JTBF Mission to Thailand 2009 (2/23-2/27)

Study Tour to Khao-yai National Park

Yukio Katono (Chief of Long Stay Committee, JTBF)

  "Amazing THAILAND" is a catch-phrase of Thai tourism in past several years. In addition, last year, they started to put emphasis on "Visit I-san Year 2008－2010" or "AMAZING I-SAN".

  I-san, East-Northern Thailand consisting of 19 provinces, occupies 33% of country land space and 34% of country population. On the other hand, they are mostly farmers and income per capita is 1/8 of that of Bangkok. Khao-yai National Park, the first National Park of Thailand and enlisted to World Natural Heritage in 2005, together with a number of Khmer monuments, is drawing an attention from inside and outside of Thailand.

  In JTBF mission to Thailand for this year, we planned a study tour to Khao-yai National Park and Phimai Historical Park, so called Thai Anchor Wat, to find new attractive features of I-san. The tour was recommended and supported Tourism by Authority of Thailand (TAT).

  8 members joined (6 men and 2 spouses). February 26th (Thursday) to 28th (Friday)

February 26th (Thursday) Bangkok to Khao-yai National Park

  7：20　Departed from Imperial Queens Park hotel on a 40 seats bus.

  8：15　Arrived at Forestry Research Center of Kasetsart University. Mr. Surachet Chettamari gave us a lecture. He was 60 years old and he said that, 42 years ago, he used to be staying in Tokyo and Aomori prefecture for 6 months.

  "Since 20 years ago, Thailand has had intended to protect natural resources. Khao-yai forestry land spreads over several provinces and various kinds of plants grow, various kinds of animals live in. In 320 spots, you can enjoy watching animals and birds. In 1962, it was nominated as the first national park. In 2005, it was enlisted to World Natural Heritage. About a million tourists visit every year. You will find valuable fragrant trees, various evergreen trees, elephants, tigers, bears, cows, deer, various species of monkeys, snakes, crocodiles, 400 species of birds and so on. You will also enjoy water-falls, water reserves and other sceneries. 2 days trip is recommended normally."

  9：15　Departed from the university. After taking a break at Saraburi, arrived at the entrance of National Park just before 12 o'clock.

  11：55 We rode on 2 busses, as separated in 2 groups. Each bus was attended by a male guide. As we rode into the park looking around the scenery, we felt it a comfortable drive, even though outside temperature was high at 32 degree. In the near future, the bus may have to be replaced by the electric car in consideration of environment protection.

  12：20　Arrived at Visitor Center
We looked around display panels, stuffed animals, guns for capturing animals, etc. They say the park is the natural habitat of 110 species of mammals (incl. 200 wild elephants), 200 species of amphibians and reptiles, 400 species of Aves and also rare animals such as white-handed gibbon, Malayan porcupine, slow loris, etc. World largest great-hornbill lives in this park only.

  12：50 Took a lunch in a neighboring restaurant.　Even though the guide told to us that we could not expect tasty foods in the restaurant, we took 5 kinds of dishes in preparation for the next trekking tour. Before starting for the trekking, we were told to wear leg covers for leech protection and that the tour course was 90 minutes walking. Hearing that, 2 retired before the start. Then, 6 members joined the trekking tour.

  13：50　6 members (5 men, 1 woman) were accompanied by 2 guides, one in front another in the last. Soon after 5 minutes, we found feces of elephants, eventually 10 times during the tour. In the beginning, we enjoyed the tour, observing lizards and grasshoppers or listening to the guide explaining about wisteria trees. As we went on the trekking path, 40 to 80 cm narrow, going up and down, going under fallen trees several times, we became silent one by one. It was different from scenery trekking courses of New Zealand or Switzerland. Just walking and watching foot steps did not give us a feeling of exhilaration. But, here and there, we were comforted by sounds of water-falls, chirring of cicadas or croaking of frogs. Unfortunately, it started to rain toward the end of trekking. The rain grew harder, finally dominated by thunders.

  15：15　In the rain, we arrived at the parking space in front of a waterfall, the final goal.
It took 85 minutes, not so bad for the group of 70 years of average age. We did not spend much time for viewing the water-fall because of the rain. Then, the bus turned out to be a shelter as well as a place of changing wet wares.

  15：35　Our 2 busses departed for the hotel.

  16：30　Arrived at Sak Phu Duen Hotel ＆ Resort.

February 27th (Friday)　Morning at Khao-yai National Park

  In the morning, I watched peacocks walking around the hotel. While I was taking a walk, I met few persons. The air was cool and fresh, made me smell good. It was what you could not expect in Bangkok. Slightly foggy scenery was fantastic. Watched a garden, where peacocks and some tens of rabbits were bred. It was certainly a place that you could hardly enjoy every thing in one day.

Observations and Proposals

  10 years ago, I visited Khao-yai National Park several times. On visiting again this time, it looked same as before and the natural beauty remained unchanged. When I visited the last time, attractive features were walking around waterfalls and animal watching in the night. All of them made me feel interesting and exciting. On the other hand, the trekking tour of this time was not so enjoyable. If the course was equipped with easier-to-walk paths, more kind signing or guiding boards, places for taking a break and spots for scenery view, a trekking could be more comfortable and could be enjoyed without help of guides. Of course, you have to think of restrictions associated with National Park or World Heritage, but, in the meantime, you may have something to learn from "Shiretoko" in Hokkaido Japan. Shiretoko was enlisted to World heritage in 2005, in the same year with Khao-yai. In Shiretoko, they enhanced a guide center in coping with an increase of tourists, Eye-catching "five lakes" are surrounded by easy-to-walk paths with several spots of taking a break and enjoying sceneries.

  Never the less, an access to Khao-yai was much improved. Production of high class wine (Khao-yai Reserve) was, no question, a new feature of Khao-yai.