Lamru Residents File Complaint Against National Parks Director
Residents from Laem Son National Park area filed a complaint against the national parks director for allegedly filing encroachment charges despite unclear boundary demarcation and selective prosecution targeting only local residents while i
On July 21, residents from Laem Son National Park area filed a complaint with police against Arthapol Charoen-Chansaa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, and the head of Laem Son National Park. The complaint alleges misconduct in duties and seeks investigation into the filing of encroachment charges against local residents in an area overlapping the national park boundary of over 643 rai.
According to community representatives, the complaint was prompted by the director-general filing charges against residents for encroaching on the national park, despite residents having filed their own complaints about encroachment in the Khao Pak Triam area since May 2024. The representatives argue that park officials should have clear knowledge of park boundaries, which were established in 1983, but historically no physical boundary markers have been installed on the ground—only computer maps and digital records exist.
The residents claim that three land title documents (plots 915, 916, and 917) in the disputed area overlap with the national park zone. They contend that the director-general should file charges uniformly against all overlapping titles if treating them as encroachment, but instead chose to prosecute only the plots held by residents while allegedly ignoring those held by companies. The residents assert that some titles were issued before the national park was established, which according to law should not be considered encroachment.
