CONSERVATION
APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has been asked not to annex about 27,500 rai of forest land to Thong Pha Phum national park in Kanchanaburi province to allow for tourism development.
According to a source, the provincial forest preservation office recently sent a letter to the department headquarters, arguing that the area should not be added to the national park, because it has been severely degraded by the effects of human activities.
The local forestry official suggested the area be used for crops or tourism development.
The request came shortly after a visit by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Anongwan Thepsuthin and her secretary Wiwat Nitikanchana to the 700,000-rai national park, where they inspected the ongoing rehabilitation of the lead-contaminated Klity creek, the source said.
The minister came under fierce criticism last month, when she reportedly backed an idea to grant 30-year concessions to the private sector to invest in tourism activities in Thailand's 10 most popular national parks.
Thong Pha Phum is part of the Western Forest Complex, which is recognised as one of the world's most pristine tropical forests and is popular among nature lovers and eco-tourists.
The source has expressed concern over the fate of the national park after some 5,000 rai of forest was excluded from the proposed national park's site since the area has been occupied by residents.
The department chief, Upai Wayapatra, said he would make a decision on whether to exclude the site from the park after thoroughly considering the request.
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