#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  > Thailands National Parks >  >  Khao Yai destruction..

## Nawty

Some may have seen the newspaper stories recently on the destruction of the Thanarat road which leads from Highway 2 at Pak Chong, to the National Park entry gates some 23km away.

Bruce Kekule also makes mention of it in his thread here on KY... https://teakdoor.com/thailands-nation...onal-park.html (Khao Yai National Park)

They marked all the trees along the first 12k's or so with white paint some time ago for removal, we guessed it was to widen the road.....they did. 

They entered a few months later and cut down some wonderful huge old trees along this road.

The sad thing is that as I drive this road in its entire length twice a day, it has never had the amount of traffic on it that warrants a 4 lane super highway.

This project was simply to use up possible excessive funds and line a few peoples pockets at the same time.

Some 20 trees were approved by the department for removal.....it is reported in the paper that 130 large trees were removed.

I can state that this number is totally incorrect and that thousands of trees were cut down of all sizes.

The rather sad fact is that this road had trees overhanging it and was a very nice drive from the horrible highway 2, into the park. It was a prelude of what was to come, it put you in the mood for bigger and better in the park.

Now, the first 10k's are a desolate and hot, bright contrast to what it was.....some pics below.

Here is what the road used to look like....



Here is what it looks like now...




Some enterprising greenies have come along at night time and planted trees right up to the road again....more and more are being added each night it seems...



Last weekend this guy was mounting a quite protest in the middle of the road...



My kids joined in for a little bit and we bought them some water and gave it to them...

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## SEA Traveler

> My kids joined in for a little bit and we bought them some water and gave it to them...


And in their Tae Kwan Do outfits to scare off any BIB if they show up.  Thanks for the pics and insight NAwty.

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## Butterfly

yes a tragedy, that said, in most of Europe, trees along busy roads have been removed as a security measure, they can make small accidents fatal

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## Perota

My guess is they will extend the new road all the way to the 304, a lot of very nice properties all the way, and a couple of good restaurants too.

Any sign of road work in this direction ?

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## Nawty

No, well yes and no.

PM has already ordered a stop to all the works and cancelled any future plans for extensions.

Having said that, any future guv could rehash them.

But I would hope the conservation groups will then pop up big time again and quicker this time.

There is widening on the road from mauk Lek to KY being done, but only small stuff.

None on the back road past Kirrimiya.

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## Nawty

Can anybody get an alternate email address from this site....I have been trying to email several times, but always declined.

http://www.khaoyai.org/engversion/eng_home.html

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## Norton

Your link has a "mail us" button.  When I clicked on it brought up my email program (Yahoo) with this address. 

evergreen[at]khaoyai.org

 Didn't try to send but you might try this email address.

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## Smithson

Yeah, I read about the halt on the road work, a bit late though. I think a big part of the attraction was being able to sell the trees. The road threatens KY's world heritage listing, which I think is why Abhisit put a stop to it. Apparently it was a similair situation with the road they build through the park - lots of free timber.

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## Nawty

> evergreen[at]khaoyai.org Didn't try to send but you might try this email address.


Thats the one that keeps returning undeliverable for several days now.

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## kingwilly

There's still plenty more trees there...

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## pangsida

Sir Wilson.....actually, thats the attitude that lost Thailand more than 60% of her forests in the last 60 years. As most of us here originate from countries that have even less a percentage of remaining forest cover than Thailand does we should know better.

I don't mean to offend but I feel very strongly about this subject.

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## kingwilly

have a look at the pics, loads and loads of them. besides they grow back quick enoough

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## Perota

> Sir Wilson.....actually, thats the attitude that lost Thailand more than 60% of her forests in the last 60 years. As most of us here originate from countries that have even less a percentage of remaining forest cover than Thailand does we should know better.
> 
> I don't mean to offend but I feel very strongly about this subject.



Actually forest is growing in Europe.

Regarding Thailand, people in remote area want fast access to the main trading places. What's wrong with that ? 

Basically you consider those people as monkeys that should be kept in their "natural environment" for your entertainment.

And you're supposed to be the good guy ?

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## Chairman Mao

Should have done what they did on the Chiang Mai-Lamphun road about 4 yrs ago, when the trees were destined for firewood.

Tie monks robes around them.

They're still standing today. Workers refused to cut them down or remove the robes.

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## dotcom

Looks like they're making room for more noodle stands & wild dogs.

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## pangsida

> Basically you consider those people as monkeys that should be kept in their "natural environment" for your entertainment.


I will ponder that keen insight into my subconscious mind.

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## Nawty

> Tie monks robes around them.


Several trees had ribbons around them and were huge.....all gone.....no discrimination here.

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## sabang

So they chopped down those lovely mature trees, and then decided not to widen the road?

Thats smells very much like the corruption of the current government to me- call me a cynic, but my guess is the trees were cut down regardless, even after it was known the road widening was canned.

So the simple question for local activists and concerned people is-
Who cut down the trees?
Who owns this company?
Who hired them?
Where did the money go for the substantial value of this wood?

This being Thailand, and given the substantial backwards momentum of this place right now, the problem is that those who ask this question too closely might just 'disappear', in the time honoured Thai tradition.

A lot of influential people own property around there, so you can safely bet theres a lot of dodgy deals that have gone on.

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## oldracer

Tomorrow, Friday, June 18 at 13:00, the National Park Association of Thailand [new organization] will host a forum concerning the Thanarat Road parkway entrance to Khao Yai NP.  The program will be held at Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Forestry, Sa-ngasappasri Conference Room on the 3rd floor.  The tentative schedule is as follows [keep in mind that the listed DGs may likely send their designated stand-in’s].  Of course, it will be in Thai.  Registration prior to going into the conference room is from 12:00 to 13:00.  Of course, the program will be in Thai, not English.  The program is open to the public, and that includes you.  On a personal note, please join NPAT (300 B for the year).  It is officially an NGO, and it is comprised of former and current Department of National Park employees plus academics, students and folks who care about Thailand’s national parks.  I’m in the folks category.  
If you speak/understand Thai, please do come.  Let’s see what happens.  
*Program Of Conference**Dream of the road and Conservative The world heritage Of Dung Phayayen- Khoa Yai Forest complex**Friday, 18 June 2010 12.00-16.30 PM.**Sa-ngasappasri conference room   3 Floor  60 Year Building** Faculty of forestry, Kasetsart University Bangkok.*12:00 –13:00 PM.        Registration
13:00 –13:15 PM.        Open ceremony 
Chairman of the conference   Assis.Prof. Surachat  Chatthamat 
(NPAT President), 
Welcoming remarks by           Assis.Prof.Dr. Wanchai Arunpraparat
Dean, Faculty of Forestry
 Introductory remarks by         *Mr.Anurak Teeralertwanai* 
Secretary of NPAT
13:15 –13:50 PM.        Panel Discussion :   *“Road construction and design concept in protected areas”*
By                    Director General of Highways Department

Director General of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant
 Conservation Department

                        Director General of Royal forest Department

Moderator        *Mr.Phanlop Kritayanwat (my note:  VP of Thai Housing Bank)*
                        Advisory committee of NPAT                                    
13:50 –14:20 PM.      Panel Discussion:   *“Past, present and future of Dong Phayayen- Khao Yai Forest complex* World Heritage Site*”*

By                     *Mr.Boonreang Saisorn* 
Former Khao-Yai National Park Superintendent and Chairman
                         Of the NPAT advisory committee (my note:  Khun Boonreang was the first Superintendent of Khao Yai NP)

*Associate Prof.Dr. Uthis Kud-In       * 
Committee of the nature world heritage of Thailand and 
Advisory committee of NPAT

Moderator        *Mr.Manop Champoojan* 
Advisor of The National Parks Association Of Thailand
14:20.-15:00 PM          Panel Discussion* “The dreamed Highways for National Parks – in national park and highway departments’ perspective”*
By       *          Assis.Prof.Dr. Eakarin Anukulyudthon*                                                                                               Kasetsart University

 *Mr. Picha  PittayaKajornwut*
Advisor of The National Parks Association Of Thailand

Representative from National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department

Representative from Highways Department

Moderator      *Assis.Prof.Dr. Patchanuch Wongwatthana Foster* 
Lecturer in Parks, recreation and tourism program, KUFF and Committee of The NPAT                                    

Exchange ideas and experiences among participants from the floor
16:15 –16:30  PM        Conclusion and closing of the conference 
By   *Assis.Prof. Surachat  Chatthamat* (NPAT President)

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## Nawty

If anybody goes...tell them the Khao Yai Foundation website email address does not work.

Tell them the phone number at the bottom, when called they dont give a shit.

Another phone number on another page, they said they would call back.....seem to not give a shit either.

Perhaps if they want support, they should get the basics right.

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## Nawty

Is there a website for this NPAT ?....that works

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## jandajoy

> Can anybody get an alternate email address from this site....I have been trying to email several times, but always declined.  Foundation for Khao Yai National Park Protection


I had a look at the sight and got a warning from Avira saying it was an attack site!

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## kingwilly

Geeez, anyone would think that the trees wont grow back or something...

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## Yemen

I agree with Nawty. I drove that road about a dozen times the last 4 years and enjoyed the trees. Shame to remove them.

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## Nawty

> anyone would think that the trees wont grow back or something...


Like the hair on your back, it shall return.

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## kingwilly

No hair on my back, you must be confusing me with someone else, but then again for who cannot spell naughty, and doesnt realise that trees, unlike money DO grow on trees, not surprising really.

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## oldracer

I'll let the good folks in the National Park Association of Thailand [not to be confused with any foundation] know that things are a bit lacking in responding to phone calls.  There is no website, as of yet.  The hotmail e-mail address should be good, however.  Office staff are a couple of volunteer students from Kasetsart University.  

The forum today came off very well with a lot of hard questions being asked and some even being answered.  A TeakDoor contributor, Bruce Kekule, was there.  Bruce is well-known to many of you, and is certainly a person with a long-term perspective on Thai national parks and their "challenges." I would like to know his take on today's activities.

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## kingwilly

> Office staff are a couple of volunteer students from Kasetsart University.


Bladdy hell, the government cannot/will not fund it ? Sheesh, no wonder things are bad.

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## oldracer

NPAT is officially registered as an NGO.

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## Nawty

Excellent....look forward to Bruces take on it when he can....

Got your PM also and replied.

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## marcmarc

Such a shame!, Your pictures before and after highlight the madness that's going on all over the poorer parts of the world today, When are people going to wake up realise all the destruction our generation is causing is going to leave a huge mess for the future generations!.

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## shafter

That road looks far better with the trees on it.

All they are doing is providing a death trap for motorists.

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## Nawty

No shit sherlock....

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## Mrwizard

The trees will grow back soon... worldwide today there is more forrest then 30 years ago. Hard to believe ? Last years conference in Indonesia showed satellite pictures about the growth worldwide. I agree though that the "old" forrests are getting smaller, but the rate of downsize is much lower. This all of farmer-based-forrestry.

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## Nawty

^retard

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## pangsida

Forest coverage in Thailand is reducing, maybe at a slower rate than in previous decades and years but the fact is that it is still decreasing. This is a fact.

Not that the trees concerned here are a "forest" but the disdain by many, including myself, is that there did not seem to be any real reason to cut them down especially considering the area is famous for being part of the Dong Phaya Yen World Heritage site. As such any development in the area needs to be carefully controlled, obviously such a system failed or does not exist.

Its done now though, so lets hope something constructive can come out of it.

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## SunTzu

> please join NPAT  (300 B for the year).  It is officially an NGO, and it is comprised of  former and current Department of National Park employees plus academics,  students and folks who care about Thailand’s national parks.


I'm interested. Since there's no website, could you please provide more info, such as an abstract of their objectives, or something ?

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## SunTzu

> The trees will grow back soon... worldwide today there is more forrest then 30 years ago. Hard to believe ? Last years conference in Indonesia showed satellite pictures about the growth worldwide. I agree though that the "old" forrests are getting smaller, but the rate of downsize is much lower. This all of farmer-based-forrestry.


this is purposedly faked information, by some very important investors with interests (with very important international banks such as BNP in France):
they now count as 'forests' the areas where they have replanted oil palms, rubber, and other commercially grown trees. These vast superficies have been cleared of real very ancient forest, that did have qualities (biodiversity, animal sheltering capacities, erosion control, carbon capture, home to local tribes, etc etc) that the commercial crops DO NOT have.

Indonesia is particularly well known for its corrupt officials who let these greedy investors do what they please = money in the avatar movie style.

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## SunTzu

> Forest coverage in Thailand is reducing, maybe at a slower rate than in previous decades and years but the fact is that it is still decreasing. This is a fact.


 the rate slowed simply because there isn't much left to cut. The cases of Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia are dramatic.



> Not that the trees concerned here are a "forest" but the disdain by many, including myself, is that there did not seem to be any real reason to cut them down especially considering the area is famous for being part of the Dong Phaya Yen World Heritage site. As such any development in the area needs to be carefully controlled, obviously such a system failed or does not exist.
> 
> Its done now though, so lets hope something constructive can come out of it.


Let's hope something constructive comes out of it, even though previous cases show Thailands little capacity in implementing its policies, when there are any.

Just look at Ayudthaya, which is also a World Heritage site  : the UNESCO threatened several times to retract this status and the subsides that go with it, because the Thais have not proven capable of respecting the site according to the guidelines that go with being a WH site, and that they agreed upon. The UNESCO might well soon kick Ayudthaya out of the process for good.

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## pone

"think charcoal/ keen chaos" ooops did it again...so riz
a real pity for shure,did same here on 1 Km.betwin 2 villages,maybe 30 took took
a day, more pee-cup+2wheels of course...

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## Nawty

Understood...

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## Bruce Kekule

> Understood...


Nawty, 

Regret the very long delay in putting my two cents into the pile. My workload has increased ten-fold in the last 3-4 months and I have not been keeping up with other threads, my apologies. 

I went to the meeting and frankly, it should have been slightly better because;

Several Thai individuals got the mike and went off-subject which is a favorite trick of someone wanting to promote his/her own agenda. I have seen and listen to this nonsense many times before in these high-level meetings. I did not stay for the whole two days so am not sure what went down after the afternoon of the first day. Needless to say, it started with a bang but I had to leave (on the road again) and went into the histroy books. I know that 'Old Racer' is hoping for the best with the newly formed National Park Association of Thailand and we should give them a chance to get rolling. Things go slow in Thailand. 

The tree thing in Khao Yai is a cluster screw-up (for better words) and someone's head (s) should roll but again, where are we?? The main reason for widening the road in Khao Yai is to carry-on around the park to Buriram and 304 for the future. I mentioned this in my thread on Khao Yai. 

They also want or already have started widening 304 (quicker access to Pak Thong Chai) and on to guess where? The dingbats are a political party and form a major share of the present government including the transport people. Have they started replanting trees yet?  

The DNP are also talking about a so-called wildlife corridor on 304 with an elevated highway, and the old road ripped up and trees planted on the ground. Apparently, the cheapest way to go. The bean counters at it again. 

I know for a fact, wild animals flee at the first sound of an automobile. It might take this scheme a decade or more to get wild creatures to cross the corridor. But in the meantime, the money has been made on all that construction. And boxing the wildlife in could turn into a death-trap. A tunnel or series of tunnels would be much better. I'm now off-subject but since we are talking about roads and tree-cutting, this shows without a doubt what is happening to the natural resources under the present administration. 

I'm death against any new roads or widening existing roads especially in or out of protected areas. I know one road that was widened where elephants and other animals are still being killed although the Thai Army close the road now through Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary in the East from 9pm to 5am. Road kills have dramitcally dropped here but some still happen from time to time. Hat's off to the Army and local Khao Ang Rue Nai personnel for taking positive action. 

One last thing. All the hoo-hah about a big 4-lane highway will decrease accidents. What a bunch of shite. They could make it into a ten-laner and    
these drivers would still kill each other. Nuff said!

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## Mid

*Khao Yai park 'not being ejected as heritage site'*
Kasem Chanatinart 
June 15, 2013

 

*The news of Dong Phaya Yen-Khao Yai National  Park's possible removal as a World Heritage Site stems from  misunderstanding and inaccurate information, the park's head, Krissada  Homsud, said yesterday.*

            He expressed confidence that Thailand would be able to clearly explain  itself at the meeting of United Nations Educational, Scientific and  Cultural Organisation's World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Cambodia from  tomorrow until June 27.

 Krissada said the Unesco website had published the WHC meeting agenda,  including the national park issue. If the Dong Phaya Yen-Khao Yai  problem remains unsolved, it could be listed as World Heritage Sites  Under Threat 2014. 

 However, he said some people had misunderstood, out of good or  ill-intention, and spread rumours online that Khao Yai was closed for  rehabilitation as the forest had deteriorated or been hit by floods,  while presenting negative information from the past.

 Krissada said the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)  had sent officials to gather information and hence had a good  understanding. 

He said they were not upset and even understood the  situation. He said the park had undertaken concrete measures to take  care of and rehabilitate forestland. Expansion of Highway 304 (Nakhon  Ratchasima-Kabin Buri), which would cut through the Khao Yai-Thab Lan  forest, had not been done as the project was in the process of studying  the environmental impact, there was no new case of forest encroachment  and the old cases were in the legal process.

 Krissada said the park had also brought three environmentally friendly  electric cars to reduce pollution and had organised a campaign for  eco-tourism, reduced garbage, and sought tourists' cooperation not to  bring alcohol drinks into the park.

 Thailand's representative in the WHC, Somsuda Leeyavanich, on Thursday  had said the upcoming meeting included on its agenda Thailand's report  on the "State of Conservation Reports Natural properties" regarding Dong  Phaya Yen-Khao Yai. 

 The Unesco website had stated that Thailand would report on six issues  involving Khao Yai - expansion of Highway 304 into forestland,  discontinuity of forestland, forestland encroachment, unclear management  plan, tourism and the dam and animals grazing in the meadow. Thailand  had submitted previously presented reports at the WHC meetings in Paris  and St Petersburg.

 Khao Yai National Park covers 2,165.55 square kilometres of forestland  across Nakhon Nayok, Prachin Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima and Saraburi.

nationmultimedia.com

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## Nawtier

Ai....a friend was killed on this new great road several months ago..

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