Red Shirts At Soi Dao

A little research found this illuminating news.

At the beginning of September 2003, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment vowed to take legal action against the operator of Soi Dao Highland golf course for encroaching on Khao Soi Dao wildlife sanctuary, even though the owner had agreed to return the land in question. Minister Praphat Panyachartrak was referring to the golf resort in Chanthaburi province, owned by the Sophonpanich family that also owns the Bangkok Bank.

“A wrong has been committed. It does not matter whether the owner returns the land to the state or whether they pay land taxes. The fact is that the tracts are located in Khao Soi Dao wildlife sanctuary and forest reserve,'' the minister said. He added the alleged encroachment covered 389 rai (1 rai=1,600 sqm) in the wildlife sanctuary and 93 rai in the forest reserve.

Khao Soi Dao forest is the source of streams and Chanthaburi's Bang Pakong river. One of the potential problems for the forest was the diversion of water in streams for golf courses, resorts and cash crop plantations.

For those whose first language is not English please allow me to tell you that a vow is a solemn or earnest pledge or promise binding the person making it to perform a specified act or to behave in a certain way. It obviously means something entirely different to Khun Praphat. a TRT member, who served in the Thaksin administration. In 2003 the TNT Government took no action against Khun Praphat although the NCCC ruled that he had encroached upon a 300 rai plot of land earmarked for land reform in the province of Lampang.

Anybody else thinking of pots and kettles? Seems to me that in relation to Thai politicians you would have to scratch around a great deal to find anybody without sin to throw the first stone. This truly is a country governed by 16 year olds, and totally immoral ones at that.