Land authorities have found that Kirimaya Golf Resort and Spa encroaches on Khao Yai forest, even though the resort was issued with correct land ownership documents.
A task force of land encroachment suppression officials arrive to inspect Kirimaya Golf Resort and Spa in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district. The resort's land ownership documents were allegedly issued for overlapping forest and public land. Tawatchai Kemgumnerd
The resort has denied any wrongdoing.
A combined task force of land encroachment suppression officials yesterday inspected the resort and its golf course in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district.
The probe focused on alleged irregularities in the resort's land title documents.
Col Sommai Busaba, who heads the 2nd Army's legal team looking into land encroachment nationwide, said after the inspection the resort has the correct land title deeds, but the documents are believed to have been issued unlawfully.
The resort's original land ownership documents are mainly Nor Khor 3, which were issued by the Department of Social Development and Welfare for the Lam Takhong self-help settlement scheme awarded to landless people.
The Nor Khor 3 documents can be upgraded to Nor Sor 3 Kor and then land title deeds after the required time period.
After this, the land can be sold but must only be used for agricultural purposes.
"Kirimaya won permission from the agency concerned to build a golf course on the land, but not the housing project," Col Sommai said.
Also, land title deeds covering about 600 rai of the resort were found to encroach on Khao Yai forest reserves, he said.
The encroachment has nothing to do with the resort, Col Sommai said.
It occurred when a group of executives of the now defunct Bangkok Bank of Commerce (BBC), which used to own the land, applied to upgrade the Nor Khor 3 documents to title deeds, and the title deeds were issued for more land than was covered by the original documents.
According to authorities, the Kirimaya project covers about 1,696 rai.
Of this, 1,052 rai is covered by Nor Khor 3 documents and the rest by the Agricultural Land Reform Office's Sor Por Kor deeds.
A number of dykes have been constructed in several public creeks that cover about 163 rai of land issued to Kirimaya, Col Sommai said.
Pol Col Dussadee Arayawuth, deputy permanent secretary for justice, said the task force also discovered yesterday that a condominium had been constructed above a creek.
The task force is currently investigating whether the construction was approved by the Marine Department.
Meanwhile, Arat Sawatatat, managing director of project development at Kirimaya, argued that all plots of land owned by the company were bought from the Legal Execution Department and the Bangkok Commercial Asset Management Co — the agency which managed the BBC's assets.
Because Kirimaya did not buy any land from villagers directly, it is confident it committed no wrongdoing in acquiring it, Mr Arat said.
He also said he was confident the resort had not encroached on any forest areas because the resort and national park are clearly separated by a fence and road.
Both the Nakhon Ratchasima provincial office of the Department of Lands and the provincial governor approved the construction of Kirimaya's 200-rai housing project, Mr Arat added.
"If the land title deeds we've received really were issued unlawfully, we will have to pursue legal action against those officials involved."
Mr Arat said Kirimaya has a team of lawyers ready to take care of any legal proceedings because it is likely that the company will be sued by those who bought houses from it.
