The working group, set up in September, met again at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Dec 19).
The group was established by the Phuket Provincial Office at the behest of the Phuket Provincial Ombudsman’s Office (Damrongtham Centre) in July following a slew of complaints regarding the Royal Thai Navy being granted to use all 3,700 rai of the protected forest.
The Navy aims to use the forest to create a new home for the 22nd Anti-Aircraft Battalion, the 2nd Anti-Aircraft Regiment, the Anti-Aircraft Command Unit, an Air Defense and Coastal Defense Center and the 4th Naval Police Battalion of the Naval Police Department.
As part of the working group’s mandate to create a map of all areas in the forest that are occupied, the Sakhu and Thepkrasattri Tambon Administrative Organisations (OBorTor) compiled a list of agencies that had submitted formal requests to the Royal Forest Department to use land in the Bang Khanun Forest.
As of Dec 19, 2023, seven government agencies and administrations have been granted to use areas in the forest, as follows:
Phuket Highways Office, granted permission to use 9 rai 1 ngan 50 square wah from Aug 15, 1994 – Aug 14, 2024.
Royal Thai Navy Third Naval Area, granted permission to use 3,763 rai 1 ngan 2 square wah from Jan 1, 2023 – Feb 28 2053.
Phuket Provincial branch of the National Office of Buddhism, granted permission to use 14 rai 2 ngan 51 square wah from Aug 9, 2023 - Aug 8, 2053.
Phuket Provincial Office of the Islamic Council of Thailand, granted permission to 8 rai 2 ngan from Jan 13, 2014 – Jan 12, 2024.
Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), granted permission to use 1 rai from July 24, 2017 – July 23, 2047.
Vachira Phuket Hospital, granted permission to use 322 rai 2 ngan from Feb 22, 2022 – Feb 21, 2052 ‒ and has requested permission to use a further 35 rai 1 ngan.
Thepkrasattri OrBorTor, granted permission to use 18 rai 3 ngan 32 square wah from April 23, 2019 to use for ‘Kubor’ burial (burial of unclaimed bodies) ‒ and has requested permission to use a further 14 rai 2 ngan 74 square wah for office construction.
Four government agencies have requests that have not yet been granted: the Phuket Forestry Center, Thalang Technical College, Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority and the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office
The one government office that was denied permission to use land in the forest was the Phuket Provincial Public Works and Town & Country Planning Office.