Khao Kradong land dispute: A ‘big house’ in Buri Ram under spotlight

The Khao Kradong dispute has taken a more complex turn as alleged links to a prominent political family are slowly being uncovered.

The controversy surrounding the 12 plots of land in Buri Ram’s Khao Kradong area first gained attention during a no-confidence debate on July 19, 2022.

At this session, Tawee Sodsong, a listed  Prachachat Party MP, revealed information of new alleged links to a “Ban Yai” (big house) in Buri Ram, implicating then-transport minister Saksayam Chidchob.

These plots, totalling 179 rai, 1 ngan and 43.3 square wah, are situated within the area in Khao Kradong that according to court rulings is owned by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).

The land ownership includes several deeds held by different entities linked to the Chidchob family, namely:

Deed 3466: 7 rai, 1 ngan and 55.8 square wah owned by Silachai Buriram (1991) Co Ltd. Saksayam has a house on this plot.

Deed 8564: 37 rai, 1 ngan and 65 square wah, owned by Karuna Chidchob, wife of Saksayam’s brother Newin.

Deed 3742: 9 rai, 2 ngan and 53 square wah owned by the company Silachai Buriram (1991).

Deed 3743: 13 rai, 3 ngan and 69 square wah owned by Silachai Buriram (1991).

Deed 3476: 14 rai, 3 ngan and 80 square wah, owned by Silachai Buriram (1991).

Deed 2847: 10 rai and 18 square wah owned by Silachai Buriram (1991).

Deed 3477: 37 rai, 1 ngan and 22.4 square wah, owned by Newin’s son Chaichanok Chidchob. The land has been leased to K 2009 Lease Co Ltd for 30 years (from April 1, 2011, to March 31, 2084) and is the site of the Chang Arena football stadium. 

Deed 24091: 28 rai, 1 ngan and 8.2 square wah, owned by Chaichanok and leased to K 2009 Lease Co Ltd for 30 years. The plot was subleased to Buriram United Sport Hotel Co Ltd and is currently the site of a hotel.

Deed 9160: 6 rai, 1 ngan, and 96 square wah owned by Chaichanok and leased to K 2009 Lease Co Ltd for 30 years. It is currently the site of a market.

Deed 3285: 3 rai, 3 ngan and 30.6 square wah, owned by K Motorsport Co Ltd.

Deed 30222: 1 rai, 1 ngan, and 24.3 square wah, owned by K Motorsport Co Ltd.

Deed 115572: 8 rai, 3 ngan, and 21 square wah, owned by Chaichanok and leased to K 2009 Lease Co Ltd for 30 years. This plot serves as an access route to the racetrack.

Information obtained by Isra News Agency from the Department of Business Development shows the links the companies based in Khao Kradong allegedly have with the “Big House” in Buri Ram:

Silachai Buriram (1991) has a registered capital of 15 million baht and is a stone-crushing business. Ekkarat Chidchob is a member of its board of directors.

K 2009 Lease Co Ltd has a registered capital of 50 million baht and is engaged in non-residential real estate. Newin’s daughter Chidchanok Chidchob holds a 50% stake, while her brother Chaichanok holds a 25% stake.

Buriram United Sport Hotel Co Ltd has a registered capital of 1 million baht and is engaged in hotel, resort and condominium operations. Chidchanok is a member of the board of directors and holds a 30% stake.

K Motorsport Co Ltd has a registered capital of 1 billion baht and operates sports facilities. The board members are Newin and Chidchanok, with the latter holding a 52% stake. Her siblings Chaichanok, Chonchanok and Chotchanok hold a 15% stake each.
 
The SRT filed a lawsuit with the Central Administrative Court, seeking a ruling for the Department of Lands to revoke the title deeds issued for land overlapping plots owned by SRT. The court ruled that the land belonged to SRT and instructed the Department of Lands to establish a committee under Article 61 of the Land Code to solve the issue. The panel was tasked with identifying the boundaries and revoking the title deeds for a total of 995 plots covering 5,083 rai.

In the latest development, the Department of Lands issued a directive on Monday to not revoke the title deeds due to the absence of a clear map. On the following day, the SRT governor submitted an appeal against the department’s decision.