Visitors to national parks who get drunk, make noise and cause disturbances will be thrown out, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has warned.
"We will no longer be patient with visitors who create disturbances for others, especially those who get drunk. We will immediately tell them to leave the park if they don't stop their behaviour," said Thanya Nethithammakul, the department chief.
"People come to parks looking for tranquility, not loud noise."
As the holiday season approaches, the department, which oversees national parks across the country, is preparing to deal with an influx of visitors. Last year, 12.9 million holiday-makers visited national parks, generating revenue worth 2.4 billion baht.
The department faces the challenge of how to achieve a balance between making money and protecting the ecology of national parks.
In many parks, wildlife has been disturbed by holiday-makers who feed animals with processed foods. Cars have run over monkeys and provoked elephants in Khao Yai National Park.
Visitors complain of revellers' noisy and raucous behaviour such as singing and drinking, according to the department.
Littering and the accumulation of rubbish is also a major problem.
National Park Office director Songtham Suksawang said the department is now seeking cooperation from visitors to not leave any rubbish inside parks through campaigns such as "Take Trash Home" and "No Plastic Bags and Foam."
