Announcement warning to stop purchasing "gold ore" after leads emerged of gangs secretly invading forest areas to dig and pan for gold ore, illicitly selling it to gold shops in Kanchanaburi city, emphasizing penalties including imprisonment and fines.
On 21 July 2026, Ms. Warittha Sanguansermsri, Governor of Kanchanaburi Province, signed a provincial announcement requesting business operators to cease purchasing gold ore believed to be sourced through illegal activities, stating that
Kanchanaburi province received reports from Thong Pha Phum National Park that groups of individuals have been secretly invading forest land to dig and pan for gold ore in the Pilok Khee forest area, Village No. 4, Pilok Subdistrict, Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi Province, within the national park. Previously, the park authorities, in cooperation with relevant agencies, have arrested offenders under forestry laws for illegally digging soil to pan for gold ore, confiscating large amounts of equipment used in the offenses.
Currently, rising gold prices have attracted investors to buy gold ore for profit. It has been found that investors and offenders have sold gold ore to gold shops in Kanchanaburi. The illegal digging and panning cause damage to natural resources and the environment and impact the country's economic and social stability.
Therefore, Kanchanaburi province requests cooperation from business operators who purchase gold ore to refrain from buying gold ore from persons believed to have obtained it illegally. Such transactions violate the Mineral Act B.E. 2560 (2017), Section 99, which mandates that purchasing, selling, possessing, or transporting minerals requires a permit from the Director-General of the Department of Primary Industries and Mines.
Violators face imprisonment of up to one year or fines ranging from three to five times the mineral's value, or both. Additionally, trading natural resources obtained unlawfully constitutes a predicate offense under the Anti-Money Laundering Act B.E. 2542 (1999), Section 3(15). Anyone who encounters persons selling gold obtained illegally is urged to report to the Regional Office of Conservation Area 3 (Ban Pong) at phone number 032-211025. This announcement is made public on 15 July 2026.
Mr. Yutthapong Damsrisuk, Head of Thong Pha Phum National Park, said the park requests cooperation from gold shop operators, second-hand buyers, and related businesses to refrain from buying gold ore or any items resembling gold ore from sellers unable to clearly prove their origin, believed to be illegally obtained.
This is to prevent and curb illegal mining and forest encroachment, as well as the purchase of assets derived from criminal acts, contributing to the conservation of natural resources and maintaining social order. If illegal mining or unlawful gold ore trading is observed, or related information is available, please report to the police, call the emergency hotline 191, or notify relevant government agencies for legal action.
Additional reports state that officials from Thong Pha Phum National Park, Khao Laem National Park, the Lat Ya Task Force of the Surasi Military Command, Border Patrol Police Company 135, administrative officers from Thong Pha Phum District, and Pilok Police Station have jointly conducted arrests of illegal gold ore mining gangs since November 2024.
The incidents occurred in mountainous forest areas classified as primary watershed zone 1A, within Thong Pha Phum National Park, overlapping with the Khao Chang Phueak Forest Reserve in Pilok Khee Village No. 4, Pilok Subdistrict, Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi Province, approximately 4 kilometers from the Thailand-Myanmar border. The group's actions involved deep tunneling into the mountains, creating small tunnels. Notably, these areas are crucial primary watershed zones where over 27 rai of forest land have been damaged across two sites, with natural resource losses valued at over 1.5 million baht, considered national assets of Thailand.
Each enforcement operation requires travel by boat and foot through complex forests and mountains, sometimes circumventing villages or disguising as local villagers foraging, as informants warn offenders to evade capture. Nevertheless, authorities have arrested numerous offenders with seized evidence; several have been imprisoned by Thong Pha Phum Provincial Court. However, these groups remain undeterred. Most offenders are Karen and Burmese residents of Pilok Khee Village No. 4, as well as cross-border intruders. Consequently, the Kanchanaburi governor issued this announcement.