Garbage truck reef

Thailand dumped 189 old garbage trucks off its southern coast on Friday in a bid to build an artificial reef to lure fish for local fishermen. The trucks, once used to collect refuse in the sprawling Thai capital Bangkok, were dropped into the Gulf of Thailand, about 5.5 km (3.4 miles) from the southern province of Pattani.

Under a project initiated by Thailand's queen in 2002, everything from concrete pillars to old rail cars have been dumped at 47 sites in the waters off southern Thailand.

Fishery Department official Rangsan Chayakul said some 43 species of fish were now living around these artificial reefs, up from 15 species before.

"The reef will protect shallow-water fishermen from high waves and give them a good source of income," he told Reuters.