Doi Inthanon is the country’s loftiest peak and contained within the national park of the same name. Chief ranger Pornthep Charoensuebsakul said his staff had recorded almost 30,000 visitors in the past seven days and, although the bulk of them were Thais, there were significant numbers of foreign tourists.
Mr Charoensuebsakul continued by saying quite a few of the visitors stayed overnight at designated campgrounds. He added that dawn mists, spectacular sunrises and clear blue skies greet visitors who do spend the night.
He finished off by saying that the Thai Meteorological Division had warning of continuing cold weather coming from China and that park staff expected more visitors to arrive over the coming weekend. Park staff are in the process of setting up checkpoints to help people who are unfamiliar with routes up the 2,565-metre-high mountain and driving in misty weather.
Tourists flock to north Thai mountain
News in Asia
Wintery weather has proved a major draw in enticing tourists into visiting Thailand’s highest mountain over the past few days. Park rangers at Doi Inthanon say temperatures as low as 8°C and the rare sight of morning mist in a tropical country have proved to be the key attractions.