Phuket

Government takes back more land, angers locals

Published

3 years ago

July 16, 2016

Legacy Phuket Gazette

Government takes back more land, angers locals | The Thaiger

PHUKET: Locals are furious after government officers demolished plantations and houses in Thalang on Thursday.

“This is incredibly unfair,” said Sorasid Saksuay, a representative of the 200-member community, talking to the press yesterday. “We’ve been living here since before 1998.”

A Suan Pa Bang Kanun census in 1998 registered community members and property claims. The area, spread out over some 2,000 rai, is partially covered by a forest. Government officials said they allowed community members to settle on land where the forest had died off naturally, but villagers not counted in the census are accused of encroaching onto government-controlled land.

The demolitions, which claimed 5 houses, a palm-tree plantation and a rubber plantation, were carried out using two backhoes.

Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat claimed that the structures and their inhabitants had encroached on more than 48 rai of forest reserves.

“The government decided to step in after locals filed a complaint,” V/Gov Chokdee told the Phuket Gazette on Thursday. “The case was taken to court, where it was ruled as encroachment, which led us to do the demolitions today.”

“And, the court is also considering whether another 100 rai or so has been encroached upon,” he added.

Boonsueb Samakraj, Director of Forest Management Bureau No.12, Krabi Province, said that the raid and consequent demolitions were the result of a directive by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

“There are four steps in the forest reclamation plan,” Mr Boonsueb said. “Within one year, we’ll stop deforestation and begin to get the forests back under government control. In a span of two years, we’ll be focusing on improving our forest management, and over the next decade we’ll be restoring national forests.”

“We hope to take back over 40 per cent of the country’s encroachments and restore them to their natural state,” Mr Boonsueb added.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong

Environment

Mariam the young Krabi dugong dies

Published

14 hours ago

August 17, 2019

The Thaiger

PHOTO: กรมทรัพยากรทางทะเลและชายฝั่ง

The Phuket Marine Biological Centre has announced the sad news about the special young dugong ‘Mariam’, who was found in Krabi back on April 26.

Young Mariam died earlier today.

The centre posted on its official Facebook page that the vet team found that she’d stopped breathing and her pulse had stopped as well, so they brought her out of the water to try and stimulate breathing.

Initially, they found that she was still responding from her eyes so they return her back to the pond. After checking the pulse, they found that it stopped again so they used some veterinary medications to keep her alive and pulled her out of the water for a second time.

She was pronounced dead at midnight today.

In a post mortem the vets found that Mariam had consumed a quantity of plastic that may have been previously undetectable.

“Rest in peace Mariam, our little angel,” says the PMBC post.

Read some more about Mariam HERE.

Phuket

Government MP receives death threats after exposing illegal condo project in Phuket

Published

2 days ago

August 16, 2019

The Thaiger

PHOTO: Sira Jenjaka MP, says he has received death threats

A government MP for Bangkok says he has received death threats for revealing a Phuket condo project that allegedly sits on land without the proper documentation. The project, at this stage, remains un-named.

Sira Jenjaka is an MP with the ruling Palang Pracharat Party and claims that two people had already died as a result of revealing the problems with the project.

He alleges the land documents had been revoked by the Administrative court in the past and says he will petition the Justice Ministry to have the project probed by the DSI (Department of Special Investigation).

Mr Sira says the un-named condo project, located in Tambon Karon (below), occupies land where the Nor Sor 3 Kor land ownership papers were revoked by the Administrative Court. He has alleged that the project is owned by a “retired high-ranking policeman”.

“If government officials were found to be involved in the alleged malpractice, the state could be sued for damages worth billions of baht”, according to a quote in the Bangkok Post.

He said that the potential buyers of the condominium apartments are mostly foreigners.

Mr Sirat said he planned to ask the Phuket governor to suspend the local mayor for alleged negligence in connection with the condominium project. He will also speak to the Phuket governor suspend construction of the project and cancel any contractor’s licences.

The MP says that some state officials may have their authority and been complicit in the approval of the Nor Sor 3 Kor document.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

Government MP receives death threats after exposing illegal condo project in Phuket | News by The Thaiger

PHOTO: Manager Online

Government MP receives death threats after exposing illegal condo project in Phuket | News by The Thaiger

Environment

Turtle rescued on Nai Harn Beach, Phuket

Published

3 days ago

August 15, 2019

The Thaiger & The Nation

Turtle rescued on Nai Harn Beach, Phuket | The Thaiger

PHOTO: Aroon Solos

Today (August 15) at about 1pm, the lifeguard team at Nai Harn Beach rescued a small turtle, which had become stuck in a fertiliser sack.

They found the turtle washed up ashore with the sack wrapped up around its neck. They tried to carefully remove the sack from the turtle’s neck but found that the turtle had been injured around the neck so they contacted the Phuket Marine Biological Centre to take the turtle back to the centre for further examination and treatment.

Well done to the lifesavers at Nai Harn.

VIDEO: Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos