Team clears encroached land, plants Siamese Rosewood trees

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Team clears encroached land, plants Siamese Rosewood trees
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A TEAM of Army, police and forestry officials have torn down 59 structures on 48-rai of encroached land in Phu Chong Nayoi National Park in Ubon Ratchathani's Na Chaluay district.

They have also planted 59,600 Siamese Rosewood trees on 2,048 rai as part of a reforestation effort, deputy governor Khanchat Tansathien said yesterday.

Presiding over yesterday's launch of the campaign to reclaim forestland and crack down on illegal loggers of Siamese Rosewood and other valuable trees under the Protected Area Regional Office 9 supervision, Khanchat said the operation was part of the National Council for Peace and Order's policy. He said Ubon Ratchathani was among the nine provinces where encroachment and illegal logging were at a critical level.

In related news, Agricultural Land Reform Office inspector Patcharat Maneewong yesterday joined the Army to inspect the land near the Chong Jom Border Market in Surin's Kap Choeng district, following allegations that the "Sor Por Kor 401" land, intended for farmers, was being sold and misused.

The authorities will complete its investigation in 60 days and punish the wrongdoers, she said.

Initial investigation found that 100-rai of the land, divided into 19 plots, had changed hands and some of it had been used to build houses, Patcharat said.

Land reform in Surin

Accordingly, she has instructed Surin land-reform officials to check on the 300 farmers who were originally entitled to use the land and take back the misused land. She said the occupants have 60 days to explain themselves.

Winita Dee-ngam said she had inherited a 3-rai plot from her father and had built an apartment building on it to support the area's economic growth and was using the rest of the land for farming. She called on land-reform officials to clearly explain land-usage laws and called on them to empathise with her needs.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Team-clears-encroached-land-plants-Siamese-Rosewoo-30244056.html

-- The Nation 2014-09-25

[khwaibah]

Have wondered about the the Chong Chom Border Market and the area around it as it is directly on top of the national forest and that area goes back 12 km to Kap Choeng.

[Katipo]

Kicking out land grabbers AND reforestation. Good news all round.

[alfalfa19]

Excellent, I love to see this.

But this part, I find almost comical:

Winita Dee-ngam said she had inherited a 3-rai plot from her father and had built an apartment building on it to support the area's economic growth and was using the rest of the land for farming. She called on land-reform officials to clearly explain land-usage laws and called on them to empathise with her needs

OIC, she built the apartment building on stolen land, but did it to help the community. How thoughtful and altruistic of her.

[Borzandy]

Very good new, are they also planing to protect Kaeng Krachang Park from deforestation???

[oztaurus]

I am curious as to where almost 60,000 rosewood seedlings suddenly appeared from. I am also curious as to they had originally planned to plant them if this was merely part of an ongoing environmental plan to regrow valuable timber resources .... and what are they going to plant now in that other area which suddenly just lost its allocation of rosewood trees?

[louse1953]

Thai's understanding of landownership is totally inadequate.

[khwaibah]

The photo of this Rose Wood was taken by the "Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation" The lady in the center is a personnel friend of our family and works for the department. This photo was taken just a few days ago and only about 10 km from the Chong Chom Market and Border Pass. This location is some 200 km from the Phu Chong Nayoi National Park in Ubon Ratchathani's Na Chaluay district.

http://www.dnp.go.th/index_eng.asp

[rgs2001uk]

Thai's understanding of landownership is totally inadequate.

The Thais understand it quite well, its the farangs (mis)understanding of it that blows my mind.

I have posted on here before about looking at land and house that were built on gov't land with no planning permission.

Just becoz every dumb farang in a 500 km radius does it doesnt mean its lawful and doesnt mean you have to do the same.

Remember reading about illegal buildings being torn down in Khao Yai, Petchabun (all illegal resorts) heck we even had some farang trying to circumvent the rules and asking for advice on here on how to do it.

Start with the poo yai baan, wheres the paperwork trail, some dumb farang even posted on here about being asked for 50k baht for the poo yai baan to give planning permission for an illegal house build.

Keep up the good work General.

[IsaanUSA]

I am curious as to where almost 60,000 rosewood seedlings suddenly appeared from. I am also curious as to they had originally planned to plant them if this was merely part of an ongoing environmental plan to regrow valuable timber resources .... and what are they going to plant now in that other area which suddenly just lost its allocation of rosewood trees?

No kidding!!! I'm just going to assume they mean 60k trees are in the process of being planted or that 60k trees have been planted since X many years ago.

[fatfather]

I feel sorry for the farmers who took over this Sor Por Kor land from people who weren't able or willing to work on this land. Sure this Sor Por Kor land can only be handed over inside the family, but for decades people did these deals with a common understanding in the villages. Deals mainly aren't written down, just a few witnesses and the Poojai Ban. Those who worked on the land are left behind without any compensation and for the land itself it doesn't matter who worked on it. Illegal occupied non farming land, or buildings on farmland is another thing. As said, I feel sorry for those who worked as non family members on Sor Por Kor land.

Fatfather