BANGKOK, Thailand – The Department of Lands (DOL) has confirmed it acted in accordance with legal and administrative procedures in its handling of the land disputes in Khao Kradong, Buriram province, and the Alpine Golf Club case in Pathum Thani. The clarification follows renewed scrutiny during a no-confidence debate, which referenced the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s 2011 resolution recommending the revocation of land title deeds No. 3466 and 8564 in Buriram’s Isan subdistrict. An internal investigation under Section 61 of the Land Code concluded there were insufficient grounds to cancel the titles, as the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) was unable to provide the annexed map from the 1921 Royal Decree required to support its claim.
Legal consultation with the Office of the Attorney General confirmed that the decision did not breach the NACC resolution. It also reaffirmed SRT’s right to pursue a civil case if it chose to challenge the titles. The Lands Department informed the railway authority of the findings and advised legal action if it wished to proceed. Instead of targeting the two specific deeds, SRT filed a broader lawsuit in 2023 at the Central Administrative Court, seeking to annul 995 land titles across the wider Khao Kradong area.
The matter is now moving through the court system. Questions were also raised regarding SRT’s prolonged inaction, given that land use claims under Sor Kor 1 began as early as 1954, with title deeds issued from 1966 onward. Historical records show that the railway authority previously confirmed that the disputed land was not under its jurisdiction.
In a separate development, the Pathum Thani Provincial Land Office is proceeding with the revocation of a title deed linked to the Alpine Golf Club. This follows a Ministry of Interior decision in which the deputy permanent secretary approved the reversal of an earlier order that had denied the cancellation of an inheritance registration associated with the land. The title is now being recovered, and all connected legal rights and registrations will be annulled in accordance with official procedures.
The Lands Department stated that any affected party may pursue compensation through the courts if a title or registration is found to be unlawfully issued. It reaffirmed that all actions taken in both cases comply with legal standards and remain under judicial and administrative review. (NNT)
