Over 100 Siamese Rosewood Logs Seized, Worth Over Bt2 Million

[Lite Beer]

Over 100 Siamese rosewood logs seized, worth over Bt2 million
By Digital Media



NAKHON PHANOM, May 12 - Over 100 endangered Siamese rosewood logs were seized on Sunday at Ban Phaeng district, worth over Bt2 million.

Nattayot Chaichanasap, Chief of Phulangka National Park in Tha Uthen district, together with officials from related agencies told a news conference that two pickup trucks were apprehended carrying 108 processed cut timber logs. Each timber is 2-3 metre in length and 30-40 cm in width. The whole set of logs had a volume of 2.63 cubic metres.

According to authorities, the suspects were about to transfer the logs to a boat at the rim of Mekong River in Ban Phaeng district to further transport for sale in China, passing through Laos and Vietnam.

All the wood, believed to be worth over Bt2 million, was harvested from other provinces.

As Siamese rosewood is restricted and regularly controlled by authorities, there is high demand for the logs. Each cubic metre is now priced at as high as Bt1-2 million.

Ban Phaeng district in Nakhon Phanom province is a major transfer point for the wood to elsewhere due to its short distance to neighbouring countries. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-05-12

[Bellweather]

The story seems to be missing the usual sentence that " a local politician or an influential person in the area " is believed to be involved.

[BrianCR]

A local politician or an influential person in the area " involved?

Never, the whole thing was instigated by a pair of 18 and 12 year old kids (well at least they are the ones who will go to prison for it!)

[ratcatcher]

The story seems to be missing the usual sentence that " a local politician or an influential person in the area " is believed to be involved.

There's always a local politician or influential person involved.

There's money to be made here and once the publicity dies down, the logs will find their way to a mill and be sawed into nice boards and planks and used in someone's new resort home. Or something to that effect.

[worgeordie]

Why do they always find this wood after it has been cut down,I think I know why,just imagine

what happens to it after it is seized. let others do the hard work.

I thought the sound of chainsaws would carry quite a distance in the forest,very few cases

of actually catching loggers in the act, but they always seem to arrive after the trees are

felled.

regards Worgeordie

[arthurboy]

As Siamese rosewood is restricted and regularly controlled by authorities..., you would imagine that the authorities would know where it grows and therefore put in place measures to prevent it being cut down then, wouldn't you?

Or am I missing something here?

Apart from the rampant corruption, influence of the usual trough feeding suspects, etc. etc. ad nauseum....

[ginjag]

As Siamese rosewood is restricted and regularly controlled by authorities..., you would imagine that the authorities would know where it grows and therefore put in place measures to prevent it being cut down then, wouldn't you?

Or am I missing something here?

Apart from the rampant corruption, influence of the usual trough feeding suspects, etc. etc. ad nauseum....

This was a topic a while ago, and measures were taken (NOT) to stamp out the dead wood so to speak.

shows that blind eyes are active again. greed and money ALWAYS the key.

Local town and head villages SHOULD be aware of where it is going on. It is NOT a wood that is growing everywhere and common. So it is aknown fact where it grows and who is in control of the care of it. Do the bib ask any questions with the local admin ??????????

[hmj]

worgeordie #5

"I thought the sound of chainsaws would carry quite a distance in the forest..."

Nowadays they use electrical chainsaws in the forest powered by soundproofed
generators. Chainsaws with a 30 cm blade are legal. It takes 5 minutes to mount
a 150 cm blade which is carried separately.

"Why do they always find this wood after it has been cut down?"

This is an absolute truth. One reason is that the big man only can make an arrest
and he never comes in the forest. The little people who guard the forests are
careful not to arrest the wrong persons because they will get the blame on top of
their meager salaries.

[A Member]

The story seems to be missing the usual sentence that " a local politician or an influential person in the area " is believed to be involved.

There's always a local politician or influential person involved.

There's money to be made here and once the publicity dies down, the logs will find their way to a mill and be sawed into nice boards and planks and used in someone's new resort home. Or something to that effect.

Yes it's hard to believe there isn't a Mr. Big involved as this sort of specalised operation takes organistion and finance well beyond the scope of the usual illegal loggers.

[allan michaud]

Two points here, prices of rosewood are not 1-2m baht per cubic meter, they are around 300,000 per cubic meter.

As can be seen from the very small size of the logs they are now stripping even the smallest rosewood trees, very soon they will be all but extinct. Same going on here in Cambodia where it all goes to Vietnam.

[allan michaud]

As Siamese rosewood is restricted and regularly controlled by authorities..., you would imagine that the authorities would know where it grows and therefore put in place measures to prevent it being cut down then, wouldn't you?

Or am I missing something here?

Apart from the rampant corruption, influence of the usual trough feeding suspects, etc. etc. ad nauseum....

This was a topic a while ago, and measures were taken (NOT) to stamp out the dead wood so to speak.

shows that blind eyes are active again. greed and money ALWAYS the key.

Local town and head villages SHOULD be aware of where it is going on. It is NOT a wood that is growing everywhere and common. So it is aknown fact where it grows and who is in control of the care of it. Do the bib ask any questions with the local admin ??????????

Correct, the locals know where every Rosewood tree is, even the small ones not yet ready to cut. If the authorities really wanted to stop this they could. I was amazed on one trip to the forest with Danish botanists, we had 2 local cops with us (because of potentially dangerous loggers, ha!). When the botanists asked the local guide if he knew where they could get samples of Rosewood trees one of the cops stepped in. We were at the time 3 hours into a 6 hour journey through the forest, in the middle of nowhere and yet the cop stopped the truck and took us to a small tree (maybe 10cm in diameter) about 200 meters off the track. He knew exactly where it was and found us another specimen a few hundred meters further away. It may sound surprising to many people but literally every valuable tree is know.

[BanTamo]

In my experience (in Isaan some years back) there are roving sawyers who own rickety old chainsaws held together with duct tape and baling wire which nevertheless get the job done. All the work takes place late at night in total secrecy. The sawyer wears nothing but shorts, flipflops, and a small lamp on a strap round his head. A sophisticated crew serves as sentries stationed at all possible access routes and carry mobile phones. Certainly one of the command level police or military officers is informed and paid. In fact the sawyers basically work for those guys.

That said, we were only working the rather large stumps that had been left behind by other operations, and none were proper rosewood, though one was a related species. Some of these stumps were up to 2-3 meters high and probably 2+ meters diameter, so the tree had made the previous team some decent money. My salvage operation was so small and labour intensive, what with cleaning the base of the stump down below ground so as not to spoil the chains every three minutes. But we were able to take some prize specimens that were well worth working.

And not only that, but it was a fascinating look into the mechanics of a very dodgy business in the Emerald Triangle.

[SOTIRIOS]

.......just 'a drop in the bucket' I am sure...........

(...survey after survey of Thai people shows they condone corruption if it is for their personal gain....to the tune of around 80%....)

.....so what do you expect......

[PETERTHEEATER]

Over thirty years ago the local press reported on a high ranking army officer who, at weekends, was taking his family up-country in an Army helicopter (from BKK) so that he could supervise his team of loggers felling selected hardwood trees all at tax payers expense. Nothing changes.

I have twenty pieces of furniture in my house, all solid rosewood, purchased legally seven years ago in BKK but timber origin unknown, probably Burmese. It's the demand from China that is fuelling the illegal trade.

[Thai at Heart]

Seems like my antique dining table must be worth a bob or two then.

[maidu]

In my experience (in Isaan some years back) there are roving sawyers who own rickety old chainsaws held together with duct tape and baling wire which nevertheless get the job done. All the work takes place late at night in total secrecy. The sawyer wears nothing but shorts, flipflops, and a small lamp on a strap round his head. A sophisticated crew serves as sentries stationed at all possible access routes and carry mobile phones. Certainly one of the command level police or military officers is informed and paid. In fact the sawyers basically work for those guys.

That said, we were only working the rather large stumps that had been left behind by other operations, and none were proper rosewood, though one was a related species. Some of these stumps were up to 2-3 meters high and probably 2+ meters diameter, so the tree had made the previous team some decent money. My salvage operation was so small and labour intensive, what with cleaning the base of the stump down below ground so as not to spoil the chains every three minutes. But we were able to take some prize specimens that were well worth working.

And not only that, but it was a fascinating look into the mechanics of a very dodgy business in the Emerald Triangle.

Interesting. that's the 1st I've heard of taking down stumps that were left by previous loggers. I don't have a problem with that, It's good to leave one or two suckers - for future trees - though they'll probably get taken as soon as they're as big as a fence rail - because people are so impatient and greedy for any bit of satang. Thinking: 'better to cut this little tree and sell it for 50 baht, than to let it grow, because the next guy who comes along with a chainsaw, will cut it anyway.'

If I was in a position of authority in this 3rd world country, I would put saving forests as #1 priority. It's more important than baht fluctuations, than issuing T a passport, and is certainly more important than changing the Constitution to cushion Thaksin and his fellow Red Shirt arsonists.

[ginjag]

As Siamese rosewood is restricted and regularly controlled by authorities..., you would imagine that the authorities would know where it grows and therefore put in place measures to prevent it being cut down then, wouldn't you?

Or am I missing something here?

Apart from the rampant corruption, influence of the usual trough feeding suspects, etc. etc. ad nauseum....

This was a topic a while ago, and measures were taken (NOT) to stamp out the dead wood so to speak.

shows that blind eyes are active again. greed and money ALWAYS the key.

Local town and head villages SHOULD be aware of where it is going on. It is NOT a wood that is growing everywhere and common. So it is aknown fact where it grows and who is in control of the care of it. Do the bib ask any questions with the local admin ??????????

Correct, the locals know where every Rosewood tree is, even the small ones not yet ready to cut. If the authorities really wanted to stop this they could. I was amazed on one trip to the forest with Danish botanists, we had 2 local cops with us (because of potentially dangerous loggers, ha!). When the botanists asked the local guide if he knew where they could get samples of Rosewood trees one of the cops stepped in. We were at the time 3 hours into a 6 hour journey through the forest, in the middle of nowhere and yet the cop stopped the truck and took us to a small tree (maybe 10cm in diameter) about 200 meters off the track. He knew exactly where it was and found us another specimen a few hundred meters further away. It may sound surprising to many people but literally every valuable tree is know.

This is the most brilliant well thought ( CRAZY ) Idea----TAG all the mature rosewood trees, ??? then they will know who is logging and where. they do to inmates

[Noistar]

I just love converting the impressive sounding Bt2 million, to real money

£40,000 doesn't have the same headline grabbing effect.

[ginjag]

I just love converting the impressive sounding Bt2 million, to real money

£40,000 doesn't have the same headline grabbing effect.

Agree but this is only 1 were talking about, What about the rest that are ALLOWED to get through?

and the cost of it being wiped out altogether, then some big wig will find another endangered something to cash in on -paying all to turn a blind eye.

Edited May 14, 2013 by ginjag