Old men jailed over tree may get reprieve

[webfact]

Old men jailed over tree may get reprieve
By Piyanuch Thamnukasetchai 
The Nation 

 

Thongsuk Phanchompoo, 80, is locked up on after police arrested him for cutting a dead Siamese rosewood in his paddy field in Maha Sarakham province on December 12. He is now out of bail. Photo from FB

 

Officials reviewing case of chopped up Siamese Rosewood in Maha Sarakham

 

MAHA SARAKHAM: -- THE Justice Ministry looks set to help two elderly men facing legal trouble for cutting up a dead Siamese rosewood tree on their land. By law, no one can interfere with a Siamese rosewood that has economic value without prior permission from relevant authorities.

 

Thongsuk Phanchompoo, 80, and Dern Jantakol, 70, who are related by a marriage in the family, did not seem intent on flouting the law when they cut up the dead tree in their paddy field in Maha Sarakham province.

 

“We have found records that they had alerted their village head about the Siamese rosewood tree that had fallen. This tree blocked the path of locals who needed to dump their garbage at a dumpsite,” Justice Ministry deputy permanent |secretary Tawatchai Thaikyo said yesterday.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30302838

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-12-26

[canuckamuck]

Two law abiding senior citizens just moving some dead fall out of the way to the village dump, get grassed up by a disgruntled neighbor. Another example of a heavy hand of the law, for the poor - opposed to the cowering kitty paw of the law, in regards to the rich.

[greenchair]

I hope these two men will prosecute the government officials for not doing their duty of removing a tree that blocked a public road. 

Putting old men and young university students in jail really upsets me. 

[Somtamnication]

IT WAS A DEAD TREE!!! Has the govt gone insane?

[ezzra]

And all that while forests and national parks all over the country are encroached on

by thousand and thousand of hectares, using fake ownership papers by corrupt

and dishonest government officials, flora, fauna and wild life is systematically

being poached, killed or destroyed.... and this 80 years old man is made an example.....

[optad]

Python writes these stories....

[doremifasol]

 

You couldn't make this stuff up..... 

[Sphere]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He is now out of bail.

 

Whom did he kill?

[colinneil]

Only in Thailand would some one be jailed for  cutting up a dead tree.

More to this story than has been reported i think.

They must have upset some hi-so smart a..e, and not have money to pay off the corrupt police.

[Thechook]

Rounded up two nasty criminals, now what about one lone elderly monk.  Yes I understand a dead tree takes priority over fraud, deceptions and money laundering.

[djayz]

I'll sleep so much better tonight in the knowledge that these two hardcore criminals have been captured. 

May they feel the heavy hand of the law. 

 

[George Graham]

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

Two law abiding senior citizens just moving some dead fall out of the way to the village dump, get grassed up by a disgruntled neighbor. Another example of a heavy hand of the law, for the poor - opposed to the cowering kitty paw of the law, in regards to the rich.

Thailand - one flesh and blood. Good- hearted people.

[piersbeckett]

Arboreal acrimony admonition?

[worgeordie]

A good example of the two tier justice system here,

poor,you go to jail,rich and influential,you dont,its as

simple as that.

regards worgeordie

[Get Real]

Just nice to see hat they still don´t know how to use their time effective.

[canopy]

Living among rural Thai people as long as I have, I find it highly improbable this was simply a good samaritan pushing a million baht over to the side for the benefit of others. I'd like to know more before forming an opinion. It's plainly obvious that as any tree ages in Thailand it gets to the point where it must go because the benefits sitting on the ground become too great for greedy people to leave it be. How did the tree die? Was it deliberately poisoned like so many are? Was it a legitimate garbage dump or were they merely dumping garbage illegally on  government property? Where was the wood going? Were the locals warned not to disturb the tree? Did the tree have a sign on it? Why were people upset enough to rat them out? How many trees have these gentlemen planted in their lives? And how many have they cut down? It's no wonder chainsaws are a controlled item here.

 

[futsukayoi]

2 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Two law abiding senior citizens just moving some dead fall out of the way to the village dump, get grassed up by a disgruntled neighbor. Another example of a heavy hand of the law, for the poor - opposed to the cowering kitty paw of the law, in regards to the rich.

"law abiding"  but they are guilty of the only crime that can get you jailed in Thailand.  Not being rich !!

[canuckamuck]

1 minute ago, futsukayoi said:

"law abiding"  but they are guilty of the only crime that can get you jailed in Thailand.  Not being rich !!

Not true, you can also be guilty of not being Thai.

[PremiumLane]

18 minutes ago, canopy said:

Living among rural Thai people as long as I have, I find it highly improbable this was simply a good samaritan pushing a million baht over to the side for the benefit of others. I'd like to know more before forming an opinion. It's plainly obvious that as any tree ages in Thailand it gets to the point where it must go because the benefits sitting on the ground become too great for greedy people to leave it be. How did the tree die? Was it deliberately poisoned like so many are? Was it a legitimate garbage dump or were they merely dumping garbage illegally on  government property? Where was the wood going? Were the locals warned not to disturb the tree? Did the tree have a sign on it? Why were people upset enough to rat them out? How many trees have these gentlemen planted in their lives? And how many have they cut down? It's no wonder chainsaws are a controlled item here.

 

 

I see the TVF super sleuths are on the case - we waited with baited breath for your answers

[IAMHERE]

It just doesn't pay to be a good Samaritan all too often in Thailand. Eighty years old an out in the hot sun with an axe to clear a path for others; he should of known better I guess.

[greenchair]

1 hour ago, canopy said:

Living among rural Thai people as long as I have, I find it highly improbable this was simply a good samaritan pushing a million baht over to the side for the benefit of others. I'd like to know more before forming an opinion. It's plainly obvious that as any tree ages in Thailand it gets to the point where it must go because the benefits sitting on the ground become too great for greedy people to leave it be. How did the tree die? Was it deliberately poisoned like so many are? Was it a legitimate garbage dump or were they merely dumping garbage illegally on  government property? Where was the wood going? Were the locals warned not to disturb the tree? Did the tree have a sign on it? Why were people upset enough to rat them out? How many trees have these gentlemen planted in their lives? And how many have they cut down? It's no wonder chainsaws are a controlled item here.

 

 

 

Did you read the post. It said the 80 year old first reported the tree was blocking the road to the dump to the village headman. The headman sent the officials to deal with the problem. The officials did not do their job and left the tree blocking the road. This is confirmed by both the headman and the officials. People were driving onto and damaging the man's land to get around the tree blocking the public road. The officials should have had a crane move the tree to the side of the road, to unblock the road immediately. They did nothing.  The 80 year old did the next best thing to clear the road, which in fact put people's lives in danger if someone did not see it on a dark rainy night.

Who knows how many lived this man has saved.

It's time Prayuth stood up and made these government officials accountable for their non performance of duty.  

 

[JAG]

2 hours ago, canopy said:

Living among rural Thai people as long as I have, I find it highly improbable this was simply a good samaritan pushing a million baht over to the side for the benefit of others. I'd like to know more before forming an opinion. It's plainly obvious that as any tree ages in Thailand it gets to the point where it must go because the benefits sitting on the ground become too great for greedy people to leave it be. How did the tree die? Was it deliberately poisoned like so many are? Was it a legitimate garbage dump or were they merely dumping garbage illegally on  government property? Where was the wood going? Were the locals warned not to disturb the tree? Did the tree have a sign on it? Why were people upset enough to rat them out? How many trees have these gentlemen planted in their lives? And how many have they cut down? It's no wonder chainsaws are a controlled item here.

 

I wonder if the rural Thais, amongst whom you have lived for so long, have a similarly high opinion of you?

[Lupatria]

...meanwhile rich and influential murderers are out on bail. They probably need their jail cells to confine their common sense. 

[lungnorm]

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

Only in Thailand would some one be jailed for  cutting up a dead tree.

More to this story than has been reported i think.

They must have upset some hi-so smart a..e, and not have money to pay off the corrupt police.

Not just Thailand. In Australia farmers are not allowed to clear any trees or bushes on your their land. One farmer recently got found guilty of murdering the govt official trying to serve him a summons for land clearing.

[suave]

The need for permission is needed, even if the tree is dead.  Otherwise, people could poison the tree and wait till it died and then remove it, and don't try and tell that no one would do that.

[sotonowl]

2 hours ago, canopy said:

Living among rural Thai people as long as I have, I find it highly improbable this was simply a good samaritan pushing a million baht over to the side for the benefit of others. I'd like to know more before forming an opinion. It's plainly obvious that as any tree ages in Thailand it gets to the point where it must go because the benefits sitting on the ground become too great for greedy people to leave it be. How did the tree die? Was it deliberately poisoned like so many are? Was it a legitimate garbage dump or were they merely dumping garbage illegally on  government property? Where was the wood going? Were the locals warned not to disturb the tree? Did the tree have a sign on it? Why were people upset enough to rat them out? How many trees have these gentlemen planted in their lives? And how many have they cut down? It's no wonder chainsaws are a controlled item here.

 

I think the grassy knoll comes into this as well somewhere.

[anotheruser]

Only in Thailand would some one be jailed for  cutting up a dead tree.
More to this story than has been reported i think.
They must have upset some hi-so smart a..e, and not have money to pay off the corrupt police.

Not exactly. Try cut a dead tree in any national park in the USA. I get what you are says by but there are many areas in the USA you would be charged with a crime for cutting a dead tree. If you don't believe me go to the redwoods and give it a try

[canopy]

1 hour ago, JAG said:

I wonder if the rural Thais, amongst whom you have lived for so long, have a similarly high opinion of you?

 

It should be rather obvious to most people that how a rural thai feels about me +/- is completely irrelevant to this thread. I am just reporting what I observe, not pulling any punches. I can only surmise you find truths that do not match your assumptions about this part of the world to be unwelcome.

 

[canopy]

2 hours ago, greenchair said:

Did you read the post. It said the 80 year old first reported the tree was blocking the road

 

 

I am afraid you are the one who misread it because the word road does not appear in the article at all. It was called "the path of locals who needed to dump their garbage", hence my query on whether the dump site was even legal. Wouldn't be unusual if some of the locals were tossing trash into a public ravine for instance. Just look around. Don't give up though, maybe if you keep trying you can find something legitimate to complain about in my post. Because apparently opening one's mind to the possibility that any of the answers to the questions I posed could actually point towards guilt would be unthinkable.

 

The 80 year old did the next best thing to clear the road, which in fact put people's lives in danger if someone did not see it on a dark rainy night

 

Apparently they were so happy about him taking matters into his own hands to clear this "road" that they called the authorities to bust him.

 

 

[realenglish1]

Drop the charges this is a joke