The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation is waiving entrance fees to all national parks, botanical gardens, wildlife sanctuaries and conservation sites across Thailand on Monday to mark Family Day, which falls on April 14 each year.
The move, says DNP director-general Attapol Charoenshunsa, is a part of the department's effort to encourage more people to visit the country's lesser-known national parks.
With the holiday season in full swing, popular national parks such as Khao Yai and Koh Phi Phi are crowded with tourists from all over the world. As such, he said, visitors should consider visiting other parks which offer equally stunning landscapes but are not as well known among tourists.
These parks include Sri Lanna in Chiang Mai, Sri Nan in Nan, which are popular for stargazing; Mae Wong in Kamphaeng Phet, which is home to many rare animals; Phanom Dong Rak in Ubon Ratchathani, which offers stunning mountain vistas and Phu Wiang in Khon Kaen for its fossil collection.
In the South, Laem Son in Ranong is known for its mangrove forests, while Khao Lak-Lam Ru in Phangnga is known for its scenic hiking trails. In the East, Tab Lan in Prachin Buri features lush rainforest and waterfalls. In Ta Phraya in Sa Kaeo, tourists can enjoy landscapes similar to Khao Yai, but with fewer visitors.
To ensure tourists' safety during the Songkran festival, DNP has set up seven tourist assistance centres nationwide, with emergency responders on standby 24/7, he said.
DNP also offers an affordable travel insurance plan -- 10 baht for Thais, 40 baht for foreigners -- which covers accidents inside national parks for seven days, he added.
Mr Attapol said 76,774 people visited national parks across the country on Saturday, the first day of the Songkran holiday, bringing in 6.6 million baht in revenue.
The top three most visited parks are Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima (7,540 visitors), Nopparat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi in Phuket (5,556) and Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet in Rayong (3,148).
