Hope afloat as busy Loy Kratong predicted

About 85% of hotel rooms in Chiang Mai have been reserved by tourists for the Loy Krathong festival, which is expected to generate up to 2 billion baht in income for the province.
Pallop Saejiew, president of Chiang Mai Tourism Council, said Chiang Mai has about 60,000 rooms, 50,000 of which have been booked during Nov 14-17 when tourists can join the Loy Krathong Festival, known as Yi Peng among locals.
Loy Krathong day falls on the full moon of the 12th lunar month which will be on Nov 15 this year. The Yi Peng festival in Chiang Mai will be held on the night of Nov 15-16 where people float lanterns and release them into the sky.
The Tourism Council expects the festival will draw more than 40,000 foreign tourists and about 25,000 Thai tourists to Chiang Mai a day, he said. “We expect the Yi Peng festival will bring up to 2 billion baht in income to the city, ” he said.
Meanwhile, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) says various national park nature trails are open for tourists seeking adventure throughout the cold season.
DNP director-general Atthaphon Charoenchansa said the parks have more than 300 nature trails, with a distance of more than 900 kilometres. The shorter ones range from 100 metres and the longest, 64 kilometres.
“This year’s highlight is the opening of a new nature trail at San Phaya Nak in Phu Laen Kha National Park in Chaiyaphum, which has been developed into an eco-tourism trail where tourists can experience the beauty of nature and the ecosystem; the Ton Phra Chao Ha Phraong trail in Tham Sa Koen National Park in Nan; and the long-distance hiking trail at Khao Luang in Namtok Huai Yang National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan province,” he said.
In the North, the popular trails are in Doi Phu Kha National Park in Nan, the Kew Mae Pan nature trail in Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai and the Phu Chi Fa Peak viewpoint in Phu Chi Fa National Park in Chiang Rai.
The central and eastern regions are dominated by trekking and hiking trails in Khao Yai National Park, the Mokochu trail in Mae Wong National Park in Kamphaeng Phet, and the long-distance hiking trails in Khlong Wang Chao National Park in Kamphaeng Phet and Tak.
He said the western and southern regions have many interesting routes, such as the Yang Na Forest Nature Trail in Ao Siam National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan, nature trails in Lam Nam Kra Buri National Park in Ranong and a natural trail in Khlong Phanom National Park in Surat Thani.
Other tourist attractions on offer are wildlife sanctuaries such as Chiang Dao Wildlife Sanctuary, which is outstanding for its biodiversity and high mountain ecosystem; Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary’s nature trail, which allows tourists to learn about the montane forest ecosystem; and Doi Mon Chong in Omkoi Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Department of National Parks will provide 24-hour security, interpretive signs and rest stops along the nature study routes.