Minister Suchart, head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, visited Thap Lan to resolve more than 40 years of overlapping land disputes, advancing the restoration of justice for original villagers. He also ordered the demolition of three resorts with final legal judgments to reclaim the forest land for the country’s benefit.
On 28 June 2026, Minister Suchart Chomklin, accompanied by Dr. Raweewan Puridet, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, along with ministry executives, Deputy Governor of Nakhon Ratchasima Wijit Kitwirat, and Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Atthapol Charoenchansa, joined related agencies to inspect facts within Thap Lan National Park, covering areas in Nakhon Ratchasima and Prachinburi provinces. They explained plans to resolve overlapping land issues using the One Map system and listened to local residents’ concerns to promote clear, transparent understanding and balance forest conservation with fair protection of indigenous community rights. The meeting was held at Ban Rat Phatthana School, Soeng Sang District, Nakhon Ratchasima, with 1,200 people attending.
Present were Mr. Prawattisat Chanthhep, head of Thap Lan National Park, and representatives from the National Land Policy Committee Office to jointly clarify the verification process and legal issues based on the National Park Committee’s resolutions, ensuring clear understanding among the public. They presented maps of overlapping areas before visiting communities under the "Development Project for Security" and the "Land Allocation Project for the Poor in Degraded Reserved Forests" to meet original residents who were resettled during the suppression of the Communist Party of Thailand era. These residents have faced unclear land rights documentation for decades. Afterwards, the minister took a helicopter tour to survey land use in Soeng Sang, Khon Buri, and Wang Nam Khiao districts in Nakhon Ratchasima, as well as Nadi District in Prachinburi.
Minister Suchart stated the government under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has a urgent policy to resolve this issue by thoroughly verifying and proving land rights for original, impoverished villagers on a parcel-by-parcel basis to ensure fairness, while strictly enforcing laws against resorts encroaching on forests without benefiting any investors. He reaffirmed that no natural forest will be cut down.
All procedures follow legal frameworks based on facts and transparent empirical data. This boundary adjustment does not revoke the entire Thap Lan National Park area but addresses original communities’ land use issues alongside plans to designate additional national park zones. For forest encroachment cases in court, the government will pursue legal action to the fullest extent. Today, the team met Mr. Sathit Panhom, 87, and Mr. Somphong Truangpho, both among residents living in the area before it was declared a national park and those resettled by security forces during the civil conflict period.
Minister Suchart added, “Regarding law enforcement, today Thap Lan National Park officials issued notices to owners of resorts with finalized court rulings to dismantle their buildings within 15 days. This action complies with the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 1999, Section 3(15), concerning offenses related to natural resources or the environment involving illegal possession or exploitation of natural resources for commercial purposes. The park has posted demolition notices at three resorts in Wang Nam Khiao District, Nakhon Ratchasima, and will begin removing all such establishments to restore the land for forest recovery.”
To address overlapping boundaries in Thap Lan National Park, the government has divided the land conflict resolution into five groups based on ownership type and land use purpose as follows.
1. Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) land (53,416 rai) recommended for removal from the national park boundary to proceed under the One Map principles.
2. Thai Samakkhi Model Village Project (8,328 rai) with urgent rights verification and case resolution before proceeding under regulations.
3. Development Project for Security/Land Allocation Project for the Poor (87,500 rai) recommended for removal from the national park boundary with a planned referendum to determine residents’ desired land rights forms.
4. Other areas outside ALRO and security projects (109,420 rai) to undergo strict parcel-by-parcel rights verification to filter out investors before legal action.
5. State property land (6,621 rai) recommended for removal from the national park boundary to comply with its original use as military land.
Next steps include compiling recommendations and empirical data from this field visit to coordinate with the National Land Policy Committee Office for submission to the Cabinet. This aims to review the Cabinet resolution of 14 March 2023 with updated proposals, including establishing buffer zones to prevent long-term ecological impacts. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation reaffirms its commitment to legally sound solutions that restore fairness to the people while preserving the forest for the nation’s benefit.
