National park fees reduced for foreigners

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APINYA WIPATAYOTIN

The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has cut the entrance fees for foreigners to national parks countrywide in a bid to lure more overseas tourists.

The reduction came after the department received a number of complaints from foreign visitors that the fees are too high, compared with the poor facilities for tourists at the parks.

Effective from Dec 1, entrance fees for adult foreigners have been cut from 400 to 200 baht for the most popular parks, and by 75% for the less popular ones, according to the department.

Among the most popular sites where the fees were cut by half for foreigners include the marine national parks of Mu Koh Lanta National in Krabi, Mu Koh Chang in Trat, Mu Koh Angthong in Surat Thani and Mu Koh Tarutao in Satun.

The entrance fees for the top national parks in the North and Northeast such as Doi Suthep-Pui and Doi Inthanont in Chiang Mai, Jae Son in Lampang, Khao Phra Viharn in Si Sa Ket and KhaoYai in Nakhon Ratchasima have also been cut by half.

The entrance fee for the famous Mu Koh Surin and Mu Koh Similan in the tsunami-hit Phangnga province is still set at 200 baht for children and 400 baht for adult foreigners.

To lure more tourists to lesser-known national parks, such as Khao Lak-Ramru in Phangnga and Tap Lan in Prachin Buri, the rate for foreigners has been cut from 400 to 100 baht for adults and from 200 to 50 baht for children.

Department chief Chalermsak Wanichsombat said the fee adjustment was aimed at promoting tourism.

While foreigners enjoyed a sharp reduction in national park entrance fees, locals will be charged more at some popular sites.

For example, the entrance fee for Thai tourists visiting Doi Suthep-Pui, Huay Nam Dang and Ob Luang in Chiang Mai and Tung Saleang Luang in Phitsanulok has been increased from 20 to 40 baht for adults and from 10 to 20 baht for children.

The higher fees give the department a bigger budget to maintain the parks, said Mr Chalermsak.

Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a leading marine biologist at Kasetsart University, said lowering the entrance fees would only benefit tour operators.

Foreign tourists mostly buy a package tour from local operators which includes the park fees. So the new rates are unlikely to lure more foreign tourists to the national parks, he said.

By : Bangkok Post