National Parks Director Orders Strict Quality Checks on Donated Food

On August 8, 2025, Atthapol Charoenchansaa, director of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, issued an urgent order requiring all field units to rigorously inspect donated food and supplies before distribution to rangers or wildlife at care stations. He thanked the public for their concern and appealed for donations of items in good condition that meet safety standards to prevent health risks and environmental damage.

The directive follows media reports revealing that donated packages sent to field units contained unlabeled canned foods such as young jackfruit in brine, canned sugarcane, and canned corn. The cans were dented and lacked information about manufacturing source, ingredients, or expiration dates. Some unit heads banned the items from field rations over personnel safety concerns and are seeking proper disposal methods to prevent environmental and wildlife harm.

Atthapol said he received the reports and has taken them seriously, ordering all nationwide departments to conduct strict quality checks on all donated food and supplies before distribution to rangers for consumption or field use, prioritizing personnel health and safety. The Department expressed deep gratitude to all sectors and citizens for their continued care and support of frontline forest rangers protecting forests and wildlife, calling this concern an important source of morale and inspiration.

Given that rangers work in remote deep forests where emergency medical evacuation is difficult, the Department requests that donors provide only dry foods or consumer goods in perfect condition with clear expiration dates and manufacturing source labels. This helps ensure safety and avoids waste accumulation and chemical residue impacts on forest ecosystems. The Department hopes for continued cooperation from all donors to protect the health and safety of dedicated forest rangers.