Royal Forest Department officials yesterday seized what they said was 23 rai of public forest land that was being levelled to build a holiday home near Srinagarind dam in Kanchanaburi province.
The raid followed complaints by residents that a businessman had illegally acquired the land to build himself the holiday home, Banpot Phumnamyen, head of Kanchaburi Forest Preserve Unit 2, told reporters yesterday.
The land is located in a prime spot overlooking the Srinagarind dam reservoir in tambon Dan Mae Chalap of Sri Sawat district.
Mr Banpot said a team from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment's Crime Division, as well as local administrative and police officers, swooped on the site last Friday.
They found a group of workers clearing the land for construction work, he said.
The officials confiscated several heavy machines, including an excavator, crane and two large trucks.
He said officials had notified the land owner, identified as Thongchai Watcharaworapong, about the raid, but he failed to show up while officials were making their inspection, Mr Banpot said.
The land owner purchased the land from local villagers, Mr Banpot said, adding that it was Por Bor Tor 5 -- public land reserved for use by low-income farmers.
The land was originally part of a forest reserve and private ownership and commercial development there is banned, he said.