Showing 1 - 10 of 16
Hands off our parks!
Oped, Editorial, Published on 13/02/2024
» The latest attempt by the government to carve out 260,000 rai of Sor Por Kor land plots out of Thap Lan National Park has sparked concerns about the potential misuse of national resources to fulfil the administration's populist promise to hand out land to local villagers.
The hidden tale of a 3-legged tiger
Oped, Published on 17/02/2022
» Tigers are in the news again. First, rare camera-trap footage released last week showed a three-legged victim of poaching, a female tiger, hopping through the jungles of western Thailand, eating domestic animals (and possibly attacking people too). Days later: an undercover bust of traffickers with tiger skins in the same region. To keep hope alive for the critically endangered big cat, authorities must now act on two levels. First, they must rescue the amputee before she or poachers strike again. Second, they need to address the underlying causes of poaching before other tigers, animals and people suffer.
No will to stop encroachers
News, Editorial, Published on 29/07/2019
» Demolition orders recently issued by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) for 11 resorts, including the controversial 88 Garmonte which was found to have encroached on a national park, invite a sense of deja vu. These infringements have been an unsolved problem in Thap Lan National Park for almost 40 years.
Govt has solid record on wildlife
News, Published on 26/12/2018
» Today is Thailand's Wildlife Preservation Day. It marks the birth of the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act which came into effect on Dec 26, 1960. Survival of threatened wildlife in the country has long been dependent on this law.
'Panther' poaching the tip of iceberg
News, Published on 01/03/2018
» Recent events in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary have opened a wellspring of outrage and concern among the public about the fate of Thailand's wilderness heritage. The rare black Indochinese leopard (aka black panther) that was hunted has become emblematic of injustice and a call to action, especially among the younger generation. It has led to a fierce repudiation of some elites who see Thailand's remaining wilderness as a personal playground to exploit without regard for the law.
Give wildlife right of way
News, Editorial, Published on 05/01/2018
» Record numbers of visitors at Khao Yai National Park, especially during the New Year holidays, would not be a reason for concern if tourists had not increased the hazards for wild animals. The most pressing danger comes with personal car use which has resulted in crashes which have killed and injured many wild animals over the past decade.
Time to take road carnage seriously
News, Editorial, Published on 12/03/2017
» The picture of the wreckage of a double-decker bus that plunged into a ravine in Prachin Buri province, which appeared on several newspapers' front pages, must have broken the hearts of many readers. The doomed bus carried some 50 high school students and teachers from the northeastern province of Khon Kaen who were on a study trip to a royal development study centre in Tha Mai district of Chanthaburi. The trip was a reward for the students after completing their final exams.
It's a jungle out there for park officials
News, Saritdet Marukatat, Published on 01/12/2014
» Thap Lan National Park is a perfect "poster child" for the policy of the government and the National Council for Peace and Order to end land encroachment.
Compromised solution won't win the day against forest encroachers
News, Piyaporn Wongruang, Published on 09/06/2013
» This month marks the two-year anniversary of the start of an unprecedented crackdown on forest encroachment by large resort developments in Thap Lan National Park. But after a series of spectacular raids led by park chief Taywin Meesap, some of them involving hundreds of rangers in night-time operations, the forest take-back operation has languished. The chief reason for this is the retirement of Damrong Pidech last year as head of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department. Mr Damrong gave Mr Taywin his full backing.
Strong deeds needed from new forest chief
News, Piyaporn Wongruang, Published on 30/12/2012
» The Seub Nakhasathien Foundation paints a grim picture of the state of the country's forests with its 2012 report, which estimates that in the last 50 years Thailand has lost 50% of its forest cover. The report says forests now account for only about one-third of the country's total area, or about 171,000 square kilometres and there are now only five provinces that have a forest cover of more than 70%. No wonder the foundation's secretary-general, Sasin Chaloemlap, says, ''We cannot afford to lose more forest and forest encroachment cannot be allowed and tolerated any more.''