CHIANG RAI: Police and forestry officials on Monday began investigating the Cherntawan International Meditation Centre in Muang district, run by well-known preacher Phra Maha Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi, or V Vajiramedhi, following media reports that it may have encroached on forest land.
Pol Lt Gen Yodsawat Aekkul, inspector of the Central Investigation Bureau’s Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division, and Prasit Thachang, director of Forest Resource Management Office 2 of Chiang Rai, led the inspection of the meditation centre in tambon Huai Sak.
Phra Maha Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi, 51, was absent during Monday’s inspection as he was reportedly in Japan on a meditation trip. The senior monk has no plans to immediately return to Thailand.
The meditation centre is located in the Doi Pui National Forest Reserve.
The Vimuttayalai Foundation sought and obtained permission from the forestry authorities via the National Office of Buddhism to build the centre on 113 rai of land.
The centre later successfully asked the office to expand its premises by 30 rai, bringing the centre’s total land to 143 rai.
However, the authorities learned that the centre may have expanded beyond what was permitted to cover 190 rai of land. The land not covered by the agreement was estimated to be around 47 rai in a national forest reserve.
According to Mr Prasit, the investigation is expected to take 3-4 days, with progress on the probe being reported to the public daily.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Chalermchai Sri-on, meanwhile, said he has set a deadline of seven days for wrapping up the fact-finding probe.
Surachai Achalaboon, director-general of the Royal Forest Department, said that if there are grounds for the allegation, the meditation centre might be charged with forest encroachment under the National Forest Reserve Act.
He said that if the centre intentionally encroached on the land, the department would suspend the use of the area and order buildings on the land to be demolished.
Phra Maha Vudhijaya Vajiramedhi found himself in hot water after video clips went viral of him preaching to employees and key suspects in The iCon Group scam.
He was criticised for acting “unclergy-like” by imparting teachings widely interpreted as encouraging people to accumulate wealth.
