National park fees rise by 1,900 pc for foreigners

NAI YANG: In accordance with a nationwide price increase announced in August, the Royal Forestry Department (RFD) is to raise its entrance fee for Sirinath Marine National Park by 1,900% – for foreigners but not for Thais. The entrance fee for foreign adults is to rise from 10 baht to 200 baht a person, while the fee for children under 14 will rise from 5 baht to 100. Children under three will still be admitted for free. Chainarong Ruangthong, acting chief of Sirinath National Park, told the Gazette that the rates for Thais will remain at 10 baht for adults and 5 baht for children. “We used to charge the same fees to foreigners and Thais,” K. Chainarong said. “I think the RFD increased the fee only for foreigners because the value of the Thai baht has been depressed. “Anyway, other countries charge more for entrance to their national parks than Thailand does,” he added. K. Chainarong also observed that tourists coming to Thailand don’t care about the higher fees because they understand that national parks require money for cleaning and preserving the environment.