Porters clarify on video of tourists abseiling dangerously in Kanchanaburi

The viral video less than a minute long, taken on November 26, showed a group of hikers climbing down the steep cliff famously known among tourists as “San Kom Meed” (Knife Edge Cliff) on a single rope. The video has sparked criticism on social media, with several netizens accusing park officials of abandoning their duties and disregarding hikers’ safety.

Three porters, including the one who shot the video, on Thursday met Ratchasit Jongjarasporn, chief of the Thong Pha Phum National Park, to apologise for the video and for their audio comment on the video that there were no park officials to supervise the hikers while they descended.

The three then told the press that they had misunderstood the situation, and that the video was apparently shot after park officials had helped carry a male hiker, who suffered leg cramps, down the mountain.

After the injured tourist was taken to the ground safely, officials returned to help the other hikers get down the cliff, they said.

The porters clarified that they had shot the video for fun and had no intention of discrediting park officials.

Some netizens showed moral support to the park rangers in their comments on the video, saying that they had been to San Kom Meed themselves and had received full assistance from officials.

The “Khao Chang Phuak”, or "White Elephant" mountaintop, is 1,249 metres above sea level, and tourists generally hire porters to help carry their necessities during the trek.

Tourists have to register for the trekking trips. Each trip takes two days and one night to complete and each tourist group would have to hire porters and would also be accompanied by park officials for their own safety.