PACC Panel To Probe Illegal Land Grabbing In Thailand

[webfact]

PACC panel to probe illegal land grabbing

Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Public Sector AntiCorruption Commission is now delving into five major landgrabbing schemes involving officials and national politicians after setting up an investigating committee recently.

In a case where land was illegally acquired and sold to foreigners, a former public health minister from an unspecified political party was complicit, PACC secretarygeneral Dussadee Arayawuth said yesterday.

This case would likely be transferred to the National AntiCorruption Commission because the land officials assisting in the scheme have been promoted to grades beyond those targeted by PACC, he said.

Through intervention by politicians, onethird of all land, totalling more than several thousands of rai and worth more than Bt10 billion, are now illegally owned by foreigners through Thai nominees, he said.

There are other cases already under PACC's jurisdiction and a few more awaiting approval for the PACC to take on.

In Phuket, two large plots have been illegally acquired through the forgery of title deeds. On one plot, many luxury homes are being built for sale to foreigners at Bt80 million each, while the other plot will be used to develop a Bt10billion beachfront hotel.

In the Nakhon Ratchasima section of Khao Yai, 22 plots covering 264 rai of restricted land worth about Bt400 million are now illegally in private hands.

In Loei's Na Duang district, a vast tract of land belonging temporarily to villagers for farming is set to be sold through illegal acquisition procedures at lower prices.

In Chiang Mai's Mae Rim National Park, 29 plots covering 76 rai and valued at about Bt200 million have been certified as transferable through the cooperation of corrupt land officials who reportedly redrew map boundaries to allow restricted land to be owned and included in transferable deeds.

In Saraburi, a team of government surveyors included an area in a part of a forest reserve that would be allotted to farmers for temporary farming, without reassigning it as Forest Department property under regulations.

There are five other cases awaiting PACC's consideration while a search for more evidence is underway.

In Phuket, two plots covering 21 rai are earmarked for a hotel and in Kathu district land worth about Bt1.1 billion has been issued an ownership deed.

In Phang Nga's Koh Yao district, public areas worth about Bt2 billion have been issued ownership deeds.

In Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district, 36 rai have not been classified according to their true status.

In Trang's Si Kao district, police are suspected of corruption after failing to act on a complaint over document forgery lodged four years ago.

-- The Nation 2012-04-19

[noitom]

This should be an entertaining case to follow if there is any follow up by the newspapers.

[patekatek]

PACC panel to probe illegal land grabbing

I think the word "probe" should be replaced with "prosecute" in order to have any validity at all. In Thailand, a "probe" is more like a rectal thermometer except a rectal thermometer(probe) would come out cleaner if used over here.

[exeter]

Surely it can all be resolved with a bit of "compensation"?

[zakk9]

Quick summary: The foreigners did it.

[richard10365]

I think the people who are able to make muli-million baht investments are able to afford the best lawyers around. If it turns out they do own the land legally there could be some counter suits that could be costly to the person pushing this investigation.

[h90]

PACC panel to probe illegal land grabbing

I think the word "probe" should be replaced with "prosecute" in order to have any validity at all. In Thailand, a "probe" is more like a rectal thermometer except a rectal thermometer(probe) would come out cleaner if used over here.

no probe is right.

Prosecute suggest that something will happen. But that isn't intended at all. Just some people want some tea-money.

So they probe where they can get some.

[AngryParent]

In a case where land was illegally acquired and sold to foreigners,

I was wondering where the rabid, racist and xenophobic mob were.

The news on here is almost predictable. Out of any 7 days: 2 days kill/expel/confiscate/steal anything to do with foreigners, 4 days complete BS conflicting political "news", 1 day news that has no relevance to anything (even the gutter press in Zimbabwe would not consider it news worthy) and then somewhere in those 7 days, one or two OK stories.

Edited April 19, 2012 by AngryParent

[otherstuff1957]

I suspect that this investigation will die a quick and silent death as soon as in approaches certain investments in certain farming areas.

I love this quote!:

This case would likely be transferred to the National AntiCorruption Commission because the land officials assisting in the scheme have been promoted to grades beyond those targeted by PACC, he said.

The officials involved will be prosecuted just as vigorously as Supoth is being prosecuted.

[WhizBang]

This case would likely be transferred to the National AntiCorruption Commission because the land officials assisting in the scheme have been promoted to grades beyond those targeted by PACC, he said.

Soooo, they were promoted above the level of guilt? What a great way to get out of wrong doing... just get promoted.

[GentlemanJim]

well whoever is involved, no matter how much money they have "stolen" from foreigners who were told the land was kosher, I am sure that these crimes will all qualify for amnesty when the whitewash bill is eventually passed. Other mere mortals could expect 10 years in the slammer, but not these slime balls.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Getting involved in large-scale real estate development here as a foreigner is IMO nearly as risky (financially anyway) as competing against the local PTB in drug trafficking or gambling.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Remember back before the major floods, there was a ton of news reports about the supposedly illegal housing and resort project developed up around Khao Yai in supposedly protected forest areas. And there were investigations and eventually court orders that the property owners had to demolish/remove their structures or the government would do it...

And then... and then... and then.... ??????

[slapout]

When you look at the various types paper issued for land thoughtout Thailand, the entire system rule book was seemly set up by the breaucrats so as they could do with the existing tenents, as they pleased, change paper to suit their own agendas, have a source of tea money via the civil servents involved, etc.

Otherwise continue in the Thai way that has existed for donkey years, which adapts to a growing population, degradation of existing lands, for the benifit of a small group, while furnishing existance salaries to those who end up being brought to task for the wrong doings of the small group and the ingnorance of most of the population.

[h90]

well whoever is involved, no matter how much money they have "stolen" from foreigners who were told the land was kosher, I am sure that these crimes will all qualify for amnesty when the whitewash bill is eventually passed. Other mere mortals could expect 10 years in the slammer, but not these slime balls.

But as foreigner can't buy land in Thailand, I guess in most cases the foreigner did something not allowed and got cheated themself.

[Crushdepth]

Endless probing of corruption in Thailand, but never seem to hear about the results?

[h90]

Endless probing of corruption in Thailand, but never seem to hear about the results?

because usually there are no results (beside additional corruption).

[whybother]

In a case where land was illegally acquired and sold to foreigners

So the foreigners are going to be the ones that are picked on. Forget about the people that illegally acquired the land.