National parks to limit visitor numbers
PHUKET - The number of tourists entering 10 marine and forest national parks will be limited from July 1, 2008, said a senior officer at the National Resource and Environment Ministry.
Preecha Chansiritanon, deputy director-general of the Ministry’s National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, said on Sunday his department had issued an order on November 20 limiting the number of visitors to 10 national parks throughout the country, particularly on weekends and public holidays.
It was an attempt to protect national parks from damage caused by mass tourism, according to Mr. Preecha. It was also aimed at boosting park security for tourists.
Among the national parks to be covered by the new limitation were Doi Suthep-Pui and Doi Inthanond in Chiang Mai, Phu Kradueng in Loei and Koh Surin and Koh Similan in Phang Nga.
Mr. Preecha said tourist activities such as diving and coral reef boat trips had threatened national parks. (TNA)
[url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=12415Bangkok Post Dec. 3, 2007[/url]
I think limiting the numbers of visitors alone doesn't help much; most important is regulating who visits the parks for what purpose (educational or recreational) and what the visitors do there. Maybe they can adjust the admission fees to that. Make it more expensive for those activities that actually do disturb the wildlife there - and for Thais as well.
