Hunt for B1bn Phuket national park encroachment fugitive begins

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Hunt for B1bn Phuket national park encroachment fugitive begins
Saroj Kueprasertkij


Sirinart National Park Chief Kittipat Tharaphiban (right) explains to Maj Gen Ronnarong Kotdamrong, deputy director of Isoc’s Operations Coordination Centre 4, details of the park encroachment battle during an inspection earlier this year. Photo: Suthicha Sirirat

PHUKET: -- The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has won a 16-year court battle to repossess two plots of land covering about 12 rai within Sirinath National Park, valued at about B1 billion.

Now the hunt begins for the woman whose name appears on the land documents registered for the two plots, Kittipat Tharaphiban, Chief of Sirinart National Park told The Phuket News.

“Sawanya Siripong’s name and address was registered in Thalang, Phuket, but we have not been able to find her at her registered address,” he said.

“We believe that she might have changed her name and address and fled to somewhere else already. But we have her ID number and we believe that we can find her.”

Mr Kittipat explained that the hunt for Sawanya was to execute legal recourse for the public land she tried to claim.

“We have to find her because we want to sue her. She has to at least be fined for the destruction of the national forest,” he said.

Meanwhile, the DNP’s fight to reclaim park land in Phuket continues.

The DNP has categorized 745 plots of land under investigation, covering about 3,900 rai, into three categories: black, grey and white, DNP Director-General Nipon Chotibal told Thai-language newspaper Thai Rath.

“There are 266 plots covering 1,683 rai that are clearly illegal, making them ‘black properties’. The DNP expects to seize them in the near future, pending rulings from the court,” he said.

“There are also 356 grey plots, comprising 2,081 rai, which are still under investigation and 93 white plots, comprising 136 rai, which are legally owned.”

Office of National Parks Director Samak Donnapee added that five former Sirinath National Park chiefs are under investigation: Thanapong Apaiso, Somkiet Suntornpitakkul, Sukkee Khamnuansin, Jarouy Inchan and Nonthawit Jutrabandit.

“I will push for officials to revoke the 266 plot land deeds that these five DNP officers were involved in issuing as soon as possible,” he said.

Meanwhile, the DSI is continuing its work on cases against five companies in Phuket, DSI Special Case officer Lt Col Prawut Wongseenil, who begin his investigations into Phuket park encroachment in 2013, told Thai Rath.

The five companies are: Three Dolphins Co Ltd (Trisara); Three Dolphins Resort; Fair and Firm Co Ltd (Phuket Arcadia); Phuket Peninsula Co Ltd (Phuket Peninsula); Pinnacle Cape Co Ltd; and The Andaman White Beach Resort.

The DNP in December requested cancellation of papers for 17 land parcels totalling around 100 rai – worth an estimated B5 billion and registered as owned by the five companies

“Also under investigation are individual owners: Chomchanok Suthamma, Surachai Laochuasai and Anupap Vechwanichsanong,” Col Prawut said.

Next Tuesday (Sept 15), DNP officials will begin reclaiming rubber plantations inside the park under a B1.86 million campaign which will continue through October, said DNP Chief Samak.

“The campaign ‘Take back the forest land at Sirinart National Park’ will start on September 15-16, with officers destroying or reclaiming all rubber plantations within the park’s boundaries,” he said.

In June, DNP officers posted eviction notices on rubber plantation trees inside the park to give warning that the reclamation was soon to arrive.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/hunt-for-b1bn-phuket-national-park-encroachment-fugitive-begins-54036.php

-- Phuket News 2015-09-10

[clockman]

The whole system, is corrupt from top to bottom. This is never ever going to be solved! Because it means dismantling the whole of Thai society.

[Ulic]

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" comes to mind. While there remains

a great deal of corruption, there has been at least a few steps taken in Phuket. What will be the

eventual outcome? Who knows, maybe very little but at least the journey has started.

[springheeled jack]

its all happening in Phuket all these corrupt dnp officials selling reclaimed land , I wonder how long this has been going on and how many are actually involved I think we will see many more cases coming to light in the near future.

[elgordo38]

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" comes to mind. While there remains

a great deal of corruption, there has been at least a few steps taken in Phuket. What will be the

eventual outcome? Who knows, maybe very little but at least the journey has started.

Whats black and white and grey all over?

[worgeordie]

Why do they always find these encroacher's,AFTER all the trees in the forest

have been cut,they never catch them in the act,they must be using silent chain saws,

invisible trucks to take the timber away.

regards worgeordie

[kaorop]

Why do they always find these encroacher's,AFTER all the trees in the forest

have been cut,they never catch them in the act,they must be using silent chain saws,

invisible trucks to take the timber away.

regards worgeordie

Well of course, didnt you know? you cant see the forest for the trees.

I would say right across the country a huge percentage of viable land has been encroached on, for numerous commercial purposes.

For example

I was riding along a path next to the beach in ban phe and the path ended, well it didnt, but there were vendors for the next few kms, all with "semi permanent" structures on the path. ALL would be illegal and encroaching on the public land.

These reports are sadly drops in the ocean!