The Department of Special Investigation (DSI), together with the Department of National Parks and Nong Khai Province, seized illegally logged timber from a national park area stored in a Chinese investor's warehouse. The haul included padauk, teak, and cheng chan wood, ready for export in large quantities, valued at over 300 million baht.
At 14:00 on 15 Dec 2025 GMT+7, Mr. Paitoon Mahachuenjai, Governor of Nong Khai Province; Police Captain Wisanu Chimtrakool, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI); Mr. Angsuket Wisutwatthanasak, Director of the Justice Facilitation Division; Mr. Veera Khunchaiyakarn, Deputy Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation; and Mr. Patpong Samittiphat, Deputy Director-General of the Royal Forest Department, jointly held a press conference announcing the seizure of illegally logged timber from a national park area stored in a Chinese investor's warehouse in Nong Khai Province, valued at over 300 million baht.
Police Captain Wisanu Chimtrakool, Deputy Director-General of the DSI, stated that this timber seizure followed a tip-off about illegal logging within national park areas in northern Thailand. The DSI Director-General ordered the Justice Facilitation Division to investigate under case number 114/2568. Working jointly with officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, they discovered ten-wheel trucks transporting illegally harvested timber from protected forests in Chiang Mai, Phrae, Lampang, and other northern provinces to warehouses of two companies located in the same area within Nong Khai Province.
Upon arrival, the trucks' timber was immediately processed and relevant transport documents were issued for moving and exporting the timber abroad. Container trucks collected the timber from the warehouses and transported it to Laem Chabang Port, while some timber was further sent to warehouses in Chachoengsao Province.
Led by Mr. Angsuket Wisutwatthanasak, Director of the Justice Facilitation Division, DSI officers teamed up with the Department of National Parks officials, the Royal Forest Department, Nong Khai Immigration Office, and Border Patrol Police Company 245. They executed search warrants issued by the Nong Khai Provincial Court, numbers K193/2568 and K194/2568 dated 13 Dec 2025 GMT+7, to inspect the warehouses of both companies.
During the search of the first company, they found Ms. Kanyanat and Mr. Arthit, who manage the company's operations. The business has been buying, processing, and exporting timber for about a year and is in the process of applying for a manual wood processing factory license. In the second company, officials found Mr. Wu Jiaxin, 21, a Chinese national; two Vietnamese nationals; and eight Lao nationals. Mr. Wu Upeng owns the warehouse and manages all operations there, while the first company handles documentation and export procedures.
Additionally, the investigative team coordinated with the Special Case Operation Center Region 4 and highway police to intercept a tractor-trailer truck with a container carrying timber leaving the company's warehouse on the night of 12 Dec 2025 GMT+7. The inspection revealed a large quantity of processed padauk wood. The driver was brought back to Nong Khai Province. The seized timber was counted and documented, totaling approximately 350 cubic meters, valued at about 300 million baht.
