Forest officials get skills training

The 100 trainees, based in Phitsanulok, Phetchabun and Uttaradit, are being trained by eight instructors, selected from a large number of forestry rangers who graduated from a course provided last year by US police and marines. The course is organised by the internationally-aided, Freeland Foundation, which has operations in four other countries.

There are 25 such instructors attached to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, who are capable of mastering jungle survival, reading of maps and compasses, special arrest techniques and basic rescue operations, said Amorn.

The “Phya Sua” (King Tigers) rangers are also capable of diving, search, and marine infiltration and exfiltration after attending certain courses provided by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Navy Seals, said Theeraphol Kanchanakomol, the chief instructor.

Meanwhile, civilian and military authorities on Wednesday raided 10 illegally acquired plots of land located in three national parks in Loei, with a retreat home and several fruit plantations on the properties.

Fruit plantations in many of the plots, totalling 787 rai, have unauthorised signs saying “Royal projects”, most likely to keep people away. The raid found no suspects. The plots are now off-limits pending verification, to be followed by demolition.

The 10 plots are located in Phu Rua, Pa Phu Puey and Pa Phu Kheethao national parks.

An unnamed official said the plots had previously been raided and yielded some suspects, mostly farmers and workers, who were prosecuted for processing logs. 

The workers were sentenced by a court order but the cases involving forest encroachment, which involved owners of the plots such as businessmen, officials and privileged people, were dropped either by prosecutors or the police, he added.