PM's Office to investigate demolitions

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PM's Office to investigate demolitions

Pressure mounts on national parks chief

Published: 2 Aug 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Operators of luxury resorts torn down in Thap Lan National Park last weekend are furious with the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department and its director-general Damrong Pidech, who gave the demolition order.

Damrong: Draws ire from resort owners

The department faces two separate investigations over the demolitions while rumours are swirling that Mr Damrong will be transferred to an inactive post because of his actions.

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koolbreez
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Discussion 32 : 03 Aug 2012 at 10.0332
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The justification for these demolitions was set during the last Thaksin government when a certain massage parlor complex was demolished in one night following a court order that day. The precedent was then set that it was not necessary to wait for appeals to be decided, and the demolition should proceed immediately as the court had ordered.

For this government to not support these demolitions would be tantamount to saying the Thaksin government was in error when the massage parlor complex was demolished in one night from a court order, and the owner would deserve full restitution. Big brother set the precedent years ago. This government official deserves a promotion into the NACC enforcement division. This is a true case of equal rights for all, and the only thing this government can do is commend him, given the past demolition precedent setting case.
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Acutus
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Discussion 31 : 03 Aug 2012 at 01.1731
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One of the best ways to ensure that no more bad resorts is to all holiday makers stop booking into these resorts.

Mr Damrong is a hero and should be awarded right away.
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jacksprat
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Discussion 30 : 03 Aug 2012 at 00.2830
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@gleentea - Your memory is fine. That is exactly what happened. Surayud obeyed the court order without fleeing the country.
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jacksprat
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Discussion 29 : 03 Aug 2012 at 00.1429
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The national forest has been so destroyed on Samui that there isn't much left to protect.
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Silkpit
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Discussion 28 : 02 Aug 2012 at 23.0328
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2 large Hotels, run by now by International Chains, been built in the 1980ies, down in Phuket middle in a National park close to the Airport, partially on a muslim graveyard for one instance, owned by very influential families of political and media elites. Yet besides a protest by a small group of villagers at that time, authorities must have gotten their lucrative share of the cake.
Whereas I applaud Khun Damrong, it comes as too little too late throughout the country's national parks and forest reserves.
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gleentea
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Discussion 27 : 02 Aug 2012 at 20.1927
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musashi,

"big land plots and houses"

Maybe my memory is fading but I only remember one plot of land, bought long ago, with one house on it. He was legally ordered to remove the house and he complied with that order.
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jacksprat
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Discussion 26 : 02 Aug 2012 at 19.3826
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"... said he would continue to crack down on the more than 400 resorts THOUGHT to be encroaching on the national park." But have them been proven to be illegal? As I read this, the courts have not made their decision yet. So what happens if the court finds the resorts were legal? And if the court decides they were illegal, then who authorised them in the first place? Somebody must be responsible.
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kasper
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Discussion 25 : 02 Aug 2012 at 18.3625
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The PTP government has promised to tackle corruption. Out of the thousands of officials in the country so far only one of them (Mr. Damrong) is actually following up on that promise - and now he is being investigated by an otherwise silent PTP government.

It is a disgrace that Chalerm and Yingluck do not stand up and tell the public that Mr. Damrong is carrying out their orders in order to keep their promises to the Thai people. At the same time it would be proper if they told the resort owners to take their complaints to the relevant courts and perhaps warn them that they can still be arrested for a number of offences regarding encroachment.

At least it is nice to see that everyone, both reds, yellows and neutrals support Mr. Damrong on this forum.
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victor Careford

Discussion 24 : 02 Aug 2012 at 18.0324
Either the resorts have encroached on Government land or they haven't. If they have and the court agrees, what is wrong with knocking down the buildings? Unless of course, it's one rule for the 'unconnected' resort owners and a different outcome for those with 'friends' in high places?
from iPhone application.
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Renaissance
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Discussion 23 : 02 Aug 2012 at 14.5523
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He has clearly ruffled the feathers of the politicians who are supporting the corrupt and unlawful encroachment of the forests. If he is transferred to an inactive post, even before he retires in 2 months, I doubt if anyone else will stand up to what the politicians are doing again. Thailand's loss.
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PM's Office to investigate demolitions | Bangkok Post: news