The government has taken possession of the first lot of land inside Mu Koh Chumphon National Park that a former Thai Rak Thai politician used as a shrimp farm.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has launched legal action for the alleged illegal possession of a total of 2,700 rai of forest against the Samdee Company, which belongs to Pimuk Simarote of the defunct Thai Rak Thai party. The department alleges the company failed to return the land to the state after a concession expired in 2004.
Mr Pimuk said he had nothing to do with the case as the company had already ceased operations.
Environment Minister Surasak Karnjanarat said while the company had cooperated in the case, the DNP would still press ahead with the lawsuit.
"As far as I know, the DNP has already pressed a charge of forest encroachment against the company's owner with the police. But anyway, we have received good cooperation from the company to return the land to us," he said.
Gen Surasak yesterday took part in a mangrove planting ceremony on the first 640 rai reclaimed by the government, with 128,888 mangrove trees expected to cover the plot.
The 640 rai was selected as a symbolic number to celebrate His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn's 64th birthday this week.
Gen Surasak said the ministry has been given the task of increasing the percentage of the country's forest areas from 32% to 40% within 20 years, to ensure future generations have access to green areas. He said to reach the target, the ministry will plant trees in deteriorated forest zones and take legal action to reclaim illegally possessed land.
He said the National Council for Peace and Order's edicts help the department's operation in taking legal action, with 400,000 rai of land already reclaimed and more than 4,000 legal cases launched against suspected forest encroachers.
The department's Paya Sua team, led by Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn, recently confiscated the land from the Samdee Company, which it said failed to relinquish control after a usage concession expired in 2004.
Rakpong Boonyoi, chief of Mu Koh Chumphon National Park, said the company was granted the concession in 1991 for a shrimp farm by the Royal Forest Department. At the time, the forest land was known as Pa Len Aua Thung Ka-Pa Aua Sawee, and was not part of the national park until 1999.
The company attempted to renew the concession, but was denied after the land had become part of the national park. The cabinet at the time did not allow land concessions in mangrove areas.
The company, however, is accused of continuing to operate the shrimp farm after the concession expired.
Mr Rakpong said the company had asked the Land Department to issue documents covering the disputed area so it could claim a legal right to its possession. He said the department ignored the request.
Mr Pimuk said the land now belonged to the Bangkok Commercial Asset Management Company, a state enterprise, which had rented it out to others.