Panel set up to probe graft at National Parks

By Janjira Pongrai,

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

A factfinding panel has been set up to probe alleged corruption in the collection of admisฌsion fees at seven national marine parks in the Andaman Sea.

Sunant Arunnopparat, directorgeneral of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said an impartial official from the department would be selected as its chairman.

"So far, I haven't issued any order to remove the park wardens who have been the subject of complaints during the past few months. The department needs to investigate the issue careฌfully," Sunant said yesterday.

The factfinding panel was formed on Saturday, he said.

The national parks under suspicion include Mu Koh Surin, Mu Koh Similan, Hat NopparatTara, Mu Koh Phi Phi, Mu Koh Tarutao, and Ao Phangnga.

Last Friday, Songtham Sooksawang, direcฌtor of the National Parks Division, was sent to a "brainstorming" session on measures to rehaฌbilitate bleached coral reefs in the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand.

Recommendations from the seminar will be submitted to the prime minister tomorrow.

The admission fees scandal was the hottest topic at a seminar organised by the For Sea Foundation.

Sunant said the department would welcome any information related to ticket graft from the public.

He said agencies would show him attenฌdance figures for the marine parks over the past five years. He would then call a meeting this week with agencies in the department.

Natural and Environment Minister Suvit Khunkitti denied that the ministry was ignorฌing the problem. He said the case had been referred to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

"I admit that this admission fee corruption thing has taken place for several years but the ministry did not stand still. We asked the DSI to investigate the case but the problem has never ended as the department lacks measures to control all tourists without explanation," he said.

However, he would ask the DSI about the progress of its inquiry next week after he gets back from a forestry meeting in the US.

Sunant would look into the leakage of admission income and try to find a way to resolve the problem, he said.

The department has also been instructed to come up with rules to control dive boats and tourists visiting national marine parks so the department can ensure admission fees are collected correctly, he said.

-- The Nation 2011-01-31

One way to curb this is to not pay any fee at all.

All persons over 60, Thai or foreign, are exempted from entrance fee. Just prove your age with photo ID (passport or Thai ID/drivers license) and you are free to enter!

This is not very well known and most checkpoints will not inform you about it.

How come there is one price for Thai and one exorbanet price for the frang??

How come there is one price for Thai and one exorbanet price for the frang??

Because we have more money!!!

Hasn't any government official remitted with checking this thought of using "plant" farangs to see just how much they are charged and whether this is in fact the correct amount they should be charging????? Surely they issue receipts or tickets with the amount payable on it, don't they??? If not then this should be enforced. Doesn't sound too difficult to me!!!! God knows why they can't sort this out as I know that I could get to the bottom of it in days. It's almost as if the can't be bothered - so typically Thai, when they can't make any money out of it why do it in the first place.

One way to curb this is to not pay any fee at all.

All persons over 60, Thai or foreign, are exempted from entrance fee. Just prove your age with photo ID (passport or Thai ID/drivers license) and you are free to enter!

This is not very well known and most checkpoints will not inform you about it.

Are there other sources we might go to affirm the above statement? Checkpoints uncooperative. Thanks.

Macjet

How come there is one price for Thai and one exorbanet price for the frang??

Because we have more money!!!

There are set prices, however most of these are on a chalk board and for one reason or another, (corruption) are increased on the chalk board during the high season or holiday periods in Thailand. Only the Falung price is increased not the Thai price.

A few years ago on a visit to a park the price was 40 bht for Thais 400 for farang. After we had entered wifey had a look at the tickets and noticed that they were all 40 bht ones although I was charged 400. On the way out she made a point of asking for 360 bht back. When that wasn't forthcoming she made sure we got issued a 400 bht ticket. Maybe it was an honest mistake but if a 40 bht ticket is given and 400 taken then there's scope to make quite alot on the side.