Despite their primary objective to preserve the natural resources of the country, the national parks under supervision of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department have in recent years been dealing with the challenge presented by the increased number of tourists, which peaked at around 18.7 million last year.(Read SPECIAL REPORT: Kaeng Krachan’s main priority: tourism or wildlife protection?)

In order to mitigate impacts from increased tourist visits, the department is experimenting with a new approach to tourism management and regulations based on “carrying capacity”.

If the project now being implemented at Mu Koh Similan National Park is successful, it is expected that the new management model would be introduced to other national parks nationwide, of which 40 out of 131 are said to be under pressure from increasing visitors.

“If we can do it here, we can do it elsewhere,” said Asst Professor Dachanee Emphandhu of the Forestry Faculty’s Department of Conservation at Kasetsart University, who is a key figure in the pilot project at Similan, one of the top three most popular marine parks which has so far seen nearly one million tourist visits in the first half of this year.

Peaceful Similan before tourists arrive this season, taken in October by the national park. Courtesy of Mu Koh Similan National Park.

The economic magnet

Tourism has long been seen as a key economic magnet for the country. According to the Tourism Department, the sector contributed Bt2.9 trillion last year, and another Bt3.3 trillion or so was expected this year, from an estimated 30-plus million tourists.

The now-defunct National Reform Council had placed importance on the sector, addressing it as the first reform agenda before it was wound up a few years ago. The body’s sub-economic committee, which submitted its study on tourism agenda to the Cabinet to endorse in mid-2015, said tourism was one of the country’s key economic drivers with average annual growth of 12 per cent from 2009-2014 when the data was available.

In 2013, Thailand ranked 10th in the world for the number of foreign visitors, with the second-highest inflows in Asia Pacific at 26.5 million. It generated income for the country at about Bt1.17 trillion, or 10 per cent of the nation’s GDP. Combined with Thai visitors, the GDP contribution reached 14 per cent, according to the committee.

During the same period, the country saw the number of visitors at iconic national parks soaring, from 11 million in 2013 to 18.7 million last year, with foreign tourists accounting for almost one-third, around six million visits.

Despite its popularity, the country’s tourism competitiveness has remained relatively low.

As noted by the committee, it was ranked 35th out of 141 countries by the World Economic Forum in 2015, and slightly shifted to 34th last year.

Environmental sustainability remains a crucial factor dragging down its rank, falling from 116th in 2015 to 122nd last year, with intensive environmental damage and threats to plant and wildlife species underlined as the prime drags on the country’s rank. Yet Thailand’s natural resources potential was ranked high at 16th in 2015.

“The low rank in the category of environmental sustainability in regard to tourism reflected our environmental degradation problem following tourism, and this needed to be fixed urgently,” the committee noted in its study.

It came to the conclusion that structural problems were dogging the tourism sector, due to the lack of a clear vision and strategy for quality tourism and the disintegration of tourism management structures.

The ineffectiveness of tourism management at tourism attractions, particularly in protected areas, was highlighted, along with a further five problems including tourist safety and a lack of logistics and facilities.

The committee noted that the ineffective management of tourism attractions was largely due to the lack of planning and regulation, and the failure to rehabilitate those places.

And no less important was the failure to calculate the “carrying capacity” and regulations to implement curbs on tourism activities in protected areas. The result, the committee noted, was that the environment and natural resources were adversely degraded in multiple locations.

For example, Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai province saw crowds of up to 80,000 for the 2015 New Year, far exceeding its 2,500 capacity and overnight space for 800.

Quoting the Tourism Department, the committee further noted that up to 138 tourism attractions had since the late 2000s been identified as heavily degraded and in need of urgent rehabilitation, 50 of which were natural attractions.

The five most popular national parks, including Doi Inthanon and Khao Yai, were reported to have received up to 30 per cent of the overall visitors, according to the committee as it cited DNP statistics.

The number of visitors in marine parks, it further said, could in reality far exceed the number being reported to the department. Similan in 2013 was reported to have received only around 99,000 visitors, or around 550 per day during the six-month high season, a low figure that the committee found unconvincing.

The committee specifically proposed that tourism be reformed in protected areas. Among its proposals were to apply the “carrying capacity” approach to regulate and control both the number and activities of visitors. The proposals, unfortunately, were not specifically addressed in the reform agendas under the new reform law.

Newly emerging natural attractions like this, Phu Chi Fah in Chiang Rai, are being promoted to help distribute crowded visitors.

Carrying capacity

“Carrying capacity” has long been a buzzword among conservationists, but got little serious attention until the department came to realise the growing impacts from tourism in its marine parks around the early 2000s, according to Dachanee, who helped to initiate the national park’s study on the concept.

A mid-2000s study of some key national parks, including Similan, showed the department that tourism activities far exceeded the carrying capacity of the places due to the high number of visitors.

The department then decided to come up with a development plan to introduce carrying capacity to its national parks in an attempt to curb tourism impacts.

Its Innovation Institute defined the carrying capacity of national parks as the maximum amount of tourism activities that a national park could sustain without causing unacceptable impacts. That is, the maximum number of visitors it should allow into a compound.

Critical factors involved in determining capacities include ecosystems, the environmental quality, physical facilities, as well as psychology. The lowest figure, which tends to be the ecological carrying capacity, would be picked as the park’s official number.

For example, a park could identify multiple carrying capacities (CC), such as physical-facility carrying capacity, ecological carrying capacity, environmental quality, tourism, psychological and so on, and their capacity to receive visitors could differ from 200 to 500 people. When the ecological carrying capacity was lowest, it was picked as the official figure.

Based on the study, the department came up with the CC figures for at least seven parks, including Similan, which stood at 1,600 people per day. However, these figures have not led to any further regulation and controls desired by the department, due to various factors including the lack of policy and serious enforcement, Dachanee says.

Then a new team of executives, including the department’s Innovation Institute’s former director Songtham Suksawang entered the department’s National Parks Office in 2016, along with the new director-general Thanya Netithammakul.

Under their direction, Dachanee says, the department has managed to hold up its position against pressures and is ready to take action. Carrying capacities had been discussed in the past few years before being selected for a pilot project early this year.

Camping style at Kaeng Krachan National Park. Courtesy of Kaeng Krachan National Park.

Shaping outcomes

In addition to the carrying capacity being emphasised in a new directive, Dachanee says the concept of “tourism management in national parks under CC” could potentially lead to the necessary measures to help shape and regulate appropriate tourism.

At Similan, for example, CC has been reintroduced, and the department has gone on to issue an order to enforce it while also developing and introducing management practices such as advanced e-ticketing, GPS boat regulations, visitor quotas and deductions, along with other policies to help regulate tourism.

If it works and a new system is set, the result could be a new tourism management model for national parks in the next three years, she said.

“I have started to see some hope and the chance for a turn to more sustainable tourism in our national parks. Our parks have the primary goal of preserving natural resources and the (recreational) uses of it come second. That’s the principle in our parks management, and as such tourism in national parks and any developments in regard to it, should not in any way cause impacts to the fragile ecosystems,” said Dachanee.

Petch Manopawitr, a former deputy director and Thailand programme coordinator of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Southeast Asia, said it’s the right trend that people visit national parks so that they can learn and develop their appreciation for nature. In some foreign countries, a decline of visitors in national parks becomes an issue, he cited.

As people love to visit national parks in the country, such the trend should be sustained. It just needs to be managed so that it would not cause impacts to the places, Petch said.

Petch agrees with Dachanee that national parks in the country are lacking in proper tourism management. That’s partly due to the lack of policy and enforcement despite the full authority given under the law, he said. In addition, necessary information to help educate the crowd hardly reaches visitors as supposed to help change their behaviors.

As some good examples of tourism management in the right direction now taking place, including at Similan, Petch said it’s the time to systematise the approach. He points to the previous example of the Smart Patrol conservation system that is widely used in parks.

Petch said tourism in national parks also has a high potential to be a tool to help support conservation work if people have learned more about nature and can have a supporting role in conservation in the areas, such as volunteering.

This just needs space to be opened to them, he said, citing an example from the world’s famed Yellowstone National Park in the United States, where park friends groups are encouraged.

In addition, it can also be participatory, like that happens already in some areas such as Kui Buri next to Kaeng Krachan.

“Tourism is not a problem, but management is. Mass tourism can be smart in our national parks if we properly manage it, and sustainable tourism can be nurtured and grown here in the long run. It just needs a little more of work to build a system to support the work, and it’s the time,” said Petch.

Thailand and Taiwan will likely become the first countries in Asia to legalise same-sex unions, with both now in the process of amending legislation to that effect. According to the Thai Justice Ministry’s Rights and Liberties Protection Department, more than 97 per cent of respondents in a November 5-20 online poll voiced their support for a new civil-partnership bill that would protect some rights of the LGBT community and other groups.

A woman takes part in a rally in support of same-sex marriage near the Presidential Office in Taipei on November 18, 2018, ahead of a landmark vote on LGBT rights on November 24.  AFP PHOTO

Taiwan, meanwhile, will conduct a referendum today on same-sex marriage after its Constitutional Court ruled in May last year that same-sex couples had the right to marry legally. It gave the government two years to enact legislation.

In Thailand, Kerdchoke Kasamwongjit, deputy director-general of the Rights and Liberties Protection Department, said the government conducted a series of public hearings in Bangkok and other provinces on the civil-partnership bill earlier this month. The department also organised the online opinion survey covering 3,055 respondents, of which 97.9 per cent supported the civil-partnership bill. Of the supporters, 60.3 per cent identified as LGBT, 20.9 per cent were women and 18.9 per cent were men.

Despite some opposition from rights groups, Kerdchoke said, the bill warranted more support as the first legislation to specifically protect the rights and liberties of the LBGT community. However, he admitted there were shortcomings in the draft legislation, since it would protect only the property and inheritance rights and some other rights of same-sex couples, but not their rights to public welfare, tax benefits or child adoption.

Vitaya Saeng-Aroon, director for foreign affairs at the Bangkok Rainbow Organisation, said the bill should be enacted despite shortcomings, which could be addressed in the future via legal amendments. If approved by the Cabinet and enacted by the National Legislative Assembly, the bill would represent a landmark in legally sanctioning same-sex partnerships for the first time in Thailand.

Participants walk with a rainbow banner past the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall during a gay pride parade in Taipei on October 27, 2018. AFP PHOTO

Thailand would become the first Southeast Asian country to do so. Kath Krangpiboon, a Thammasat University lecturer who won a court ruling in favour of transgender employment, said the LBGT community was quite worried about discrimination in the workforce. She said transgender people often found it difficult to secure jobs in the public and private sectors due to discriminatory attitudes.

Earlier this year, transgender Kath successfully sued Thammasat University in the Central Administrative Court for rejecting her application for a lecturer’s post. But the legislation was still essential, she said, and the next government should propose it and amend the Civil and Commercial Code granting same-sex couples the same rights enjoyed by married heterosexual couples.

Asked why the current government was moving quickly on the bill ahead of the coming election, Kath said she didn’t know, but noted that few citizens were even aware of the proposed legislation in any detail. The civil-partnership bill has more than 60 articles and grants fewer rights and liberties to same-sex couples than the existing Civil and Commercial Code, she said.

It would be preferable if, instead, the code were amended to redefine “married couple”, negating the need for a separate bill, she said. About 8 per cent of the population – some five million citizens – are believed to be members of the LGBT community or a sub-group.

Kerdchoke explained that Thailand started moving towards legal same-sex partnerships several years ago. He hoped the new bill would be the first legislation to protect the rights of LGBT citizens.

Vitaya said the bill was in its third draft and was drawing a mixed response in around the country, with opposition especially found in the predominantly Muslim southernmost provinces.

The bill is expected to go to Cabinet for approval later this month, after which it would be forwarded to the Council of State and the National Legislative Assembly (NLA).

Vitaya believed the bill would likely face opposition in the NLA if new articles are added at this stage to provide wider protection. Based on the current draft, same-sex couples would only benefit from legal protection in financial matters and would enjoy some protection in healthcare matters.

However, since it is landmark legislation, the immediate benefit going to the LGBT and related groups would be legal and wider recognition in society, from family members as well as employers, Vitaya said.

“It’s about better human rights, economic wellbeing, career advancement opportunities and diversity,” he said.

Kerdchoke agreed that there could be further amendments in the near future, especially via changes to the Civil and Commercial Code, to expand the protections of right.

THAILAND is moving closer to getting medical marijuana legalised, as the bill on the issue has already made headway in the legislative process.

On Friday, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) approved the bill with 145 votes allowing marijuana to be used for medical and research purposes. Nobody attending the NLA session objected to the bill, and only one legislator abstained.

The NLA’s Somchai Swangkarn said a vetting committee on the bill has also been established.

“We believe the NLA will take 60 days to deliberate this draft,” he said.

Over the period, he also expects relevant authorities to sort out cannabis-related patent issues after several civic organisations expressed concerns that all patent applications submitted to the Intellectual Property Department came from foreigners. If this is true, then once medical marijuana is legalised, foreign firms may monopolise the market.

“Government agencies should find ways to ensure that foreigners will not keep Thais away from the benefits of marijuana and kratom [Mitragyna speciosa],” Somchai said.

NLA member Kitti Wasinondh hopes the assembly’s deliberation will ensure that the new law for medical marijuana can facilitate research in both public and private sectors.

“Even the government should not be allowed to monopolise the benefits of marijuana,” he emphasised.

Research has suggested that cannabinoids can be useful in the treatment of Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer and more. With the prospect of marijuana being legalised for research and medical purposes, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) and some government agencies have, in fact, already launched a study in preparation for the development of marijuana-based medicines.

The police handed over 100 kilos of confiscated marijuana to the GPO last month for the use of research.

However, the marijuana taken from drug rings is unfit for medical use as traces of pesticides, and heavy metals showed up in lab tests conducted by the Medical Science Department (MSD).

All three samples of marijuana from the confiscated lot contained insecticides – namely chlorpyrifos, and cypermethrin – as well as traces of lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium. In fact, one sample had both insecticides, as well as arsenic and mercury.

MSD was told to conduct tests as GPO is looking into the possibility of using cannabis to develop sublingual drops for patients.

Opas Karnkawipong, MSD director-general, said on Friday the seized marijuana could not be developed into medication because it contained chlorpyrifos, a chemical farmers use to deal with pests.

Exposure to chlorpyrifos can affect the nervous system, causing nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and even respiratory failure, he explained.

The GPO, meanwhile, has come up with two measures. They will seek more cannabis from the police Narcotics Suppression Bureau for lab tests, as well as prepare planting cannabis at an indoor growing area in GPO’s building in Rangsit Klong 10.

“Cannabis plants, especially female ones, contain a lot of useful cannabinoids, but they attract lots of insects, so farmers rely on pesticides.

“However, if we want to grow it for medical use, we must not use these chemicals,” said Nuntakan Suwanpidokkul, director of GPO’s Research and Development Institute.

Nuntikan also promised that by May next year, GPO would have “something tangible”.

Many also believe their bad luck will also flow away with their “krathong”, and in order for this to happen, they leave a few coins or their fingernails in the float. The festival is celebrated in different ways in different corners of the Kingdom. For instance, in the North people release candlelit lanterns in the air, while in Tak province, locals release their krathong together, so they all flow in one long line down the river or canals. This day is also marked in neighbouring countries, such as Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia

The film, called “The Cave, Nang Non”, captures the tense international efforts to rescue the 13 members of the team, that gripped the world’s attention for days.

The youngsters were praised for their bravery throughout their ordeal and rescuers were lauded for their successful life-threatening efforts to reach them.

Thai former marine Saman Kunan lost his life during the mission.

Waller told foreign media recently: “We want to tell the story of those brave people who selflessly risked their lives to save the boys and their coach. To do it right we need to be as accurate as possible and that is why we are enlisting the help of the real life heroes like Jim [Warny] and bringing him to Shannon Airport to retell his story.”

The film’s Facebook page shows a photo of Thai veteran actor, Nirut Sirijanya, sitting on a chair with the cave in the background.

Nirut is believed to play then Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osottanakorn, who commanded the successful rescue operations.

Filming is to take place in Ireland and Thailand until the end of December and the film is expected to be released next year.

Waller was a producer of independent feature films, with Butterfly Man (2002), Ghost of Mae Nak (2005), The Elephant King (2006) amongst the titles produced through his production company De Warrenne Pictures.

In 2008, he produced Thomas Clay’s Soi Cowboy (2008) which was selected for the Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard.

In 2006, Waller was hired by Sony BMG Thailand to direct the El Nin-YO! music video for Thai-American pop princess Tata Young. Both the song and MV went straight to No.1 on Channel V and MTV charts.

After producing assignments in Thailand on foreign films Bitter/Sweet (2009), Creation (2009) and the The Prince & Me: The Elephant Adventure (2010), Waller decided to return to his passion for directing with Sop-mai-ngeap (2011), his Thai language cinematic directorial debut. The film was nominated for five Thailand National Film Association awards including Best Picture and Best Director.

In addition to directing again, he served as a producer on the English language debut of celebrated Thai director Prachya Pinkaew (Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior (2003)) with the Hollywood action thriller Elephant White (2011) starring two-time Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou and Golden Globe winner Kevin Bacon.

Most recently, he produced and directed Petchakat (2014), a biopic on Thailand’s last prison executioner, which won the prestigious “Tukkata Tong” or Golden Doll awards for Best Picture and Best Screenplay, given by the Thai Entertainment Reporters Association. He also served as line producer for the action sequel Mechanic: Resurrection (2016), starring Jason Statham, Jessica Alba and Tommy Lee Jones, released by Summit Entertainment in 2016.

Wichien Chinnawong, who is famous in Thailand for arresting well-known billionaire Premchai Karnasuta for alleged poaching at a wildlife sanctuary early this year, has received a special commendation from the United Nations, USAID, Interpol, and the Freeland Foundation.

The organisations have honoured nine institutions and individuals across Asia this week for outstanding work in preventing transboundary environmental crime at an annual award ceremony in Bangkok.

The recipients of the honour came from Thailand, China, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Nepal and Vietnam.

Wichien is the only Thai individual to be honoured.

“While the trial will determine the exact responsibilities of the alleged poachers, the determination and the integrity of Wichien and his team remain indisputable facts,” the award granter said earlier this week.

In February 2018, Wichien and his team found Premchai’s group in an unauthorised zone of Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary. Further checks found that there were weapons and animal carcasses, including that of a black leopard, near the group’s camp.

The case made headlines because Premchai ranks among the richest men in Thailand and controls one of the country’s biggest construction firms.

Wichien’s team did not show any sign of intimidation when they found out who Premchai was. Instead, the team carried out their duties as enforcers of the law.

Premchai is facing several charges related to the case.

Environmental crimes – which include illegal trade in wildlife, illicit trade in forests and forestry products, illegal dumping of waste including chemicals, smuggling of ozone depleting substances and illegal mining – are estimated to cost up to $258 billion (Bt8.5 trillion) per year. It is the fourth largest illegal crime after drug smuggling, counterfeiting and human trafficking.

The other winner from Thailand is a team from the Customs Department that adopted innovative risk profiling techniques to identify wildlife smugglers travelling to Thailand and Southeast Asia.

He also told officials to check for any other negative impacts.

The fire at Thai Development Industrial Paper Co Ltd factory in Tambon Thay Ban in Muang district started at 8pm on Wednesday. Chatchai quoted the factory owner as saying the damages might be worth at least Bt100 million, covering the stock of 10 million kilograms of paper, which is sold at Bt6 per kilo, machines and the building itself.

Staff said the fire began when a worker, who was fixing the metal roof, allowed sparks to fall on the rolls  paper below.

Tambon Tai Ban Health Promotion Hospital acting director Salinda Khieopan said health volunteers were dispatched to check if any resident within a one-kilometre radius had developed respiratory or skin issues, while Samut Prakan Hospital has been told to be ready for patients.

So far, nobody has been found to be suffering from adverse health impacts from the fire, she said, adding that people have only complained about dust and ash falling on their homes.

Chatchai said that as of yesterday afternoon, 70 per cent of the fire was under control, though the area on the bank of Chao Phraya River was difficult to contain as winds keep fanning the flames.

As of press time, firefighters were trying to douse smouldering piles of paper and were hoping to put the fire out completely by the end of the day.

Initially, some 100 fire-engines were dispatched to the site, but they had to call for another 50 after the flames began spreading fast. By 4.30am yesterday the fire had swept through three warehouses at the factory.

Firefighter Kittipong Sakulsas, 30, said there were several layers of paper rolls and when they extinguished one layer, another layer was rekindled. Also the factory was too far from a source of water and fire-engines had to take turns fetching water.