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The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has announced that national park entrance fees for foreigners have been reduced to 200 baht per adult and 100 per child for the most popular national parks. The smaller, less popular national parks have had their entrance fees cut even further, in some cases to 100 baht. These changes were effective from 1st December 2007.

The fee reductions come in an attempt to promote tourism after the department received numerous complaints from foreign visitors about the high price of entering the national parks compared to the rather poor facilities. However, fees at Ko Similan and Ko Surin marine national parks will remain at 400 baht and 200 baht for adults and children respectively. Considering the good facilities at both of these, this would seem fair.

I received this new from Dave Milne yesterday (19th November 2006) about entrance fees at four different locations proving that the 400 baht entrance fee is in operation and making it appear as if the postponement in the rise is only applicable to tour companies. These four locations were visited in the week 13th-19th November 2006.

"Khao Pra Wihan (on the Cambodian border, near Si Sa Ket province) - 605 baht, comprising 400 baht entrance, 5 baht to walk along the road (everyone had to pay this and anywhere else had mine warning signs), 200 baht to get to the top of the hill. Total rip off ; the temple isn't that good really, and the view is fairly hazy. Pretty well the whole place is a market, so you are constantly annoyed by sellers, small children begging or being tourist "guides" (we saw Japanese tourists being held hostage by adults until they paid each child 100 baht at the end. I told the children to go back to school so escaped this extortion. The market ruins any decent photos.

Mukdahan National Park - 400 baht. Again, not worth it as it is a very small park with a waterfall that is almost dry outside the rainy season. View is ok, but hazy.

Sarika Waterfall (Part of Khao Yai National Park) - 400 baht. Didn't pay it. There is another waterfall about 5 km away which only charges 30 baht for foreigners and about 10 baht for Thais. Went there instead, very nice.

Pattaya Floral Gardens - 400 baht. Didn't pay it - we only went there as it had a coffee shop but they lost our business due to the entrance fees."

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will postpone its scheduled doubling of entry fees at all national parks, scheduled to take effect from September 15, by more than a year, Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) Deputy Chairman Sarayuth Mallam revealed.

Speaking by telephone from Bangkok, K. Sarayuth explained that Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat has agreed to postpone the fee hike, from 200 baht to 400 baht for foreigners, but added that it will now come into effect November 30 next year (2007).

I have read elsewhere that this postponement was only for tour companies that would suffer from loss of business due to the increase. This extract from an article on EnviroSEA.com implies that the postponement may not apply to visitors making their own way to the parks.

"In response to the tourism operators petition, the Department of Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation has now issued a new relaxed announcement, signed by its Director General Damrong Pidet, on August 23rd 2006. It stated that to ease the operators’ burdens, the department will postpone the new admission regulation and continue to apply the existing rules until November 30th 2007. It asks the tourism operators to submit their requests, if they want to stay under the old fee rules, to the national park division by September 30th."

The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has announced new entrance fees to National Parks throughout Thailand to take effect from 15 September 2006. Fees are reported to be rising to 40 baht for adults and 20 baht for children, but the price hikes for foreigners are much higher - 400 baht and 200 baht respectively. The price for scuba diving is 200 baht per day.

Basically, this equates to a doubling of prices for all, with the National Parks Department citing rising maintenance costs, security and the need for improved public facilities. It is difficult, however, to be anything other than cynical about where the extra revenue will go, with habitat destruction, the construction of unrequired offices and accommodation, road building and corruption far more likely to be the result of this financial boost.

Foreigners who have work permits or Thai driving licenses are able to enter National Parks for the same rate as Thais, although in some places this can only be acheived by extensive negotiations in Thai. This will be neccessary for those foreigners working in Thailand on low incomes.