Govt to mull park fee cut

The government has agreed to consider a call by tourism business operators in three southern provinces to lower entrance fees for foreigners to a popular marine park in Krabi.

Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the Protected Area Committee (PAC) will meet on Monday to discuss the possibility of slashing fees to Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi’s Muang district by 50%.

He said the PAC will forward its decision to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) for review. The issue should be finalised within 20 days.

Currently, foreign adult tourists are required to pay 400 baht per head and foreign children 200 baht per head. The tourism operators in Krabi, Phuket and Phangnga claim the current rate is too high and is driving foreign tourists away.

The DNP earlier this week rejected the call to slash admission fees to the park, saying the rate was appropriate as it was calculated to cover management and maintenance costs.

The demand came to media attention after some 500 tourism business operators in the three Andaman provinces rallied outside the head office of the park to demand the cut in entrance fees for foreign tourists.

Lt Gen Sansern yesterday questioned the tourism sector’s claim that a drop in tourist arrivals was due to high entrance fees, saying the DNP’s records showed the opposite.

During October 2015-March 2016, about 374,000 tourists visited the marine park; that number rose by 24%, to 464,667, during October last year to January this year.

The DNP’s revenue collection from admission fees increased during 2014-2016 from 24 million baht to 84.9 million baht and to 561.1 million baht respectively.