Panel split on Chai land ownership

One of the four members said Chai's plot of land in Buri Ram's Khao Kradong was legally the property of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and documents issued to him should be revoked. Three other members disagree."On Friday, we will order further fact-finding in order to gain more information before making a decision on whether to revoke this controversial plot of land," senior Land Department official Thawan Thimasarn said.

Chai's plot is an area 1 kilometre wide and 8km long own by the SRT but occupied by thousands of families.

The veteran Buri Ram MP, who represents the People Power Party, last week insisted he had owned the land for more than 40 years.

Meanwhile in Phang Nga, the Land Department yesterday decided to revoke ownership of 628 plots covering 13,000 rai in Kapong district, which it ruled had been illegally acquired by Inter Palm Oil Industries.

"The procedures for issuing the ownership papers was proven illegal," said Suchart Dokmaipheng, a department spokesman.

Suchart said seven more plots in Phang Nga were being investigated for proof of ownership. One is in Koh Yao district. "The plot on Koh Yao is illegally owned by hotel developer American Property Management Company. Now the company is asking us to check all 163 plots of land it owns [1,870 rai]," he said.