Former chiefs of the Land Department and retired officials will be probed as part of the investigation into illegally issued land documents, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says.
Speaking after the cabinet meeting yesterday, Gen Prayut said land ownership documents, particularly Nor Sor 3 Kor and land title deeds, are under investigation.
Some land owners have claimed they bought land with Nor Sor 3 Kor and title deeds, but the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry found the land plots are located in forest zones, so it needs to find out how the documents came to be issued, he said.
"Former director-generals of the Land Department involved in issuing the documents face probes and will be punished if they are found guilty," Gen Prayut said.
"They will be given the opportunity to explain," the premier said. "Everyone will be treated fairly."
The prime minister's comments came amid investigations into several plots of land in Nakhon Ratchasima, particularly the Khao Yai area in Pak Chong district, where several business operators and celebrities own land and houses.
Nakhon Ratchasima land officer Monsak Arak said yesterday he submitted a formal letter to provincial governor Thongchai Lueadun and the Land Department director-general.
In the letter he asked both men to revoke Nor Sor 3 Kor papers issued for land the Bonanza Resort in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district is built on.
Mr Monsak said the probe found the documents were issued illegally, which means they must be rescinded in line with the Land Code Act.
The Land Department director-general will set up a panel to consider revoking the documents within 60 days, Mr Monsak said.
A source said Bonanza's racetrack allegedly encroaches on about 166 rai of forest reserves, public land and land reserved for agricultural purposes.
The encroached areas include 57 rai with Nor Sor 3 Kor documents; 35 rai on forest parks; 13 rai on forest reserves; 57 rai on Sor Por Kor agricultural reform land; and 4 rai on public waterways.
Relevant agencies have surveyed and identified the areas where their land was encroached upon, said Chamnan Klinchan, the Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) officer in Nakhon Ratchasima.
Alro's encroachment evidence was submitted to police yesterday so that charges can be brought against Bonanza Resort's executives, Mr Chamnan said.
The office is calculating the damages caused by the encroachment so the amount can be awarded as compensation in a civil lawsuit against the resort, he added.
Pol Col Boonlert Wongwajana, deputy commander of Nakhon Ratchasima police and the chief of the investigation team, said Bonanza Resort's case involves several state organisations and requires multiple pieces of evidence.
The investigation will take time, but it could be concluded and forwarded to prosecutors by next month, he said.
Prayong Preeyachit, secretary-general of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), said Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya has ordered his agency and the PACC's national anti-graft centre to expedite investigations into encroachment on forest and public land.
Mr Prayong, who is also secretary of the anti-corruption centre, said yesterday that he has ordered all the provincial offices of the PACC to investigate the state officials who permitted the encroachment to take place.
Apart from the probe into the Bonanza Resort and Kirimaya Golf Resort and Spa — both in Pak Chong district — the same work will be carried out on Koh Lipe in Satun and Phuket.
In the Bonanza case, at least five officials are accused of issuing documents for land overlapping forest reserves and land reserved under the Sor Por Kor scheme, Mr Prayong said.
Authorities will make public the names of state officials involved next month, he added.
Royal Forest Department chief Theerapat Prayurasiddhi said the department aims to reclaim one million rai of land encroached on by rubber planters within two years.
It estimated that a total of 4.4 million rai of rubber trees have been illegally planted on forest land nationwide.
In Ratachaburi's Suan Phung district yesterday, army engineers entered the Suan Phung Resort to tear down buildings and an amusement park built in the 200-rai compound after a probe found the rear part of the property encroached on 10 rai of prohibited land.
