Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:30:00 -0600 http://www.kohtao-community.com/ Koh Tao & Thailand News en-us http://www.kohtao-community.com/images/logo.gif http://www.kohtao-community.com/ info@kohtao-community.com http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article69.html Every then and when the rules for visas in Thailand change a bit and it is good to be up to date wit the newest visa rules in Thailand! Here is what just happened yesterday in Penang to a guy who was going for a new tourist visa (TR Visa): "Today i arrived at bana guesthouse and I was told when I gave them my passport, that since yesterday over 30 passports were rejected for tourist visa. The reason was stated as: If you have 3 Tourist Visa's already you have to fly in your own country to get another one. I was told this by staff of bananguesthouse and can not verify it." The Embassy staff confirms the new visa rule for Penang [...] Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:30:00 -0600 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article68.html After the old night boat sunk, there has been a lot of interest in helping out with the salvage of the boat. The boat has to be cleaned out and freed from environmental hazards like Engine Oil and Fuel, so it can become a Reef for Fish to live on and for us to go wreck diving on Koh Tao! On trip on the 16th of April, which is great. But in order to accommodate all of the divers who want to go out and get a chance to dive a new wreck site we have extended this project another day. Now we will be going out on both the 16th and 17th, and interested divers can come along to help document photograph the site and recover anything of value from the wreck. The current plan for the 2 days is as follows: Saturday, May 16th ig Blue Tech will go out in the early morning along with a members of Save Koh Tao in the Sairee Cottage speed boat to locate and mark the site with a buoy, and also to evaluate to the conditions and depth at the site and any possible hazards that need to be addressed in the briefing. Around 12 the Big Blue Boat will go out to the site with the tech team and about 15 divers who want to join in.They can supply tanks, but you will have to bring your own equipment. The 15 spots will go on a first come basis, but preference will be given to people who have been helping out regularly with Save Koh Tao projects. Sunday, May 17th The big Blue Boat will be going back out again, the plan is to recover the rest of the items and get good information about the condition of the wreck/site Anybody who would like to can go along. But, if your school has a lot of people who want to go it would be best if you can also send a boat. Currently we only have one boat going, but if more boats signed up we could get a lot more work done and allow more people to go and enjoy the dives there. Sat, 16 May 2009 19:52:02 -0600 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article65.html As planed, i presented the project Center Island - A Plastic Bottle Biorock Island on the 5th of February in Chalok baan Kao. The presentation at the Save Koh Tao Meeting went well so far and i was very happy to get provided with a projector to show my presentation. I was busy planing and designing the idea during the past month, as well as busy creating the presentation itself. Now that the presentation is over and all depends on how much support the idea of building Center Island (or Koh Sun - in Thai) can get during the month to come, i have decided to publish the PowerPoint Slide show on how Center Island could be built, on the Internet. I have already uploaded the Slide show on the German language Koh Tao Magazine and now it is also available here at the Koh Tao Community Website.[...] Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:04:22 -0700 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article63.html By Chad Scott - After a nice break for the monsoon and holiday season, the Save Koh Tao Marine Branch is getting back into action for 2009. The sun is shining, the viz is getting better (slowly), and there are a lot of fun and exciting projects starting up around the island. The first Save Koh Tao meeting for 2009 will be on the 5th of January at the Chalok Ban Kao government building, 7pm. At the meeting, we will discuss this years broad goals and plans, update everybody about the Bio Rock and EMP, start discussing possible large projects, and plan the January Beach/underwater clean-up. Sat, 27 Dec 2008 22:08:56 -0700 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article59.html Two years ago, when we started our sailing business as pioneers here on Koh Tao, we already knew that this won't be a walk in the park. With the lack of yacht facilities in the Gulf of Thailand, and especially on Koh Tao, only people with an extended cruising background, and the ability to improvise, could attempt to do this. During the last two years we managed to keep our boats in shape and our services up to a standard found by any other sailing charter company in Thailand. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:07:12 -0600 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article51.html   January 12th is officially the day of the children in whole Thailand. The event was celebrated on the Koh Tao Primary School in Mae Haad. Many families have attented to the event. The volunteers from the Secret Garden Conservation Project helped out a great deal again. All the kids where overwhelemed by the many presents donated by the Koh Tao businesses and private donors. Pleny of incredible Thai food was served by a company of kitchen staff and the the kids and adults had a lot of fun by playing all the different games. Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:42:46 -0700 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article44.html   On June 19th a blessing takes place at the Rama V monument in Sairee Beach. The blessing will be for hundreds of Giant Clams (Tridacna Gigas) that are to be set free once again on Koh Tao. Like many years before the farmed clams come all the way from Prachuap Kiri Khan to Turtle Island to find a new home in freedom. A monk from Koh Phan Gan will visit the island especially for this occasion. The festivities start on June 18th with a ceremony at the temple in Mae Haad and will move towards the Rama V Monument in Sairee in the evening where traditional Thai Dances will be a highlight. Sun, 17 Jun 2007 02:50:44 -0600 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article41.html เรียน ผู้ประกอบการ,ผู้จัดการและผู้ปกครองชาวเกาะเต่า, เรามีความยินดีที่จะเรียนให้ท่านทราบว่าศูนย์อนุรักษ์ซีเคร็ทการ์เด้นร่วมกับองค์การบริหารส่วนตำบลเกาะเต่า (อ.บ.ต) และโรงเรียนบ้านเกาะเต่า,จากการที่ได้ทำงานอย่างหนักสำหรับโครงการศึกษาระยะยาวเพื่อเด็กๆของเกาะเต่าเช่นเดียวกับโครงการอื่นๆที่เป็นประโยชน์ต่อชาวเกาะเต่า,ตัวอย่างเช่น ทำความสะอาดชายหาด,การอนุรักษ์ท้องทะเลและโครงการปลูกต้นไม้,พร้อมกับโครงการอื่นที่จะริเริ่มต่อไป. นอกจากนี้ยังมีอาสาสมัครชาวต่างชาติจากไอทูไอที่จะมาช่วยในส่วนของโรงเรียนช่วงภาคเรียนและโครงการอื่นๆที่สำคัญอย่างสม่ำเสมอ Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:35:46 -0600 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article33.html This man is more than just my hero, he deserves the Nobel-Prize! May i present: The inventor of the Plastic Bottle Island It has the looks and feels of an island, it is green, with the beautiful vegetation of a tropical island but it just happens to be made of spiraling plastic pop bottles. Who would have imagined that this is possible? A man named Reishee Sowa that is who. This island is his inspiration, his baby and his dream. With the help of friends, met along the way and a lot of hard work, his dream has become a reality. Read this story and you will look differently at plastic bottles from now on! Sun, 11 Mar 2007 15:54:40 -0600 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article29.html Some Pictures and numbers about the Primary School on Koh Tao Thailand. Have a look and feel free to download any of the images if you like them. Fri, 16 Feb 2007 02:50:03 -0700 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article16.html The Secret Garden environmental and activity center, in cooperation with www.kohtao-community.com, C-PAD Marine Foundation and the Koh tao Animal clinic proudly present the first of many conservation projects: On December 2006 the above mentioned will join forces and cooperate in one of many conservation and environmental projects that have been included in the 2006/2007 Koh Tao Conservation Program. Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:17:01 -0700 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article15.html Volunteers from 25 countries to help the Koh Tao Conservation program... Finally, we made it, after months and months of struggle we managed to get the attention of international volunteering foundations to help us develop our conservation and community projects on Koh tao. Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:13:05 -0700 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article14.html How can we make things happen? There are more than 100 businesses owned or run by non-Thai investors On Koh Tao, on average, most businesses have 5 employees, We’re looking at a potential 500 people conservation army… Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:11:10 -0700 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article13.html A CLEAN BEACH IS A BEAUTIFUL BEACH – HELP TO KEEP KOH TAO CLEAN! Some of the funds and donations raised will go towards setting up a permanent weekly Sairee beach clean up. Other beaches will follow. The proposal is as follows; To buy cleaning equipment and rubbish containers, pay staff in case there are not enough volunteers, to promote this project and expand it to all other beaches on Koh Tao. Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:07:48 -0700 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article12.html The 'Plant a Tree' project is one of four starting projects on Koh tao as part of a conservation program, this project is very important for Koh tao and it's Inhabitants, we need the trees to help and protect us from monsoon rain falls, land slides, and floods. Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:04:24 -0700 http://www.kohtao-community.com/Article11.html The Secret Garden environmental and activity centre, is organizing a series of events to promote awarness about conservation problems Fri, 10 Nov 2006 08:59:35 -0700