As government authorities are actively arresting villagers encroaching on forest reserves to grow crops, the forestry officials are also inspecting several hills in Chiang Mai following complaints that many influential people and businessmen are building luxury resorts, hotels, condominiums on steep slopes on the forest reserves.
Hang Dong district in the northern province of Chiang Mai was said to have these luxury property built over 100 rai of hill slopes.
Chiang Mai Forest Resource Management Office director Mr Chukiat Pongsiriwan said forestry officials have inspected Hang Dong mountainous areas and have found six hillside locations where hotel, luxury resorts and villas covering more than 100 rai of land have been built.
Most of the locations are in the areas of Mae Tha Chang and Mae Khanin forest reserves.
Keepers of these luxury properties claimed they have title deeds but when officials insisted on ownership documents, none have shown up with the evidences to support their claims.
Mr Chukiat said all owners were invited to clarify and present their evidences to proof their ownership of the title deeds tomorrow.
The deeds would be used for aerial inspection to compare with the boundary of forest reserve area.
He said if any deed was found to encroach on the forest area or illegally acquired, the owner would be prosecuted and the deed would be revoked.
Recent aerial inspection found that hotel, luxury resorts and villas were built on slopes covering between 10-20 rai of land each.
The National Council for Peace and Order has made it clear on cracking forest encroachment by influential people under its policy to regain the forest area back for the interest of the country.
