Officials are introducing new regulations controlling tourism at Kui Buri National Park now that the forest has reopened after eight months of closure due to the suspicious deaths of nearly 30 gaurs.
A photo of wild elephants taken at Kui Buri National Park after authorities reopened the park to tourists. Tawatchai Kemgumnerd
Kui Buri chief Prawatsart Chanthep said yesterday that new measures were put in place to allow tourists back into the park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation decided to close the forest in December following the discovery of the gaur carcasses. It also banned local tour operators from taking tourists to areas where gaurs were known to roam.
The closure has allowed a probe into the deaths of the rare gaurs and restoration of the forest, Mr Prawatsart said.
The park reopened last Friday, after receiving the go-ahead from the director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, he said.
Mr Prawatsart said the national park has prepared preventive measures to control the spread of a disease that may have caused the deaths of the gaurs.
He said new diseases are constantly emerging, so the authorities had decided to close the park for the safety of tourists and wildlife.
Department executives held several rounds of meetings to assess the safety situation at Kui Buri before deciding to reopen it, the park chief added.
The reopening will boost the income of residents, many of who are employed by the park, Mr Prawatsart said.
Wild elephants from the forest had been blamed for damaging local pineapple plantations while searching for food, causing financial losses to plantation owners.
As an attempt to compensate locals for the damage, the park allowed residents to work as tourist guides.
The local tour guides are registered as members of the Kui Buri eco-tourism club. From now on, club vehicles will have the sole right to take tourists to the park, said Mr Prawatsart. Vehicles belonging to outsiders will be banned.
Pisit Nakthong, chairman of the Kui Buri eco-tourism club, said the decision to reopen the park is welcome.
Residents have been suffering from a drop in income since the first gaur death was discovered on Nov 29 last year, he said.
Members of the club will offer free sightseeing trips to tourists on Aug 12, Mother's Day, he added.
Voravut Ketmee, deputy chairman of the club, said the arrival of tourists to the park helped reduce conflict between people and wild elephants, because income generated from tourism helped make up for damage caused by the animals.
Nutcharee Wangsra, 48, a resident from tambon Hat Kham in Kui Buri district works as a local guide. She said she is delighted the park will be reopening soon because the job provides a vital supplementary income for her family.