Hiking entry fees won't help tourism

The entry charge for Thai nationals remains Bt40 for adults and Bt20 for children. Fewer than 100 foreigners visited last year, earning the park a negligible Bt20,000. 

First and foremost, as a foreigner living in Thailand, I pay 35 per cent tax on my salary and hold a residence permit, yet I am still considered a farang, officially in the same category as a foreign tourist. This is not about the money: I consider myself a generous person and would be willing to donate 10 times the park’s entry fee to the right cause. This is about being treated unfairly. 

And if the authorities want to promote tourism, the entry fee hike seems a very strange move.

For the past 33 years in Thailand, I have witnessed the environment decline. The dumping of garbage in parks and on beaches has gone unchecked. Why not bring in heavy fines for anyone who throws away foam boxes, bottles, plastic bags, etc? The benefits would be a cleaner environment and annual revenue far greater than the Bt20,000 earned from foreign visitors to Phu Hin Rong Kla last year.

Let’s focus on the environment and what else can be done to promote tourism in this beautiful country.

Linus AE Knobel