TAT to develop Phang Nga eco-tourism

PHANG NGA: The local office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will expand eco-tourism in Phang Nga with a trekking and river-boating tour from Khao Ya National Park to Ratchaprapa Dam in Khao Sok National Park. Napasorn Kakai, Deputy Director of the local TAT office, made the announcement on Tuesday after returning from a meeting in Kuraburi district, Phang Nga, with Senator Jermsak Pintong, Phang Nga residents and rangers from the two national parks. The tour will involve groups of up to 15 people, led by national park officers, trekking through Khao Ya National Park, where they will spend the night. The following morning, the groups will continue 20 kilometers downriver by boat, a 40-minute journey, ending the tour at Ratchaprapa Dam. “For this project, eco-tourism experts and people experienced in eco-tourism from Phuket, Phang Nga and Surat Thani provinces will provide advice about tourists’ safety and how to preserve forest areas,” she said, adding that the tours will not start until such advice is received. K. Napasorn said that the move is aimed at expanding Phang Nga’s eco-tourism attractions of trekking and whitewater rafting, which generate about 60 million baht a year. “Having new forms of tourism will be good for tourists who like to travel at different times throughout the year,” she said.