Minister Warns Kanchanaburi Against Foreign Land Grabs
Education Minister Akkanat Kangkittinan has warned Kanchanaburi residents to guard against foreign land purchases that could threaten the province's tourism, environment, and local communities. He urged officials and residents to monitor de
On July 10, 2025, Akkanat Kangkittinan, Education Minister and Pheu Thai Party MP for Kanchanaburi District 1, posted on Facebook urging residents to safeguard their province. Kanchanaburi, he noted, is one of Thailand's premier tourist destinations, renowned for its natural beauty, rich history, archaeology, and unique geographic significance—a heritage passed down from ancestors that must be preserved for future generations.
In recent weeks, reports have emerged of foreign investors purchasing large tracts of land across multiple areas of the province. Such transactions could lead to development projects or businesses with serious impacts on local livelihoods, environment, natural resources, and quality of life. Without careful and strict oversight, these decisions risk burdening the entire province for decades.
Akkanat urged all stakeholders—provincial officials, local administrative organizations, village headmen, and residents—to remain vigilant, monitor developments closely, and collectively protect Kanchanaburi's interests. He emphasized that leaders must stand with the people, as their positions are temporary while the land, forests, and rivers belong to future generations.
He warned against allowing short-term decisions to create long-term burdens, noting that once resources are destroyed or communities fundamentally altered, they cannot be recovered. Kanchanaburi's value lies not merely in tourism but in being a home to people, a land of history, culture, and nature that has sustained communities for generations.
While development is widely supported, it must be transparent, accountable, and responsive to public voices. It cannot trade irreplaceable resources for short-term profits benefiting only a few. Akkanat called on all Kanchanaburi residents—young and old, urban and rural—to care more deeply for their homeland, protecting its land, forests, rivers, history, and communities.
He encouraged residents to remain vigilant and not ignore potential threats to the common good. Using their rights within legal frameworks, they should verify information, voice opinions, and participate in decisions about their province's future. He reminded residents of a principle: "We borrow this land from our descendants, not inherit it from ancestors only to exhaust it."
Kanchanaburi's beauty tomorrow depends on decisions made today.
