Decision on demolition of Bonanza speedway to be made on Monday
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OFFICIALS FROM the Forestry Department, security agencies and Nakhon Ratchasima will decide on Monday when to demolish the Bonanza speedway, which allegedly sits on 105 rai of land in three forest reserves and areas marked as Sor Por Kor in Pak Chong dist
Attapol Charoenchansa, director of the Forest Protection and Fire Control Office, said yesterday that the meeting would consider whether to take recourse to Article 25 of the Reserve Forest Act of 1964 to bulldoze the track within 45-60 days or wait till the court case is over.
Theerapat Prayurasiddhi, director-general of the Forestry Department, said the department preferred to wait.
Five signs would be posted around the racecourse to prevent any activity or encroachment.
The department will take three to six months to survey the land to determine if the title deeds overlap the forests. If encroachment can be proved, the department will reclaim the land and expect to get at least 600,000 rai allotted as Sor Por Kor land.
Theerapat has instructed 309 forest reserve wardens across the country to recover more than 1 million rai by next year.
Pol Maj-General Thanet Sunthornsuk said he had summoned three directors of Bonanza International Speedway – Pupaa Taechanarong, the managing director and son of former politician Paiwong, Preechakorn Prab-sangob and Nitischet Sutticharoenkul.
If the three fail to appear to hear five charges related to forest encroachment within seven days, a second summons would be served. If they failed to surrender after seven days, they would face arrest warrants, he said.
The investigations into the three big businesses in Pak Chong district – Bonanza, Kirimaya and Moon Dance – are more than 70 per cent complete and would be wrapped up and the results submitted to public prosecutors by the middle of next month, he said.
Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda said during the TV show that he hosts that he had bought the land in the Moon Dance real estate project that was auctioned off by a financial institution.
He was ready to face probe over allegations of forest encroachment in Khao Yai.
His resort home occupies six parcels spanning eight rai near Thanarat Road. The first five were acquired in 2007-08 and the last in 2010.
The property was purchased and held under his name and he would check with the developer about the forest encroachment claim, he said.
