Anutin dismisses Khao Kradong land dispute investigation
Ex-interior minister said top officials confirmed all actions were entirely legal
Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul dismissed a renewed investigation into the Khao Kradong land dispute in Buriram, asserting that all actions taken during his tenure as interior minister were lawful.
The dispute involves land claimed by both the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and private individuals linked to Bhumjaithai. In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the SRT, ordering the Department of Lands (DoL) to revoke the title deeds it issued.
Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai demanded an explanation from the DoL for its failure to comply with the court’s ruling. The department has yet to revoke around 900 deeds deemed unlawful, including 20 deeds covering 288 rai linked to the Chidchob family, influential figures in Bhumjaithai.
Anutin, who served as interior minister before Bhumjaithai left the ruling coalition, stated that senior ministry officials, including the permanent secretary-general and the DoL chief, confirmed that all actions were lawful.
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“I’m confident that everything done under my watch followed the constitution and related laws. We investigated all controversial land cases, including the Alpine land. I didn’t use political influence to interfere or intimidate civil servants.”
The Alpine land and golf course case is a longstanding scandal, involving the sale of 924 rai in Pathum Thani, owned by Wat Dhammamikaramvoraviharn, to Alpine Real Estate and Alpine Golf and Sport Club in 2002. This sale was linked to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his daughter Paetongtarn, the currently suspended prime minister.
In January, former Deputy Interior Minister Chada Thaiseth from Bhumjaithai signed an order to revoke the Shinawatra family’s ownership of the Alpine Golf and Sports Club and an adjacent residential complex in Klong Luang district, Pathum Thani, Bangkok Post reported.
Anutin dismissed the renewed inquiries as political manoeuvres, asserting that everyone has the right to raise concerns. Meanwhile, Phumtham stated he would establish a fact-finding committee if the DoL’s explanations were inadequate or unclear, although he would not impose a deadline to ensure fairness in the inquiry.
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