Loei: Surveying the route for building a cable car up Phu Kradueng in Loei Province has unveiled that capitalists from the eastern region have been acquiring land to construct resorts for nearly a decade. Representatives from the public sector are prepared to intervene if a road is built to transport visitors to Phu Kradueng's tourist attractions instead of relying on traditional walking paths, as this could severely disrupt the ecosystem of the area.
According to Thai News Agency, the team visited Phu Kradueng National Park near Ban Huai Due, Tambon Sri Than, Amphoe Phu Kradueng, Loei Province. This location is planned to serve as the starting station for the cable car journey up Phu Kradueng, leading to the final station atop the mountain, approximately 4.40 kilometers away between Pha Mak Duk and about 600 meters west of Lang Pae. In addition to the starting and ending stations, the project will require 12 cable car support poles. The selected cable car route has been evaluated based on engineering, architecture, economics, finance, investment, environmental impact, and park area management, scoring the highest out of five potential routes. The news team observed that opposite the starting station, land has been purchased by eastern capitalists for resort development over the last ten years, aligning with the Cabinet's 2016 designation of this location as optimal for the cable car route.
Civil society groups are poised to respond if road construction plans proceed on Phu Kradueng. The Secretary-General of the Isan People's Assembly for the Development of Thailand expressed concern over road construction, emphasizing the need for conservation and development to coexist. He warned that building a road to facilitate tram or safari vehicle access to the park could have a detrimental impact on Phu Kradueng's ecosystem, a national treasure. Conservationists nationwide are expected to oppose such developments, and the Secretary-General is ready to take action should these plans materialize, echoing sentiments previously shared by the Director-General of the National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation Department.
Mr. Boonhong Chantasi, president of the Phu Kradueng porters in Loei Province, shared his personal perspective on the ongoing developments. Having worked as a porter for 18 years, Mr. Chantasi, now 50 and suffering from osteoarthritis, is contemplating leaving the physically demanding job his children wish him to quit. Despite earning substantial income during peak tourist seasons, he initially feared that the cable car project would lead to job loss for the porters, whose numbers have dwindled to less than 300. However, recent reassurances from various agencies have lifted spirits, as they have promised to prioritize hiring porters for tourism activities related to the cable car if the need arises.