Panel vows to dismantle resorts on Phu Thap Boek

Panel vows to dismantle resorts on Phu Thap Boek

The remaining 13 illegal resorts on Phu Thap Boek mountain in Lom Kao district of Phetchabun will be dismantled, says deputy Phetchabun governor Krit Khongmuang. (Photo by Sunthorn Kongwarakom)
The remaining 13 illegal resorts on Phu Thap Boek mountain in Lom Kao district of Phetchabun will be dismantled, says deputy Phetchabun governor Krit Khongmuang. (Photo by Sunthorn Kongwarakom)

PHETCHABUN: Provincial authorities have vowed to go ahead with the demolition of 13 more illegal resorts on Phu Thap Boek, the popular mountain attraction in Phetchabun, after owners of the remaining 13 resorts defied an order to dismantle them.

A provincial committee to tackle illegal land occupation on Phu Thap Boek is adamant about carrying out the order by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said Phetchabun deputy governor Krit Khongmuang, who heads the committee.

He made the remark in response to a call by owners of the remaining resorts and Hmong people living on the mountain to ask for authorities to delay the enforcenment of order No.35/59 targeting the illegal resorts in Lom Kao district.

“Now, the 13 remaining resorts fail to meet the qualifications set by the Social Development and Welfare Department on land use," said Mr Krit. "The case is being considered by public prosecutors. If the prosecutors decide to forward the case to the Lom Sak provincial court, the panel will put up a notice for the resort owners to dismantle their resorts within 30 days.

"After the deadline, they will be given another seven days to vacate the land. If they still ignore the warning, officials will be sent to knock down the resorts and collect from them the demolition cost."

Earlier, the owners of the 13 resorts, led by Yupparat Bang-in, a former Democrat MP for Phetchabun, petitioned provincial authorities to delay enforcing the order, claiming it was unlawful as Phu Thap Boek was not a forest area. This prompted the Royal Forestry Department to counter the claim, insisting that the mountain attraction was forest land.

Mr Yupparat then led the resort owners to petition the Democrat Party for help. Lom Kao district chief Somluck Yoknoiwong later invited them to explain why their facilities had to be dismantled.

As for the 50 resorts owned by Hmong people, the Social Development and Human Security Ministry was seeking cabinet approval for the relaxation of the order, said Mr Krit.

If the cabinet does not agree, the provincial panel would dismantle them, said the deputy governor.

In 1966, the government gave the Social Development and Welfare Department permission to use about 47,000 rai of land on Phu Thap Boek as resettlement areas for Hmong hilltribe people, drawn from various provinces of the country.

Phu Thap Boek, the highest mountain in Phetchabun, is home to the largest area of cabbage plantations in the country.

After the peak became popular among tourists, allocated land began to change hands and dozens of resorts were built. The area attracts thousands of people on weekends and holidays and the resulting traffic has placed a severe strain on the environment.

An illegal resort on the mountain attraction in Phetchabun is being dismantled. The remaining 13 resorts whose owners have yet to demolish will be knocked down soon. (Photo by Sunthorn Kongwarakom)


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