Dinosaur tracks become tourist bait
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Dinosaur tracks become tourist bait

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Pictures show a site where the fossil tracks of a species of dinosaur, Siamopodus khaoyaiensis, were found. The site is being promoted as a new tourism attraction. (Photos: Nakhonratchasima Chamber of Commerce)
Pictures show a site where the fossil tracks of a species of dinosaur, Siamopodus khaoyaiensis, were found. The site is being promoted as a new tourism attraction. (Photos: Nakhonratchasima Chamber of Commerce)

NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Local tourism operators will promote the site where the fossil tracks of a species of dinosaur, Siamopodus khaoyaiensis, were found, as a new tourism attraction in the province.

The site is close to the Wang Heo Waterfall in Khao Yai National Park in Pak Chong district.

The discovery of the Siamopodus khaoyaiensis dinosaur footprints in 2006 was made by a group of nature explorers who encountered the tracks while trekking, said Natthini Thongdi, director of the Northeastern Research Institute of Petrified Wood and Mineral Resources at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University.

"The dinosaur footprints serve as evidence of the presence of the Siamopodus khaoyaiensis dinosaur in that area many years ago," she said.

Phanchana Watthanasthian, president of the Khao Yai Tourism Association, said the association will promote the site to attract more visitors to the province. The site will be included in packages alongside three Unesco World Heritage sites in Nakhon Ratchasima: the Sakaerat Unesco Biosphere Reserve, the Khao Yai World Heritage site, and the Korat Unesco Global Geopark, she said.

With the Korat Unesco Global Geopark designated a new Unesco heritage site in May 2023, Nakhon Ratchasima has become the first province in Thailand to host three Unesco heritage sites. This geopark encompasses the Lam Takhong River basin on the southwestern edge of the Korat Plateau. The area has deciduous dipterocarp forests, covering a total area of 3,167 sq km.

The geopark is underlain by Mesozoic rocks from the Korat Group, as well as the Maha Sarakham and Phu Thok formations. "The tourism promotion campaign is an integral part of the province's green tourism policy," said Ms Phanchana.

Last year, 1.8 million Thai nationals and around 100,000 foreign visitors visited Khao Yai National Park, said Chaiya Huayhongthong, its head. This year, visitor numbers exceeded 600,000 by the end of the New Year holiday.

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