Environmentalists campaign against planned run to wildlife sanctuary

[Thaivisa News]

Chiang Mai: Several Thai environmentalists have been campaigning against a plan by a French resident in Chiang Mai to organize an “ultra run” to the Chiang Dao Mountain wildlife sanctuary in Chiang Mai.

Manager Online reported that a French man, Sebastien Bertrand who lives in Chiang Mai, has initiated ultra run contest on mountainous routes in Chiang Mai.

In the latest contest announced on the ultra-thai.com website and on Facebook page of the Thailand Mountain Trail of the Ultra-Thai.com, two races will be simultaneously held on one 150-kilometer route from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao on December 4 to 6. The number of runners will be limited at 400 and each participant will have to pay a registration fee of US$495.

After the race was announced, several Thai environmentalists came out to campaign against it for fear that the high number of runners would cause negative environmental impact on the Chiang Dao wildlife sanctuary.

Among the protesting environmentalists was Doctor Rangsarit Kanchanawanit. He posted his message to oppose the run to Chiang Dao on the TMT Facebook page on Friday but his comment was removed soon after.

Rangsarit then posted a message on his own Facebook that he would not allow such a contest to take place.

Several other opponents joined his opposition, saying the Chiang Dao is a wildlife sanctuary with delicate environment and it could not tolerate so many people and it is not suitable for a big activity as the ultra run contest.

Nikom Putsa, another environmentalist, said he opposed the activity because the Chiang Dao mountain is important as a site of biological diversities and endangered species.

[jollyhangmon]

True, lads! Good that the usual park visitors behave a lot better, no fires, no littering, no useless noise from competing and slightly overdimensioned basstubes etc. wherever they manage to drive to of course.

I would be pissed too if a foreigner came up first with a - in comparison at least - good idea ...

[daoyai]

If they (he) did get the 400 runners, that would be nearly $200,000 in entrance fees... so this a business proposition? wonder what is real deal.

[h90]

yes the runner are pure evil.....

Maybe they can plan the route thru the nationalpark that way that they run only in illegal rubber farms, gulf clubs and weekend houses so they don't disturb the wild life.

[Jeffreyake]

"The number of runners will be limited at 400 and each participant will have to pay a registration fee of US$495."

I mean come on guys, who the hell is going to pay 500 bucks for an ability to run together with other 399 idiots?!

I can let them run on the next day, just for a hounded

limited?!

lol that French guy knows how to make PR and to boost demand (at the expense of Thai wild life, of course) on something that nobody actually needs

if he will sell all 400 tickets - that guy certainly knows how to sell snow to an Eskimo...

[garyk]

Funny to read this. I was up in the mountains today and saw a small sigh that said wildlife area. So I turned to go have a look. At the entrance the man said sure go have a look. Looked official, like the entrance to a wildlife area.

I drove maybe 100meeters when the area opened up into a rubber plantation. At one time a beautiful lush valley between two mountains. Now a wildlife area? LOL

Personally I am wondering if the government is sponsoring it and just does not know about it. Some one is making a killing.

Amazing

[Dibbler]

What is in danger of being impacted by a few hundred runners on a sunny day in Chiang Dao WS? All the significant wildlife was hunted out decades ago by Hmong poachers. The largest animals to be found in the wild now are forest rats and the odd porcupine. A run, if organized in the right way could provide valuable revenue for the DNP and local communities that otherwise would not be received as it is not a prime tourist destination. Clueless people with no understanding of how to do conservation for the benefit of the park.

[Rhys]

the double dipsea....

[Local Drunk]

What is in danger of being impacted by a few hundred runners on a sunny day in Chiang Dao WS? All the significant wildlife was hunted out decades ago by Hmong poachers. The largest animals to be found in the wild now are forest rats and the odd porcupine. A run, if organized in the right way could provide valuable revenue for the DNP and local communities that otherwise would not be received as it is not a prime tourist destination. Clueless people with no understanding of how to do conservation for the benefit of the park.

I disagree. A wildlife sanctuary is a haven for wildlife by definition; be they rats or the odd porcupine. It should not be exploited for any commercial purposes other than those who wish to see rat's and the odd porcupine. It's their sanctuary.

[Puwa]

I know some of the local conservationists in Chiang Dao, and was just reading a Facebook update by one. I thought it was pretty intetesting so I am summarizing it here.

It reports that today a small delegation from Chiang Dao visited the organizer of the planned event, in order to find out exactly what his plans are and to see if they could find an alternative route that wouldn't pass through the wildlife sanctuary.

They say that he claimed to have obtained permission to hold the event, but would not disclose from whom and did not have any documentation. they also say he is adamant about going ahead as planned.

Since Chiang Dao locals have an impressive history of protecting Doi Luang, my personal view is that it would be in this guy's interest to compromise and work with them. Their past successes include managing the tourist flow into the ecoligcally sensitive areas of the park, and squashing a politically-connected cable car project. Doi Luang is one of the four sacred mountains of northern Thailand, and Kon Muang don't take kindly to affronts to it. Sure, all the same environmental and economic pressures that exist elsewhere also impinge on Doi Luang, but the locals are pretty well organized. Plus there are some nationally known figures who live in Chiang Dao, and if they throw their weight behind the anti-run campaign, there will be quite a fracas?

These kinds of sporting events can be pretty cool and bring benefits to locals, so it would seem to make sense to manage this one cooperatively, rather than taint the event, or threaten it, with avoidable controversy.

[Chicog]

I'm sure these boys know how to make fishing line tripwires, so good luck to them.

$495 plus your hospital bills eh.

Excellent value.

[MESmith]

Having hiked Doi Chiang Dao recently, the only place to run is on the main path, unless running with a machete. The campsite area that local tour companies have set up as a nearly permanent feature is a bit of a dump. What difference would few runners make compared to all the hikers that go up there?

[Dibbler]

What is in danger of being impacted by a few hundred runners on a sunny day in Chiang Dao WS? All the significant wildlife was hunted out decades ago by Hmong poachers. The largest animals to be found in the wild now are forest rats and the odd porcupine. A run, if organized in the right way could provide valuable revenue for the DNP and local communities that otherwise would not be received as it is not a prime tourist destination. Clueless people with no understanding of how to do conservation for the benefit of the park.

I disagree. A wildlife sanctuary is a haven for wildlife by definition; be they rats or the odd porcupine. It should not be exploited for any commercial purposes other than those who wish to see rat's and the odd porcupine. It's their sanctuary.

It's not theirs to control, it belongs to all taxpayers in Thailand. A wildlife sanctuary with only rats and porcupines deserves to be degazetted or reclassified as a national park where recreation is permitted, and will save further waste of taxpayers money.

[chiangmaiexpat]

I mean come on guys, who the hell is going to pay 500 bucks for an ability to run together with other 399 idiots?!

I take it that you have never organised or participated in a sports event?

Granted, 500 USD starting fee seems steep, but this is a quite an ambitious event that requires complex preparation and management. The route is 45 km long and the race takes place in stages. It runs through remote forest areas. Trails require clearing and marking. The stations along the way need to be manned and preparations need to be made for emergencies. And so on.

The environmentalists concerns are justified, because Doi Luang Chiang Dao and the surrounding mountains have exceptional flora and fauna which are vulnerable. I hiked there many times and with a bit of luck you can see rare birds, alpine flowers, large mammals, such as gibbons and even endangered gorals (mountain goats).

However, their objections also sound somewhat duplicitous, because in the peak season hundreds of Thai tourists hike up the mountain and many of them stay overnight in tents just below the peak. The hilltribes in the surrounding villages still hunt in this area, and I wouldn't be surprised if they shoot a goral every now and then. By comparison, the impact of a few hundred runners passing through seems light.

Cheers, CM-Expat

[Chicog]

I mean come on guys, who the hell is going to pay 500 bucks for an ability to run together with other 399 idiots?!

I take it that you have never organised or participated in a sports event?

Granted, 500 USD starting fee seems steep, but this is a quite an ambitious event that requires complex preparation and management. The route is 45 km long and the race takes place in stages. It runs through remote forest areas. Trails require clearing and marking. The stations along the way need to be manned and preparations need to be made for emergencies. And so on.

And you can't do that in Thailand for less than $200K?

I have a bridge to sell you.

[tarmovannas]

The race capacity is actually 300 runners for the non-stop 150 km race and 100 runners for the 3-day stage race, with entry fees accordingly 255 and 495 USD, so that is one clear fact that is already grossly overlooked by the so called journalists who report on this. In terms of environmental risk, in all honesty it is quite the other way around really, this is not some run of the mill city marathon or some cheesy ultimate extreme whatever nonsense -- ultra mountain trail running is a serious sport and the kind of people that take part in these kind of unique events are actually serious nature lovers themselves and are all for preserving the wild and come equipped and prepared accordingly and it's very much about sports tourism and enjoying/discovering the nature/wild -- you can't take part in this race unless you have met the requirements, which basically mean you must have done this before succesfully and more than once -- these kind of races are arranged all over the world and just as well in Thailand also, but not quite on this big scale previously. Regarding making huge profit from this, it's quite laughable -- anyone who comes up with that statement doesn't clearly have a clue about what goes on in the world of ultra mountain trail running, it's usually people with a big passion towards the sport and the environment where the event is being held, it's far from some easy money making plan, absolutely ridiculous, there are by far more easier ways to make some efficient money if one wants. The way this has been reported for now is quite misshapen, hopefully they will start to get their facts straight and find eventually that both parties are actually on the same side. For example, this project has been very much about preserving and reopening old mountain trails in a sustainable way that have already partly disappeared and are/have been restored now, all in cooperation with the locals both for hikers/runners and the local hilltribes people themselves. Why? Because there are people who actually care and love covering long distances in the nature on foot, be it running or hiking, not much difference really, although runners tend to actually leave far less behind, if anything, in my experience. I've taken part in these kind of races in many places elsewhere in Asia as well as of course in Thailand. I've also ran the same 150 km route of this race in 3 days last November together with 20+ other runners from Asia and Europe, leaving behind nothing and disturbing noone, encountering the beautiful scenery and smiling locals. Also living and training in Chiang Mai I've covered these routes countless more times. Actually you are never too far from populated areas on this route to be honest, the only truely uninhabited area is perhaps the last 25 km or so, that is the Doi Luang trail at the end of the race. If you want to read some more facts, I suggest to take a look at the actual event website first at www.ultra-thai.com

[Jeffreyake]

what I don't understand is how that arrogant shameless French dares to be "adamant" to make a commercial event in the country where he is just a guest and LOCALS are against it?!

unbelievable effrontery...

if I would ever meet that guy I will spit in his face with pleasure. no joke

Why don't he come back to his beloved French Alps and "be adamant" to do anything he wants there?!