Khao Yai NP (1 Viewer)

What Neil says here (http://norfolkbirderinthailand.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/khao-yai-national-park.html) is very sad. I had some great birding on my two visits and found the rangers friendly and helpful- if not the most informed about the birds, or where they might be seen.

Does anyone know why this has changed ? I did notice a tendency to greater commercialisation on my second visit, especially outside of the park, coupled with people even driving up for an evening meal from Bangkok !

A bonus was that this did go hand-in-hand (knife-and-fork ?) with higher standards of cuisine than formerly available to us benighted westerners at the Juldis- now the Balios- with its wonderful, warm pool and good birding in, around and close by the grounds.

John,

Yes it is sad to see how KYNP has changed since my first visit in 1999.

In some ways I feel that it is a symptom of Thailand's emergence as a regional economic powerhouse, the Park's proximity to Bangkok and the fact that it has (by Thai standards) good visitor facilities (a tarmac road all the way through the park, and a spivvy new visitors centre opened a couple of years ago).

Outside the park the Khao Yai region has become very fashionable with middle class Bangkokians - land prices have climbed exponentially as new resorts have popped up all over the place, and property developments have been established for weekend get-always. As a comparison, think about how fashionable Burnham Market has become with wealthy "country lifestyle" loving Londoners - add in a tropical forest setting, a nice little bit of corruption, lots of money and remove any serious land use planning and hey presto: I give you Khao Yai 2014!

There are other factors too - I don't know the ins and outs of it but have been told that in recent years a new Park Director took over who implemented a set of rather draconian measures (closing trails, stopping cars parking on roadsides etc). I am not sure if this character is still in post, but the guide who told me about him was pretty unimpressed.

Having said all this, I spent a week birding in Khao Yai in March this year and really didn't feel too much visitor pressure, though weekends and public holidays are a big no-no for me nowadays.

There are serious threats to the future of KYNP, most notably the proposed upgrading of the road that runs from Nakorn Nayok to Nakorn Ratchasima, and the visitor pressure mentioned in Neil's post. However we have to remember that it is a big park, and I think/hope that a lot of wildlife survives undisturbed in its core, though that is by no way an endorsement of the current policies being adopted by those charged with the park's management, indeed it has so much potential as a brilliant National Park, but that is being squandered.

Best wishes,

Dave