Thousands of trees on encroached land in Trang cut down

[webfact]

Thousands of trees on encroached land cut down
The Nation

TRANG: -- A 200-strong team of officials yesterday cut down some 4,000 rubber trees on five plots after their owners were accused of encroaching on forestland in Trang's Kantang district.

The team, split into three groups equipped with chainsaws and axes, cut the down the six-year-old trees amid rainfall after explaining to the landowners and their relatives that the cases related to 50 rai and it had been finalised, meaning officials were authorised to act.

An informed source reported that officials in the southern province planned to cut down rubber trees on 37,149 rai of land deemed to have encroached on forestland. In this first phrase, rubber trees on 144 plots covering 948 rai would be cut down, the source said.

In Ratchaburi's Suan Phung district, Army Engineer Department officers, police and forestry officials seize a resort in Tambon Suan Phung after its owner reportedly failed to submit by a March 15 deadline a formal request to the Treasury Department to use the land.

The department had allowed the resort to use the space since 2012.

Twenty-four other resorts in the district also reportedly failed to file the formal requests and may face a similar fate.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Thousands-of-trees-on-encroached-land-cut-down-30262404.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-16

[Seastallion]

I sort of feel sorry for the farmers as they have lost their family income.......but they shouldn't have encroached, so such is life. Mind you, 6 year old trees would hardly be producing much yet.

If they stay committed, the forestry guys will certainly help the rest of the rubber planters. 37000 rai less of rubber plantations should have some sort of impact.

[doremifasol]

Cutting all those trees is worst than encroaching the land.

Why cutting them? Couldn't they implement the law

without destroying? This is so sick.

Edited June 15, 2015 by doremifasol

[Toknarok]

Rubber trees should only be tapped after growing for seven years. With the current price of latex these trees are practically worthless. The 'owners' will not have lost out much, they encroached on the land so that didn't cost anything, all they have lost is the clearing of the land, planting of saplings and perhaps some fertilizer. I doubt they'll be too much worried.

As for the land itself, being in the tropics it wii soon start to rehabilitate itself into natural forest. Nothing grows under the canopy of rubber trees, by cutting down the trees it allows native flora and fauna to re-establish themselves.

[OOLEEBER]

Cutting all those trees is worst than encroaching the land.

Why cutting them? Couldn't they implement the law

without destroying? This is so sick.

So they can re-plant a healthy mix of native trees that is better for the environment, the wildlife, the ecology and encourage bio-diversity. Do you need any more reasons?

[casualbiker]

Cutting all those trees is worst than encroaching the land.

Why cutting them? Couldn't they implement the law

without destroying? This is so sick.

So they can re-plant a healthy mix of native trees that is better for the environment, the wildlife, the ecology and encourage bio-diversity. Do you need any more reasons?

That's presuming that they do indeed have a budget and a plan to plant more native variety's!

Some before and after pictures would be nice!

[mmh8]

I hope they really are taking this seriously. It would be great if Thailand could save some of its forest. I shall withhold my cynical views that really some small time farmer is about to lose his/her cash cow to a bigger fish.

lets hope this is Thailand moving forward

[doremifasol]

Cutting all those trees is worst than encroaching the land.

Why cutting them? Couldn't they implement the law

without destroying? This is so sick.

So they can re-plant a healthy mix of native trees that is better for the environment, the wildlife, the ecology and encourage bio-diversity. Do you need any more reasons?

Not from you for sure.......

[fred Kubasa]

Silly me as I a large part of the recent " Green Movement" was to NOT cut down trees and also thought

cutting down trees was even illegal ! Now, apparently, there will be even more naked ground for landslides

to take place, a few hundred people out of work, more governmental dissention, etc.

Yet another victory for the administration !

[Srikcir]

I sort of feel sorry for the farmers as they have lost their family income.......but they shouldn't have encroached, so such is life. Mind you, 6 year old trees would hardly be producing much yet.

If they stay committed, the forestry guys will certainly help the rest of the rubber planters. 37000 rai less of rubber plantations should have some sort of impact.

The farmers were only accused of encroachment. They were not prosecuted, tried, and convicted.

But this is the day of Junta justice that only requires a whisper or an innuendo to take people's property and livelihood without due process of law.

Welcome to the Junta's Reform of Justice.

[casualbiker]

I sort of feel sorry for the farmers as they have lost their family income.......but they shouldn't have encroached, so such is life. Mind you, 6 year old trees would hardly be producing much yet.

If they stay committed, the forestry guys will certainly help the rest of the rubber planters. 37000 rai less of rubber plantations should have some sort of impact.

The farmers were only accused of encroachment. They were not prosecuted, tried, and convicted.

But this is the day of Junta justice that only requires a whisper or an innuendo to take people's property and livelihood without due process of law.

Welcome to the Junta's Reform of Justice.

In encroachment cases the authority's just have to prove the cases, it's part of the original parks act. In this case it was finalised. So therefore the land wasn't "peoples property"

[Acharn]

Cutting all those trees is worst than encroaching the land.

Why cutting them? Couldn't they implement the law

without destroying? This is so sick.

So they can re-plant a healthy mix of native trees that is better for the environment, the wildlife, the ecology and encourage bio-diversity. Do you need any more reasons?

That's presuming that they do indeed have a budget and a plan to plant more native variety's!

Some before and after pictures would be nice!

Some kind of forest ecology is going to establish itself, and fast. It's a yearly battle to keep my land from reverting to jungle. The thing is, it's not going to be the same kind of forest that was there before, unless they have a lot of resources. They would need seedlings of some kinds of trees that were there before. Otherwise there are fast-growing species that will crowd them out. Within three years there are going to be trees at least five meters tall, but maybe not the kinds of trees they want.

[wabothai]

rubber trees eventually will die and nature takes over. No need to cut them all.