PHITSANULOK: About 70 villagers filed a petition for leniency with the provincial governor on Monday after their tambon administration organisation (TAO) ordered them off public land they have been living on, saying they have nowhere to go.
The petitioners live on public land in Moo 1 and Moo 4 villages in tambon Samo Khae in Muang district.
They said they received letters dated Jan 21 from the Samo Khae TAO ordering.
The TAO ordered them to move off the land, which covers about 3 rai, within 15 days or face legal action under the Local Administration Act of 2008 and an Interior Ministry regulation on the maintenance and protection of land for common use by the public.
Son Chankhum, 40, of Moo 1 village, said he had already been indicted in the Phitsanulok Court for illegally occupying and making use of public land.
He said many other people also lived on the land in question, but he was the first to have been hit with a lawsuit.
They had no land of their own, and nowhere to move to.
Their petition for leniency was accepted for consideration by deputy governor Sakchai Kunawatchaidet.
Athipatai Krairat, chief of the provincial Damrongtham Centre, said he would ask the Samo Khae TAO to extend the eviction deadline, but made no commitment about the court case.