Villagers in Chiang Mai are opposed to the planned route for a scheduled three-day extreme Ultra Thai race in December, which would run through the fragile Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Ultra-Thai races planned for Dec 4-6 have drawn heavy criticism from villagers and nature lovers in Chiang Mai, who say there is no way this terrain can support thousands of intruders running and selling souvenirs all at once.
The organiser has invited around 400 runners from around the world to join the Ultra Thai Chiang Mai (UTCM) races at a cost of US$495 each. The target is to get up to Doi Luang Chiang Dao, which is the highest lime mountain in Thailand and is situated inside the sanctuary.
The organiser, through his website and Thailand Mountain Trail Facebook page, also invites people to register as volunteers and ambassadors for the event. They would help mark the trails before the races and assist check-in at the start/finish lines and stations, and with information and refreshments and transfers.
People would also to help runners at overnight villages, and with safety monitoring and medical assistance.
The event is organised by Sebastien Bertrand who has run in Thailand’s mountains before and later gathered other people around him to appreciate the areas and eventually set up a business.
Environmental conservationist Rungsrit Kanjanavanit posted on his Facebook page that he talked to Mr Bertrand after learning about the event and announced he would oppose the holding of the races in such a fragile wildlife sanctuary as Chiang Dao.
Doi Luang Chiang Dao is normally open to the public only in winter and early summer with a limit of around 200 visitors each season.
The organiser has not yet gained approval from the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.
Mr Rungsrit said if the organiser insists on going ahead with the race, the route must be changed so it does not intrude on highly sensitive areas, particularly the Yod Doi - Ban Tham route, to avoid disturbing the goral, and Den Ya Khad route, which is home to endangered birds.
He said conservationists are willing to help plan the new routes to reduce the impact and ensure that the wildlife is disturbed as little as possible.
Mr Rangsrit said the department should closely examine the proposed activity as there is no policy to use a wildlife sanctuary for such event.
The chief of Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary, Somsak Thitichayaphorn, said he informed Mr Rungsrit on Monday that no permission had been given for such a race in the sanctuary. The event needed approval from the department’s director-general.
He said the organiser and a Thai coordinator last year sought permission to survey a marathon route from Doi Suthep to Doi Chiang Dao for 20-30 runners. The survey could be made under the sanctuary’s regulations, but that route had been closed.
Mr Somsak said the sanctuary had not heard from the organiser again and learned about the planned extreme race from the news.