MARINE park authorities removed dive bans from two sites today as tourism industry leaders warned that Phuket and Khao Lak were both likely to suffer from a surprise round of dive site closures.

The closures, ostensibly aimed at speeding the recovery of Andaman coral reefs from the damaging effects of high-temperature bleaching, are also being interpreted as an attempt to reign in the region's diving industry.

Khao Lak, a sprawling coastal dive community north of Phuket, is likely to suffer if would-be divers are led to believe they can have a better experience at sites in other countries.

Torpong Wongsathianchai, the General Manager of SeaStar Andaman, said today that loss of tourists by the dive industry would have a flow-on effect to resorts in the region, and that jobs would definitely be sacrificed.

Suchart Hirankanokkul, Phuket-based President of the Thai Hotels Association Southern Chapter, also told Phuketwan that the sudden closure would cost the region.

''Tourism will be affected for sure,'' he said. ''I feel sorry for tourists who have already booked on trips and were not warned this was going to happen.''

Thursday's announcement by the Director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Planned Conservation, Sunan Aroonnopparat, of immediate closures in seven marine parks - six in the Andaman and one in the Gulf of Thailand - caught the Phuket and Andaman coast tourism and dive industries unprepared.

Khun Torpong said today that the closures were ill-considered and avoided tackling some of the dive industry's serious problems.

''The diving industry will not be improved by these closures,'' he said. ''If you close marine park sites, it will inevitably affect the big picture. Thousands of resort staff in and around Khao Lak are likely to be affected.

''Officials have confused the two main issues: the natural effects of coral bleaching, and the long-standing problems within the dive industry.

''Addressing the issue of coral bleaching will not make the problems in the dive industry disappear overnight.''

Khun Torpong said that largely because rules and regulations had not been properly managed, some players in the dive industry used old boats and contributed to pollution on and around the Andaman's coral reefs.

''It's also worth noting that the Similan islands and Surin are already closed as a matter of course for six months, so this decision makes it more difficult for dive companies to prosper and therefore more likely to have to cut corners.''

He said the evidence that large numbers of tourists were contributing to degradation of the region's reefs was present well before last year's coral bleaching.

''The deterioration of Phi Phi was happening a long time before the bleaching, yet the authorities had done nothing about it,'' he said. ''If they cannot enforce existing regulations, what is the point of creating more rules?''

The emphasis needed to be on educating all dive companies and local communities with the message 'Don't Touch, Don't Take, Don't Throw Away,' he said.

A second Khao Lak dive manager said that companies had no idea the closures were coming, creating total confusion, especially for divers already in the region or about to arrive.

''Maybe the authorities could even have different names for the sites to those we use,'' she said.

A revision to the original closures saw the number of protected sites at Surin island reduced today from seven to five: Ao Jaak; Ao Mea Yai; Ao Mang Kon; Ao Tao and Bulon Mai Pai.