Justice Ministry to help old men charged over tree 

By law, no one can interfere with a Siamese rosewood that has economic value without prior permission from relevant authorities. 
Thongsuk Phanchompoo, 80, and Dern Jantakol, 70, who are related by a marriage in the family, did not seem intent on flouting the law when they cut up the dead tree in their paddy field in Maha Sarakham province. 
“We have found records that they had alerted their village head about the Siamese rosewood tree that had fallen. This tree blocked the path of locals who needed to dump their garbage at a dumpsite. These locals then drove into Thongsuk’s plot of land, causing a nuisance,” Justice Ministry’s deputy permanent secretary Tawatchai Thaikyo said Sunday.