Alpine controversy: Govt advised to enact bill instead of paying huge compensation

The chief of the Office of the Council of State suggested on Tuesday that the government should enact a bill to transfer temple land to the current owners of Alpine Golf Course, rather than paying a substantial compensation amount.

Pakorn Nilprapunt, secretary-general of the Office of the Council of State, stated that the government lacked the funds in the annual budget to pay the estimated compensation of 7.7 billion baht.

Pakorn explained that if the government were to reclaim the two plots of land, spanning 924 rai, from Alpine Real Estate and Alpine Golf and Sport Club, it would need to consult the Budget Bureau to determine how to source the funds for compensation.

He referred to an order issued by Chamnarnwit Terat, Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Interior Ministry, to overturn an earlier decision made by former Permanent Secretary Yongyuth Wichaidit. Yongyuth had authorised the sale of the land, originally donated to Wat Thammikaram in Pathum Thani, to the two firms.

The land’s original owner, Neum Chamnanchartsakda, had stipulated in her will that the land be donated to the temple.

However, the temple later sold it. Initially, the Land Department opposed the sale on the grounds that it violated the Sangha Supreme Council Act, but Yongyuth approved it regardless.

Yongyuth was later found guilty of issuing an unlawful order.
Pakorn stated that the Council of State had resolved in 2001 that the land should remain the property of the temple in accordance with Neum’s will.

He explained that since Yongyuth’s order was deemed unlawful, the Interior Ministry must revoke it, returning the land to the temple’s ownership.

Pakorn noted that if the government could not identify a budget source to cover the 7.7 billion baht compensation, it could enact a bill to transfer ownership of the temple’s land to the current owners of the Alpine Golf Course.

He added that similar bills have been enacted in the past to transfer ownership of temple land plots, although such instances did not attract significant public attention.