ผู้ประกอบการเขาใหญ่แห่ส่งเจ้าหน้าที่อบรมอสรพิษวิทยา

The Snake Workshop, organised by the Khao Yai Tourism Association, has been held continuously on several occasions. This year, it was held once again on May 25, with the aim of providing members of the public and businesses in Khao Yai—an area surrounded by forests and mountains—with basic knowledge and understanding of snakes, their behaviour, how to respond when encountering one, and the correct first-aid procedures in the event of a snakebite.

This year, nearly 50 participants attended the training, including staff from several businesses in Khao Yai as well as members of the public interested in learning about and better understanding snakes. The training lasted a full day and was packed with both theoretical and practical sessions.

Panchana Vatanasathien, President of the Khao Yai Tourism Association, said that the training was organised because of the value of basic incident response and the correct and safe handling of reptiles. As people in Khao Yai live alongside the forest, they need to understand both the benefits and dangers associated with snakes, learn how to act when encountering them, and recognise the important role snakes play in the ecosystem.

“We do not want people to hold the mistaken belief that whenever they see a snake, they must kill it. However, there are not enough volunteers available to catch snakes across such a vast area. Training in these skills will therefore enable the teams working for local businesses—whether hotels, resorts, or restaurants—to take care of themselves. We must also thank the businesses in Khao Yai for their support, which has enabled us to continue organising this event.”

The President of the Khao Yai Tourism Association added that, beyond learning how to deal with snakes, another interesting development in Khao Yai is the emergence of snake tours, which have become popular among niche groups of European and Japanese tourists. Snake training may therefore provide interested participants with new skills, potentially enabling them to become guides for snake-watching tours in the future. The training can thus be viewed from many perspectives, but ultimately it is part of a lifelong learning process that allows people and nature to live together in this Happy Valley.

Beer-Wirun Chinosang, consultant to the Herpetology Club for the Northeast region and one of the trainers and speakers at this workshop, said that the training was intended to spread knowledge and understanding, as snakes are something none of us can entirely avoid. The hope is that everyone will gain the knowledge and understanding needed to protect their property and loved ones before officers arrive to take action, because in some situations, waiting may not be an option.

“This workshop contains fairly intensive material because the information has been updated to reflect current circumstances. From experience, we have found that many people may have received incorrect information in the past, leading them to respond in the wrong way and creating unsafe situations. Most importantly, snakes play a vital role in the ecosystem. We therefore want everyone to have accurate knowledge and understanding, and to be able to respond correctly and safely.”

In addition to the enthusiastic atmosphere among both the speakers and participants, the organisers also placed importance on environmental responsibility by measuring the event’s carbon footprint on site using the carbonMICE programme from the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization), or TCEB. The calculation is based on each participant’s travel information in order to determine the amount of carbon emissions generated.

This was therefore an activity that provided both knowledge and practical skills while also raising awareness of the importance of the environment in which we live.

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