Official is a land-grabber: reform chief

– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: The chief of the Nakhon Ratchasima Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) has recommended that an investigation be launched against a local official over suspicions that she might have engaged in land encroachment herself.

“I have already reported this alleged land encroachment to the Agricultural Land Reform Office secretary-general and have asked for a panel to be established to investigate the said official,” Chamnan Klinchan said yesterday. Though he did not identify the official by name, he said that if she were found guilty, she would definitely face legal action.

It was previously reported that a surveyor in Mr Chamnan’s office had emerged as a key suspect in the alleged issuing of illicit land-rights documents in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district.

Alro had previously lodged a complaint about three houses on a plot near the entrance to Khao Yai National Park, because these houses were clearly found to be located on the agricultural-reform land, and on a steep plot, which cannot lawfully be assigned to any individual.

Mr Chamnan said word had now spread that the surveyor owned this plot.

As for allegations that the well-known Kirimaya Resort might be encroaching on public land too, Mr Chamnan said no complaints had been filed against the resort yet. He added that land-rights documents provided by Kirimaya Resort showed it occupied about 644 rai of land in the agricultural-land reform zone.

“Given that these land-rights documents were issued by the Lands Department, we have to determine if they are legitimate. If yes, then the resort will not face any action,” Mr Chamnan said.

“But if these documents were legitimately issued by the Land Department, the resort will not face any action,” he said, adding that the documents would be revoked if they are found to have been issued through illegitimate means.

— Phuket Gazette Editors