CHONLATID Suraswadi isn’t surprised when he encounters the same old tricks commonly used by big-time encroachers trying to grab forest lands that are under his charge. The department has also learnt that about 9 million rai of forest reserves on watersheds nationwide have been degraded. The RFD was among the first state agencies assigned by the junta to enforce these orders to seize back forest land from these people, dubbed Nai Tun. Realising the influence and sophistication of the illegal operators, the government, through its national forest encroachment and exploitation prevention and suppression panel, set up the Forest Protecting Operation Centre (FPOC) in May. They use various tricks, including using nominees to hold the encroached forest land for them.

Source: The Nation Bangkok October 28, 2017 13:18 UTC