Phuket Land In 'critical' Shape

[Flashermac]

PHUKET : More than 12,000 rai of public land and forest reserve has been illegally encroached on nationwide, says the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

 

The situation in Phuket is the most critical in the country, accounting for 30% of encroachment on public land, a NACC member said.

 

The agency has partly solved the problem of public land encroachment in many areas, Vicha Mahakun told an anti-corruption forum on the resort island yesterday.

 

He said over 12,000-rai of public land had been encroached on in the country.

 

"As there are many problems that need to be solved in Phuket, the NACC will set up an office in the province in September, extending the Surat Thani office which monitors the upper southern provinces," Mr Vicha said.

 

The Phuket office will be one of 23 NACC offices nationwide, he said, adding that an NACC office will be established in every province by next year.

 

Public land encroachment has also been reported in Surat Thani's Koh Samui district, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, some parts of Bangkok, Trat's Koh Chang district and Samut Prakan's Bang Bo district, Mr Vicha said.

 

Those found guilty of encroachment will have to pay about 420 million baht, he said, estimating total losses from encroachment could reach 1 billion baht.

 

The NACC is looking into different aspects of encroachment, including invasion, deforestation and construction on public areas, Mr Vicha said.

 

The NACC will urge the Royal Forestry Department to press charges against those intruding on public land.

 

Electronic equipment will be acquired to clearly identify public areas, he said, as unclear land boundaries make it difficult for authorities to issue land ownership papers.

 

The NACC will work with the Department of Lands, the Royal Thai Survey Department, the Ministry of National Resources and the Environment as well as the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency in conducting this exploration work, Mr Vicha said.

 

The budget for buying the equipment could reach 1-2 billion baht, but it is crucial to preventing the destruction of national resources and the environment, he said.

 

Mr Vicha said Thailand needs a map that clearly indicates the boundaries of public land, forest reserves, degraded forests and residential areas.

 

However, authorities will seize land from encroachers only after looking into whether they had really been living in the area before, he said.

 

The NACC has charged many state officials in Phuket with issuing false land ownership documents.

Mr Vicha said officials had issued land ownership papers for a tin mine in Kathu district, even though it was against the law as mining areas must be supervised by the Department of Mineral Resources.

 

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