The Forest Department is to file an additional charge of encroachment into national forest reserves against Palang Pracharat MP Pareena Kraikupt.
Forest Department chief Atthapol Charoenchansa told Thai PBS today that forest officials and police, from the Division for the Suppression of Offences related to Environment and Natural Resources, had used satellite aided equipment to map the Khao Son farm, belonging to Ms. Pareena, in Tambon Rangbua, Chom Boeng district of Ratchaburi province and found that 80 hectares of the land is located on national forest reserves, not 109 hectares as claimed by the Office of Land Reform for Agriculture.
He said it didn’t make any difference if 80 or 109 hectares is encroached upon because it will still be treated as a major case and handled with transparency.
On December 2nd 2019 officials of the Forest Department and Office of Land reform for Agriculture surveyed Ms. Pareena’s farm and found that the MP had allegedly encroached on just 7.4 hectares of national forest reserves.
Four charges were then filed against the MP with the Division for the Suppression of Offences related to Environment and Natural Resources. These included encroachment into and destruction and exploitation of forest land.
