The National Resources and Environment Ministry is studying areas around the Khao Yai National Park World Heritage reserve - to designate more environmental protection to try to control and reduce human activities damaging to natural forest.
Santi Boonprakab, deputy secretary general of the Office of Natural Resources and Environment Policy and Planning, said given the rise of activities surrounding the World Heritage Site, his agency was preparing to survey areas surrounding the national park. It wants to collect information about the classification of forest and human activities to designate areas surrounding Khao Yai as an environmental protection zone.
Such a move would mean only industrial and agricultural activities deemed friendly to environment would be allowed near the World Heritage site.
The height of building would be limited to reduce any impact on the environment, especially structures constructed in environmentally sensitive areas.
However, he said any such plan would have to involve a public hearing to get opinions of people who live around the Khao Yai.
National Park chief Manot Karnpanakngarn said Khao Yai had a designated three kilometres around the park as a buffer zone. However, there were no details about the use of land surrounding the park.
In related development, Jatuporn Buruspat from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said his office was drawing up a master plan to renovate infrastructure such as the Tourist Information and Service Centre and guest houses within the park.
The Tourist Information Centre will be renovated so it has a Multimedia Information Centre, where tourists can learn about the area's history and nature via multimedia devices.
And guest houses in the national park would be rebuilt as log cabins.
The park would also improve its nature trails so tourist learn more about local fauna and flora.
Jatuporn said he would ask the Cabinet to provide Bt95 million to support the master plan to rebuild park guest houses. PTTEP Plc had already provided Bt95 million to renovate the Tourist Information and Service Centre and improve nature trails in the park.
He expected the project would be finished next year.