Golf-course land deeds illegal: RFD
The Royal Forest Department is seeking the revocation of title deeds for a popular golf course in Rayong after finding that they were issued illegally and the golf club had encroached on public land.
“We are now preparing an official letter to ask the Lands Department to investigate the issuance of title deeds for this golf course and withdraw the title deed of this area,” Boonchob Suthamanuswong, director-general of the Forest Department, said yesterday.
The golf links occupy 109 plots of land covering 1,344 rai in Tambon Huay Pong and Tambon Sam Nak Kra Thon of Muang district.
According to an investigation, about 32 plots located within the links’ grounds are areas where |individuals are not allowed to own land.
Seven other plots were located in overlapping areas between the department’s land and private land.
The Lands Department is not authorised to issue title deeds for this golf course, he said.
Provincial authorities had set up a committee to investigate the issuance of title deeds for this golf course and determined that 20 plots were located in forest areas and 19 plots in the overlapping areas.
The committee had resolved to ask Governor Wichit Chartphaisit to instruct agencies to take legal action and allow the landowner to oppose the results of the investigation.
According to the provincial lands office, 530 plots on 2,700 rai are located in a public area in Muang district and 3,344 plots on 19,000 rai in a public area in Ban Chang district.
However, Thatree Namasonthi, assistant provincial governor, said the committee had also sent the results of its investigation to the provincial lands office asking it to withdraw the title deeds a month ago, but there had been no progress in taking legal action against the unlawful title deeds.
