Thai Marine Conservationist Launches Foundation to Protect Park Rangers

 

Marine conservationist and activist Sai Siranat Scott has officially launched the Cheeva Samutr Foundation – Sea You Strong with an ambitious mission to protect Thailand's natural resources whilst safeguarding the lives of those who guard them.

 

The foundation's inaugural event, held at Central World shopping centre on 25th August, unveiled the 'Guardian T-shirt Project' - an innovative scheme that will use proceeds from artist-designed merchandise to purchase life insurance for national park staff across five Thai protected areas.

 

Speaking at the launch whilst wearing a striking costume crafted from fishing nets collected from Pattaya, Scott emphasised the vital but precarious work undertaken by park rangers.

 

 

"These officers are our front-line defenders, protecting our ecosystems from various threats," he said. "Their work is difficult and dangerous, yet many earn less than 8,000 baht per month and lack basic life insurance coverage."

 

The foundation aims to address a critical gap in protection for Thailand's conservation workforce.

 

Rangers who dive to depths of 60-70 metres, fight forest fires, and remove abandoned fishing nets often work as daily-wage employees without insurance or accident coverage, leaving their families financially vulnerable should tragedy strike.
 

 

 

The Guardian T-shirt Project features designs by five Thai artists, each interpreting a different national park through their unique artistic lens.

 

The parks represented include Similan Islands, Phi Phi Islands, Tharn Bok Khorani (Koh Hong), Khao Yai, and Doi Suthep-Pui national parks.

 

Artist Waris created 'The Pearl of Andaman' for Phi Phi Islands, incorporating pearl imagery with Maya Bay to represent the sea's former abundance.

 

Meanwhile, Tang designed 'Diversity' for Khao Yai, showcasing the park's biodiversity across four provinces, including his home province of Saraburi.

 

Parm's 'Back to Koh Hong' captures the island's dramatic limestone cliffs and wildlife, whilst Prince's 'Similan Memories' presents the archipelago's beauty in stamp format, symbolising how memories can travel.

 

Finally, Muay's 'Mountain Child' reflects his lifelong connection to Doi Suthep-Pui, highlighting the park's 300-plus bird species.

 

 

The insurance scheme, developed with Money Plus, will provide two tiers of coverage. High-risk staff, including divers and firefighters, will receive 300,000 baht life insurance plus medical coverage up to one million baht.

 

General staff will receive 300,000 baht life insurance with accident-related medical coverage of 50,000 baht per incident. All staff will receive 100,000 baht critical illness coverage.
 

 

 

Scott, who has worked with national parks for three years, criticised the government's tendency to market Thailand's natural attractions primarily to foreign tourists, arguing this alienates Thai citizens from their own heritage.

 

"I want every Thai person to feel ownership of these areas, which truly belong to us," he stated.

 

The foundation represents a broader shift towards making conservation accessible and actionable. By combining art with environmental protection, Scott hopes to engage Thailand's youth, whose voices he believes are underrepresented in tourism discourse despite their environmental concerns.

 

The project will initially cover over 400 staff across the five designated parks, with plans for expansion pending funding success. All proceeds from t-shirt sales, after expenses, will be directed towards the insurance scheme.