The government is advancing forest restoration by strictly enforcing laws, protecting rightful landowners, accelerating rehabilitation of encroached areas, and creating a balance between conservation and sustainable resource use.
On 5 July 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Lalida Pertwiwatana, Deputy Spokesperson of the Office of the Prime Minister, revealed that the government under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is pushing forward policies for valuable and balanced natural resource conservation and utilization. It is rapidly allocating farmland alongside creating jobs and livelihoods for communities to reduce forest encroachment, while seriously enforcing laws against offenders and restoring natural resources to sustainable abundance.
The Deputy Spokesperson said that Mr. Suchat Chomklin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, has closely monitored operations of the Thap Lan National Park task force. After officials posted notices ordering the owner of "Imphu Hill Resort," whose case has concluded through the justice process, to dismantle structures within 15 days, the owner recently met with the park chief to submit a letter agreeing to remove all structures themselves and immediately began dismantling before the deadline. Park officials are overseeing and tracking the dismantling closely to expedite restoring the area to its natural forest state as soon as possible.
Ms. Lalida stated the government affirms a clear operational principle: to fairly protect the land rights of eligible citizens by accelerating transparent, parcel-by-parcel verification of land-use rights. At the same time, the government will prosecute investors and forest encroachers equally with no exceptions. When cases are finalized, structures must be dismantled and the land returned to the state according to law.
The Deputy Spokesperson added that regarding the "Rai Rak Fa" area within Erawan National Park in Kanchanaburi Province, where laws have been enforced and the land reclaimed, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment has ordered the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to urgently improve the landscape and upgrade safety standards to develop it as the “Erawan Nakharin Viewpoint” under strict departmental regulations. This will maintain a balance between tourism and conservation, avoid permanent constructions that harm nature, use environmentally friendly materials, and designate appropriate usage areas so the restored forest can fully function as a watershed and wildlife habitat.
Opening the area for tourism will be conducted under strict safety measures, including establishing tourist service points, increasing patrol officers, coordinating closely with local police, designating safe nature study trails and photo spots, and installing warning signs and visitor monitoring systems. This ensures the public can safely and sustainably access natural tourist sites.
“The government prioritizes balanced natural resource management between conservation, protecting citizens’ rights, and strict enforcement against encroachers, alongside restoring forest areas and developing reclaimed sites for public benefit based on conservation principles. This preserves the abundance of natural resources and passes on intact forests to future generations,” . Ms. Lalida concluded.