Park chief kills Koh Yao Noi climbing

[webfact]

Park chief kills Koh Yao Noi climbing
Phuket Gazette


Grateful Wall, a boat-only access climbing destination, provides a unique experience. Photo: Riccardo Mereu

PHUKET: -- A new national park chief has banned rock climbing on a number of internationally popular limestone outcroppings in areas under his jurisdiction, ruling the sites as unsafe.

“Climbing is an extreme sport and a risky activity. Even though there are safety regulations, and well-tested equipment is being used, there is still the possibility of someone falling and dying,” said Worapot Lomlim, the Ao Phang Na National Park chief. “There is no need for an expert’s opinion on this; I can see myself that it is not safe.”

The move by Mr Worapot, who took up his post in November, to close Dump Wall, Watchtower, Big Tree Wall, The Mitt, HD Wall, Koh Roi, Grateful Wall and The Hang, kills some of Thailand’s top off-the-beaten path climbing holiday destinations.

DESTINATION CLIMBING

“In the last decade, Thailand has been able to position itself as an exotic climbing destination that is able to offer a nice combination of sea and rock experiences,” explained Riccardo Mereu, a certified Climbing Wall Instructor (CWI) and the blogger behind the popular PhuketClimbing.Blogspot.com. “Rock climbing is very popular in Railay, Tonsai and Chong Plee here in the south, while the north is dominated by the Crazy Horse Crag in Chiang Mai.”

Full story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Park-chief-kills-Koh-Yao-Noi-climbing/62900?desktopversion#ad-image-0

-- Phuket Gazette 2016-01-19

[Old Croc]

No doubt he will next ban snorkeling in the parks.

A lot more people die from that than from climbing.

[steelepulse]

No money in rock climbing huh? Strange that in world class and world famous parks such as Yosemite climbing is allowed.

[ezzra]

" “There is no need for an expert’s opinion on this; I can see myself that it is not safe.”
Not safe to do just about anything in this life ya moron, everything has a degree of

risk about it, and rock climbing while not the safest sport in the world, if done correctly,

that the risks are minimum....

[NamKangMan]

“There is no need for an expert’s opinion on this; I can see myself that it is not safe.” - it appears Khun Worapot is an "expert" in not being an "expert" thus, perfect for the position.

The article reads like an invitation to hand over an envelope to allow use of rock face.

[ourmanflint]

I like Koh Yao Noi and anything which slows down tourism there is a good thing. Plenty of rockfaces elsewhere

[Northwindhermit]

This episode makes me too angry to comment at length. I’ll just say that it reminds me of arguments with ‘public servants’ who lorded over prime climbing areas on public land in the Alleghenies decades ago. With the help of the Access Fund USA, we often negotiated and re-opened cliffs to climbing, only to lose access again years later when a new chief (from outside the area and ignorant of climbing culture) took over the fiefdom. We climbers rate as third-class folks.

[SOTIRIOS]

.....had to read the headline several times....I guess someone is proud of himself.....

[MaeJoMTB]

How many foreigners die rock climbing

Vs

How many foreigners die in m/c crashes, diving, zip lines, coach crash, walking on the beach at Koh Tao, balcony falls, jet ski, slipping in shower, sleeping at Death Town Inn ...........

No need for an expert's opinion, just watch the news.

Plenty of stuff that needs banning before they get to rock climbing.

[Pakaty]

Well the Park Chief has caused me to take a bad fall.

I fell off my chair laughing at him.

[12DrinkMore]

Ar5eholes and opinions.

Everybody has one.

[ggt]

Honestly, I read the article to see if he had used a gun or a knife...to make his kills...

[jollyhangmon]

Well now, it's a start. Closing down 'unsafe rocks'. Move on, Ko Tao springs to mind ...

[connda]

Party pooper. I wonder how he drives on Thai roads. The rock climbing is probably less risky than getting to the climbing location.