Land titles for certain plots being revoked, says minister

By THE NATION

 

The current condition of Phu Khee Kai in Phetchabun has prompted the authorities to look into allegations of forest encroachment.

 

Phetchabun water park probed over allegations of forest encroachment

 

NATURAL Resources and Environment Minister General Surasak Karnjanarat told reporters yesterday that the Land Department was in the process of revoking the land-rights documents for privately owned plots in Phetchabun that are encroaching on forestland. 

 

An investigation was launched into whether a water park in the province was encroaching on forestland after a Line message, reportedly written by Colonel Pongphetch Ketsupa of Internal Security Operations Command, went viral on social media. In the message, the colonel complained about bureaucratic red tape hampering moves to crack down on forest encroachers. 

 

“I feel disheartened and sad that we cannot protect the watershed forest by the Pasak River,” the message reads. 

 

It continues: “I saw people participating in an opening ceremony [on October 28] for a water park in Phu Khee Kai, which is located on 1,800 rai of forestland in the area overlapping Phetchabun’s Lom Kao and Lom Sak districts. But the process to revoke the [land-rights] documents was so slow that a large part of the forest was destroyed. … Isn’t it time to act now? 

 

“If we are too late, this watershed forest by the Pasak River will be gone. I sincerely beg related agencies to help solve the problem and fight against the gang of forest encroachers. It is already difficult to reclaim forestland, and if we don’t come together to prevent this then I think we might as well just give it up to the investors. When I visited three or four years ago, it was a lush forest, now it looks like this [attached photos showing bare hills in the forest].”

 

The 1,800-rai was originally divided into 58 plots, which were allegedly obtained using illegal land-rights documents in 1999, which was discovered by the authorities in 2014.

 

Old issue

 

Meanwhile, the Royal Forestry Department has sent a 2006 letter detailing its initial findings of suspected encroachment to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), asking it to re-investigate the case.

 

DSI chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang said yesterday its original investigation in December 2007 found that state officials had illegitimately issued land-right documents for the plots. 

 

The DSI had forwarded the case to the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission for action against those officials in November 2008, he said. 

 

In July 2009 the DSI asked the Land Department to consider revoking the land-right documents. More recently, DSI Region 6 headquarters received a complaint that foreign investors had bought up the land plots in question and built structures there, so the agency reopened the case on October 19.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30357532

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-31

4 hours ago, webfact said:

in July 2009 the DSI asked the Land Department to consider revoking the land-right documents.

So what did the Land Dept. actually do in the intervening 9 years............

4 hours ago, webfact said:

More recently, DSI Region 6 headquarters received a complaint that foreign investors had bought up the land plots in question and built structures there, so the agency reopened the case on October 19

Those pesky foreigners again...................????

40 minutes ago, topt said:

So what did the Land Dept. actually do in the intervening 9 years

Fact finding  committee, enquiry, trip away in swanky hotel...................result brown envelope, large carpet, repeat envelopes yearly.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

More recently, DSI Region 6 headquarters received a complaint that foreign investors had bought up the land plots in question and built structures there

Doubtless being informed by the land dept it was legal land and fine to do so.

2 hours ago, topt said:

So what did the Land Dept. actually do in the intervening 9 years............

Those pesky foreigners again...................????

Wife works in real estate, she told me today (rumour) her other friend agents are being told by their customers ie tenants that  immigration are now looking to see movement in and out of the 400-800k in accounts, they are  not  happy with "parked"  money only.

Just a possible heads up as to which pesky foreigner are in the firing line next.

22 minutes ago, kannot said:

immigration are now looking to see movement in and out of the 400-800k in accounts, they are  not  happy with "parked"  money only.

A fair number of people use "fixed accounts" to park their Extension money but if so should have other accounts which would show "movement".  

If people can tie up that amount of cash logic would suggest they are not the people Immigration should be concerned about but TIT.

every province has its its land encroachment issues im sure and whos sellig it all? Its the officials of the corresponding orbator offices and alike. It always is! We have bought land which we were told was legite and had all the gps postions in the title and so on and all signed off by the main mayor etc. Doing our own sneaky homework we managed to trick or orbator into showing us the original land lines and took a pic and came home and checked all the gps coordinets. About 10rai of land we have is encroached. We spoke to a lawyer and then were followed by police, been harassed and so on so we are still here and done nothing.  we havent backed down and accumulating much more illegal activity ready for a big battle if need be.

Officials need to be put in prison. They all believe they are entitled to tax money as there own piggy bank.

11 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

every province has its its land encroachment issues im sure and whos sellig it all? Its the officials of the corresponding orbator offices and alike. It always is! We have bought land which we were told was legite and had all the gps postions in the title and so on and all signed off by the main mayor etc. Doing our own sneaky homework we managed to trick or orbator into showing us the original land lines and took a pic and came home and checked all the gps coordinets. About 10rai of land we have is encroached. We spoke to a lawyer and then were followed by police, been harassed and so on so we are still here and done nothing.  we havent backed down and accumulating much more illegal activity ready for a big battle if need be.

Officials need to be put in prison. They all believe they are entitled to tax money as there own piggy bank.

Have the same next to out land...........owner.............COLONEL in the army

1 hour ago, topt said:

A fair number of people use "fixed accounts" to park their Extension money but if so should have other accounts which would show "movement".  

If people can tie up that amount of cash logic would suggest they are not the people Immigration should be concerned about but TIT.

its for another thread but i live off my Wifes money have no need to bring any in, although am just about to bring couple of  million just incase they decide to go down this route later

The issue is not land encroachment it's the fact that in lots of countryside areas the amount of properly documented land is severely limited.

 

Sor por gor, sor tor gor, sor kor 1, nor sor sam - so many poor land titles that encourages illicit activity and highly inflates the price of chanote and nor sor sam gor land.

 

Put the word out that we are interested in some land to build a new house, ideally 10 rai. The only land in a location we liked didn't have proper paperwork so can't buy (safely), the land with a chanote was next to other houses and tiny in size. If it is impossible for people to legally purchase land due to poor titles then lots will go down the illegal route. Every piece of land should be issued with proper documentation, the problem would therefore no longer exist.

8 minutes ago, new101 said:

Every piece of land should be issued with proper documentation, the problem would therefore no longer exist.

yes but where is the corruption in that?

38 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

yes but where is the corruption in that?

Maybe, but the more you look into the land situation in Thailand the more absurd it becomes (unless you live in or close to a city).

 

Chanote land remains clustered together while the desirable vast swathes of un-spoilt countryside remain unobtainable as they don't have ownership papers.

 

What a pitty, no hill tribes there to blame for 'illegally' occupying the land they were living on for centuries.

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