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Published on February 18, 2008

A group of villagers from Sai Yoke district said the encroachment was ordered by businessmen from Bangkok who have rubber trees planted to claim ownership of the land. The villagers found natural trees were cut down and they yesterday led reporters to the area under encroachment. They said they wanted to let the public know that the protected area was in danger.

"Some of the rubber trees were about one year old, meaning the encroachment was going on for at least a year," said a villager who asked not to be named. "We can also see clear cutting of natural forest in nearby areas perhaps for more rubber plantations. The forest encroachment is expanding."

Some villagers suspected that the rubber plantations were just an ad hoc measure to claim ownership of the land to be put on sale later to resorts and hotel developers because the encroached areas had scenic views of the mountains and the Kwai Noi River. "The encroached areas were hidden behind dense forest, making it difficult for national park rangers and officers to notice," another villager added. "That's how the encroachers got away with their crime for so long."

But they said the government policy of promoting rubber plantations and the solid price of rubber on the world market had also prompted forest encroachment to plant rubber trees. Other villagers said wood from expired rubber trees was also in demand and yielded good prices from furniture makers.

Thailand had seen its forest cover reduced from about 50 per cent of the country's area to less than 20 per cent in the past several decades because of commercial logging and state development projects such as road and dam construction. The government also promoted cash crops, which prompted forest clear-cutting.

Thailand declared a commercial logging ban almost two decades ago, but deforestation continues for timber and land. Lands in protected areas are valuable because of their natural beauty. Mangrove forests are also under similar threats from tourism development and shrimp farming.

The Nation

Kanchanaburi