Prasit TangprasertNakhon Ratchasima: Residents in Tambon Phimai municipality of Phimai district yesterday voiced opposition to the Fine Arts Department's (FAD) move to declare a 2,658-rai area as a historic site, saying they had proper legal documents to prove their right to occupy the land. According to the letter, because no objections had been filed, the department would proceed to declare the area a historic site under Section 7 of the 1961 law on historic sites, art objects and museums. Danai Tangjerdja, the mayor of tambon Phimai municipality, said more than 2,600 households would be affected. He said the residents claimed they had been living in the area for generations with proper legal documents to show their right to occupy the land. The FAD declared part of the ancient ruins, famous for their 11th-century sandstone structures, as a historic site in 1936.

Source: Bangkok Post February 25, 2018 23:25 UTC