Surayud's Khao Yai Thiang Home Demolished

[PoorSucker]

I found this photo on Google earth.

[Credo]

Well, this makes him a very, very bad man. Not only is depriving the poor of their land, but then he takes their houses as well!

(And yes, I am being facetious).

[SomTumTiger]

I like how pole made it appear that Surayud used illegal timber. Cite your source Pole. More likely, they timbers were reclaimed from another older house, refinshed and used in the new home.

Polaex - Trivializing the momenteous and complicating the obvious since early 2010 (snark).

I don't want to get in the middle of the pissing match, but when's the last time a self considered hi so would use recycled timber in a home? Reusing old growth timber has only become popular in the past 10 years or so in the west in large part because of the lack of availability of the desured timber. I don't think it's a big trend in Thailand, particularly when the well connected will just cut it from protected forests or import it from Burma. If the fancy pants of Thailand are recycling timber, bless them, but I don't think so.

Seen it done and heared about it being done, literally half a dozen times in the past year. Its done, its common, and its quite likely what happened in this case.

[Buchholz]

Now let's see what happens to some of the other encroachments all over the country by resorts and golf clubs such as Alpine in Pathum Thani.

As mentioned by other posters, let's see how long it takes for some definitive action on other similar cases, eg. Alpine Golf.

Law Society hopes to file Alpine case by Saturday deadline

THE NATION

Published on August 18, 2010

The Law Society of Thailand yesterday expressed confidence it would be able to file the case involving the Alpine Golf Club land scandal with the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders before the statute of limitations expires this Saturday.

Sak Korsaengruang, the society's Chairman and a former member of the post-2006-coup Assets Examination Committee, said the National Anti-Corruption Commission early this month had asked the society to prepare the case for filing with the court.

The NACC turned to the society after public prosecutors decided not to pursue the case, claiming the NACC's investigation report was flawed.

"We have only two weeks to do this job before the statute of limitation ends on the 21st," Sak said at the time.

In February, the NACC concluded that former Deputy Interior Minister Snoh Thienthong, who is now leader of the opposition Pracharaj Party, had committed abuse of power and criminal coercion, offences that carry a maximum punishment of execution.

In February 1990, Snoh allegedly ordered a Buddhist temple that owned a land plot in Pathum Thani donated by a wealthy woman to transfer it to a foundation.

On August 21 that year, the company that operates the Alpine Golf Club, in which Snoh's wife and brother were shareholders, bought the land in question from the foundation for Bt142 million.

In 1998, businessman Thaksin Shinawatra, who would later become prime minister, bought the golf course for Bt500 million.

It is against the law to buy or sell monastic land. The statute of limitation for the case is 20 years.

The NACC also found that Yongyuth Wichaidit, who was then acting Permanent Secretary at the Interior Ministry and is now the non-MP Leader of the opposition Pheu Thai Party, was also involved in the alleged wrongdoing.

Five other people - former Land Department and Interior Ministry officials - were also accused of involvement. However, for two of them the statute of limitation has ended, one has died, and the other two were eventually found to have no involvement.

NACC member Klanarong Chantik said the Office of the Attorney-General had informed the agency that the commission's case was incomplete, and therefore a joint working group was set up to interrogate 10 additional witnesses.

The OAG concluded that the witness testimonies did not show Snoh had committed any severe wrongdoing.

Klanarong said the NACC had therefore decided to bring the case to court itself with the aid of the Law Society of Thailand.

Sak said that when the NACC and the OAG failed to find common ground on cases against politicians, the NACC often turned to the lawyers' association for legal aid in bringing the case to court by itself.

Such cases included those of the two- and three-digit lottery and Export-Import Bank of Thailand's loan to Burma, as well as the rubber-seedlings case against Thaksin and his Cabinet members.

Sak said that although the public prosecutors had viewed each of those cases as incomplete, the court admitted all of them for trial.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/08/18/politics/Law-Society-hopes-to-file-Alpine-case-by-Saturday--30136090.html

[Buchholz]

The principles involved in the Alpine Golf land scandal:

Nuem Chamnanchartsakda, the original owner of the land in Pathum Thani on which the golf course and a housing estate were built. She had, in her will, given 732 rai to Wat Thammikaram in Prachuap Khiri Khan in 1971.

former Thai Rak Thai Party MP and current Pracharaj Party Party Leader Snoh Thienthong

former Thai Rak Thai Party Party Leader and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra

former Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry and current Pheu Thai Party Party Leader Yongyuth Wichaidit

[tomyummer]

Now back to Khao Yai Thiang.....what happens now to all the muslims in the village near to where the General had his land? They were given the rights to pass their farm land to their heirs (as farmers) but were found to have sold the majority to others? Now what? Evict them all? Or take the land away and give it back to the original owners? What if they didn't have heirs? I think the dumb a-s-s politicians need to think their laws through more thoroughly before passing them. Time to really overhaul their zoning laws or lack thereof. There are way too many loopholes AND holes in this country.

[animatic]

A bank robber rob a bank and took a million dollar from the vault.

The law finally caught up with him after a few years.

He is then force to return the money to the bank.

Since the bank no longer lost the money, the robber committed no crime.

SO HE WALKS FREE.

Sound familiar?

More like you buy a nice painting from someone and a few years later it is found the painting was stolen so it is taken away from you to be returned to whom it was stolen from. However, who goes to jail? You who bought it or the guy who stole it and sold it to you.

Sound familiar

Quite.

[hammered]

I await the red short anti double standard brigade to descend en masse on Alpine and demand it is seized and everything built on it demolished and those involved jailed. That would show true beleif in confronting double standards and not just hypocritical pandering to those funding the movement.

If necessary the government should repeal any special laws to enable the reds to show us their true belief inm campaigning abiout double standards.

I bet you wont hear a peep out of team red about the alpine case aas it inviolves their ammat funders and gods

[Buchholz]

I await the red shirt anti-double standard brigade to descend en masse on Alpine and demand it is seized and everything built on it demolished and those involved jailed. That would show true belief in confronting double standards and not just hypocritical pandering to those funding the movement.

If necessary the government should repeal any special laws to enable the reds to show us their true belief in campaigning about double standards.

I bet you wont hear a peep out of team red about the alpine case as it involves their ammat funders and gods

Hopefully, they won't impede the filing of charges as the case nears the 20 year-old mark for dropping them due to statute of limitations.

Says a lot that they squawk so loud about 2 year-old cases being delayed and ignore this one (as well as their own Red Shirt leaders' 3 year-old cases).

Edited August 18, 2010 by Buchholz

[dumball]

I like how pole made it appear that Surayud used illegal timber. Cite your source Pole. More likely, they timbers were reclaimed from another older house, refinshed and used in the new home.

Polaex - Trivializing the momenteous and complicating the obvious since early 2010 (snark).

I don't want to get in the middle of the pissing match, but when's the last time a self considered hi so would use recycled timber in a home? Reusing old growth timber has only become popular in the past 10 years or so in the west in large part because of the lack of availability of the desured timber. I don't think it's a big trend in Thailand, particularly when the well connected will just cut it from protected forests or import it from Burma. If the fancy pants of Thailand are recycling timber, bless them, but I don't think so.

You are a lot of years off in when pre-used timbers were used in the West and it was not due to lack of being available in new stock , many old barns were carefully taken apart so the 'Antique look ' could be given to some new structures , beams were used in cathedral ceilings that were quite popular and the boarding used in projects such as basement bars . These old materials cost more than the new ones available because of the way they they had been hewed or the 'Aged effect of boarding ' .

It was not long after this that the old style of bricks were salvaged from ancient farm houses , these were used in modern constuction to give the same effect , especialy in rural surroundings .

This was in the sixties , some fifty years ago .

[SamritT]

Confiscate the land. Let the monks live in luxury and play golf too.

[Buchholz]

The principles involved in the Alpine Golf land scandal:

former Thai Rak Thai Party MP and current Pracharaj Party Party Leader Snoh Thienthong

NACC Indicts Veteran Politician on Illegal Land Ownership

UPDATE : 18 August 2010

The National Anti-Corruption Commission has appointed the Lawyers Council of Thailand in the indictment of former Deputy Interior Minister Sanoh Tientong, on an illegal land ownership charge.

Yesterday (August 17), Klanarong Chantik, a member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission or the NACC, announced that Sanoh Tientong, a former Deputy Interior Minister, will be indicted in a case of illegal ownership of a golf course in Pathum Thani province.

The Lawyers Council of Thailand has been tasked with the indictment after the Office of the Attorney-General decided not to proceed with the case, citing inconclusive evidence.

However, the NACC believes there is sufficient evidence and that Sanoh should be indicted.

As a result, using the authority vested by Article 11 of the Charter, the NACC has decided to appoint the Lawyers Council of Thailand to take over the case.

The NACC is hoping the case will go to court before its statute of limitations period runs out.

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/tan/ViewData.aspx?DataID=1033599

[SamritT]

Sorry, Surayud no go jail. He worked for the right boss. And that is not Thaksin.

[Buchholz]

The principles involved in the Alpine Golf land scandal:

Nuem Chamnanchartsakda, the original owner of the land in Pathum Thani on which the golf course and a housing estate were built. She had, in her will, given 732 rai to Wat Thammikaram in Prachuap Khiri Khan in 1971.

former Thai Rak Thai Party MP and current Pracharaj Party Party Leader Snoh Thienthong

former Thai Rak Thai Party Party Leader and Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra

former Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry and current Pheu Thai Party Party Leader Yongyuth Wichaidit

A hopeful update. Good timing with Yongyuth just getting re-re-elected as Pheu Thai Party Leader this week:

Supreme Court launches judicial review against Snoh

The Supreme Court decided Thursday to launch a judicial review against former Interior Minister Snoh Thienthong for allegedly abusing his authority to allow himself to purchase a plot of land supposed to be donated to a temple.

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office ruled that the court had authority to try the case, which was filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

The court scheduled the first hearing on November 19 for Snoh to enter his plea.

The NACC alleged that Snoh had abused his authority to order the Pathum Thani land office from allowing the Thammikaram Temple from accepting a land donated to it. Snoh later bought the land, which was turned into the Alpine Golf Course.

-- The Nation 2010-09-16

[Buchholz]

Sanoh in Hot Seat for Alpine Land Case

The Supreme Court's division for political post holders has accepted the National Anti-Corruption Commission's lawsuit against veteran politician Sanoh Thienthong, who's currently the Pracharaj Party Leader, on the Alpine Golf Course land case.

The first hearing has been set for November 19.

-- Tan Network 2010-09-16

[Bagwan]

Confiscate the land. Let the monks live in luxury and play golf too.

A top of the range driver will set you back 25K baht. Then there are another 13 clubs to buy, a golf bag, shoes, some snazzy gear and a few dozen balls.  Lessons would be a good idea and then a caddy must also be paid for each round. How is a monk with a vow of poverty going to afford all that? Presumably the same way that they can afford PC's and the latest mobile phone?