Phuket Court orders DNP, officials to pay damages over national park land probe

[webfact]

Phuket Court orders DNP, officials to pay damages over national park land probe

Eakkapop Thongtub

 

Former Sirinath Park Chief Cheewapap Cheewatha (left) leads the investigation into the alleged encroachment in 2012. Photo: The Phuket News / file

 

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Court yesterday (May 4) ordered the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) and two of its officials to pay a total of B1.9 million in damages for the highly publicised land probe that accused several property owners of encroaching on Sirinath National Park, on Phuket’s west coast.

 

The court ruled that plaintiffs Noon Co Ltd, Frenchman Bernard Gaulthier and Pornsak Panmat had legal right to the land on which the multi-million-baht luxury villa “Baan Farang” had been built on.

 

The villa is located on seven rai next to the Trisara resort and has 360-degree views of the national park, which as a marine national park extends nearly a kilometre offshore.

The three plaintiffs sued for damages of B45 million and filed their claim against former DNP Director-General Damrong Pidech, who led the probe (see story here), as well as six other officials.

 

However, the court found that the DNP is to pay only B1.5mn in damages, but also 7.5 % interest per year since the day of the DNP’s initial claims against the plaintiffs, which the court said was Aug 26, 2012.

 

The court cleared Mr Damrong and four other officials of any wrongdoing, but ruled that former Sirinath Park Chief Cheewapap Cheewatha and former Advisor the DNP Director-General Sunthorn Watcharakul Dilok each pay B200,000 in damages, bringing the total to B1.9mn.

 

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-court-orders-dnp-officials-to-pay-damages-over-national-park-land-probe-62056.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-05-05

[fstarbkk]

The court cleared the officials of any wrongdoing, yet they have to pay THB 1.9 million??? Looks like the court just handed all public officials one more good excuse not to do their job!

[zaZa9]

Little wonder no official wants to do anything except have lunch here.

Ridiculous...

[Ulic]

Not really sure how the plaintiffs had legal right to the land but if they did have the paperwork

then I applaud this decision. Government officials should not be throwing there weight around with

impunity. I am sure this group had to pay more than a couple of million baht in lawyers fees.

They should have been compensated to the full amount of costs and a reasonable amount

for their time.