MAE HONG SON – Park officials closed Doi Wa Wa Jo indefinitely on Saturday after a 30-year-old tourist from Bangkok fell to her death from a steep cliff near a highland campsite.
Prachaya Chakkraphankaeo, chief of , issued the immediate entry ban to protect visitors and clear the rugged terrain for emergency crews. The closure halts all trekking and overnight camping at the popular viewpoint in Ban Huai Hi, Huai Pu Ling subdistrict.
Key Takeaways
- A 30-year-old woman from Bangkok died after falling roughly 150 meters down a ravine near the Doi Wa Wa Jo campsite late Friday night.
- Namtok Mae Surin National Park barred all tourists and locals from entering the mountain zone starting Nov. 14 until further notice.
- Joint rescue teams from the park, local village leaders, and provincial disaster units recovered the body Saturday morning across steep terrain.
Fall Prompts Difficult Mountain Recovery
The victim arrived on Friday, Nov. 13, with a group of hikers planning to camp overnight on the ridge. Around 10:30 p.m., she stepped away from the tent area in heavy darkness and slipped over the unlit cliff edge, according to reports from the Mae Hong Son Disaster Mitigation Foundation.
Her companions alerted local authorities immediately. First responders reached the ridge overnight but had to pause the descent until dawn because of sheer drops and zero visibility. At 6:30 a.m. Saturday, park rangers, the Ban Huai Hi village headman, and high-angle rescue specialists descended roughly 150 meters into the gorge and hauled the body back to the summit.
Rapid Trekking Boom Strains Remote Ridge Safety
Doi Wa Wa Jo sits along an exposed mountain spine in Mae Hong Son’s Mueang district, drawing surges of domestic hikers every November for sea-of-mist views and cool weather. Unlike developed national park campgrounds, the ridge relies on narrow dirt footpaths and minimal physical barriers along precipitous drop-offs.
Local residents in Ban Huai Hi manage small-scale trekking logistics in the buffer zone, where basic camp setups lack permanent lighting or guardrails. Following the fatality, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation ordered a nationwide review of cliffside safety protocols across protected areas. For Ban Huai Hi guides and porters, the sudden shutdown freezes peak-season income while officials inspect the trail and install warning markers before reopening.
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