Ms Pareena Kraikupt, Palang Pracharat MP for Ratchaburi province, appears to be in some trouble relating to her claim that she has the right to occupy and use some 102 hectares of land, in Chom Bung district of the province, because she has paid local taxes, officially known as Por Bor Thor 5.

On his Facebook page today (Wednesday) Democrat deputy leader Nipit Intharasombat explained that the Por Bor Thor 5 tax form simply shows that a person has paid taxes to a local administration organization for land they have occupied and utilized. It does not mean that they have the legal right to own the land in question.

He said that the land occupier cannot use the Por Bor Thor tax form to claim a right to occupy land owned by the state, but it can be used as evidence against other private individuals who may also claim occupation rights to the same plot of land, but without a Por Bor Thor 5 tax form.

Mr. Nipit further explained that, if the land in question is Sor Por Kor land, or land under the land reform program, where a person has paid Por Bor Thor 5 taxes, he or she will not be allowed to occupy a huge plot of land, for example over 60 hectares, as in the case of Ms Pareena.

Having a Por Bor Thor 5 tax form is a double-edged sword, said the Democrat deputy leader, adding that this could be used as evidence to prove that he/she has encroached on state land.

Former senior member of the dissolved Thai Raka Chart party, Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, has threatened to petition the National Anti-Corruption Commission to launch an investigation into Ms Pareena’s assets declaration regarding the controversial land occupation in Chom Bung district of Ratchaburi.

Ms Pareena has claimed she has the right to occupy and utilize the land because she has already paid the Por Bor Thor 5 local taxes.