Thongkawin, former goalkeeper of the Thai national team, defends Luangta Sinthasap in a forest dispute after an inspection was launched following allegations of encroaching on a reserved forest.
On 10 Apr 2026 GMT+7, following complaints that the Bo Nam Phra In forest monastery residence in Sirindhorn District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, led by Luangta Sinthasap or Phra Sin Kit, was constructed without official permission, the forest protection and fire control unit known as the 'Pyaek Phrai' joint task force conducted an inspection.
Phra Sin Kit stated, “You told me to plant, so I planted; you told me to take care, so I put my life on the line — but in the end, you come to arrest me.” This sparked a movement among disciples and devotees who rallied under #SaveBoNamPhraIn #SaveLuangtaSinthasap, viewing the enforcement as unfair to those who have restored degraded land into a spiritual and community forest area for over seven years.
Recently, Thongkawin Thamsatchanan, former Thai national team goalkeeper and current national team goalkeeping coach, shared his opinion that, although not a legal expert, he believes "our home" must include people, forest, and religion, as both temples and forests are vital national treasures.
His post said, “As an athlete, I may not know the law deeply, but I know that ‘our home’ must have people, forest, and religion. Thailand has Buddhism as the national religion. Temples are national assets, and so are forests. Today, we live in cities with development and may forget that ‘the air we breathe comes from the forest’ and ‘the spiritual support for many in society comes from temples.’”
He added that forests are more than just trees; they are an extensive system that sustains our lives. Developed countries maintain rich forests to give people vitality that drives national progress. Forests are also important places where monks cultivate their minds and return as spiritual pillars for the people, a tradition since the time of the Buddha.
He expressed belief that organizing massive tree-planting events in a single day is not difficult, but ‘preserving the forest’ sustainably—preventing destruction and fires—is harder and requires “real caretakers.” If the monks living in the forest do not harm it but help protect it,
then we should find a way for ‘the forest to survive and the monks to live’ together, shouldn’t we?
Although he is from a younger generation, he understands that conflicts between authorities and forest monks have repeatedly occurred in Thailand. Sometimes, this is because the “law” and “good intentions” do not align, preventing solutions that preserve both faith and the forest.
Today, while there are reports of fake monks behaving improperly that diminish public faith, many monks sincerely practice well, especially forest monks who live simply with nature and quietly care for the forest.
We should support what is good and allow it to flourish, not let the negative actions of a few overshadow the true goodness that remains. Ultimately, we should not have to choose between “forest” or “monks.”
We must work together to ensure both can coexist in Thai society for the longest time possible. I offer my support to Luangta and hope all parties find the best solution for our home.”