D-Day to reclaim Sirinat national park in Phuket from encroachers begins

[webfact]

D Day to reclaim Sirinat national park in Phuket from encroachers begins



PHUKET: -- The combined force of police, soldiers, forestry, Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), Department of Special Investigation (DSI) officials began the D Day to reclaim encroached and illegally occupied land at the Sirinat national park kicked off today under the policy of the military junta to return forests and beaches to the people.

Of the total 379 plots occupied and owned by the people, only two are legal while the rest are illegal.

Meanwhile authorities also opened a centre for all the people who have bought land at the park to check their land title deeds if they are authentic official documents or fake, or whether land located inside the boundary of the park.

The three-day D Day from Tuesday until Thursday will include checking of all properties, all buildings built in the park and its beach fronts if they encroached on the park. Authorities will demolish all of them if they encroached on the park.

The Sirinat national park has seen continued encroachment in the past 10 years even though many complaints have been filed and arrests made.

At present, it seems that there are even more attempts of further encroachment into the protected area.

Forestry officials from the Sirinat national park have revealed that several private citizens have applied for title deeds on national park land of 250 rai (100 acres) in total.

But this was obstructed by the director of the Sirinat national park any issuance of the title deeds after investigations revealed that the entire 250 rai (100 acre) piece of land sits directly on the Sirinat national park and the surrounding Khao Ruak and Kaho Muang national forest Reserve.

According to officials, three private citizens – Nakorn Wongsithong, Ms. Anoma Fangsen and Chan Phongpha- applied for the title deeds.

And as it stands, only the signature of the provincial governor remains for the deeds to become legal. Had the documents been signed, the resulting loss of national forest reserves would amount to billions of baht, officials said.

Director of the Office of National Parks Samak Don-napi said he has clearly stated that this piece of land sits on national park land. Investigation of documents and surveys has clearly shown that the area immediately below the Khao Ruak national forest reserve is owned by the state and no title deeds can be issued.

The land on the Sirinat National Park has been encroached on from as far back as 1993.

According to him, 379 plots of land totaling 2,743 rai (1,097.2 acres) have been encroached upon. These encroachments are divided into three categories which are direct encroachment of national park lands, indirect or partial encroachment and land deeds that have been seized and are under investigation.

Of the latter, 14 cases are under investigation by the Department of Special Investigations (DSI).

Among the main parties under investigation are Phuket Peninsular, Three Dolphins Co. and Trisara Hotel Resort. The estimated value of each of the lands under investigation is substantial.

Chief of the Sirinat national park Kittipat Tharaphiban revealed evidence that implicates many civil servants in Phuket province and former Sirinat national park officials in illegally issuing title deeds on national park lands.

He cited example of the case of Andaman Private and Andaman White Beach resorts of which the original deed for 7 rai (2.8 acre) of land suspiciously grew to 57 rai (22.8 acre).

The process was full of discrepancies where the original title deed application was for only 7 rai (2.8 acre) as it reached the second stage of processing for the Sor Kor document it grew to 57 rai (22.8 acre). It next grew to 61 rai (24.4 acre) at the third or Nor Sor 3 stage and finally, when the title deed was issued, the property somehow grew even more to 70 rai (28 acre).”

The Office of National Parks is recommending for the immediate filling of these cases to the judiciary so that immediate action can be taken.

He added that the National Council for Peace and Order’s efforts to reclaim the ill-gotten properties and bring the perpetrators to justice is laudable as encroachment in to national parks lands have been going on for more than 20 years and nothing has been done to address the issue.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/d-day-reclaim-sirinat-national-park-phuket-encroachers-begins/


-- Thai PBS 2014-07-08

[stevenl]

Excellent news.

I really like it that they are naming some of the perpetrators, that makes it much more difficult to gently retreat from this. And shows their intentions as well.

[simon43]

The satellite photo with green and black lines seems to show the northern area and boundaries of the Srinath national park (black line) and the Khao Ruak and Kaho Muang national forest Reserve (green line). The photo that has been posted doesn't stretch down to Naithon and Layan beaches, areas of which also lie within these protected areas.

But looking at these boundary lines/photo and comparing against the Google Maps satellite photo:

- The large building top right (Dewa Hotel and Condos is well within the Srinat NP - Us locals all knew this...)

- The abandoned Hyatt Regency/Phuket Peninsula hotel lies within the Khao Ruak and Kaho Muang national forest Reserve.

- The Imperial Adamas hotel seems to lie in the overlapping areas of both protected area

- There is an area of Srinat NP to the north east of the Adamas that is signed locally as NP and has not been encroached on the beachfront, but possible has been encroached inland by L'Esprit de NaiYang (I can't really see from the photo - needs confirmation).

- The area of beachfront occupied by most of the small businesses/guesthouses looks to lie outside the NP, (in which case, there can be no excuse not to clear the beach-front of these illegal structures, as per Surin, Kamala etc beaches)

- I can't identify whether Indigo Pearl is in the protected area..

[simon43]

I drove around the Nai Yang area this morning with my GPS and marked a few notable businesses on the satellite photo.

- L'Esprit de Nai Yang Hotel would seem to lie inside the NP, (although their driveway is not!)

- The new MassaLuna Condos (not yet built but heavily promoted locally), seem to lie outside the NP

- Indigo Pearl is outside the NP

- Dewa Hotel and Condos are inside the NP

[oldsailor35]

Name and nail the bloody lot. They knew full well what they were doing. Also get all the minor officials who took money to help this along. Be ruthless, especially with some of the big developer/investors....................And then come up to Samui where there are one or two others to bring to justice.

[oldsailor35]

The satellite photo with green and black lines seems to show the northern area and boundaries of the Srinath national park (black line) and the Khao Ruak and Kaho Muang national forest Reserve (green line). The photo that has been posted doesn't stretch down to Naithon and Layan beaches, areas of which also lie within these protected areas.

But looking at these boundary lines/photo and comparing against the Google Maps satellite photo:

- The large building top right (Dewa Hotel and Condos is well within the Srinat NP - Us locals all knew this...)

- The abandoned Hyatt Regency/Phuket Peninsula hotel lies within the Khao Ruak and Kaho Muang national forest Reserve.

- The Imperial Adamas hotel seems to lie in the overlapping areas of both protected area

- There is an area of Srinat NP to the north east of the Adamas that is signed locally as NP and has not been encroached on the beachfront, but possible has been encroached inland by L'Esprit de NaiYang (I can't really see from the photo - needs confirmation).

- The area of beachfront occupied by most of the small businesses/guesthouses looks to lie outside the NP, (in which case, there can be no excuse not to clear the beach-front of these illegal structures, as per Surin, Kamala etc beaches)

- I can't identify whether Indigo Pearl is in the protected area..

Yes, clear up all the beach junk !

[junk1e]

They seem to have jumped from Surin beach to Nai Thon/Nai Yang.

The encroachment on areas of Bang Tao beach and Layan beach is getting out of control.

Along layan beach numerous new buildings have been erected this past high season on what was one of Phuket's last unspoilt beaches.

Between layan and Bang Tao virtually all the beach itself has now been built on.

[ezzra]

D Day aye? than how about renaming that national park as Normandy park?

[phuket43]

I drove around the Nai Yang area this morning with my GPS and marked a few notable businesses on the satellite photo.

NP1.jpg

- L'Esprit de Nai Yang Hotel would seem to lie inside the NP, (although their driveway is not!)

- The new MassaLuna Condos (not yet built but heavily promoted locally), seem to lie outside the NP

- Indigo Pearl is outside the NP

- Dewa Hotel and Condos are inside the NP

Indigo Pearl is outside, but they have a quite a big beach terrace from the beach road way down towards the water. Same scenario as in Surin beach.

[simon43]

@Phuket43, if you look at the photo in the OP, you'll see that the boundary of the NP actually follows the beach for a distance which is where the current beach-front businesses are located (and IP's beach-front).

So it looks like all those beach-front businesses are not in the NO, BUT those on the beach side of the beach road would still seem to be illegal because they are constructed on common land. My knowledge is that those businesses on the other side of the beach road are not on public land and have legal land titles etc.

But let's hope NY beach follows the lead of Surin beach and clears everything off the beach.

[sailblue]

Agree all around, as I said thet might be military, but by far more honest than the politicians.

While on the reclaiming subject. For a laugh, Jomtien Beach in front of Sigma Resort there is a little bar, with Heineken draft setup, that has built supports off the road over the beach to hold the bar. Can not imagine there is a lease. The whole bar is on the footpath and most customers are very young Thais.

Also a shed for Russian tours taking up the entire footpath opposite the bars. Russians sitting in there.

My guess the police box next to all of this is the landlord. They also have a thriving business stopping all the tourists, even if they have a helmet etc, they are invited into the tinited window office to discuss options.

I guess this is down the list compared to a 1000 acres.

[gbswales]

I have some sympathy with illegal businesses because they set up using what have been normally accepted practices for decades. Indeed it ws proabably almost impossible to open a legal business without bribing the right officials. Thailand is gradually moving towards being a country where it will be impossible for small family run businesses to be set up easily - it will all turn towards finance/invetment/loans/interest and all the other things that have destroyed small businesses in the Western world. Dont dellude yourself that there is some kind of moral principle at stake here - all that will happen is that instead of local officials getting backhanders - banks and corporations will make the money instead and legal (but more expensive) ways will be found to build on land like this. The only choice is between small business corruption and large business exploitation. I know this sounds cynical but it is what has happened in the US and the UK and it is what will happen in Thailand

[eezergood]

I drove around the Nai Yang area this morning with my GPS and marked a few notable businesses on the satellite photo.

NP1.jpg

- L'Esprit de Nai Yang Hotel would seem to lie inside the NP, (although their driveway is not!)

- The new MassaLuna Condos (not yet built but heavily promoted locally), seem to lie outside the NP

- Indigo Pearl is outside the NP

- Dewa Hotel and Condos are inside the NP

What about the Pullman?

[simon43]

What about the Pullman

\

That is already under investigation. Apparently some of it's land is legally-owned and some is on public land..

I have some sympathy with illegal businesses because they set up using what have been normally accepted practices for decades.

FYI, I 'set up' my first hotel over a decade ago near the boundaries of Sirinat NP. Although it seemed outside the NP by about 300 metres, I was still required (as part of planning permission being granted by the local OrBorTor), to obtain a letter of confirmation from the NP boss.

I didn't have to grease anyone's palms. The NP provided the confirmation letter for a nominal administration charge.

I did it 'by the book', but obviously others did not. To me, the reason is very clear ==> greed.

[simon43]

There is a one-page article in the local Thai newspaper about the NP encroachment. Some of the news concerns recent attempts by a Russian businessman to buy up land in the NP, with the Thai 'owners' of the fraudulent land titles acting as nominees in his Thai company. The newspaper specifically names the Thai persons involved (so they must be sure of their facts). Interestingly, one of these persons is titled 'pra' ==> a monk or religious person!

[Carrerakiss]

Corruption on the issue of chanote titles is rampant across the length and breadth of Thailand. My wife offered to buy 9.6 Rai next to our house, but I insisted she get the land measured first. Turned out it was 7.8 Rai. We live in Udon.

It's good to see things being righted in some areas. I hope it continues and equally importantly, that an honest system a an be put in place for future chanote issuance. Prosecution of officials who have committed corrupt acts in the past is a tricky one. I doubt there would be many civil servants left in planning and and most other government depts. but clearly corruption levels have reached an unsustainable level and something must be done to reduce it

[ClutchClark]

If the army keeps up this type of good work...which it surely is...then the publicized 90% of Thais who are happier after the Junta is going to keep dropping.

[Pinot]

I have some sympathy with illegal businesses because they set up using what have been normally accepted practices for decades. Indeed it ws proabably almost impossible to open a legal business without bribing the right officials. Thailand is gradually moving towards being a country where it will be impossible for small family run businesses to be set up easily - it will all turn towards finance/invetment/loans/interest and all the other things that have destroyed small businesses in the Western world. Dont dellude yourself that there is some kind of moral principle at stake here - all that will happen is that instead of local officials getting backhanders - banks and corporations will make the money instead and legal (but more expensive) ways will be found to build on land like this. The only choice is between small business corruption and large business exploitation. I know this sounds cynical but it is what has happened in the US and the UK and it is what will happen in Thailand

Oh baloney. This is about throwing everyone off public land. I don't care about the poor landowner thinks he stole it fair and square. Get out of the King's forest and off his beach.

[awayego]

Before we left Phuket for the North, we had a little 'tussle' in the Phuket Gazette with Dewa Development (they wanted to clear the beach of illegal though long-established Thai beach restaurants so that they had a nice "unspoiled" outlook).

Just wanted to say to Dewa now - "buy your way out of this one!" and "som nam na!"

[EBlair48]

So where is this centre to certify land documents as valid and outside NP?

[Chainsaw]

So where is this centre to certify land documents as valid and outside NP?

Just a shot in the dark here but - Phuket Land Office?

[simon43]

So where is this centre to certify land documents as valid and outside NP?

Just a shot in the dark here but - Phuket Land Office?

I hope not! They are the department that issued fake land titles in the first place. They are also the place which refused to hand over details of public land etc - details which should be publically-available for any interested person to view.

[EBlair48]

^ I think it was archived docs that were not handed over. I agree, suspicious yes, not defending LD but I believe a formal request has to be made for docs older than a certain time, they are not available to public

I keep reading about this service to certify land docs located near the NP but no where is it stated how or where to obtain this info?