Seub Nakhasathien: Thailand’s Heroic Conservationist, Part 3 of 3

Today, we continue our interview with Mr. Panudet Kerdmali and Mrs. Kanoknuch Chankham of the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation. They tell us how earnestly Mr. Seub Nakhasathien tried to awaken the public. “I think another important issue is communication. At that time, Mr. Seub tried to use the media, in order to tell everyone why forests are important.”

In Seub Nakhasathien’s loving memory, a documentary called “The Lights Never Gone” was created by Thai Public Broadcasting Service to commemorate his achievements. The documentary aired in August 2013. In 2019, also to commemorate the life of this exceptional man, a short biographical film “Raining in Huai Kha Khaeng” starred Nopachai Jayanama as Seub Nakhasathien and was directed by Phakpoom Wongpoom. “I’m speaking on behalf of all wildlife. Do you have any idea how many animals have to die so that you can enjoy all the conveniences in life?” “I want you to try to imagine that these animals have families. They have fathers, mothers, children, just like us. They have the right to live. But what right do we have to end their lives?”

Tigers, tapirs, Asiatic wild dogs, bantengs, and gaurs are some of the numerous endangered species that are protected by specialized teams and rangers who patrol the area, ensuring that the animals and forest are safe. In forest villages, the villagers support programs to stop deforestation and hunting, and they have switched to organic farming to avoid harming the local ecosystems with chemicals and pesticides. “Today, this has happened, and there is collaborative management of the whole area. And the Department of National Parks also sees the importance of doing a lot of work on this issue. This was what Mr. Seub created, and it has been passed on till this current day.”

“The proper conservation of any resource does not mean mere safekeeping, but means the sustainable use of the resource in as many ways as possible so that the future generation may benefit from its multi-faceted benefits as well.” – Seub Nakhasathien