Famous waterfall spot to close to public

Famous waterfall spot to close to public

After first pledging nothing would change under its management, the government says it will now close a Nakhon Nayok waterfall due to a spat with local leaders it took the site from. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
After first pledging nothing would change under its management, the government says it will now close a Nakhon Nayok waterfall due to a spat with local leaders it took the site from. (Photo by Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

The Nang Rong waterfall compound, a popular tourist spot at Khao Yai National Park, will be closed to the public following a dispute over rights to manage the area.

The National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has waged a legal battle with Nakhon Nayok Provincial Administration Organisation (PAO) over the right to oversee the famous attraction.

The department announced it would close the waterfall in Nakhon Nayok's Muang district after protesters supporting the PAO gathered to block the site's entrance on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the parks department moved to seize control of the 12-rai area and confiscate tourism facilities, including the PAO's tourist services office and tourist bungalows.

Deputy department chief Adisorn Noochdumrong said the PAO has benefited from tourist spending at the waterfall every year, despite the waterfall being in a national park under the department's supervision. About 100,000 visitors spend about four million baht each year.

He said his department had seized the compound to prevent local politicians trying to control the waterfall.

The PAO has filed a complaint with police, insisting on its right to oversee the waterfall. It is also preparing to seek an injunction from the Central Administrative Court to protect its right to manage the compound and collect revenue.

The long dispute began after Than Phuying La-iad, the wife of Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsongkram who was prime minister at the time, stood for elections in Nakhon Nayok in the mid-1950s. A residence for her was built close to Nang Rong waterfall in 1955.

Later, Than Phuying La-iad handed over the residence to Nakhon Nayok province, and it was later transferred to the provincial PAO.

However, the parks department insists that despite being built in 1955, before the declaration of the Khao Yai National Park boundary, the Nang Rong waterfall area was declared a forest protection zone in 1953. The department has negotiated with various agencies for more than 10 years to take back the area, but failed.

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