Villagers Accuse Businessman of Seizing Public Pond, Causing Floods
Villagers in Kabin Buri, Prachinburi, accuse businessman Got Athip, husband of celebrity Boom Panadda, of illegally seizing a 4-rai public pond built with state funds. He allegedly fenced it off, destroyed drainage pipes, and caused severe flooding that destroyed crops. Despite complaints filed since 2022 to local authorities and the Ombudsman, no action was taken until the new district chief pledged an urgent investigation.
Villagers accuse Got, husband of Boom Panadda, of seizing a 4-rai public pond, fencing it off densely, and destroying the drainage channel. When it rains, water diverts and floods agricultural areas. Complaints for three years have gone unanswered.
At 5:30 p.m. on November 6, 2026, reporters received a complaint from landowners in Moo 4, Khao Mai Kaeo Subdistrict, Kabin Buri District, Prachinburi Province. They reported a dispute with Got Athip, husband of Boom Panadda, over the encroachment of a "public pond" (Sa Luang) of 4 rai. The pond was enclosed with a dense iron fence, destroying the original drainage system, causing severe flooding and damage to agricultural plots. The matter has been silent for over three years, despite police reports and petitions to the Ombudsman Center since 2022.
The pond was a Department of Fisheries project excavated in 1996-1997 for community use for over 20 years. In 2021, the businessman bought adjacent land, expanded the pond, used excavated soil to build bunds around it, destroyed the original concrete drainage pipes, and erected iron fences blocking villagers from accessing water or fishing.
Complainants said that when it rains, agricultural water cannot flow into the pond because the waterway was destroyed and earthen bunds block it. Water then backs up and floods their rice fields and bamboo groves, killing over 50 bamboo clumps, with damages of thousands of baht per clump. Villagers cannot pump water for use because of the iron fence. Complaints to the Kabin Buri Subdistrict Administrative Organization and the Ombudsman Center since 2022 have yielded no results, even with clear witnesses.
Most recently in November 2024, officials attempted to inspect but could not enter due to the businessman's fence, and the matter went silent again. The delay is justice denied; public assets have become private property, and authorities sit idle.
Meanwhile, Thammarat Ngamsaeng, the newly appointed Kabin Buri District Chief (since early 2025), briefly stated he would urgently investigate the matter.
Separately, Sunthon Khomkai, President of the Kabin Buri Environmental Conservation Volunteers and leader of the Prachin Strong Group, previously revealed that Got's land has held Nor Sor 3 documents since before purchase, but surrounding areas are Sor Por Kor 4-01 and forest land. In Khao Mai Kaeo Subdistrict, the businessman and his companies own over 60% of many thousands of rai up to Highway 359, with many bearing the same surname. He challenged Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn to come inspect, offering to guide and provide in-depth information immediately, wanting the whole system exposed clearly.
