800 rai of park land reclaimed

800 rai of park land reclaimed

Four weeks of raids along the Kwai and subsidiary rivers in Kanchanaburi have put 61 resorts like this out of business and 41 people under arrest in a mass land reclamation. (Photo by Piyarach Chongcharoen)
Four weeks of raids along the Kwai and subsidiary rivers in Kanchanaburi have put 61 resorts like this out of business and 41 people under arrest in a mass land reclamation. (Photo by Piyarach Chongcharoen)

KANCHANABURI - Authorities have reclaimed over 800 rai of national park land allegedly encroached on by resort operators as well as seizing 184 buildings for inspection and detaining 34 suspects in a series of crackdowns over the last month.

The crackdowns lasted from April 26 until last Saturday and focused on two national parks in the province.

At Khao Laem National Park, which covers Thong Pha Phum and Sangkhla Buri districts, 54 resorts suspected of operating on land belonging to the park were inspected, said park chief Thewin Misap.

Of these, 27 have faced legal action and four suspects have been arrested, he said.

Some 512.3 rai of encroached land has also been reclaimed, with 76 buildings and 37 rafts seized, he said.

Other seized items include two boats, four jet skis, one electric generator, 29 sheets of timber and nine animal carcasses. Authorities are working to verify nine land deeds covering 172.2 rai to make sure all the paperwork is in order, Mr Thewin said.

Meanwhile, seven resorts were raided at Sai Yok National Park in Sai Yok district, sources said. Some were floating resorts and all now face legal action, the source added.

Ten suspects have been detained for questioning and about 296.3 rai of encroached land belonging to Sai Yok has been reclaimed, said the source. A total of 108 buildings and 120 rafts have been seized for inspection, as well as 175.3 rai of Sor Por Kor agricultural reform land.

Clamping down on land encroachment is a key policy of the government. Several crackdowns have been carried out to this effect nationwide with resort operators often targeted. Resorts have been pulled down if they are found to be there illegally.

Most recently, forestry authorities have filed complaints against three state officials allegedly involved in illegally issuing land ownership documents in Thap Lan National Park in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima.

Authorities from the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department on Monday filed complaints with Wang Nam Khieo police against a director and two other land surveyors attached to the Nakhon Ratchasima Land Reform Office. The three were accused of illegally issuing title deeds for 52 plots of forest land in the park.

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