The owner of a 200-rai eucalyptus plantation in Kanchanaburi says his fast-growing trees were cut down by a timber yard that claimed it was given the green light by the military.
Kriangchai sae Lim, 64, of tambon Nong Plalai in Nong Prue district of this western province, told the Bangkok Post that there were only tree stumps left at his eucalyptus planation in Bo Phloi district.
The trees had been illegally cut down by workers for a timber yard operated by a woman identified only as Jae Nok.
He said his relative had occupied the land for over 20 years and had a Phor Thor Bor 5 paper, a document showing tax payments for the land. The man had previously grown cassava on the land, before retiring because of poor health.
Mr Kriangchai said he then bought the occupation right to the land and turned it into a eucalyptus plantation about 10 years ago.
He had cut the first planting down about six years ago, and the trees grew up again. He occasionally sometimes visited the plantation and on a recent trip passed the area on June 15 he spotted some men cutting down his trees.
He reported this to Bo Phloi police station, and police detained the tree fellers and seized their truck.
The 64-year-old man put the value of the felled trees at about 6 million baht.
He quoted the owner of the timber yard as telling him she had purchased the eucalyptus trees from the military and would ask an army colonel to talk with him.
Nareumol Sitthisorn, a resident in tambon Nong Kum of Bo Phloi district, said workers from the same timber yard had cut trees in her community forest, covering some 1,000 rai. She and other villagers immediately asked a military unit responsible for maintaining peace and order in the area to investigate.
She learned that a government agency wanted to take back land in the area to pave way for a power plant. As the locals opposed the clearing of trees in the community forest, those workers had been asked to cut down eucalyptus trees in the area.
She called on authorities to hold talks with the locals about the cutting of trees in the area.
Police handling the case could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.