National parks tickets at 7-Elevens

Tickets for tourists to visit all 148 national parks throughout the country will soon be on sale at 7-Eleven convenience stores, National Parks Office director Witthaya Hongviengchan said. Mr Witthaya said the National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation Department of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry was in the process of entering into a contract to allow 7-Eleven stores all over the country to sell tickets to visit the 148 national parks. Ticket sales were expected to begin in November.  The stores would charge buyers a service fee, about the same as that for electricity and water bills. This would help prevent corruption on sales of tickets to national parks, which had been a problem for the department. During the early stage, tourists would still be able to buy tickets at the entrances of the parks.  Eventually, the tickets would be available only through an electronic vending system, Mr Witthaya said. The tickets would have on them beautiful landmarks of each national park and tourists could keep them as part of their trip souvenir collection. Mr Witthaya said from the coming October, when the high tourism season begins, the department would try to limit the number of tourists to enable better management of the parks. From bangkokpost