Bangkok--25 Apr--JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa
The 5th Mai Khao Turtle Release was held on April 13, 2014 on Phuket’s beautiful Mai Khao Beach. Organized by Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, this important annual event helped raise funds and awareness for the plight of Phuket’s critically endangered sea turtles in a special merit making ceremony for Songkran Festival.
The ceremony took place on the 13th of April at the JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa. Guests from the resorts on Mai Khao Beach along with the local and foreign community joined this wonderful experience to make merit and to wish these turtles long life and safe travels. The Songkran Ceremony started at 1.00 pm with a Buddhist ceremony and water ceremony showing respect to the elders. Many local and traditional games were organized at the North Lawn area in the resort.
The 5th Mai Khao Turtle Release holds extra significance, as it follows just-received government approval to build the Marine Turtle Rehabilitation Shelter & Education Center onsite at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa. It also coincides with the Thai New Year holiday of so-called Songkran festival.
Supported by the Phuket Marine Biological Center and the Royal Thai Navy, the event saw 120 green turtles released back into the Andaman Sea. Among guests attending the event – held from 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm on beautiful Mai Khao Beach in front of JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa’s Main Pool – were Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut and JW Marriott Phuket’s General Manager and Chairman of the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, Orial Montol who gave a speech highlighting the importance of the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, before released the first turtle to scuttle across the sand.
From left Pol.Gen. Somchai Salprasert, Superintendent of Thachaichai Police Station, Mr.Olin Maliwan, Village chief of Ban Moo3 Suanmaprao, Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut, Mr. Oriol Montal, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa’s General Manager and President of Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and Capt. Pongmitr Narongkul, Vice Director of Communications The 3rd Naval Area Command
Every THB2,500 of donation from the event will also enable the foundation to further its support of the Injured Turtle Rehabilitation Program of the Phuket Marine Biological Center and the Turtle Hatchery Program by the Royal Thai Navy, and to build our onsite Marine Turtle Shelter and Education Center.
For more information about the foundation, please contact Khun Kittipan, Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation Manager, via email
[email protected] or call +6689-733-8830.