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Privy Councillor and former prime minister Surayud Chulanont presided over the ceremony in his capacity as chairman of the Khao Yai National Park Protection Foundation, and the event in Doi Phukha National Park attracted hundreds of students and local residents.

The project, sponsored by Tesco Lotus with support from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and the United Nations Environment Programme, will plant 9 million trees around the country in celebration of His Majesty the King's 80th birthday in December. The Bt150-million project is one of the country's biggest corporate social-responsibility campaigns.

Originally, the huge numbers of seedlings were grown at a central location, but skyrocketing fuel costs meant nurseries had to be established next to the planting sites.

National park and forests officials have organised teams of local villagers to plant the seedlings. The vast planting areas are checked by project officials on the ground and by satellite-based systems, in order to ensure that barren land is being filled with trees. The UN Environment Programme audits the project, and the villagers who take part in planting are paid after their work is "audited".

Last year, the project kicked off in Prachin Buri province, where the total area covered will eventually reach 1.4 million rai.

Nan prides itself on being a national watershed, so in addition to public land being planted on in the project, villagers also donated more than 200 rai of private land.