The review was announced by DSI Deputy Chief Lt Col Prawut Wongsrinil at a meeting at Thalang District Office yesterday (Aug 29).
At the meeting were Thalang District Chief Vigrom Jarkthi and Witoon Detpramuanphon, who currently serves as Chief of Sirinath National Park, along with other officials and even local village headmen.
The aim of the campaign is to resolve land problems caused by SorKor 1 land documents, the meeting was told.
“The problem starts with SorKor 1 land documents,” Col Prawut said.
“All genuine SorKor 1 land documents are registered in the Land Department’s database. Just presenting a piece of paper that looks like a SorKor 1 is not proof of ownership,” he added.
“The central government has now set up committees to check SorKor 1 land documents throughout the country to ensure they are genuine.
“After that, the owner can use the document to be issued a full land title deed [Chanote] for the land. By doing this, the problem of fake SorKor 1 documents being used to encroach on protected public areas will be solved,” Col Prawut explained.
Col Prawut also called on local communities to help in the fight against encroachment.
“People in local communities have to keep an eye out and inform officials of any suspected encroachment onto public land. This is the best way and the strong point of communities in preserving the environment,” he said.
Earlier this month, Col Prawut vowed to continue his campaign to annul any illegally bestowed land title deeds. That promise came in the wake of the Criminal Court in Bangkok ruling that former Phuket Land Office chief Tawatchai Anukul died of suffocation and a ruptured liver after he was struck by a blunt object on Aug 29 last year while in DSI custody. (See story here.)
The campaign also follows the Phuket Court in May this year ordering the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) and two of its officials to pay a total of B1.9 million in damages for the highly publicised land probe that accused several property owners of encroaching on Sirinath National Park. (See story here.)