Ecotourism Club chief Vajaree Pratchayanusorn is the spokesperson for tour operators in the central Thai provinces of Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Nayok, Saraburi and Prachinburi. She stated that the proposal did not take into account the interests of all parties concerned with tourism in Khao Yai and was not the best way of preserving forests.
The Khao Yai Conservation Association says that prohibiting tourists from visiting the park between the beginning of March and the end of May would allow nature time to regenerate. This time of year is the hot season in Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia.
The annual Songkran Festival and several other public holidays are celebrated during this season. National parks such as Khao Yai are the destinations of choice for Thais with a few days off. Khao Yai’s abundant attractions plus the fact it is only 130kms from Bangkok make it an easy option for daytrips or short breaks.
Travel agents object to plan to shut Khai Yai National Park
News in Asia
Travel agents in four central Thailand provinces have condemned a plan to close the nation’s most visited national park. Last week, the local Conservation Network Association put forward a proposal to bar visitors from Khai Yai National Park for three months every year.