The meeting, at Phuket Provincial Hall, was chaired by Phuket Vide Governor Adul Chutohng, accompanied by committee spokesperson Tittikan Tittiphrutikul, committee advisor Thiwat Damkew, Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee
Officials from several departments presented updates on resolution efforts to the disputed claims, with local residents present to provide feedback and track progress. Particularly highlighted was the issue involving the Bureau of Land Conservation, Phuket, concerning the contentious land plot 263 (Baan Bang Thao), in Cherng Talay.
The Bureau reported progress, indicating steps to resolve the issue and support basic public utility installations, such as water and electricity meters, without disrupting the rights of local residents. However, official reports of the meeting did not clearly define where the land in question was located.
The Phuket Marine Office addressed actions taken to enforce legal measures concerning the construction of residential buildings at Baan Kho En in Moo 2, Mai Khao. The office ordered the demolition of unauthorised constructions, adhering to the administrative regulations.
Mr Tittikan, committee spokesperson, stated after the meeting that the discussions aimed to monitor progress and resolve ongoing issues effectively. He emphasised that the land dispute concerning Baan Bang Thao is expected to see significant developments soon, with anticipated completion by 2026, said the official report.
Meanwhile, regarding the case involving five houses at Baan Kho En in Mai Khao, the Phuket Marine Office has “expedited legal proceedings”, said the report.
“The committee will continue to meet and provide recommendations to relevant agencies to expedite actions and ensure fairness to all parties involved,” the report added.
The meeting concluded with plans for further reviews and detailed discussions on the land rights disputes affecting residents in prohibited wildlife conservation zones at Khao Phra Thaeo National Park in Thalang
Sixty-four residents have filed new applications, with 12 non-damaging cases and nine involving suspects of illegitimate land claims. The park authorities will provide further details on the proceedings, the report noted.
In his report of the meeting, MP Chalermpong noted that the meeting yesterday began with affected individuals presenting their concerns to the Land Commission and provincial-level agencies.
The primary issues discussed were related to housing, with residents providing various pieces of evidence and requesting the province to review and coordinate with relevant authorities to expedite resolutions.
In the morning session, representatives from Thalang District discussed progress on cases involving land rights disputes where buildings encroached on water streams in the Tha Ton Do community area in Mai Khao. Issues related to state and public land in the Bang Tao Beach area were also addressed, alongside challenges concerning agricultural land and housing rights in the Khao Phra Thaeo wildlife sanctuary, MP Chalermpong said.
Later in the afternoon, representatives from Chalong presented issues concerning the housing rights of the Khok Tanod community. They engaged in discussions and posed questions to officials regarding the impacts of evictions and pending legal cases affecting residents.
Regarding the Khok Tanod community in Chalong, Phuket Provincial Land officers reported findings from their 2017 land inspection. They identified four plots claimed under historical documents pre-dating the Land Code of 1857.
Despite claims of legal land issuance, subsequent inspections in 2023 revealed flooding and waste management issues due to unauthorised occupation and utilisation of the land. Resolutions have been reached, with issued documents now in effect, Mp Chalermpong said.
Of note, the documents used to claim the land as private were SorKor 1 land-occupation deeds. SorKor 1 documents have gained a notorious reputation in Phuket for being used to illegally claim land not belonging to the claimant.
No details were reported of any investigation into the SorKor 1 documents presented as proof of ownership.
Regardless, residents of the Khok Tanod community recounted how three private individuals originally occupied the area, resulting in lawsuits and successful evictions for some, while two cases remain in legal proceedings, MP Chalermpong said.
Efforts to address electricity supply challenges in the Khok Tanod community involved exploring options for installing poles along the mangrove forest perimeter to provide electricity to residents, given the private nature of the area, he said.