Encroachment Crackdown Set: Thailand

[webfact]

Encroachment crackdown set

JANJIRA PONGRAI

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Using the harsh tactics deployed against illegal resorts at Tub Lan National Park in Prachin Buri and Nakhon Ratchasima as a model, officials will soon begin crackdowns on encroachment at parks in Phuket and Tak.

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has vowed to tackle the encroachment problem at Sirinat Marine National Park in Phuket within a month's time. The DNP is also targeting Taksin Maharat National Park in the mountains of Tak province.

At a seminar yesterday, DNP director-general Rerngchai Prayoonwej called a meeting of 800 forest rangers as a show of force in preparation for the coming sweeps.

The tactics, which will include the demolition of illegal resorts as was done at Tub Lan, will use the "boldest law enforcement and operational readiness available".

At Sirinat park, authorities will conduct verification of land-ownership claims by several resorts.

Rerngchai said 14 plots totalling 600 rai (96 hectares) were detected and encroachers prosecuted under the park's previous chief. Verification of three other plots is underway.

There's likely encroachment on 372 more plots totalling 3,673 rai at the Phuket park, Rerngchai said.

The first teams of rangers will conduct verification from October 29 to November 7. A second team will operate from November 8-18, and the third and final sweeps will be held from November 19-29, checking 366 plots.

Rerngchai told the rangers that encroachment at Sirinat National Park was regarded as an act of defiance to the honour of the DNP. He called on them carefully to exercise their power and not discriminate.

He cited the Tub Land resort demolitions as a model and said similar tactics would be used in the crackdown at Sirinat.

Evidence of encroachment at Sirinat is supported by the Department of Special Investigation.

In addition to criminal charges, violators would face civil lawsuits, a DNP source said.

At Taksin Maharat National Park in Tak, training of rangers is underway. The park's chief, Phanit Suwannaphat, took part in the crackdown at Tub Lan and said the experience would be helpful. There are two possible cases of encroachment at Taksin, involving small plots.

-- The Nation 2012-10-25

[softgeorge]

Didn't they already have this crackdown?

[jerrysteve]

Seems to be rather an inordinate number of Crackdowns lately. One would think there are already Laws on the Books for this Stuff.

But the Law has obviously looked the other way....

A New Hub has been born again. Thailand will go down in Infamy as the HUB of CRACKDOWNS...

[Songhua]

Here's a simpler and less time consuming solution: don't let it happen in the first place.

[pisico]

Here's a simpler and less time consuming solution: don't let it happen in the first place.

Precisely!

Those in charge and responsible of making sure that encroachment would not eventuate; will they be punished?

Oh, what am I saying? At most a transfer to another position where they will have even less duties "not to do". TIT.

[softgeorge]

Here's a simpler and less time consuming solution: don't let it happen in the first place.

Oh please stop with the logical thinking. Just think if they stopped it happening in the 1st place then there would be a drop in sales of brown paper bags and nice new mercedes.

[asiawatcher]

One down and 372 to go... the odds are good this will be done by the turn of the next millennium.

[fareastguy]

Surely a building regulation put in place to stop indiscriminate development would be better.

To build or increase the size of any development requires a building certificate issued by the local planning department.

Without any such certificate it is illegal & will be destroyed if found.

Issue a nationwide hotline with a reward for any information leading to the finding of illegal developments & that will help along the investigation.

[davejones]

Here's a simpler and less time consuming solution: don't let it happen in the first place.

It's already happened, so it needs to be fixed.

[softgeorge]

One down and 372 to go... the odds are good this will be done by the turn of the next millennium.

Na Thailand work on a 90 day time limit, except for becoming fluent in English which they allow 6 months.

[softgeorge]

Surely a building regulation put in place to stop indiscriminate development would be better.

To build or increase the size of any development requires a building certificate issued by the local planning department.

Without any such certificate it is illegal & will be destroyed if found.

Issue a nationwide hotline with a reward for any information leading to the finding of illegal developments & that will help along the investigation.

oh stop it your killing me. Would these regulations be the same as the laws of the land which can be over ridden for a few baht?

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

After the demolition of the illegal resorts I bet that all the broken down buildings are just left there and it will be there for decades.

[bigbamboo]

If only they could construct futsal stadiums as efficiently as they can knock down resorts!

[fxe1200]

Here's a simpler and less time consuming solution: don't let it happen in the first place.

Precisely!

Those in charge and responsible of making sure that encroachment would not eventuate; will they be punished?

Oh, what am I saying? At most a transfer to another position where they will have even less duties "not to do". TIT.

...preferably to an "inactive post" with full salary.

[sscsamui]

They should visit Samui...

[fasteddie]

Can't wait for them to clean up Phi Phi, isn't it a national park with no building allowed?

[Ripple]

And what about encroachment on all the dam_n sidewalks? I understand that's the way it is in major market areas of Bangkok and other big cities, but even in smaller towns the businesses gradually expand on to the sidewalks making hard to walk or ride a bicycle. Is there ANY rules or regulations (except that farangs wear helmets) in this country?

[Tanaka]

And what about encroachment on all the dam_n sidewalks? I understand that's the way it is in major market areas of Bangkok and other big cities, but even in smaller towns the businesses gradually expand on to the sidewalks making hard to walk or ride a bicycle. Is there ANY rules or regulations (except that farangs wear helmets) in this country?

First, the sidewalks are for just that, walks. Not for motorbikes or other bikes. Second, there are laws. A shopkeeper does not own or has the right to use the area outside his shop. But like in other areas in Thailand, the law is not enforced so the unlawfulness is just spreading in that area too.

[smedly]

it's called transfer of ownership/control, as soon as they get rid of the encroachers the reds will move in and take over, that is exactly what this is about - it happened at the airport, reds booted out the crowd running the carparks and moved in, - my recent taxi journey to the airport was interesting, the drive that I use on a regular basis was shit scared to drive in there for fear of the reds taking his money, I paid him his tip before we got near the airport, he called them thugs and he was a PT voter