Thailand starts annual closure of national parks attractions

Merkus pine tree forest at Phu Soi Dao national park Uttaradit province Thailand
By Alexandra Coulton


As the cooler seasons begin to roll around, we’re going into hibernation.

And by hibernation we mean we’re going to be cocooning ourselves in a little blanket fort at our desks, sipping warm tea and resting up in preparation for the summer holiday season.

It turns out the national parks in Thailand like to do the same thing.

Authorities in Thailand have begun their seasonal closure of several tourist attractions in its national parks.

According to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), this is normal practice, as it closes several attractions every year for a certain period, depending on weather and park conditions.

See also: Thailand to temporarily close famous beach 

Dates are varied, and the closure is often due to extreme weather, especially during the rainy months, that may create unsafe conditions and allows for some ecological recovery time.

“Natural rejuvenation is a key to preserving the biodiversity and pristine quality of Thailand’s amazing nature and natural resources,” Yuthasak Supasorn, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor said.

“I believe that closing off several attractions for certain months during the rainy season demonstrates Thailand’s commitment to ensure sustainable environmental management of the country’s valuable natural heritage.”

According to the DNP, Thailand currently has a total of 147 national parks, covering an area of 70,038.65 square kilometres or 13.64 percent of the land area of the country.

Of the total, there are 59 national parks in the North, 43 in the South, 25 in the Northeast, and 20 in the Central, Western and Eastern Regions.

This year, the DNP will close several attractions in 66 national parks nationwide, including in 24 national parks in the North, in 28 national parks in the South, in nine national parks in the Northeast, and in five national parks in the Central, Western and Eastern Regions.

Go here for more information on closure dates.

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