Winter wanderlust: Doi Inthanon sees tourism spike as holiday-goers chase the chill in Chiang Mai

The holiday season has brought a surge of tourists to Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai, as they flock to experience the chill of the winter months. Tourism numbers have hit a record high for this winter season, nearing 10,000 visitors.

Kriangkrai Chaiyaphiset, head of Doi Inthanon National Park, revealed that the upcoming holiday tomorrow, December 5, resulted in a continuous stream of tourists travelling to the Chiang Mai province. Doi Inthanon has become a popular destination, especially with the rising number of visitors.

In response to this, Doi Inthanon National Park has arranged for an additional 12 park officers to assist in managing the tourist influx. This comes on top of the usual 130 officers assigned to different points of the park daily.

The park has now switched to a two-shift rotation, given the high volume of tourists visiting during the morning hours to witness the first light at Kew Mae Pan viewpoint, explore the Kew Mae Pan nature trail, and trek to the peak of the mountain.

Traffic congestion yesterday prompted park officers to ensure safety and facilitate convenience, particularly during the descent from the mountain to Checkpoint 2. They inspected vehicle conditions, advised on using low gears, and recommended cautious driving to prevent accidents.

For the year-end long holiday extending to the new year, reinforcement from all sectors of Chom Thong district will be brought in to assist and facilitate the tourists.

As for today’s temperatures, the lowest recorded at the peak of Doi Inthanon was 9 degrees Celsius, while Kew Mae Pan, located at the 42-kilometre checkpoint and a popular spot to witness the first light, was densely populated with tourists, albeit slightly less than yesterday, with a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius under clear skies and morning mist. Meanwhile, at the entrance of Doi Inthanon National Park at the 31-kilometre point, it was measured at 14 degrees Celsius.

The accumulated tourist count from yesterday comprised 8,695 Thai tourists and 1,082 foreign tourists, totalling 9,777 visitors. There were also 1,976 vehicles, reported KhaoSod.

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