KANCHANABURI: National park authorities on Friday posted a huge demolition notice at a 20-million-baht resort that encroaches on Sri Nakarin Dam National Park in Sri Sawat district.
Niphon Chamnongsirisak, director of the Protected Area Regional Office 3 (Ban Pong), on Friday assigned 15 officials from Srinakarin Dam National Park to put up the giant sign at the resort beside Srinakarin Dam in Hat Taeng village of tambon Dan Mae Chalaeb in Sri Sawat district. The owner has 30 days to comply. The resort was not named.
The resort is owned by Patcharin Noranin, who is married to a foreigner, and was found to have encroached on about 17 rai of the national park after an inspection on Aug 28, 2014. Several items were seized from the resort.
The Kanchanaburi Provincial Court found Ms Patcharin guilty of violating the Firearms Act and national park and forest reserve laws. The court in 2017 sentenced her to a jail term of two years, suspended for one year, fined her 24,200 baht and ordered the demolition of the resort.
The Department of the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation later filed suit for compensation from the resort owner. The provincial court ordered Ms Patcharin to pay 300,000 baht to the department.
Srinakarin Dam National Park issued a letter on Feb 16, again ordering Ms Patcharin to demolish the resort and other structures within the national park within 30 days, by March 18. If not, the national park would handle the demolition and the resort owner would be billed for the cost, 366,666.80 baht plus 15% interest per year.
Mr Niphon said on Friday that he had signed an order on Dec 23 last year setting up a committee to look into criminal cases where court proceedings and rulings were final or prosecutors decided not to arraign those who encroached on national park areas. The panel would look into details of each case, so that encroaching structures or resorts would be demolished.
He said there were seven other resorts which were found to have encroached on Srinakarin Dam National Park.
Protected Area Regional Office 3 was gathering legal information regarding the demolition of those encroaching resorts, Mr Niphon said.
He said national park authorities would not file suit demanding demolition costs if the owners remove the resort structures themselves.
The details given of the seven other resorts - a resort covering 90 rai, owned by Ms Pajaree Wetsabut and three other people; Phu Ing-nam resort, covering 19 rai, owned by Mr Pracha Khantisiri; ARK resort covering 35 rai, owned by Ms Alicha Chailert; a 14-rai resort, owned by Mr Suthep Jirawatsunthorn; KPS resort, covering 12 rai, owned by Mr Witthaya Temee; Lung Thep Homestay, covering 6 rai, owned by Mr Suthep Sirinapho; and a resort, covering 16 rai, owned by Mr Saichon Kok-ou.