Thailand’s efforts to address the landlessness of its citizens have been top priorities for various services. Allocating forest area to those in need has been a key plan. Nevertheless, a significant portion of recipients live in forests that are considered to be state-owned house, which poses difficulties in achieving a balance between land distribution and environmental preservation.
guidelines for property planning
Farmers ‘ demands for a political system under military rule led to the government’s introduction of the Agricultural Land Reform Act in 1975.
Over the years, thousands of ray of forest land have been distributed, and this legislation aimed to give land to underprivileged farmers. However, the problem is still present as a result of improper area transfers. Some recipients have illegally sold their land to outsiders, causing further forest degradation and the decline of fertile forest habitat.
The National Land Policy Committee Office ( NLPC ) was established in the previous Prayut Chan-o-cha administration in 2021 as the principal body charged with distributing land to the underprivileged. Instead of granting specific ownership, the government decided to adopt a community-based property ownership model to stop illegal transfers.
Local operational organizations compile a list of available recipients under this system, keeping land rights shared rather than individual. This strategy was intended to preserve wooded areas and stop illegal property sales.
Despite these preventative measures, reports of illegal area sales outside the NLPC’s purview have raised questions about the effectiveness of the office. Over 143 ray of allocated property have been improperly transferred in Chachoengsao province, and another 46 rai in Chanthaburi have been subject to similar violations.
The number of such situations is likely to rise if a more thorough research is conducted. These crimes were discovered following complaints from neighborhood groups, which highlights the lack of effective police.
The popular sale of jungle land via social media platforms like Facebook is even more disturbing. Illegal transfers will only increase without strict protective measures, eventually causing further government failures to protect forest areas.
Poor law enforcement, which frequently ignores breaches under the pretext that the property sellers are economically disadvantaged, is the cause of this repeated cycle of property mismanagement.
Poor protection
The NLPC’s chairman, Rawiwan Phuridej, has not yet made any specific recommendations for her office regarding illegal property transfers. She stated in response to the rumors of illegal sales in Chachoengsao and Chantaburi that:” Legal action will be taken against those accountable, including entirely revoke the right to obtain any state-owned land.”
However, she has also pointed out that the Department of Royal Trees still has a lot of the property under its purview, which suggests that the NLPC lacks any direct control over this matter. The lack of clarity raises questions about whether the company has a reliable system in place to track land use under the neighborhood ownership model.
The NLPC created the” Platform Sphere,” a data management system that tracks land use using satellite-based geolocation technology in an effort to boost tracking. In accordance with the Deforestation-Free Regulation ( EUDR) of the European Union, this system aims to verify that agricultural products from designated lands do not come from forest zones.
The Department of Royal Forests ‘ ( DIR ) managed forest lands prior to the adoption of this technology, though. Although it is unknown whether improper land transfers may be addressed by the NLPC, the department announced plans to work with the department to combine the system.
The NLPC already has 4.1 million ray of land, with 2.92 million ra already distributed. 8.6 million ray is under the control of the Department of Royal Forests, with 5.4 million ray being allocated.
Also, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation have plans to manage an additional 5.05 million ray. 17.7 million ray of jungle land are allotted for impoverished people. These large-scale distributions are susceptible to worsening improper land sales and further deforestation without a solid monitoring system. Government organizations appear to be more focused on achieving planning goals than putting in place effective measures to prevent area abuse.
Local challenges also paint a striking image of how attractive illegal transfers have become. Land prices in mountainous regions with access to water sources may reach several million baht per ray. Some property is misleadingly advertised as being part of the National Land Policy, appealing to customers. In some circumstances, local administrative leaders have allowed or omitted unlawful transactions.
The urgency of motion
Thailand runs the risk of repeating the routine of forest land loss caused by inefficient policies if there is no efficient system to control land ownership and maintain regulations. Given the mounting world demands for increased forest protection and the rising climate change difficulties, this problem is particularly concerning. Despite efforts to stop deforestation, the president’s area planning strategy may unintentionally lead to environmental degradation.
The government must prioritize law enforcement and strict ground inspections in order to stop additional improper transfers and infringements. Both sellers and buyers who engage in illegal land transactions should be immediately taken into action.
The solution to this problem calls for the cooperation of all parties, including local government, government agencies, and economic organizations. Thailand is at a crucial moment, and it needs to take swift action to end the mishandling of forests. When it comes to protecting its declining forest resources, the nation may purchase additional concessions. The time has come to strictly enforce existing laws and protect Thailand’s trees for upcoming years.
The National Land Policy Committee Office ( NLPC ) is led by Rawiwan Phuridej. ( Photo: Environment and Natural Resources Ministry )