The government has resolved 90% of the Tab Lan land issue, adhering to the principle "people can live, forests can live," advancing rights verification for over 30,000 villagers, expediting assistance for 23 prosecuted individuals, and prosecuting investors encroaching forests as well as dismantling illegal resorts.
On 2 Nov 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Lalida Perdiwattana, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, stated that the government under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul prioritizes resolving land issues in Tab Lan National Park spanning Nakhon Ratchasima and Prachinburi provinces. The approach follows the principle "people can live, forests can live," aiming to address the hardships of residents living and farming before the national park was declared, while simultaneously preserving forests and strictly enforcing laws against investors illegally encroaching forest areas. Progress has reached approximately 80–90%.
Ms. Lalida said that Mr. Suchat Chomklin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, has accelerated systematic resolution of the Tab Lan land problem, including boundary adjustments, land ownership verification, and law enforcement. He has instructed relevant agencies to consider facts on a case-by-case basis to ensure lawful residents receive fair treatment, while preventing investors from exploiting assistance measures to unlawfully occupy forest lands.
Regarding operations, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has divided the area into five groups to scrutinize facts and verify land ownership data thoroughly. They use existing databases submitted by residents covering 20,294 people, 27,951 plots, and more than 204,010 rai to support rights verification and seek solutions for over 30,000 people within legal frameworks and National Park Committee resolutions.
Additionally, the government is actively finding ways to assist 23 residents affected by legal proceedings under National Park law by directing relevant agencies to verify facts and consider assistance options within legal processes to ensure fairness for those impacted by longstanding land boundary issues.
Meanwhile, the government affirms decisive action against investors and operators illegally occupying forest areas. The Department of National Parks has dismantled 10 illegal resorts and vacation homes with final rulings and is in the process of issuing enforcement orders to dismantle 22 more. Efforts continue to coordinate use of anti-money laundering laws to investigate and act on assets linked to these illegal activities, alongside working with the Forestry Department to correct and clarify related boundary areas.
"The government insists on clearly distinguishing between residents who lived and farmed prior to the park's establishment and investors illegally encroaching forests for profit. Those with legal rights must receive justice, while offenders face serious prosecution. The government's goal is to resolve this long-standing issue transparently so residents can live securely while sustainably preserving the nation's forest resources, under the principle 'people can live, forests can live,'" Ms. Lalida said.
