dean of Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Fisheries, Sarayuth had set a new standard of national park management that included transparency.
“Sarayuth Tanthien was a legend among Thai marine park chiefs,” he noted.
Kantawan Tanthien Kuljanyavivat, deputy secretary-general of the Democrat Party and a relative of Sarayuth’s, posted on Facebook yesterday that his body will be kept for a ceremony to be held after the vegetarian festival, which ends on Oct 11.