The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation will not compromise with 24 illegal resorts which are encroaching on the Khao Laemya-Samet Islands national park in Rayong province, Mr Tunya Netithammakul, the park chief, announced on Tuesday.
Representatives of the 24 illegal resorts were invited for talks with security officials on Monday. Thirteen of them have agreed to move out and to dismantle their resorts, but the rest have refused to leave, claiming that they have legally occupied the land.
Mr Prayoon Pongpant, head of Khao Laemya-Samet Islands national park, of all the 24 illegal resorts, 13 of them refused to move out with nine others having opted to challenge the park officials.
He said the defiant resort operators wanted the officials to verify if their official document about land lease with the Treasury Department was legitimate or not.
He explained that, initially, the defiant resort operators would join army personnel and officials of the Treasury Department in conducting field inspection of the land in question starting on November 29. The process must be completed within December 15.
