Govt wants help to save Salween forest
Pongphon Sarnsamak
The Nation
Mae Hong Son


The 36th Ranger Regiment Special Task Force used a truck to transfer confiscated teak logs seized from illegal logging gangs in Salween forest reserve.

BANGKOK: -- The government is set to seek the help of neighbouring countries in a bid to halt rampant illegal logging at the country's national forest reserves.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Viset Kasemthongsri said he would sign letters which will be sent to neighbouring countries.

He was speaking during a visit to Sop Moei district in Mae Hong Son to study the operation of local authorities to stop illegal logging at Salween reserve forest - the country's largest natural teak forest, which has been hit by illegal logging gangs since last October.

Forest officials have seized over 190 teak logs in the past seven months.

The Salween reserve covers over one million rai, with about 100,000 rai containing teak worth about Bt80 billion.

The illegal-logging gangs have a preference for targeting teak located near the Salween River on the Thai-Myanmar border.

They use two-wheel carts to move logs from the reserve and leave them along the river before floating them down the river into Myanmar via small creeks, an official said.

Sop Moei district chief Boonkeu Kunatharakul said some areas in the district and Huay Mae Pua creek, located a kilometre from Ban Mae Sam Lab, had been used by illegal-logging gangs to transport the logs to avoid arrest.

The heavy illegal logging in the Salween followed the 36th Ranger Regiment Special Task Force recently ceasing patrols to catch the gangs.

And as no one lives in areas targeted by gangs, they can easily enter the forest reserve.

Viset accepted that local authorities struggled to arrest gangs because each local authority works separately.

In a bid to protect the Salween forest more effectively, he set up a special committee chaired by the Mae Hong Son governor, with an operation centre also established.

He also ordered forest officials to assess the illegal-logging risk for each forest reserve nationwide, and instructed officials to conduct more reconnaissance surveys in an attempt to prevent illegal logging.


-- The Nation 2014-05-05

"The heavy illegal logging in the Salween followed the 36th Ranger Regiment Special Task Force recently ceasing patrols to catch the gangs."

Why were the Special task Force Patrols discontinued in the area?

It appears they were performing their job effectively.

Where were they moved to?

What happens to those teak logs once they are seized by authorities?

Are they sold off at auction?

Seems like a nice way for authorities to make some good money...eliminate patrols...allow the timber to be illegally harvested...confiscate and sell the timber after the hard work is done.

Why were patrols stopped in Salween forest ?

Is this the whole story....who manages this area......?

To me, it's been managed this way...no patrols...more logs..more money.....and once again..it's a national disgrace!

Illegal logging is continuing virtually unabated in almost all of the forests in Thailand....whether they a National parks or otherwise.

Teak, rosewood and other beautiful natural timbers are rapidly disappearing due to the high demand of these timbers.

Park administrators have much to answer for...but the usual denials keep coming from them because there's so much money to be made!

Plunder of teak is part of the Thai culture. Numerous articles by noted esteemed authors decades ago in The Nation described the Thai plunder of forests and teak in particular. Nothing has changed.

Plunder of teak is part of the Thai culture. Numerous articles by noted esteemed authors decades ago in The Nation described the Thai plunder of forests and teak in particular. Nothing has changed.

Many a millionaire has been made in Thailand from.logging.

Why should it be any different today?

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Why were patrols stopped in Salween forest ?

Is this the whole story....who manages this area......?

To me, it's been managed this way...no patrols...more logs..more money.....and once again..it's a national disgrace!

Illegal logging is continuing virtually unabated in almost all of the forests in Thailand....whether they a National parks or otherwise.

Teak, rosewood and other beautiful natural timbers are rapidly disappearing due to the high demand of these timbers.

Park administrators have much to answer for...but the usual denials keep coming from them because there's so much money to be made!

just another systematic failure of administration which is consistent with all their other failures and corruption.

They should also save the forests in the national parks by dumping the plans to inundate thousands of rai of forest with their dam proposals.

There are better ways to ensure water and power supply than building huge dams.

His Majesty (long may he live) put forward plans years ago which have been ignored.

These plans would serve the country and the people better than the proposed dams.

But of course if they are going to flood vast areas of national park forest the trees will first have to be removed and someone will get the valuable timber.

Plunder of teak is part of the Thai culture. Numerous articles by noted esteemed authors decades ago in The Nation described the Thai plunder of forests and teak in particular. Nothing has changed.

Many a millionaire has been made in Thailand from.logging.

Why should it be any different today?

Yeah keep the trend going--ha brilliant,

pic says it all. watch the brown... i rest my case.

back in the day borders were temporary shifted so logging took place in burma (lawless) and not thailand (logging forbidden). lack of proper demarcation and creativity at its best. when the job was done the "border" was shifted again....