CityNews – Due to slippery conditions caused by rainfall, multiple motor accidents have been reported daily in Doi Inthanon International Park for the last “three or four days” said Pornthep Charoensuebsakul, the head of Doi Inthanon National Park, on June 28th.
On June 27th, two road accidents were reported, fortunately there were no reports of injuries or deaths associated with the accidents.
According to Pornthep, surveillance of the motorways in the areas has been increased and the international park is cooperating with rescue officers, police and officials involved to facilitate both Thai and foreign visitors. Warning signs have also been set up along the roads to increase motorist’s awareness of the hazard.
The rainy season has already begun to increase the amount of water that flows through streams and waterfalls in the area, and local officials monitoring water flow have urged tourists not to play in the current because they can be unexpectedly strong.
Most accidents have been blamed on careless driving, according to Pornthep. Some of the roads are quite steep and if motorists are not paying attention or not familiar with the area they can lose control if they are driving at an inappropriate speed.
Doi Inthanon International Park sees between 400-600 visitors per day on the weekdays, with 100-200 of them being foreign tourists who seek out the humid atmosphere of the park during the rainy season. During the weekends, the international park hosts between 500-800 visitors per day.
The park may see an increase in visitors as well since Doi Inthanon International Park recently introduced a promotion where Thai visitors receive a 50 percent discount on entrance tickets Monday through Friday. This promotion begins on July 1st to December 31st and excludes official holidays.
With the anticipated increase of visitors to the park, Pornthep, police, and officials urge motorists to drive with care as precipitation in the area will be steadily increasing over the next few months.