Thailand and the fallout from mass tourism

The documentary captures the impact of mass tourism on Thailand’s coral reefs and the overall ecological and social consequences. Attracting a record-breaking 36 million visitors in 2018, the Southeast Asian country’s popular tourist resorts discharge untreated sewage into the ocean, facilitating plastic waste from the hospitality industry that ends up destroying the coral reefs along the coast.

Consequently, the fragile coral reefs face significant destruction whereby 77% of the coral reefs have been severely damaged. The once still-intact underwater world now faces a crisis as countless hotels and restaurants mainly specialize in fresh fish, leading to the use of giant trawl nets in fishing boats that equally contribute to the coral’s destruction. With marine ecologists warning about the devastating effects of such unrestrained tourism, this documentary sheds light on the ecosystem’s loss and the plight of the locals who hardly benefit from the millions of holidaymakers flocking to the beautiful country.