The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has defended what has been criticised as a "steep" fee charged to visitors entering the deeper chambers of the world-famous Tham Luang cave complex in Chiang Rai.
The fee, at 950 per Thai citizen and 1,500 baht per foreign visitor accessing Chambers 2 and 3 of the cave, has been imposed since the opening on Friday of Chamber 3 inside the cave located in the Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non National Park in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district.
The opening allows visitors a glimpse of how the famous rescue mission for the 12 members of the "Wild Boar" football team and their coach, trapped in the cave for 18 days following a heavy downpour five years ago, was carried out.
Entry to Chamber 1, which is about 200 metres long, is free of charge. The fees are being imposed on those venturing deeper into the cave complex.
A tour of the deeper chambers must be booked at least seven days in advance via the Protected Areas Regional Office 15 website, and visitors will be put into groups of no more than 10 persons for the tour.
The reservation is to allow officials time to prepare necessary equipment. Accompanying each tour group will be park officials and two local guides.
The fees exclude the cost of renting protective gear to be worn by visitors, who must also take out life insurance and undergo a health check before going into the cave.
Each tour takes from two to four hours and up to two groups are accepted each day.
Meanwhile, the national parks department director-general, Attapon Charoenchansa, insisted the 950-baht fee for Thais is not hefty. The prices have been set after consultation with various experts who hail the cave a valuable natural site.
Touring the area entails risks, requiring visitors to wear special gear and a team of experts and officials to accompany them.
Mr Attapon also explained that not all revenue from the fees would go to the agency's coffers. The money would be paid to the guides, experts and officials who escort the visitors during the tour.
Proceeds from the fees will also be donated to funds established to assist the park rangers who were injured or died on duty and to be spent improving park officials' welfare and repairing gear and equipment, Mr Attapon said.
