Bangkok Post : Surayud clears land, returns it to state

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Surayud clears land, returns it to state

Published: 13/02/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

NAKHON RATCHASIMA : Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont now has no place to call home on Khao Yai Thiang in the province's Sikhiu district.

The land plot at Khao Yai Thiang in Nakhon Ratchasima where the house of Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont once stood is now completely cleared. All the structures have been dismantled. PRASIT TANGPRASERT

The land plot where his resort home once sat has been cleared, with all structures once built on the site now pulled down.

Only a pond that was at the front of the house and a flower garden remain.

Suthep Pavareswitthayalarn, director of the provincial forest management office, inspected the site yesterday.

He said Gen Surayud returned the land to the office on Feb 11, and all buildings had been dismantled.

The surroundings, including the trees, were in a good condition, said Mr Suthep.

The office would send a report to the Royal Forest Department, which would decide how to use the land.

The Royal Forest Department says the land occupied by Gen Surayud came under a 1975 forest village programme under which land was distributed to landless people on the condition it not be transferred to anyone other than a legal heir.

Public prosecutors earlier decided to drop criminal charges of forest encroachment against Gen Surayud but suggested the Forest Department seize the land from the privy councillor.

Many other owners of Khao Yai Thiang property thought to occupy land in breach of the 1975 cabinet resolution are concerned they could face the same eviction fate.

Boonsong Yaekchantuek, 53, said he bought land on the mountain from its original owner 10 years ago. His case was similar to Gen Surayud's own.

He insisted that he and many families on the mountain were landless farmers and said the government should find other land for them if they were to be evicted. Thongnak Charndej, 64, said he thought land ownership disputes on the mountain stemmed from political power games.

About the author

: Writer: Prasit Tangprasert; Position: Reporter

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SPICEMAN

Discussion 24 : 14/02/2010 at 03:45 AM24
SKIN #23, well said! As you mentioned that there are many others people who are in Gen Surayud's situation, so why didn't they be ordered to do the same?

Does it mean that only Gen Surayud was singled out for who he is?

If law is law, why didn't UDD want to chase the rest out? UDD continues to be a "one-trick pony," lacking principle being bought & paid for by Thaksin.

For law to be law, there must be equal protection of the law, and Gen Surayud could easily wait until a massive eviction order comes, if it does at all, and clear out with the rest of many others like him.

Instead, he set an good example for other to follow. And for that, I salute him.
Skin

Discussion 23 : 13/02/2010 at 10:53 PM23
Double Standards #14 , Bkk Post once reported that Gen Surayud actually bought the plot , third hand , from a man that bought it from the original landless old monk that it was granted too , who also had No Right to sell it in the first place !
After Gen Surayud`s first offer of 400,000 baht was refused , he finally paid 600,000 baht to the 2nd owner and also 50,000 baht to the provincial forestry office , I think they said for the deeds ?

Tommy #19 , The perfectly good structures Belong to Gen Surayud , he owns them and they are probably being re-errected on a legitament plot of land somewhere , as we speak , as he is entitled to do and he was actually ordered to remove all standing structures by law in which he did !
They could have left him there and made him pay extra for it while the Government sorted out the countries land encroachment issues fairly and squarely , as Gen Surayud isn`t the only one in that area and many other area`s across Thailand that has purchased and built a house or a Resort or a Golf Course on bought plots of land , encroached or granted !
Some 300,000 families across the Kingdom either Encroach or have purchased land that was granted and only to be passed on to family member !
Gen Surayud always said that he would abide by whatever they Courts decided and he did !

Not So Fair And Square #21 , If the PAD protested against the PM Abhisit Government , I think that would recieve exactly the same treatment as the UDD gets !
PAD were protesting a totally different Government TRT and PPP and for a totally different cause , it was the government of the time that allowed the Airport and Government House closures ! Things have Now Changed , And For The Better I Feel , or should Government House be allowed to be built only to be knowed down and so on and so on , the colour coded rubbish can go on for ever , though it`s Not Productive for the Kingdom ! Thats`s why they have Democratic Elections and there will be another in about 18 months !
When it comes down to it , ALL are capable of Double Standards !
So since Gen Surayud handed back the Land , should all 300,000 families also hand back the Land ?
Thailand hasn`t enough Goals to sentence 300,000 people for land encroachment so why should Gen Surayud be Goaled ? HE has abided by what the Courts ordered and therefore respected the Thai Courts Decision which Cannot be said for Taxsin , who refuses to accept responsibility for his actions and can`t bring himself to face justice as a man , criticising the Thai Supreme Courts as being Bias if it doesn`t Rule Favourably for him ?
I`m still waiting to see PTP and UDD Protest the Alpine Golf Course and it`s owner Taxsin , after all that is 700 odd rai , when Gen Surayud`s plot was only 22 rai ! Rules are Rules and Double Standards are Double Standards and Precedence has been set with Gen Surayud`s Case !
Ray Ong

Discussion 22 : 13/02/2010 at 09:33 PM22
It would be interseting if the BP did an extensive article reporting on the legalities involved with temple land holdings. If they can not sell it, then what? If a temple in Surin receives 100 square wa in Bangkok, what do they do with it? If a Bangkok temple receives 2 rai in Surin what can they do with it? The property would prablbly be abandoned and encroached upon. In the Alpine case, the temple did not have enough money to register the deed as I remember. How are these issues addressed? Temples should have some flexability to use funds for charitable works or building up their temples.
Fair & Square

Discussion 21 : 13/02/2010 at 08:06 PM21
NotYellow of discussion 20.......

I don't agree with you that the reason or excuse given by you that PM Abhisit is busy and unable to lay charges against the yellow shirts for their wrong doings is due to his being busy handling the red shirts protest. No basis.

It is very obvious that PM Abhisit is siding with the yellow shirts by the double standard he treats the red shirts.

I am sure you also know who is the Foreign Minister he appointed.

Another example is the current issue of General Surayud. Yes he vacated and level the house and return the land, but only after the court ordered him to do. He should have done it without the court order. Has he made any apology for his honest mistake? If it was anyone opposed to PM Abhisit that did this, that person will be charged in court and most likely jailed.

The red shirts and as well as the yellow shirts do have their own agenda to protest and again, one can see that the treatment on the red shirts is so bias from the yellow shirts protesters. Matters can be resolved if the Government wants to with the red shirts, but PM Abhisit is not prepared to do so because by doing so, will cost PM Abhisit his administration being dissolved.

I am no supporter of both color shirts. Just want to be fair in commenting and for this reason I need to reply to you "NotYellow".
NotYellow

Discussion 20 : 13/02/2010 at 04:18 PM20
Lalida,double standards etc.
I'm sure that if the red's weren't so busy making a hard time for Khun Abhisit,the yellow's would be in court,getting sentences.It's wrong to claim Khun Abhisit is siding with the yellow's.Perhaps it's not easy to for him to solve all these issues in an instant so give him a chance,cos he actually cares about the people and the state of Thailand.As opposed to general belief among the red's,he is tough on graft/corruption in his own ranks,which is more than can be said about PT/PPP/TRT and their allieds.But it seem's like you,the red's, who cry wolf all the time,are only interrested in creating problem's,not solving them.I would love to see anyone from the red side do as Khun Surayud who acknowledged his wrong-doing and vacated the land without trying to pervert the law,as most of the red's politicians and backer's would do.I'm sure that plenty of them are encroaching/illegally owning land(amongst other things) around the country.Let's see if the owner's of alpine golf club will take Khun Surayud's fine example and vacate their land.Maybe most of you haven't realized it yet,but Abhisit could become the best thing that has happened in Thailand for a long time,that is,if you are ready to change your corrupt ways.
tommy

Discussion 19 : 13/02/2010 at 04:00 PM19
Why tera down the structures?? What a stupid thing to do!! Only in Thailand would they seek revenge by tearing down a perfectly good structure. In a country where homes for the elderly, poor and abandoned are almost nonexistent, why weren't these buildings used for some good purpose? I know that it is "forest preserve", but really!! how foolish!
Concur

Discussion 18 : 13/02/2010 at 03:17 PM18
lalida...you are right...I suppose Thaksin's 76 billions Bahts should be confiscated then since he did commit frauds to conceal his assets in the early days, although he claimed an " honest mistakes " and some "jokers" let him off the charge because of some cockermania excuse from their laughable judgements. Frankly there is no such thing as honest mistake...have you ever heard that "ignorant of laws have no excuse "?
LookMoo

Discussion 17 : 13/02/2010 at 02:44 PM17
I think you missing the point. GENERAL Surayud obeyed a court order in LOS.

Normally Generals, police, politicians etc. does not follow or observe the laws unless they gain from it. That's why a such trivial case makes headlines.
SPICEMAN

Discussion 16 : 13/02/2010 at 02:42 PM16
LALIDA #13, nobody is perfect, including Gen Surayud, you, me, and everybody, however, once a mistake was made, Gen acknowledged it, took corrective action, and moved on.

Would Thailand be better off right now if Thaksin was doing the same?
lalida

Discussion 15 : 13/02/2010 at 01:25 PM15
John D# 12,

Never mind "WHY" this and that, just ask where's the independent Justices are...gives you all the answers already.