Land Owner's Daughter Defends Father's Temple Intent Without Donation
A landowner's daughter clarifies her late father intended to build a temple on 21 rai of land in Khon Kaen but never formally transferred ownership, sparking a legal dispute with heirs now contesting the temple's claims.
The daughter of a landowner has spoken out to clarify that her father genuinely intended to build a temple but did not donate the land itself. She argues that once her father passed away, everything becomes void because the temple was never actually constructed.
The dispute began when heirs of the landowner claimed rights to 21 rai of land at Paa Adulayaram Temple in Muang District, Khon Kaen Province, which the father, known as Hiang, had pledged in 1990. The heirs contested that no formal land transfer ever occurred, leading to a court case where both the lower court and appeals court dismissed their claims. The situation escalated when a group of about 30-40 men blocked the temple entrance with concrete pipes.
On August 13, 2026, a reporter visited the home of Buean, the third daughter of Hiang and Noi, who filed the lawsuit jointly with her mother. Buean explained that her father was a village headman and land seller. Of his total 42 rai of land, he allocated 10 rai to Khon Kaen University and about 21 rai for the temple, with another 5-6 rai of marshland. The area was originally forest until Buddhist nuns built a small dwelling there. Moved by their presence, her father purchased a structure for them, which gradually inspired his intention to build a temple. However, he never formally donated the land to anyone.
Buean recounted that after her father obtained a land title deed in August 1, he presented it at a merit-making ceremony to the abbot, showing villagers his intention to build the temple using that land—though he did not actually transfer ownership. The temple displayed the deed on its wall to announce the planned construction. Eventually, people with ulterior motives sought to seize the land entirely, triggering the dispute.
Buean admitted that she and her siblings gave up the fight due to lack of financial resources to compete with organized interests. Her niece Daa, who lives in Bangkok and works as a real estate agent, took over the case with the family's support. After her father's death, everyone understood that all intentions became void since the temple was never actually built, Buean said. The family had originally discussed dividing the disputed 6 rai among nine siblings after their father's death, in line with his wishes, but lacked the means to pursue it against those seeking to claim the land.
"Everything is now being handled by Daa, and she should be the one interviewed by the media," Buean stated, reaffirming that the land legally belongs to Hiang. She noted that if the temple were truly to be built, the land title should reflect that ownership.
