The main national park in Phitsanulok and a mountain in neighbouring Phetchabun have been flooded with tourists during the long weekend.
About 10,000 visitors are visiting the Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park and Phu Tab Berk for overnight camping during the Constitution Day long weekend, park officials said on Sunday.
Most of them arrived at Phu Tab Berk, a main attraction in Khao Kho district of Phetchabun, hoping to experience the cold air and visit cabbage farms but they found that there were insufficient camping grounds and toilets to accommodate their needs, officials said.
Tourists jam Phu Tab Berk in Phetchabun during this long weekend. (Photo by Chinnawat Singha)
Instead, many tourists decided to stay at Phu Hin Rong Kla in Nakhon Thai district of Phitsanulok, about 30km away from the bulk of tourist accommodation in the area.
The average temperature at Phu Hin Ron Kla is about 15 degree celsiuss, dropping to a chilly 8 degrees at Phu Tab Berk. The weather has been fluctuating since the beginning of this year's winter with sporadic rains and higher temperatures than normal for the season.
Suwan Panunampha, the Phu Hin Rong Kla park chief, said the two parks expected the same high number of tourists during the New Year holiday.
Phu Hin Rong Kla in Phitsanulok and the mountains of Phetchabun are former strongholds of the now defunct Communist Party of Thailand.