Khao Yai National Park in Thailand has seen an unexpected surge in visitors, collecting over one million baht in entrance fees during a three-day holiday from October 12th to October 14th. The park, located in Pak Chong district, recorded an impressive 19,800 visitors on October 13th alone, including 770 foreign tourists. The influx brought about a noticeable increase in traffic, prompting park officials to establish additional ticket booths to manage the congestion.

 

The sudden rush is largely credited to pleasant weather conditions, with cooler daytime temperatures and chilly nights encouraging a camping trend at Lam Takong campground. Visitors have also been drawn to the park's stunning natural features, like the strongly-flowing Haew Narok and Haew Suwat waterfalls, known for their breathtaking views.

Chief of the park, Chaiya Huayhongthong, noted that Khao Yai's renowned Pha Diao Dai viewpoint has also been a major attraction. It offers panoramic vistas of mist-covered mountains, creating a surreal experience for the thousands of tourists enjoying the park. The successful weekend highlights the park's appeal and the growing interest in nature tourism in Thailand.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-10-15

 

 

I live nearby and been a couple of times over past decade. However the 2 tier pricing (10 x normal price for Farang) 400 baht means I haven’t been for several years and won’t again. To be honest I was quite underwhelmed by it given it’s supposed to be Thailand’s biggest national park.

yeah, anything ten times more is a nono, they can keep them parks

 

I wonder why there is still no beach access tax for foreigners...

It's all very well having lots of visitors, but are the parks being managed correctly?

 

Thailand's tourist industry relies on the country's natural resources - the beaches  have already had a checkered history and the national parks (apart from the marine ones) are largely ignored by foreign tourists - a lot of this is due to the ridiculous two tier pricing , but it is also poor management - there has to be a balance between visitor numbers and conservation. At present there is little sign of this and successive governments have done nothing.

Unless the resource of National Parks is properly addressed they will just go the way of the beaches and islands - reduced to concrete lined holiday parks.