Areas allocated for poor a concern
PUBLISHED : 16 Mar 2025 at 06:13
The National Land Policy Committee (NLPC) has acknowledged a loophole in its regulations that has led to illegal land transfers, particularly in areas allocated for the poor.
This issue, which involves land being sold to investors in the eastern region, requires further cooperation to address, says the NLPC’s director.
Rawiwan Phuridej, director of the NLPC, said recently an initial investigation showed 143 rai in Chachoengsao province and 46 rai in Chanthaburi province, land allocated under the office’s initiative for the poor, had been sold to outsiders. This violates the rules prohibiting the sale or transfer of such land.
“Legal action will be taken against those responsible, including permanently revoking the right to access any state-owned land. Additionally, a large plot of over 900 rai in Chanthaburi, which belongs to the Department of Royal Forests, is no longer under the NLPC’s jurisdiction,” she said.
Ms Rawiwan admitted a lack of coordination between the NLPC and the Department of Royal Forests had created a loophole in tracking land status, potentially contributing to the illegal sale of land to outsiders.
She said the monitoring platform for land use and management, which is crucial for tracking land allocated under the government’s policy for the poor, has yet to be implemented in areas under the Department of Royal Forests.
This platform is designed to monitor land allocation, collecting information on land boundaries and recipients to prevent illegal transfers.
Currently, the system is in place for over 2.92 million rai of land approved by the NLPC’s sub-committee, but over 4.4 million rai approved by the Department of Royal Forests remains outside the system.
The government has given the department the authority to expedite land allocations for the poor, and it has allocated land to over 88,169 recipients. Meanwhile, the NLPC’s sub-committees have approved land use for 85,335 people.
“We believe technology can play a significant role in preventing illegal land transfers and protecting state-owned land,” Rawiwan said. “These cases provide an opportunity to improve cooperation, especially regarding information sharing.”
She said land allocated under the NLPC’s regulations cannot be sold, and any transfer would be considered illegal. The name of the buyer will not appear on land documents.
Ms Rawiwan declined to comment on whether illegal land transfers had taken place under her responsibility.
She had requested cooperation from the Department of Royal Forests to share necessary information, such as land boundaries and recipient lists, with local governors to assist in monitoring illegal land transfers.
Meanwhile, Surachai Ajalaboon, chief of the Department of Royal Forests, said Environment Minister Chalermchai Sri-on had instructed the department to inspect forest areas in the east for any encroachment related to durian plantations. A report is expected within 10 days.
