Province asks govt to return forestry land to the publicProvincial authorities want the government to change the status of forest reserves to state land to address long-overdue problems of illegal encroachment, a source has told the Bangkok Post. One of the biggest controversies concerns is Phu Thap Boek, where land plots were originally reserved for the resettlement of the Hmong hilltribe people. By turning the encroached forest land into "Ratchaphatsadu land", or state land under the supervision of the Finance Ministry's Treasury Department, the land still belongs to the state and can be used for commercial development. "Please do not portray this as us selling forest land to the commercial sector," said provincial governor Suebsak. "We are just trying to solve the problem by keeping public land in state ownership, yet also benefiting the economy."

Source: Bangkok Post September 14, 2020 22:52 UTC