3 PTT Nature Learning Centers Receive SHA Cert., TAT's Health Standards Embracing a New Way of Tourism
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), presented the SHA Certificates or Amazing Thailand Safety & Healthy Administration to Ms. Duangporn Thiengwattanatham, Senior Executive Vice President, Corporate Governance and Regulatory Affairs, PTT as PTT's three natural learning centers have been certified for hygiene and safety standard-SHA from TAT. Those centers are Metro Forest Learning Center, Wang Chan Forest Learning Center and the Queen Sirinath Mangrove Ecosystem Learning Center. The centers are established by PTT Forest and Ecosystem Institute to be a natural learning center for youth and interested parties in both Bangkok and other provinces. In a new normal way, now visitors can visit the three learning centers with confidence. Strict sanitary, safety measures and screening are practiced to ensure cleanliness and safety in all service areas. Due to interesting features and beauty of the centers, all learning centers have become major tourist attraction in the provinces. As the centers welcome a number of visitors continuously; the number of Thai and foreign tourists exceeded one million.
Sirinath Mangrove Ecosystem Study, Pranburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan province on an area of over 786 rai is a model eco-learning center for the restoration of mangrove forests from abandoned shrimp fields served as a learning center of sustainable mangrove utilization which won the tourism industry award as an ecotourism attraction in 2010. It is currently a national and regional center for learning about the mangrove ecosystems. Wang Chan Forest Learning Center located at Wang Chan District in Rayong Province is a natural attraction where visitors can learn about forest planting and a variety of forest restoration research. In addition, occupational skills training is held for communities around Wang Chan area through several projects e.g. Wangchan Love Project to share vegetable and Yup Nai Project for Catering. These help improve the quality of life of people in the community and increase household income in a sustainable way.
In addition to natural areas on provincial routes, there is also an interesting natural attraction in Bangkok- the Forest Learning Center in the City located on Sukhaphiban 2 Road. Occupying over 12 rai, the center provides a green space in the middle of a city. It has transformed wasteland into mixed forests providing a place to learn about the nature of the city so as to raise awareness of the conservation of natural resources by simulating forests in the past. There are a variety of native plants of Bangkok and rare plant species. It was awarded the Outstanding Thai Tourism Industry Award in 2019 and the LEED International Award.
PTT would like to invite all those who love ecotourism to experience a new way of traveling, the charm of the forests in the City, Wang Chan Forest and the mangrove forests of Pranburi. We ensure hygiene safety in accordance with SHA standards, which will help generate revenue for the local community to drive the economy and strengthen Thai communities and the society together.