Clean up Thai beaches

Thailand identified its cleanest beaches and not a single one was a popular beach destination rated by the likes of TripAdvisor.

The Pollution Control Department bases its top 10 list on a scorecard of strict environmental checks of land and sea conditions at all of the country’s beaches.

Predictably, the top beaches were in national parks protected from consumer activities such as hotel and tourism developments.  Some of them close for six months to allow the sensitive environment to recover. Read more

Thailand’s most popular parks

BANGKOK, 17 July 2017: Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation reports park visits reached over 15.3 million during October 2016 to June 2017.

Released last Thursday, the department’s figures showed 15,327,573 visitors visited 150 national parks nationwide and generated THB1,866,521,223 in revenue during October 2016 to June 2017.

Of all visits, 10,874,487 were by Thais and 4,453,086 by foreigners, who pay more than double the price to enter parks. In terms of revenue, the two markets are almost on par. Read more

Boatmen up in arms over park fees

KRABI, 23 February 2017: The unusual sight of local boat operators fighting for fair entrance fees at a Thai national park unfolded here in Krabi, Wednesday.

Boat operators are objecting to their foreign customers paying a THB400 national park entrance fee claiming Thailand’s national parks are fleecing tourists.

According to the Thai Rath report the national park chief in Krabi refused to yield despite boat operators threatening to boycott the park. Read more

Lost with a tour guide

NAKHON NAYOK, 13 October 2016: A tour guide admitted he lost his bearings in a heavy storm during a trek in Khao Yai National park that left a group of local tourists lost in the park just a few kilometres from safety.

The group made up of 24 trek enthusiasts and porters, all Thai citizens, now face charges that they entered the national park without permission or paying an entrance fee.

They were lost in Thailand’s oldest and largest World Heritage national park for two days. The park is around 150 km northeast of the Thai capital and less than 20 km from towns and villages in three bordering provinces. Read more

Airlines ban big game trophies

NEW YORK, 6 August 2015: More carriers chimed in Tuesday after several major airlines began banning shipment of big game trophies amid outrage over the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe.

Air Canada announced that it would refuse to transport such big game animals as lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros or water buffalo, while the United Parcel Service (UPS) declined to follow suit.

Their decisions come just one day after US airlines Delta and American banned the shipment of big game trophies on flights.

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Airlines ban game trophies

NEW YORK, 5 August 2015: US airlines Delta and American on Monday banned the shipment of big game trophies on flights, in the wake of outrage over the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe.

“Effective immediately, Delta will officially ban shipment of all lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies worldwide as freight,” the company said in a brief statement.

Delta added it would review its acceptance policies for other hunting trophies with the appropriate government agencies and other organisations.

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Domestic travellers enjoy park discounts

BANGKOK, 14 July 2015: Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation is cutting entrance fees for Thais at all of its national parks in order to promote weekday tourism.

DNP chief, Nipol Chotiban, said the campaign started 1 July and will continue until the end of this year to support domestic travel in the country in line with the government policy to boost weekday tourism.

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Cambodia taps national park travel

KAMPONG SPEU, 3 July 2015: A Japanese company, A2A Town (Cambodia), has submitted a request to the Cambodian Ministry of Environment to establish helicopter flights from Phnom Penh to Preah Soramrit Kossamak Kirirom National Park in Kampong Speu province.

The flights will whisk rich tourists to a new resort that has just opened in the national park.

Agence Kampuchea Presse reported that the helicopter project was given a mention by Minister of Environment, Say Samal, during the inauguration ceremony a resort being developed by the company.

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Thai parks more expensive

BANGKOK, 9 February 2015: Higher entrance fees came into effect, 1 February, for foreign visitors to Thailand’s 31 popular national parks according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

The department issued a notice on entrance fee increases, last August, mainly to give tour companies enough advance notice to include them in their 2015 quotes to overseas tour operators.

In the past, the parks were criticized for not giving tour companies enough notice on fee increases. In some instances the outcry forced the department to delay increases.

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