PHOTO: Mae Sa waterfall

Doi Suthep-Pui National Park officials in the north of Thailand have closed the Mae Sa and Tad Mork waterfalls after heavy rainfall have caused high water flows and slippery paths “that may endanger tourists”.

Mae Sa waterfall is approximately 30 minutes drive north-west from Chiang Mai and Tad Mork waterfall about an hour drive north-west of Chaing Mai.

The national park chief Wuttichai Soamwipark told Thai Rath that his office will continue to monitor the situation and urged tourists to remain safe, and follow the directions of park signage and officials.

The two waterfalls are very popular with local and foreign hikers who visit the park every year.

PHOTO: Tad Mork waterfall

Thai farmers say they oppose the proposed bans on herbicides paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos.

The Thai government plans to phase out three chemical weed killers, widely used by Thai farmers, by the end of this year.

Farmers say they oppose the restrictions of use because the chemicals provide higher crop yields, according to Thai PBS who headed out into the fields to survey farmers’ attitudes to the proposed restrictions.

A recent field survey of farmers in Phrae, northern Thailand, indicated that many of the local farmers were unlikely to forsake the weed killers while an effective alternative is not currently available.

Thai PBS reports that the Phrae provincial governor Pongrat Piromrat says that the local government had been encouraging farmers to turn to organic farming. But he admitted the results had been limited because the organic produce is less popular among wholesalers and consumers and because the produce does not look as attractive or fetch the same prices as its non-organic counterparts.

The farmers say, because of their large farms and shortage of labour, they need to use the three herbicides and weed killers before and after cultivation to get large enough harvests to generate the incomes they need.

Organic farmer Mr. Ronnakiat Kamnoi, village headman of Tambon Mae Poong in Wang Chin district, said the government should use incentives to persuade farmers to stop using the toxic chemicals, and launch educational campaigns so farmers better understand the health and environmental risks from the chemicals and the merits of organic farming.

Starting in October this year, farmers who want to continue using the three chemicals must register with officials in their respective areas and undergo training on their proper use.

Retail sellers of the three chemicals are also required to register with authorities to obtain sale permits.

PHOTO: Thai PBS

Enthusiastic enforcement of the TM30 form is one thing. Backing down on modern new public buses in Bangkok is another. But now the Thai government have gone too far!

Officials in Chiang Mai have ordered the cancellation of a major sky lantern event, including a Guinness world record attempt, planned for the Loy Krathong festival in November, caving in to local conservation groups.

The event, which was jointly organised by the Chiang Mai Tourism Industry Council and the Office Huay Toeng Thao reservoir tourism promotion project, was to be held at Huay Toeng Thao in Mae Rim district of Chiang Mai.

More than 20,000 Chinese tourists are expected to join the event and the organisers had hoped to set Guinness world record for the largest number of sky lanterns to be floated in the air at a single event.

The event, however, was slammed by conservation groups, claiming that the release of sky lanterns is not a traditional Lanna custom and they can disrupt air travel, cause fires and result in garbage.

It is reported that Maj-Gen Suebsakul Buarawong, commander of the 33rd Army Circle, has ordered the cancellation of the event and, instead, has ordered the development of army-controlled areas to be tourist attractions as well as recreational spots.

The Thaiger wonders why the 33rd Army Circle is making civic decisions following the return to civilian rule, assuming the flying lanterns were not a military hazard.

A coordinator for the Rak Chiang Mai community network has praised the army’s decision to cancel the aerial display and world record attempt.

Watch how the yearly mass display of lanterns in Chiang Mai inspired a favourite Disney scene from ‘Tangled’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTCbBi7unkg