National Park Entrance Tickets to Be Sold at Counter Service Outlets Nationwide

(03/10/2012)

Local and foreign tourists will soon be able to purchase national parks entrance tickets at more than 8,500 counter service outlets across the country. Director of the National Park Office at the National Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation Department, Wittaya Hongwiangjan, said that the Department and Counter Service Company had agreed to launch the pilot project in order to encourage more visitors to national parks as a way of promoting tourism. Apart from selling entrance tickets, the counter service outlets will also accept payment for accommodation and other fees for 127 national parks nationwide. The new service will be available within the next six months and will operate around the clock. The service fee is 20 baht. Mr. Wittaya believed that the project would provide better service to tourists, while upgrading Thailand’s tourism service to better standards. It would reduce the duplication of work among responsible authorities, as well. National parks in all regions of the country have become popular destinations among both Thai and foreign tourists. Visitors to various national parks in Thailand are interested in such activities as trekking, camping, rafting, diving, climbing, canoeing, biking, taking photographs, and bird watching. National parks serve as a center for nature study and offer a host of fascinating nature-based experiences. In a related development, Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai province has recently received best hiking award from the Department of Tourism, under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. According to the department, good management at the Kew Mae Pan Trail helps make hiking at the Doi Inthanon National Park more enjoyable. It said the nature trail management incorporates participation from the locals in the community, adding that many tribe members who used to encroached on the forest have become local guides and are helping authorities protect the park. Doi Inthanon National Park is located in Mae Chaem District, Chiang Mai province. It encompasses the highest mountain in Thailand, which is a very popular tourist destination for both Thai and foreigners.