Forest
- Thailand News
Thai cops make waves with underwater raid on illegal timber stash
Police in Kanchanaburi, West Thailand, conducted a significant raid on an illegal timber storage site, seizing a large quantity of protected wood both on land and underwater. Individuals have until July 15 to present ownership documents or face legal action. Director of Forest Fire Prevention, Suppression, and Control Narupon Thipmonda ordered the Director of the Forest Protection and Suppression Unit,…
- Thailand News
Park officials nab suspects for illegal forest clearing to plant durians
Park officials apprehended two suspects for illegally clearing forest land to plant durian trees on an area spanning 3 rai. Hearing the sound of forest clearing, officials moved in, capturing one individual while the other fled, later convincing him to surrender. Officials from the Phetchaburi branch of the Protected Areas Regional Office 3 received a report from Kittisak Somsri, head…
- Thailand News
Thailand govt to review Thap Lan National Park boundary
Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Patcharawat Wongsuwan addressed public concerns over the proposed boundary adjustments to Thap Lan National Park in Prachin Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima. Public opinion will be considered before final decisions are made by this Friday, July 12. The issue currently undergoing public consultation has drawn mixed reactions, with some citizens voicing…
- Thailand News
Thap Lan park risks losing 265,286 rai to land reform project
Thap Lan National Park faces the potential loss of 265,286 rai of forest land due to an agricultural land reform project, according to Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn, National Park Office Director. Concerned about this significant reduction, he has called on the public to oppose the government’s move through an online poll organised by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation…
- Thailand News
PM pledges commitment to forest conservation on 4-province tour
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin yesterday visited Ratchaburi where he pledged his commitment to forest conservation in Thailand during his four-province tour. The 62 year old Thai prime minister urged relevant agencies to meticulously review public requests for the utilisation of forested areas. PM Srettha emphasised the significance of land rights in improving the living conditions of the populace. However, he…
- Thailand News
Human remains found in Thai eucalyptus forest sparks investigation
A search party recently uncovered a human head and a watch, followed by scattered human remains in a Thai eucalyptus forest in Chon Buri Province, Thailand, leading to a shocking discovery. The remains are believed to belong to a 36 year old man, Lamotu, who had been missing for ten days. The grim find was made around 11am today, by…
- Guides
Deforestation in Thailand: challenges and solutions for forest conservation
Thailand is currently facing a significant environmental challenge that has garnered widespread concern, particularly among conservationists: deforestation. This issue is more severe in Thailand than in many other Southeast Asian countries, primarily due to the rapid clearance of forests to accommodate agricultural expansion necessitated by population growth and the country’s focus on exporting agricultural products. Furthermore, the logging industry and…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok’s eastern flank gets a wetland forest for recreation
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is transforming an 86-rai plot of land situated on Bangkok’s eastern flank into a wetland forest, a green space designed to provide urban dwellers with fresh air and recreational facilities. This plot, found in the Bung Kum district, was previously recognised as Klong Lam Bung Kum. Its initial purpose was to act as a floodwater-retention…
- Thailand News
Global forests in crisis: Shocking decline revealed
In a staggering revelation, the world’s forests have undergone a drastic reduction of nearly 20 million square kilometres over the past 30 years, plunging from 42.03 million square kilometres in 1992 to 40.44 million square kilometres in 2021, as per the latest data from the World Bank. Attributing this alarming loss to the relentless encroachment of agriculture and industrialisation, the…
- Thailand News
Tak province battles spreading wildfires across nine districts
Wildfires in the province of Tak have intensified, expanding across nine districts and prompting coordinated emergency responses to combat the flames and prevent hazardous smog, including the dangerous PM2.5 particles. The province’s governor Somchai Kitcharoenrungroj has mobilised all units for swift action to contain the wildfires within a limited area to minimize damage and reduce smoke haze. Since January 1,…
- Thailand News
New agricultural land reform policy to implement buffer zones
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow is set to propose a new agricultural land reform policy tomorrow. The policy seeks to establish a buffer zone between forest reserves and agricultural land, with the explicit specification that this zone will not be allocated to individual farmers. This comes in the wake of an ongoing dispute between the Agricultural Land Reform Office…
- Thailand News
Royal Forest Department investigates land appropriation
The Royal Forest Department launched a probe into allegations of land encroachment within the Pang Asok woodlot. The claim comes from Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn, head of the Office of National Parks, who stumbled upon a disturbing sight: a backhoe and tractor clearing swathes of land purportedly for personal gain. Chaiwat asserts that approximately 64 hectares stand despoiled, with a suspicious Sor Por…
- Phuket News
Alleged encroachment in Bang Khanun protected forest sparks controversy
The Gulf of Thailand Coastal Area Conservation Network – Andaman (branch) raised concerns over alleged encroachment in the Bang Khanun protected forest reserve, calling for an investigation. Led by the chairman, Chamroon Kerddam, the group complained to the Phuket branch of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), implicating government officials in facilitating unlawful activities in the protected area. The complaint, submitted…
- Phuket News
Southern Thailand: Illegal waste dumping threatens Ratsada’s mangrove forests
Garbage dumping within the mangrove forests near the Soi King Kaew community in southern Thailand is causing concerns and disrupting the harmony of the ecosystem. Local authorities have started investigations led by Ratsada’s Mayor, Nakarin Yosaengrat who has pointed out a potential culprit and initiated legal action. Mayor Nakarin, along with an entourage of officials from the Ratsada Municipality executive…
- Phuket News
Forest faux pas: Illegal loggers caught in the act as DSI turns the spotlight on hidden tree mischief in Thailand
An unsanctioned logging operation, hidden deep within Thailand’s Bang Khanun protected forest, was inadvertently exposed during a routine inspection by officers from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). Conducted in conjunction with the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) and forest protection officials, the group stumbled upon the illegal exploitation yesterday. Vice Admiral Suchart Thammapitakwet, the commander of the RTN’s Third Area…
- Thailand News
Leech’s eye for adventure: Thai trekker’s blood-curdling tale
A Thai man shared an eye-opening survival experience when a leech sucked blood from a friend’s eye, along with a warning and recommendation for all trekking enthusiasts. The Thai man, Apichart Prommathat, shared the story on his Facebook page Der Baag (เดอะแบก) at 9am yesterday, November 6. Apichart began his story with a warning to trekkers to be aware of…
- Phuket News
Phuket’s forest-working group takes root: Mapping a path for protected land issues
Phuket’s inaugural meeting of a newly established working group, tasked with resolving issues concerning residents residing in or near the Bang Khanun Protected National Forest, resolved to develop a database to record all land parcels owned or occupied within the forest area. The decision also included creating a map of the occupied areas within the forest. The resolution was made…
- Thailand News
Illegal Thai resort dismantled for violating National Forest Act
Phetchabun witnessed a significant operation yesterday as over a hundred officials systematically dismantled parts of a resort found to be unlawfully constructed on national forest grounds within the Khao Kho district. The collaborative force, comprising soldiers, local administrative officials, and police officers, effectively removed five bungalows that formed part of the Khaokho Freeday resort. The decision to dismantle came following…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s environment ministry orders removal of illegal resorts in Phu Thap Boek
A mandate for the deconstruction of three illegal resorts in the favoured hillside tourist destination, Phu Thap Boek, has been decreed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The said resorts, located in the Phetchabun province, were brought to the notice of the authorities due to tourist complaints about obtrusive constructions blocking views. On Wednesday, the Minister of Environment,…
- Phuket News
Phuket forest reserve dwellers demand removal of RTN fence
In a recent event in Phuket, over 100 residents who have illegally occupied land within the Bang Khanun protected national forest handed over their formal request for the removal of a barbed-wire fence that the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has installed. The appeal yesterday was addressed to Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew and received by Vice Governor Anupap Rodkwan Yodrambam at…
- Phuket News
Phuket rescuers bring French tourists lost in forest to safety
Phuket rescuers brought two French tourists lost in a forest to safety between last night and this morning. The tourists, a man identified only as Victor, and his girlfriend, had arrived in Phuket earlier yesterday and decided to go for a walk on a local beach. The couple followed a trail up the Nai Thon mountain but found themselves lost and…
- Thailand News
Tarmacked forest in Thai conservation area sparks outrage
Netizens are scratching their heads at the Department of National Park‘s decision to tarmac a forest inside a conservation area at a wildlife sanctuary in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand. No space at all was left around the tree trunks to allow the trees to breathe and grow. An outraged Facebook user posted a picture of the newly tarmacked…
- Thailand News
Three foreign tourists rescued from Thai jungle
National park officials rescued three foreign tourists who got lost in the jungle in Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, yesterday. All three are reportedly safe. At 5.30pm, the Chief of Than Sadet National Park, Tikamporn Phenchom, received a call that three foreign tourists were lost in the jungle on the Khao Ra mountain and needed help. Chief…
- Thailand News
French expat with Alzheimer’s rescued after getting lost in Chiang Mai forest
More than 200 people teamed up for a rescue effort to find a French expat with Alzheimer’s disease who went missing in Chiang Mai. He was found the next morning in an abandoned temple in a forest. The 70 year old man says he was driving to the French Embassy in Chiang Mai when he forgot the way home. His…
- Thailand News
Alleged Bengal tiger poachers must remove their homes from national park
Yesterday, rangers at Khao Laem national park in Kanchanaburi ordered the removal of four homes, belonging to five people suspected of hunting and killing two endangered Bengal tigers last week. The suspects and their families, or anyone else currently living in the homes, must leave within 30 days. Those who don’t comply will be charged with violating the National Park…
- Central Thailand News
Missing man emerges from forest after 3 weeks dodging elephants
Like a scene out of an adventure movie, a 43 year old man stumbled out of a clearing in eucalyptus and rubber plantations to recount an incredible 21-day journey he spent lost in the wilderness and fleeing from wild elephants. The tale took place in Prachin Buri, the central province to the east of Bangkok after the man, Thongsa Wanthumma,…
- Crime News
Official faces encroachment charge, American’s home seized in Petchabun
A senior official of the Office of the PM is facing encroachment charges after the seizure of a house built by an American man near Khao Kho national park in the northern Phetchabun province. Authorities filed a police report following an investigation by a team of forestry officials, soldiers and local authorities at the site on Thursday evening. They were…
- Crime News
Officials investigate the illegal logging of 36 rai in Narathiwat
In Southern Thailand, 36 rai (about 14 acres) of forest on the Sankalakhiri mountain range has been cleared illegally by encroachers. The incident happened in the Chanae district. Director of the intelligence office of the Region 4 Internal Security Operations Command, acting on information from concerned villagers, ordered soldiers and officials to check on the alleged encroachment high up in the mountain…
- Central Thailand News
4 people and 3 dogs rescued from Phitsanulok forest
Four members of the Phitsanulok’s Wang Thong district community, along with their 3 dogs, have been found after being lost since May 12. The group, who had been lost in the Phitsanulok forest for five days, were spotted by a police helicopter yesterday. Pol General Krisana Pattanacharoen, the deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Police, said that the helicopter reported the…
- Northern Thailand News
Police investigating murder of 3 year old found in Mukdahan forest
The body of a 3 year old girl, missing since Monday, was discovered on Thursday in the northeastern province of Mukdahan. A team of detectives is now investigating the and murder. A massive search involving about 500 police, soldiers, local officials and volunteers was launched when the child, Nong Chompoo, was reported missing in the province’s Tambon Koktoom. The team…
