Electronic ticket rollout scheduled for six marine parks in October

New and Enhanced e-Ticket System Launching in Thailand's Marine National Parks for Boosted Revenue, Transparency, and Conservation

Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is ready to unleash a fully functional e-ticket system at six major marine national parks starting October 15, lining up with the tourist season's kickoff. This strategic move is expected to level up park earnings by about 10%, tighten transparency in entrance fee collection, and address longstanding concerns over corruption in ticket sales.

"We're dead set on addressing public concerns about corruption in ticket sales," said DNP Director-General Attapol Charoenchansa during a press conference.

The e-ticket system is an upgrade from an earlier version that has been in use at select parks since 2023. The revamped system aims to surmount earlier limitations such as user-unfriendliness and poor functionality in remote areas, by being more accessible and efficient for park-goers. The new system will initially cover six marine parks, with plans to expand to the top ten national parks boasting the highest visitor revenues in the future.

Revamping the revenue model, entrance fees account for a significant financing source for the department, supporting forest protection, conservation, and sustainable nature tourism. Presently, 5% of entrance fee income is routed to local administrative bodies, 20% is allocated for individual park management, 60% is allotted for park conservation activities, and 15% is earmarked for emergencies.

A surge in visitors marked the period from October 1, 2022, to April 20, 2023, with 11.74 million tourists gracing Thailand's national parks, signifying a 2.36% increase over the same period the preceding year. Ensuing revenue equated to 1.55 billion baht, shooting up by 2.6%. Marine parks accounted for approximately 65.8% of the total entrance fees, with Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi raking in the most revenue at a whopping 450 million baht.

The six marine national parks getting the e-ticket system upgrade are Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi (Krabi), Ao Phang Nga (Phangnga), Than Bok Khorani (Krabi), Mu Ko Similan (Phangnga), Mu Ko Surin (Phangnga), and Mu Ko Lanta (Krabi).

"Our hope is that the e-ticket system will help seal revenue leakages and shoo away opportunities for corruption," explained Mr. Attapol. "These income streams are vital to our mission of conserving natural resources and promoting sustainable tourism. We're unwavering in our commitment to nature conservation, despite any controversies that might crop up."

Future ambitions encompass using the extra income gathered from the e-ticket system to support communities residing within forest zones, fostering a holistic and long-lasting conservation approach.

The e-ticket system, initiated by Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), will allocate a portion of its earnings towards supporting local administrative bodies, as part of its commitment to sustainable nature tourism.
The new e-ticket system, set to be launched in six major marine national parks, aims to allocate funds efficiently for individual park management, conservation activities, and emergencies, in a bid to address longstanding concerns over corruption in ticket sales.
The revamped e-ticket system, expected to boost revenue by 10%, will be introducing a more accessible and efficient method for park-goers, helping to promote a sustainable lifestyle and technological advancement in the industry.
As part of the department's revenues models, entrance fees collected from the e-ticket system will be channeled to support environmental-science initiatives, conserving natural resources, and fostering a healthier environment for future travel and tourism.
Attapol Charoenchansa, the DNP Director-General, expressed optimism that the e-ticket system will help sustainably manage the department's finances, ultimately contributing to a more secure and prosperous lifestyle for the communities living near Thailand's marine national parks.