Raid on forest encroachers finds land for sale

By The Nation

 

 

MANY OF those charged with encroaching on forest near Khao Yai National Park, a world heritage site, are defying the law by refusing to leave their seized plots and even putting the land up for sale.

 

The government’s Forest Operation Protecting Centre over the weekend conducted inspections and made arrests at three locations near Khao Yai.

 

Despite facing encroachment charges, owners of the three plots were found to be still occupying their properties and even offering them for sale or demarcating the land to declare ownership.

 

Officials from the centre inspected a 40-rai plot located 9 kilometres from the park that was confiscated for encroachment in 2011 but found the owner had put it up for sale at a price of Bt10 million per rai. 

 

The investigation team seized backhoes working on the site and charged the drivers for illegal deforestation.

 

Meanwhile an investigation at a nearby teak plantation seized by authorities in 2016 found that the encroachers had refused to leave and were asking more than Bt1 billion for the land.

 

The 184-rai plantation in Lam Takong began as a state-funded project conducted jointly by Kasersart University and local communities in 1964.

 

It was then included as part of the cooperative estate Lamtakong in 1972. Despite not being allotted to local residents, the plot somehow found its way into the hands of the encroachers, who resisted eviction, demarcated the land and put it up for sale.

 

The weekend’s third raid, on a four-rai plot, revealed that the owner was still using the land for recreation after prosecutors had failed to submit the encroachment case to court. 

 

Cheewapap Cheewatham, head of the centre’s Phayak Prai forest crime suppression taskforce, said his officials would do their best to enforce the law to their utmost to reclaim the illegally occupied plots for the state, despite an uphill task complicated by legal procedures.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30346550

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-30

Just arrest them and the corrupt officials that provided the land.

 

Sorry, forgetting they are no doubt "connected good people"   

 

Arrest, no bail, evict them from the land and hammer all involved, it would soon end all this.

Cant stop it, more like "wont stop it"

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Despite facing encroachment charges, owners of the three plots were found to be still occupying their properties and even offering them for sale or demarcating the land to declare ownership.

so much for respect for law and order; sure encroachment is remarkably widespread; the real issue is the lack of respect for law and order, seems cultural here

1 hour ago, YetAnother said:

so much for respect for law and order; sure encroachment is remarkably widespread; the real issue is the lack of respect for law and order, seems cultural here

Yes respect for the law, an excuse to arrest political protesters but not blatant arrogant law breakers like this lot. 

wow how many are naughty farangs poaching Thai owned land?

6 hours ago, webfact said:

a 40-rai plot located 9 kilometres from the park that was confiscated for encroachment in 2011 but found the owner had put it up for sale at a price of Bt10 million per rai. 

 Wow ... Greed without limits ...!

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

teak plantation seized by authorities in 2016 found that the encroachers had refused to leave and were asking more than Bt1 billion for the land.

It is time to seize the personal assets of the encroachers and use it to put the land back in it's original state , ( plant trees etc ...) , that would teach them a " lesson " .

 

Anyway who would buy his land by now ...? and for this crazy price ...?

Easily solved if the right will was there.   Send in the Army to demolish all buildings after giving the 'owners' 24 hours to clear out all personal items, recover any 'crops' that may have been grown there and give them to the needy or return the land to the National Park for further farming.    Imprison all those who have defied the orders to leave for a minimum of five years and seize all assets deemed to have been accumulated as a result of the illegal land grabbing.

 

Of course; this is what would happen in the real world but Thailand is cloud cuckoo land, which is not even annexed to the real world !

What's Wrong with this Government /Law/ Army,,,they just haven't got the Ball to do the right thing,,,, arrest /convict/ Jail all the corrupt  people from High up to down the food chain,, If they are Encroaching it easy get the Police/Army and lock them all up .No lengthly court cases needed.

dont the Thai people make the law and the police just follow ...

9 hours ago, webfact said:

officials would do their best to enforce the law to their utmost to reclaim the illegally occupied plots for the state, despite an uphill task complicated by legal procedures.

Thailand at its very best. Officials who are going to "do their best" to enforce the law, something that is the very basis of their employment. Plus the situation is "complicated by legal procedures", not simplified nor factually explained or decided beyond dispute. With involvement by National Park, Forestry officials, land offices, police and local govt. the loopholes are endless. These "encroachers" are of course of the wealthy elite and their fear of the law and its rules are plain to see in their total disregard for previous actions.