Anger over Department of Lands’ decision on Khao Kradong, Buriram

The Department of Lands' investigation committee recently decided not to revoke land-title deeds overlapping with State Railway of Thailand (SRT) land in Khao Kradong, Buriram, sparking widespread public criticism. 

This decision comes despite a Supreme Court ruling that these lands belong to the SRT. In response, the Department of Lands clarified the situation.

The department said that following an order from the Central Administrative Court, the director general of the Department of Lands appointed an investigation committee to verify the boundaries of the land in Khao Kradong claimed by the SRT.

On May 12, 2023, the Department of Lands formally established the investigation committee.

In coordination, the SRT submitted a request to the Buriram Provincial Land Office to survey the Khao Kradong area and provided GPS (Global Positioning System) data on the area’s boundaries to the committee.

The survey was conducted jointly between two groups of five representatives each from the SRT and groups of four officials each from the Department of Lands. They surveyed and marked the boundaries of the land from July 2 to 26, 2024.

The survey results showed a boundary circumference of 11.17 kilometres, covering an area of 4,414 rai, 3 ngan, and 19.3 square wah, intersecting with 133 plots of private land.

During the survey, 89 surrounding residents objected to the SRT’s boundary demarcation.

The jointly produced map revealed that the boundary was based on the SRT representatives' guidance, without legal documentation supporting the boundary claims. Local residents and government agencies opposed this demarcation, arguing that there was insufficient legal evidence to validate the SRT's claimed boundaries.

After completing the map, the joint working group submitted the survey data, including objections from residents and government agencies, to the investigation committee, which then reported to the Department of Lands.

The department affirmed that it had fully complied with the Administrative Court’s judgement and carried out all legally mandated steps to verify the land boundaries in Khao Kradong in accordance with the law.