Chiang Mai Officer Uses Translation App to Educate Tourists on Pigeon Feeding Ban

Bangkok: Municipal officers in Chiang Mai have adopted an innovative approach to communicate with foreign tourists, utilizing a translation app and megaphone to enforce a pigeon feeding ban. According to Thai News Agency, the initiative was spearheaded by Mr. Wichthawat Thanatveeraroj, a municipal enforcement officer, who devised a method to relay important messages to tourists in their native languages. This strategy is aimed at addressing the unsanitary practice of tourists luring pigeons with food and snacks at the Tha Phae Gate, which poses health risks due to potential disease transmission from pigeon droppings. Municipal staff are stationed daily from 8 am until evening at the Tha Phae Gate area, where they explain to tourists the importance of not bringing food, snacks, or young leaves to attract pigeons for photos. Mr. Thanatveeraroj uses a mobile phone equipped with a global translation app, which he plays through a megaphone strapped to his waist. This allows him to deliver messages in various la nguages, including Chinese, ensuring that tourists understand the prohibition clearly. The humorous messages played through the app emphasize the importance of refraining from feeding pigeons, with playful warnings to tourists that their treats could be confiscated if they break the rules. This approach not only educates but also entertains visitors, making them more receptive to the message. In a related development, Chiang Mai Province is pursuing World Heritage status under the category of Cultural Landscape. The bid, titled "Chiang Mai: The Capital of Lanna," encompasses historical monuments and cultural landscapes that reflect the central role of the Lanna Kingdom. The International Council on Monuments and Sites is set to conduct a technical assessment of the bid in August 2026, with a decision expected in 2027.