Tourists flock to Phu Kradueng as park implements new safety measures
Loei’s national park reopened on Monday, welcoming tourists with new safety measures and training sessions after a fatal elephant attack
Tourists flocked to Loei’s Phu Kradueng National Park after it reopened on Monday with a safety training course for visitors.
The park had shut its doors on December 13, a day after a wild elephant fatally attacked a 49-year-old hiker who was making her way to the mountaintop.
Since 7am on Monday, up to 300 people had attended the training course, which focused on maintaining safety and learning how to cope with elephant attacks. After the training session, hikers hired porters and began their trek to the summit.
Veera Khunchairuk, deputy director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, officiated the reopening ceremony by ringing a bell. He added that the department, under the orders of Natural Resources and Environment Minister Chalermchai Sri-on, has implemented enhanced safety measures to prevent further wildlife-related incidents.
These measures include deploying staff to ensure visitor safety, installing warning signs along trails, using drones for garbage collection and removing trash bins to deter wild elephants, he said.
Veera said the Pha Nok Aen cliff, near the site of the elephant attack, remains closed, with staff actively working on keeping elephants away. Other popular viewpoints like the Pha Ma Dook and Pha Lom Sak cliffs have been deemed safe with staff stationed to monitor the areas.
Tourists have been advised to study the park’s trails in advance, travel in groups of at least three people, prepare for the cold temperatures ranging from 4 to 12 degrees Celsius and maintain cleanliness by bringing reusable drinking glasses and garbage bags.
Mee, a tourist from Bangkok, told Nation TV that this was his 10th trip to Phu Kradueng and that he was confident in the park staff’s ability to ensure travellers’ safety.
