Locals in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani have submitted a letter to the prime minister opposing the establishment of Hat Khanom-Mu Koh Thale Tai National Park as they claim it will affect the land where they earn their living.
About 500 locals from Nakhon Si Thammarat's Khanom district, as well as Surat Thani's Don Sak and Koh Samui districts, aired their grievances during a meeting at Khanom District Office on Wednesday.
The meeting was presided over by Khanom's district chief, Thitiwat Boonkit, and was also attended by the head of the Hat Khanom-Mu Koh Thale Tai National Park, Wimonmart Nuipakdee.
Suttipan Nurak, a representative of the locals, said the plan has always been vague, and the locals view national park rules as an obstacle to their way of life.
He also handed a letter of complaint about the matter to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin via the senior permanent secretary of Khanom district, Sunthorn Photsalee.
Meanwhile, Ms Wimonmat said the authorities in Khanom have received complaints from local fishermen that the national park will limit their freedom to fish and use natural coastal resources.
According to her, the national park was originally set in a 197,614-rai area, but it was then cut to 125,817 rai, a 73,197-rai reduction, between 2008 and 2023 to avoid overlapping with land belonging to government agencies and citizens.
She argued that the cabinet resolution of April 3, 2001, and the Fisheries Act BE 2558 (2015) would protect their rights to fish within 5.4 kilometres of the shoreline.
Moreover, the forests in the national park will provide safe zones for many important wild animals, such as serows, deers, boars and southern dusky leaf monkeys while its sea area, islands and beaches will be home to pink dolphins and sea turtles.
Despite Ms Wimonmat's arguments, the locals unanimously voted against the establishment of the national park.
In this regard, the park head informed the meeting that this was a gathering to explain the complaints and concerns of locals that the office received and was not yet considered a public hearing on the announcement of the new national park's boundaries. Officials have yet to hear from all stakeholders, including other communities in Koh Taen, Koh Rab, and Koh Mudsum.
The developments came after locals from Koh Taen in Koh Samui district submitted a petition against a plan by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) seeking to include their island and neighbouring area in the Hat Khanom-Mu Koh Thale Tai National Park.