Nationwide inspection of land allocated to farmers ordered

Probe follows reports that some state land allocated to landless farmers has been illegally sold to private companies

 

Dr Chalermchai Sri-on, Natural Resources and Environment minister, has ordered all provincial governors to conduct urgent inspections of 7.2 million rai (2.846 million acres) of land distributed to farmers by the National Land Policy Committee (NLPC).

 

Any land found to have been sold or transferred will be seized, with offending farmers losing all future rights.

 

The order, which was announced on Facebook, comes on the heels of an incident in Chachoengsao Province, where Forestry Department officials reclaimed a durian orchard in Tha Takiap District. 

  

The land had originally been allocated by the NLPC for agricultural purposes, but investigations revealed a private company had taken control and developed the site.

 

Dr Chalermchai has instructed the Forestry Department to contact all provincial governors, who serve as chairpersons of provincial NLPCs, to thoroughly inspect allocated agricultural lands. 
  

The minister emphasised that any breaches of NLPC conditions would result in legal action “in all cases” with “100% enforcement without exception”.

 

The recent directive requires provincial NLPC chairpersons to scrutinise land holdings nationwide. Under NLPC regulations, farmers may hold appropriate amounts of land not exceeding 20 rai (7.9 acres) per person.

 

This crackdown aims to prevent misuse of agricultural land and protect community access rights, ensuring the land benefits those genuinely in need rather than foreign investors seeking to profit from the country’s resources.

(2025/03/04-00:00)