Back to Sea

Pimalai Resort & Spa ensures a bright future for the marine life of Koh Lanta.

Kantiang Bay, a 900-metre expanse of powdery white sand at Pimalai Resort & Spa, is the quintessential setting for a dreamy beach vacation. With its low-key luxe Koh Lanta location, the award-winning property has many loyal guests from Thailand and around the world who make return visits. The reason: in a rapidly changing world, the sandy coastline and tropical paradise environs have consistently remained pristine since the resort opened its doors 21 years ago.

To maintain such consistency, Pimalai Resort & Spa has made steps to ensure that the marine population is well- taken care of. In a concerted initiative, the resort recently partnered with local government authorities from Krabi province, Koh Lanta district, the Royal Thai Navy along with the local business community in conservation efforts to maintain the population numbers of three species of marine life unique to the area. These include the release of 50 sea turtles that have been nurtured by the Royal Thai Navy’s Turtle Conservation Centre in Phang Nga province into the Andaman Sea at Kantiang Bay. In times to come, these turtles will return to the same shores to lay their eggs, ensuring a cyclical process of renewal.

A total of 2,000 land hermit crabs were also released at Kantiang Bay. As crustaceans that exist in both land and sea, the bay’s idyllic setting proves the perfect habitat in which this species can thrive.

The third species of marine life that Pimalai Resort & Spa, the Thung Talae Forest Royal Development Study, and Crab Conservation Center of Koh Lanta all focused on was blue swimmer crabs, also known as flower crabs. They are considered a local delicacy and a source of income for fishing communities in the area. So, in a joint effort, 10 million of these crabs were set free in the ocean. By increasing the numbers of the crabs, its supply can then be sustainably maintained in years to come.

In the words of Charintip Tiyaphorn, Pimalai’s Owner Representative: “At Pimalai, we are fully committed to preserving the environment and letting nature thrive. The fact that the local authorities selected our beach as the perfect place to release these wonderful creatures reflects the strength and effectiveness of our conservation efforts. Sea turtles will only return to peaceful and unpolluted beaches, so our commitment to keeping Kantiang Bay unspoiled – including regular beach cleaning and having no motorised watersports – is delivering benefits for the entire ecosystem.”