BANGKOK, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Thailand plans to set up rescue centers in major national parks throughout the country, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Surasak Kanchanarat on Tuesday.

The planned rescue centers will be set up in the compound of seven major national parks to provide emergency assistance and rescue missions for any visitors in trouble, either Thai or foreign, Surasak said.

He assured that the planned centers will use modern rescue equipment such as helicopters and ambulances for optimum safety of the visitors.

Those major national parks include Khao Yai national park in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, Doi Inthanon national park in the northern province of Chiang Mai and those on tourist islands in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand off the southern provinces of Krabi, Phang Nga and Surat Thani, among others.

They are largely viewed as favorite tourist destinations by many foreign visitors.

He said about 20 million people, Thai and foreign, are expected to visit all 147 national parks throughout next year, compared to about 18 million people this year.

However, such rescue centers will only be set up in seven major national parks within next year while many others will follow suit in the following years.

Those national parks are expected to collect a combined 2.4 billion baht (about 72.7 million U.S. dollars) in revenue from admission fees and other incomes in a year.