Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is considering closing the country’s 157 national parks for three months each year, to allow the environment there to regenerate naturally and without human disruption.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varavuth Silpa-archa said today that the idea stems from the reemergence of many wildlife species during the past two months, when all the parks were declared off-limits to visitors as part of the COVID-19 lockdown measures.

Land and marine wildlife have been spotted grazing and frolicking in their pre-tourism natural habitats with more frequency and in greater numbers. These include banteng, or tembadau, wild elephants, mountain goats, tigers, black-tipped reef sharks, killer whales, bottle-necked dolphins and sea turtles.
He said that officials are working out appropriate timetables for the staggered closure of the parks.