Tham Luang cave to be rehabilitated and upgraded into a national park
After the completion of the search and rescue operations, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation will carry out rehabilitation of Tham Luang cave to repair all the damage inflicted on the cave by the operations and to upgrade it into a national park.
Mr Jongklai Worapongsathorn, the department’s deputy director-general, said today that Minister of National Resources and Environment Gen Surasak Kanchanarat, has assigned the department to work out short-term and medium-term plans to rehabilitate Tham Luang cave and its landscape and to repair all the damage inflicted on the cave during the search and rescue operations, such as holes drilled through cave wall.
He said the department had set sight on further developing the cave into a tourist destination, adding that the cave has the potential to attract tourists.
And to prevent a repetition of tourists getting lost in the cave, he said that there would be clear signs to warn tourists which parts of the cave are off-limits.
The Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non is located in Tambon Pong Pha, Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai. It is part of Doi Nang Non forest park and covers an area of about 5,000 rai.
Located 453 metres above mean sea level, Tham Luang cave is a huge limestone cave with its entrance being a cavern. The cave is abundant with many stalactites and stalagmites and has three smaller caves.
