Short answer
Doi Inthanon National Park filed a police complaint on 17 September 2026 against a group of about 10 tourists who ignored warning signs and barriers on 13 September and left the Ang Ka nature trail to take photographs on a lawn of rare moss. The park will charge them under the National Parks Act of 2019 for defying officials and for recreation outside designated areas, and says it will patrol fragile spots more often and improve signs and barriers.
What happened on 13 September
On 17 September 2026 Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai Province filed a complaint at Chom Thong police station. It concerns a group of about 10 tourists who, at around 1 pm on 13 September, ignored warning signs and barriers and left the Ang Ka nature trail at the Khao Tok Ruesi moss lawn to take photographs.
Rangers found footprints in several places on the lawn and collected photographs and CCTV footage as evidence. The park describes the moss as the largest in Thailand, a rare plant that grows only in healthy cloud forest above 2,000 metres, grows slowly and can need years to recover from a single trampling.
The charges and the new measures
The park is pressing charges under the National Parks Act of 2019 for defying an official's order and for recreational activity outside the designated area. The park chief said there would be no exceptions, so that the case sets a standard for protecting the park.
The park says it will check fragile spots more often, send rangers on more frequent patrols and improve its barriers and warning signs so that they are clearer. It asks every visitor to stay on the nature trail, not to step on any plants and not to enter areas marked with a sign or barrier.
How busy the park is now
The cool season has started. On the morning of 20 October the park reported 9 degrees Celsius at the summit, and it counted 2,735 visitors on 19 October, among them 948 foreign visitors, with 800 vehicles in the park. It expects more on weekends and asks drivers to use a low gear on the mountain road.
If a path looks closed or a rope marks an area, treat that as the rule, however good the photograph would be.
What it means for our Doi Inthanon day
Our elephant sanctuary and Doi Inthanon day from Chiang Mai starts from $40 per person and takes 10 to 12 hours. After the sanctuary it drives up to the King and Queen pagodas and ends with a guided hike to a waterfall. The national park fee, 300 baht per adult and 150 per child, and the pagoda entrance are paid on the day unless your quote says otherwise.
Nothing in the park's report changes the route of our day. It does change what you should expect: your guide and the rangers will keep you on the marked path. Bring a light jacket, as the top is much cooler than Chiang Mai, and walking shoes for the trail. Our Doi Inthanon guide explains the day.
Practical checklist
- Stay on the marked nature trail and behind every sign or barrier.
- Do not step on moss or other plants, even for a photograph.
- Bring a light jacket and walking shoes; the summit was 9 degrees on 20 October.
- Keep cash for the national park fee and the pagoda entrance on our tour.
Questions and answers
What did the Doi Inthanon tourists do?
About 10 tourists ignored warning signs and barriers on 13 September 2026 and left the Ang Ka nature trail to take photographs on a lawn of rare moss, according to the national park's report of 17 September.
What law are they charged under?
The park is pressing charges under the National Parks Act of 2019 for defying an official's order and for recreational activity outside the designated area.
Can you walk off the trail at the summit?
No. The park asks visitors to stay on the nature trail, not to step on any plants and not to enter areas marked with a sign or barrier.
How much is the Doi Inthanon park fee on our tour?
On our Doi Inthanon day the national park fee is 300 baht per adult and 150 per child. It is paid on the day, with the pagoda entrance, unless your quote says otherwise.