Surayud's home not excused from forest encroachment: official

The area was declared a forest reserve in 1965, and the home was not seen in an aerial photo taken two years later, said Withoon Chalayananawin. A 1998 Cabinet decision pardoned pre1965 encroachment or unauthorised construction of installations in prohibited areas.

"The occupation of the area or construction of any building on it is regarded as an encroachment of a forest reserve, and thus violators are liable to legal procedure. The first action is notifying occupants of such installations of their violation," he said, adding that the department's findings had been forwarded to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, which oversees the department.

In addition, a joint investigation by the department also found a resort in Kanchanaburi's Thong Pha Phum district had been built in a forest reserve. A sawmill and logging and sawing equipment were found nearby in a search yesterday by forestry officials and police.

Withoon said the department was conducting other searches at several resorts located in Krabi, Phang Nga, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Phuket provinces and various locations around Nakhon Ratchasima, in order to determine whether they were located in forest reserves.