A concert, held over the weekend in Khao Yai, was a huge success and attracted more than 100,000 fans, but it also left a huge amount of garbage.
The event also caused heavy traffic and accommodation problems, as all the hotels, resorts and rooms-for-rent in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima Province were fully booked.
Panchana Wattanasathien, president of the Khao Yai Tourism Association, told Thai PBS that there were insufficient garbage collectors to cope with the huge amount of waste generated, most of it being soft drink and beer cans, drinking water bottles and food containers.
Next time there is a concert in Khao Yai, she suggested that the organisers develop a plan to cope with the garbage problem, such as advising performers to ask their fans not to dump their empty bottles or cans, but to take them away to be disposed of properly. Alternatively, facilities should be arranged at the concert site.
Panchana said the organisers, police and local administration officials should sit down together to discuss traffic management, because many people were affected by gridlock over the weekend of the concert, not to mention the waste of fuel.
Watcharee Pratchayanusorn, president of the Council of Tourism Industry of Nakhon Ratchasima, said that last weekend’s concert had generated an estimated one billion baht in revenue for the province. She suggested that the council discuss holding two concerts a year with the organizers, to generate even more revenue.
She also suggested that all parties should consider whether Khao Yai should be upgraded to a new landmark for international music festivals in the future.
