Seven key national parks in the North are stepping up measures to ensure compliance among visitors with a ban on drinking alcohol, as the number of park visitors is expected to surge there during the cold season.
The alcohol ban is imposed on every park visitor under the the alcoholic beverages control law and was announced in 2021 by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), said Songkran Pakchokdee, director of the StopDrink Network, a non-governmental organisation fighting to curb alcohol consumption.
More stringent measures are needed to ensure the ban is strictly followed during the cold season when parks in upper Thailand are normally a top destination for tourists, he said.
The alcohol ban is not only aimed at protecting the rights of visitors who would prefer to enjoy the natural beauty than drink or have to mix with rowdy elements, but also the park from rubbish left behind by drunk campers, he said.
Those found flouting the alcohol ban may end up facing a jail term of up to one month or a fine of up to 1,000 baht, he said.
The seven parks are Doi Suthep-Pui, Op Khan, Phu Hin Rong Kla, Doi Inthanon, Chae Son, Phu Soi Dao and Phu Chi Fa.
Surachet Phinitngam, assistant chief of Suthep-Pui, said warning signs have been erected in the park to remind visitors about the alcohol ban. The warnings also appear on the park's Facebook page.
The park staff will also encourage visitors to take part in a campaign to help protect the environment. They will be asked to bring back all rubbish from camping sites when leaving, he said.
Wanlop Mangtha, an officer at Op Khan National Park, said the park has only one entrance and park staff usually ask for cooperation from visitors and run standard checks for alcoholic beverage containers at the entrance. However, that may no longer be enough.
During the high tourism season, pre-entry checks might be insufficient, so random patrols of the park's camping site also will be needed for the sake of the parks and visitors alike.