Chumphon’s rosewood row: Locals prickled by illegal tree cutting

Residents of Chumphon raised concerns over the unauthorised cutting of five large rosewood trees, aged 20 years, by a local community leader. The trees were sold to a private investor for a substantial sum without government approval.

The community leader, alongside locals, allegedly used chainsaws to fell the rosewood trees located in the Tha Sae district, selling them to a private investor without seeking permission from relevant state agencies.

The location revealed two large tree stumps, with the trunks estimated to have been over 10 metres tall. Approximately 100 metres away, three more large stumps were discovered, with scattered branches and litter, such as food containers and drink bottles, around the area.

Residents reported that the community leader and some villagers used machinery to cut down the rosewood trees to sell them, with the proceeds intended for the village fund. A private investor purchased the wood, using a six-wheel truck and a crane to transport the timber.

Locals expressed suspicion over the legality of the act, as the rosewood trees are protected species, known to be over 20 years old and highly valuable. The total worth of the five trees was estimated at more than 2 million baht.

Believing this action to be illegal, as the trees were located on public land, residents contacted forestry officials to investigate. However, when the officials arrived, they took no further action, prompting the residents to reach out to the media.

Collective decision

Village headman Prajak Taothong explained that the decision to cut the trees was made collectively by the community during a village meeting. The consensus was to remove the trees for safety reasons and to sell the rosewood to raise funds for the village.

Prajak claimed to have only chaired the meeting and was not directly involved in the cutting or selling of the trees. The trees were sold for 100,000 baht, and the buyer, Uthai Udomrak, transferred the money to the village account.

Chumphon Provincial Forestry Officer, Pinai Naklek stated that he was not fully aware of the details and had only recently learned about the incident. He emphasised that rosewood trees on public land are protected and cannot be cut down based on a village consensus.

Such actions are illegal and require a thorough investigation to understand the circumstances. Pinai mentioned that while he knew which forestry officials visited the site, he had not yet received a report on their actions. He requested time to verify the facts before making any conclusions.

Responding to villagers’ suspicions about possible collusion between the forestry officials and the community leader, Pinai acknowledged that the officials should have acted according to their responsibilities, despite seeming to support the community’s decision by contributing to the village fund, raising further questions about their conduct, reported KhaoSod.