Environment

Alcohol banned at national parks after complaints of trash and drunk tourists

Published

Monday, September 21, 2020 11:48

FILE PHOTO

Alcohol is now banned at national parks after tourists allegedly got drunk at a waterfall and others left a load of trash by their campsite. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has updated other park rules to make sure parks are kept clean and the wildlife isn’t disturbed.

Just last week, trash left at a campsite at Khao Yai National Park was boxed up in a parcel and sent back to the campers. Thailand’s Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa says he will blacklist certain tourists from national parks if they litter or cause damage to protected areas.

“We kindly ask every tourist to put garbage in the provided areas because the garbage that you left may kill wild animals that come down around the area looking for food. In this case, we purposefully collected all your rubbish in a box and sent them to your home as a souvenir as a lesson to not litter anywhere ever again.”

Other tourists were allegedly drunk and making a lot of noise at the Namtok Samlan National Park, Varawut says. He says both groups of tourists face charges for their actions.

Here are some of the revised rules…

Alcohol is banned at national parks for the time being
Loud noise is not allowed after 9pm and noise must be stopped at 10pm
When renting a tent, tourists must provide identification, address and phone number

“Those who break the rules will be asked to leave and may face legal actions as well as being banned from other national parks. Camping equipment can also be confiscated.”

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

นับจากนี้ ใครท่องเที่ยวอุทยานแห่งชาติอย่างไร้ความรับผิดชอบ #ทิ้งขยะไว้ในพื้นที่ #ดื่มเครื่องดื่มมึนเมา #ส่งเสียงรบกวน…

Posted by TOP Varawut – ท็อป วราวุธ ศิลปอาชา on Friday, September 18, 2020

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15 Comments

Toby Andrews

Monday, September 21, 2020 at 12:57 pm

Another day another ban, however this time it was probably Thais the caused the ban.
Camping equipment can be confiscated?? Why?
They just cannot miss a chance of making money out of a ban, can they?

Reply
Perceville Smithers

Monday, September 21, 2020 at 1:29 pm

From what I’ve observed, most Western tourists toss their trash in trash cans/bins while some of the locals just drop it. When I’ve held on to an empty bottle to find a trash can, my Thai friend would take it from me and throw on the side of the street.

Reply
- CDR
  
  Monday, September 21, 2020 at 2:41 pm
  
  And he’s still your friend ???
  
  Reply
  - Perceville Smithers
    
    Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 1:21 am
    
    Yes, she is but I don’t see her as much as I used to.
    
    Reply
Boicotthailand

Monday, September 21, 2020 at 2:25 pm

Thailand is turning North Korea #boicotthailand

Reply
Rinky Stingpiece

Monday, September 21, 2020 at 5:19 pm

What tourists?!

Reply
Maag

Monday, September 21, 2020 at 8:57 pm

Should start to ban corruption first !

Reply
James

Monday, September 21, 2020 at 10:49 pm

This is unusual.

I was in Rayong last year which is a seaside tourist area for mainly Thai weekend tourists, they turn up in pickup-trucks full of people in the front and back of the truck and all you see are such trucks parked along the sea/beachfront for two miles.

They leave garbage, beer bottles, and all sort of rubbish behind, I have seen the few farangs who live in the area pick it up to make the place tidier.

Patong beach in Phuket after a Thai festival is normally strewn with rubbish, there may be some farangs who litter but Thais as I have seen are ten times worse.

Reply
Terry

Monday, September 21, 2020 at 11:08 pm

Thai tourist I suspect! but in all modesty… they like to blame someone else…

Reply
Mary

Monday, September 21, 2020 at 11:32 pm

Good laugh – what tourists? There are none – so my guess, it should be Thai citizen. And the same for the trash.

Reply
Bruno sørensen

Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 2:35 am

Tourists oh yes sure it was probably ” dirty farangs” – and who is it throwing all the garbage in thaialnd a country incredible dirty ? it is THAIS – only thais who do that put populare to put the blame on turists – as usuall. . we need to find anotherp lace to go we are not welcomed in Land of Smiles anymore- if we ever was. . .

Reply
Jeab

Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 6:57 am

No real surprise , i see almost every day Thais cleaning out there cars as they drive along the road at 100 k

Reply
Issan John

Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 7:16 am

Pretty sad comments all round.

No-one is blaming farangs.

No different to farangs in their own countries, though, Thailand has local tourists and some respect the environment and the area they’re visiting and some abuse it, as similarly some locals do and some don’t.

The idea that all farangs are saints and all Thais sinners is about as stupid as the reverse – some are, and equally obviously, some aren’t.

Reply
Sam

Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 8:37 am

From my observation Thais are just not trained to be litter smart. I dont blame the people I blame the Government, it’s their role to educate the citizens on these matters and they simply dont do it. It should be taught in the schools but I see the youngest kids being the worst offenders so clearly they are not taught. Motorbike helmets is the same problem, the Police and Government do nothing to educate the citizens so they just ignore the rules. I hope these young protesters can eventually change things and bring these beautiful people the good lives they deserve with proper education

Reply
Waverider

Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 10:40 pm

A tourist can be from anywhere in the world.
These just happened to be Thai, very few have any respect for their country side, and expect some to clean up where ever they go.
Ditches get filled with garbage causing blockages and flooding.

Reply

Caitlin Ashworth

Caitlin Ashworth is a writer from the United States who has lived in Thailand since 2018. She graduated from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies in 2016. She was a reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette In Massachusetts. She also interned at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia and Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida.

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