The Royal Forest Department will seek advice from the Council of State on dealing with Palang Pracharat MP Pareena Kraikupt’s 109 hectares of Sor Por Kor land, because the department and the Agricultural Land Reform Office are unable to agree upon which of them should initiate legal action against the MP for alleged encroachment.

Occupation rights for the land, in Tambon Rang Bua, Chom Boeng district of Ratchaburi province, was transferred to Ms. Pareena in 2005-2006 by her father, former Ratchaburi MP Thavee Kraikupt, before the land was declared part of the Sor Por Kor (land reforms) in 2011.

Royal Forest Department director-general Atthapol Charoenchansa today (Monday) met with the department’s legal team and Ratchaburi forest officials concerning the land occupied by Ms. Pareena, part of which has been developed into a poultry farm.

The Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) says it will not take legal action against Ms. Pareena after she agreed to return the land to the ALRO.  It has subsequently been discovered, however, that the land in question was part of forest reserves prior to being declared Sor Por Kor land.

The Royal Forest Department is also considering legal action against her for illegal encroachment into forest reserves over her occupation of a 10.24 hectare plot in a forest reserve.

Ratchaburi provincial forest chief Mr. Pattana Sirimai said that the Royal Forest Department would like the Council of State to rule on whether the department is empowered to take legal action regarding the  Sor Por Kor land.