Tham Dee Foundation's 100-Rai Saraburi Plot Abandoned Amid Police Finance Probe
Tham Dee Foundation's 100-rai Saraburi land lies abandoned amid a police finance probe after the chairwoman's husband failed to cultivate it.
A further 100 rai of land held by the Tham Dee Foundation in Nong Khae district, Saraburi province, has been discovered lying fallow, with reports revealing that Got Athip Ananthawan — husband of foundation chairwoman Pum Panadda Wongphudee — had previously attempted to cultivate the plot without success before leaving it abandoned.
The discovery follows a criminal complaint lodged against the foundation, prompting police to trace financial flows in preparation for legal action against all involved parties. The case has drawn intense public attention, with relevant agencies closely monitoring the foundation's financial management and project construction overseen by Got, who remains under continuous scrutiny.
Journalists recently inspected the property, located in Ban Klong Sip, Moo 4, Nong Rong subdistrict, Nong Khae district, Saraburi, bordering the Khlong Raphiphat Road in Nong Suea district, Pathum Thani. The 100-rai parcel currently sits empty, with only an old house at the front and what appears to be an old pond at the rear, equipped with solar-powered electricity poles and CCTV cameras.
Local resident Khwantha (surname withheld), 57, said the area was originally farmed by an outsider known as 'Pho Plod', before being seized by a bank. She was unaware of any subsequent transactions until about one or two years ago, when people brought small seedlings and placed them on the land, surrounding them with fertilizer. She does not know if planting continued, but the land has remained fallow with no further cultivation or maintenance.
Originally an orange orchard, the land was later excavated by Pho Plod for topsoil sales. News later emerged that the bank had seized the property, and Pho Plod disappeared, leaving the land fallow ever since.
Nong Rong Subdistrict Administrative Organization (SAO) President Thinakorn Boonsan stated the 100-rai area is divided into three plots: two of 40 rai each and one of 20 rai, each with different assessed values. The appraised price is around 700 baht per square wa, with market prices ranging from 300,000 to 400,000 baht per rai due to its agricultural classification.
The land originally belonged to Pho Plod, who sold off topsoil from about 60 rai, leaving roughly 40 rai intact. Thinakorn does not know the auction price at which the bank sold the land, but local knowledge identifies Got as the titleholder. He understands the Tham Dee Foundation purchased the land, though he is unsure whether the title deed names Pum. Rumors suggest the foundation bought the land from the bank after it was seized and auctioned, and the title was then used to register for agricultural purposes, preventing the SAO from collecting land tax.
Sources report that after acquiring the land, Got brought in workers to farm, starting with oil palm. However, rats destroyed the crops, prompting a switch to mahogany, which also failed. The land has since been left fallow to the present day, according to local market valuation accounts.
