Night Safari plans still in the dark

CHIANG MAI: -- The opening date for the Chiang Mai Night Safari was thrown into fresh confusion today when a member of the Senate Environment Committee admitted that the zoo could not be opened until all systems are fully ready.

Mrs. Phensak Jaksujinda said while the venue was now completed, it would not be possible to open the safari park until other systems are fully prepared, including a veterinary hospital, a wildlife research centre and a wildlife breeding centre.

Part of plans to transform Thailand into a regional centre of wildlife research, the Chiang Mai Night Safari also hopes to boost tourism in the country's northern resort city.

Mrs. Phensak also revealed that the Kenyan government, from which Thailand is purchasing animals for the project, had not yet reached a conclusion on which animals would be exported.

She confirmed, however, that the animals exported by Kenya would be ones that had been found abandoned, and would not be ones that had been specifically hunted for an animal exchange programme.

--TNA 2005-05-09

Oh no, wait just a second, you see there's a search feature here which provides TRUTH in the form of prior announcements. Here's what I found:

"Plodprasop Surasawadee, Night Safari Chiang Mai planning and processing committee chairman, said, “The Night Safari is surely ready for visitors on April 13; however, some parts remain uncompleted and therefore will be closed, but we will invite the PM to see for himself.""

Do the politicians in this Third World country think that nobody has memories, that nobody has computers? Smoke and mirrors, snake-oil and - what was it the Romans used? Oh yes, free circuses for the peasants. But if it ever opens, this circus won't even be free for Thai citizens.

Perhaps they'll get non-nocturnal animals by mistake and visitors will be confronted with lots of animals snoring and fast asleep.

I took a drive out there last weekend. The the entrance road was closed, so I really couldn't see much, but the entry intself -- a rock and cement entry sign (I don't what else to call it) was about half done.

As has been posted before, I would have real concerns if I lived in that area about wild tigers and such being "managed" by workers here. Things will be fine in the beginning, but as "mai pen rai" sets in, there could be real concens about maintenance of fences, etc. All around a strange idea, methinks.

As has been posted before, I would have real concerns if I lived in that area about wild tigers and such being "managed" by workers here. Things will be fine in the beginning, but as "mai pen rai" sets in, there could be real concens about maintenance of fences, etc.

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Thais not capable of looking after wild animals? Which nationalities should be flown in to oversee, then?

Thais are capable of screwing up a cup of coffee, the only people worse are probably fillipinos. I can surely see this night safari being a disaster.

As has been posted before, I would have real concerns if I lived in that area about wild tigers and such being "managed" by workers here. Things will be fine in the beginning, but as "mai pen rai" sets in, there could be real concens about maintenance of fences, etc.

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Thais not capable of looking after wild animals? Which nationalities should be flown in to oversee, then?

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