Latest news with #ThaiExaminer
The Independent
23-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Thailand park ranger sacked after calling out Russian couple's Chinese ‘ni hao' greeting
A Thai park ranger was sacked after a confrontation with Russian tourists who allegedly greeted him in the Chinese language. Siranudh 'Sai' Scott, 26, an adviser to the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation in Thailand, accused the couple of racism on the Krabi beach after they greeted him with 'ni hao', a Mandarin translation for "hello" or "hi' which literally means 'you good'. Mr Scott shared the video of him confronting the tourists, accusing them of 'disrespecting' him and asking them 'to not be racist'. The couple denied being racist and repeatedly asked 'what does it mean'? 'Get on that boat, the day is finished. There is no vacation today,' Mr Scott told the Russian couple on the beach as he ordered them to leave the island. 'You said 'ni hao' to us, that's not how you say hello and hi. Because of your attitude and disrespect towards me as a national park ranger, [your day here] has ended,' he told them. 'We're not Chinese, we're Thai. So try that again, and I will have you deported,' he warned the couple as they sat in the boat to leave the island. In a post on social media, the park ranger went on to vent his frustration and said: 'To come to Thailand, and not even have the respect to know the difference between Thailand and China is extremely racist.' 'You cannot plan a vacation here to enjoy our natural resources and ignore the Thai people who live in the country,' he said. 'Something as small as saying 'ni hao' to a Thai person, it's not only disrespectful to Thais, but to Asians as Asia is not one nationality. It would be like me going to England and thinking it was the same as Russia,' he added. The video went viral on social media with 10 million views across various platforms and sparked a heated debate on whether it hurt Thai cultural sensitivities. Atthaphon Charoenchansa, the director-general of the Department of National Parks, said Mr Scott would be removed from his position this week, according to Thai Examiner. Following the controversy, Mr Scott reportedly challenged the National Parks chief to a debate and defended his actions on TV. In 2019, former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison was called out by a Korean voter after he greeted him in Chinese during the election campaign. Shaking hands with one woman as a pack of journalists watched on, he said: 'Hello, how are you? Ni hao, how are you?' 'No, no, no, I'm Korean,' the woman responded.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Fears grow for British tourist missing after boat caught fire in Thailand
A British backpacker is still missing after a fire ripped through a diving boat and sank off the island of Koh Tao in Thailand. Alexandra Clarke, 26, from London, was diving in the tourist hotspot and had asked guides if she could use the toilet before the blaze broke out on board the boat, named Davy Jones Locker, at 9.15am local time on Sunday. There were 22 people on board including 16 tourists participating in diving activities, four diving instructors, a boat captain and a crew member. All others on board were accounted for. The boat driver, a Myanmar crew member, and six tourists who witnessed the fire reported to police that Ms Clarke had requested to surface from the water and entered the toilet facilities on the boat. At the time the fire broke out, she was reportedly still in the toilet. The cause of the fire was related to a malfunction which occurred while the diving tanks were being filled with compressed air, according to reports. Captain Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, Deputy Director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center of Surat Thani, said the blaze started around 9am local time. An emergency call was received shortly after. He said: "The boat was carrying a group of tourists for a diving excursion from Koh Tao. It was between five and six nautical miles away from the island. "A fire started in the engine room and spread through the boat rapidly. Thai-MECC Surat Thani coordinated with private vessels and volunteers to safely evacuate the tourists and crew members onto another boat. "Meanwhile, another team of volunteers worked to control the fire. Preliminary reports indicate that the engine room, captain's cabin, and rear restroom were damaged. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation." Weather conditions and the strength of the blaze initially made it difficult for rescue teams to get near the boat, but it has now been towed to shore. Koh Tao is a popular hub for divers and tourists thanks to its reefs and beaches. The boat was operating in an area known as Kong Tum Ku, 5-6 nautical miles from Koh Tao. When the vessel was first evacuated, it was thought that the fire could be controlled and it could be towed safely back to Ko Tao. But it suddenly sank, according to the Thai Examiner. An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities.'
The Independent
17-03-2025
- The Independent
Fears grow for British tourist missing after boat caught fire in Thailand
A British backpacker is still missing after a fire ripped through a diving boat and sank off the island of Koh Tao in Thailand. Alexandra Clarke, 26, from London, was diving in the tourist hotspot and had asked guides if she could use the toilet before the blaze broke out on board the boat, named Davy Jones Locker, at 9.15am local time on Sunday. There were 22 people on board including 16 tourists participating in diving activities, four diving instructors, a boat captain and a crew member. All others on board were accounted for. The boat driver, a Myanmar crew member, and six tourists who witnessed the fire reported to police that Ms Clarke had requested to surface from the water and entered the toilet facilities on the boat. At the time the fire broke out, she was reportedly still in the toilet. The cause of the fire was related to a malfunction which occurred while the diving tanks were being filled with compressed air, according to reports. Captain Natthaphon Sinpoonphon, Deputy Director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center of Surat Thani, said the blaze started around 9am local time. An emergency call was received shortly after. He said: "The boat was carrying a group of tourists for a diving excursion from Koh Tao. It was between five and six nautical miles away from the island. "A fire started in the engine room and spread through the boat rapidly. Thai-MECC Surat Thani coordinated with private vessels and volunteers to safely evacuate the tourists and crew members onto another boat. "Meanwhile, another team of volunteers worked to control the fire. Preliminary reports indicate that the engine room, captain's cabin, and rear restroom were damaged. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation." Weather conditions and the strength of the blaze initially made it difficult for rescue teams to get near the boat, but it has now been towed to shore. Koh Tao is a popular hub for divers and tourists thanks to its reefs and beaches. The boat was operating in an area known as Kong Tum Ku, 5-6 nautical miles from Koh Tao. When the vessel was first evacuated, it was thought that the fire could be controlled and it could be towed safely back to Ko Tao. But it suddenly sank, according to the Thai Examiner. An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British woman who is missing in Thailand and are in contact with local authorities.'
