Almost 7,000 rai of land owned by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has been encroached upon in Buri Ram, Kanchanaburi and Trang, the SRT said on Tuesday, adding the land was valued in excess of 10 billion baht.
Somyut Rueanngam, deputy traffic manager at the agency, said its board has formed a working team to address the issue on a national level. He said most provinces have encountered this problem.
Efforts must be made to urgently address land intrusion in the three cited provinces where a total of 6,928 rai of SRT land has been affected, he said.
Mr Somyut said around 500 rai of land in Buri Ram has been encroached upon without any lease payment made. Current occupiers include state agencies, a prison and those who are using the land for commercial purposes.
The land is also being encroached upon by a training ground and stadium belonging to Buriram United FC, as well as retail stores and a popular racing circuit, he added.
Deputy Transport Minister Pailin Chuchottaworn has expressed concern about this, he said.
After a Moto GP event took place in Buriram from Oct 5-7, Mr Pailin suggested the SRT negotiate directly with the party that has been illegally occupying its land, Mr Somyut said.
The occupant agreed to pay for the lease so it could use the land legally, he added.
Mr Somyut said 1,070 rai of SRT Land close to Nam Tok train station in Kanchanaburi's Sai Yok district has been used illegally for tourism, ranging from accommodation to other service facilities.
In Trang, 858 rai of SRT land by the sea has been encroached upon by people who set up restaurants, retail stores and entertainment venues there, he noted.
The team will survey the land and negotiate with the encroachers in a bid to reach land lease agreements, he said, noting some may be evicted.
The move aligns with the debt-ridden SRT's rehabilitation plan to generate quick revenue, Mr Somyut said.
The agency is now trying to evict encroachers from 86 rai near Mae Nam railway station in Yannawa district.