The Land Department cited three points confirming its adherence to court orders and legal principles in the Khao Kradong land issue. It explained that it cannot revoke land rights certificates for 995 plots until there is a court judgment.
On 7 June 2026, the Land Department of the Ministry of Interior issued a statement clarifying the Khao Kradong land case in Buriram Province. It noted that media reports claim the State Railway of Thailand’s land at Khao Kradong, Mueang Buriram District, has been ruled by Buriram Provincial Court, the 3rd Region Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court, and the Central Administrative Court as belonging to the railway. However, the Land Department has not yet implemented the court orders. The Department wishes to clarify as follows.
1. Regarding the rulings by Buriram Provincial Court, the 3rd Region Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court ordering the revocation of land title applications for 35 individuals and cancellation of related land titles and certificates, the Land Department has fully complied by canceling those applications and revoking four land titles and certificates as ordered. However, these rulings apply only to the disputed land between the parties in the case and cannot be extended to third parties unless new lawsuits are filed under Section 145, paragraph two, of the Civil Procedure Code. The courts did not rule on the entire 5,083 rai area. Therefore, claims that these rulings confirm ownership of all land are an overextension beyond the rulings’ scope and cannot be applied to other plots because the origin of each plot differs. Landowners must have the opportunity to defend their rights.
2. Regarding reports that the State Railway legally owns the land, making it public property from the start and that private land rights issued later overlap state land, the Land Department explains that in the Central Administrative Court case number 582/2566 dated 30 March 2023, the court ruled that the Director-General of the Land Department must form an investigative committee under Section 61, paragraph two, of the Land Code. The court stated that it is the Director-General's discretion to act on findings, which the court cannot override. The investigative committee’s fact-finding on the Khao Kradong land dispute, including claims from the railway, objections from affected landowners, historical data, boundary surveys, and site inspections, revealed significant differences from the court’s evidence. The railway’s evidence was unclear and unreliable regarding the exact extent of its land. Therefore, it cannot be proven that the land rights certificates overlap railway land. Additionally, the issuance of land rights followed proper procedures, regulations, and laws at the time, with no clear evidence of unlawful issuance.
Therefore, the Land Department cannot revoke the land rights certificates for 995 plots under Section 61 of the Land Code. The Department has reported its actions to the court, which has set 1 July 2025 as the date for case consideration. The Department is currently awaiting the court’s decision date.
3. The State Railway has filed a lawsuit against the Land Department, the Director-General of the Land Department, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior at the Central Administrative Court, case number 395/2568 dated 14 March 2025. The lawsuit requests (1) revocation of the Director-General’s order to suspend revocation of land rights certificates in Khao Kradong, Mueang Buriram District; and (2) revocation of the Permanent Secretary’s appellate decision supporting the Director-General’s order and dismissal of the railway’s appeal. This case is under consideration by the Central Administrative Court. The Land Department will act according to the final court judgment.
The Land Department emphasizes that its actions comply with laws and regulations to ensure fairness for all parties involved. Currently, the State Railway is suing 24 citizens holding ownership of 108 land plots at Khao Kradong in 24 cases before Buriram Provincial Court. The court has instructed the Buriram Land Office and experts from the Royal Thai Survey Department to jointly survey and create dispute maps to assist judicial review. The Land Office has completed the surveys and reported to the court. The cases remain under judicial consideration, and any court orders or judgments will be binding on the parties and enforced accordingly.