Discussed: 20 Mar 2025 at 05: 15
NEWSPAPER SECTION: News
The National Office of Buddhism ( NOB ) was able to win a ruling from the Central Administrative Court on Wednesday that the 2,500 acres of land in dispute at Buddha Monthon Park in the Buddha Monthon district of Nakhon Pathom are “central religious property,” not state land as some might have thought.
Essentially, the Treasury Department will be unable to attempt to file Buddha Monthon park as state land as a result of the decision.
According to Section 46 ( 1 ) of the Sangha Act of 1941, the term “central religious property” refers to Buddhist property, which includes land, buildings, and all other conjoined additions.
The judge cited the park’s longer history of creation as evidence in its decision.
The 25th Buddhist era was commemorated in Buddha Monthon area.
According to the decision, King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great purchased the first 135 ray of property from the Crown Property Bureau in order to give it to Buddhism.
In the interim, more territory was added, and people, including U Nu, the first prime minister of the Union of Burma, made donations and raised money to buy more territory in the surrounding regions until the area expanded to 2, 205 ray, according to the decision.
The objective was to expand the park to 2,500 rai.
According to the ruling, the government expropriated 295 rai of adjacent land at the time to accomplish that goal.
The government’s land expropriation could never be categorized as state land because the government’s intention was to serve Buddhism rather than the general public.
The ruling added that the land belongs in its entirety to the religion, not the state, taking into account the late King’s intentions, the government, and all donors who had contributed to securing the 2,500 rai of land for building Buddha Monthon Park, which clearly was for giving to religion.