martinetti, don't worry about having inadvertently caused offense. Your post simply reflected what consumers around the world assume are the motives of any retailer--sell, sell, sell, by any means. I don't believe most of us in the scuba industry here in Thailand are like that, though there may be some exceptions.
While operators working in the Andaman Sea don't necessarily want to trumpet bad news, I'm not aware that any of us on this board actually misrepresent any existing conditions, whether it be a coral bleaching episode such as the one earlier this year or a widespread plankton bloom such as we had a few seasons ago. In fact, you can see lots of discussion about the coral bleaching event earlier this year with frankly expressed alarm by many of us, and no attempt to say it wasn't taking place. We have been accused of coverups, though, and as a result, sometimes we can become overly defensive.
The bottom line is that yes, there was some damage, and yes, we are gladdened by the fact that recovery is taking place, and we hope that the reefs that have been damaged will soon display their former splendor. Thailand is still a great place to come diving!
While operators working in the Andaman Sea don't necessarily want to trumpet bad news, I'm not aware that any of us on this board actually misrepresent any existing conditions, whether it be a coral bleaching episode such as the one earlier this year or a widespread plankton bloom such as we had a few seasons ago. In fact, you can see lots of discussion about the coral bleaching event earlier this year with frankly expressed alarm by many of us, and no attempt to say it wasn't taking place. We have been accused of coverups, though, and as a result, sometimes we can become overly defensive.
The bottom line is that yes, there was some damage, and yes, we are gladdened by the fact that recovery is taking place, and we hope that the reefs that have been damaged will soon display their former splendor. Thailand is still a great place to come diving!