Task force raids Petchabun resorts
An integrated task force under the leadership of the Royal Forestry Department to suppress encroachment upon forest reserves and land authorised for special settlements in Petchabun’s popular resort town of Khao Kho has raided 15 more resorts as part of a two-week operation.
One resort was found to be hosting a renowned actor.
The force, including the Intenal Security Operations Command Region 4 officers, has continued its operations to suppress at least 135 resorts encroaching on forest reserves and those designated for special uses.
The land, believed to be thousands of rai, was previously allocated to those once fighting the state decades ago before returning to join the government with special terms to help fight fellow communists. They were given land in Khao Kho to make a living, but years later some plots were found changing hands or being turned into resorts.
The force last week raided 15 resorts and this week 15 more. The land seized ranged from one to 13 rai.
As the cases are complicated by various claims to the allocated land, the force would step up measures to ensure that the arrests would lead to court cases and that wrongdoers cannot make excuses to elude punishment, according to Cheewapap Cheewatham, chief of the Phayak Prai task force and the Forest Protection Operation Centre.