Mangrove land “encroached upon’

PA KHLOK: The Mangrove Resources Development Office (MRDO) and the Phuket Provincial Forestry Office (PPFO) are expected to ask Thalang police to prosecute the owner of land in Baan Yamoo who, they allege, has encroached on some 15 rai of reserved mangrove land. Thawatchai Nuwan, from the MRDO, and colleagues from the PPFO have been surveying areas of Phuket for around a month. K. Thawatchai told the Gazette today that some parts of the land in question – containing little more than old shrimp ponds and coconut trees – appear to have been ploughed and cleared within the last five days. “PPFO officers will check again to determine precisely how much land may have been encroached upon before we proceed,” said K. Thawatchai. “We have heard that the land is covered by a SorKor1 title but we have yet to meet with the owner,” he added. Mangrove areas on Phuket cover around 15,000 rai and complaints have been made to the PPFO in the past over encroachment. “We will continue to survey the land but any investigation into this land title – and whether it was issued legally or not – will be the responsibility of the PPFO and the police,” K. Thawatchai added.