Officials who swooped on the site, close to the entrance to the Big Buddha, found part of the six rai of SorPorKor-paper land had also been benched using a tracked excavator.
They said the 160 pieces of lumber – a mixture of 2x4-inch planks and posts – had been cut from jackfruit and durian trees that were at least 50 years old.
Excavating SorPorKor land or using it for cutting timber is illegal – this kind of document allows the land to be used solely for agriculture.
The inspection team reported the offences to the Chalong Police Station, asking officers there to track down the “owners” of the lumber, which was taken to the Forest Protection Unit in Karon.