Farm Chokchai, a well-known cattle ranch in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district, does appear to hold illegal land title deeds that include a stretch of public road covering more than 2 kilometres, a lands official says.
The results of a preliminary investigation showed the ranch's land does include the public road, said Phairot Buanuam, an official with the Nakhon Ratchasima land office.
But since Farm Chokchai holds documents pertaining to its legal rights over the land, the results of the investigation will be sent to the province's committee on state land encroachment suppression, said Mr Phairot.
The committee will meet this month to probe the results, he said.
The initial investigation found about 6m-8m of public road was included in 10 plots owned by Farm Chokchai, consistent with claims by some villagers and local leaders, he said.
Farm Chokchai owns over 200 plots of land covering more than 3,000 rai near the border of Khao Yai National Park, said a source.
Of the more than 200 plots, 10 include the 2km section of road. This is believed to be a result of the unlawful issuance of title deeds between 2001 and 2005, according to the source.
Mr Phairot, however, said the panel's probe of Farm Chokchai's alleged encroachment still asked why no objection was made when the title deeds were issued on the 10 plots. The deeds were given to locals who owned the plots before they changed hands, said Mr Phairot.
If the committee on state land encroachment suppression agrees to revoke the title deeds, it will then forward the matter to the director-general of the Department of Lands along with a request that he consider cancelling the title deeds, said Mr Phairot.
"As a number of people are affected by the matter, state agencies have to ensure justice for all sides," he said.
The probe started in May and covered claims the firm had encroached on the Sor Por Kor 4-01 land, public areas, and also blocked an entrance to a village.
A probe was launched by the Department of Special Investigation after residents in Pak Chong district accused the company of illegally obtaining a land deed and building fences that blocked them from getting to their village.
Meanwhile, a combined force of about 200 officers from the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department (NPWPCD), the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division and related offices raided a 120 rai plot of land in Trang's Sikao district and arrested a suspect for alleged encroachment.
The suspect was identified as Thorawat Chanson, son of Pol Lt Col Sathit Chanson, a deputy chief of the Kantang district police station, said a source.
Mr Thorawat and his sister, Thidaphon Chanson, had previously petitioned the land authorities to issue a Nor Sor 3 Kor document to certify their land, worth more than 600 million baht, was being occupied, said the source.
The land authorities, however, on Feb 27 last year rejected the request, insisting the couple were not in fact occupying the land, said Manot Wongsurirat, head of the Hat Chao Mai National Park.
And since no one later claimed the rights to use the plot after the Nor Sor 3 Kor rejection, the rights to use the land were terminated under Section 1377 of the Civil and Commercial Code, said Mr Manot.
Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn, who led NPWPCD officials in the combined force, said the land has not actually been used before and is a part of a national park. Mr Thorawat was detained for allegedly encroaching on the land because he identified himself as the owner, said Mr Chaiwat.