Environment Ministry Orders Crackdown on Illegal Palm Oil Plantations in Protected Forest
Thailand's Environment Ministry has launched a crackdown on illegal palm oil plantations in Khuan Khreng Marsh Forest after fires destroyed over 1,527 rai in August, with authorities deploying 250 staff for round-the-clock patrols and inves
On August 20, 2025, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchati Chomklin ordered the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants to work with other agencies to investigate and prosecute those responsible for illegal burning and land seizure in Khuan Khreng Marsh Forest in Chao Uat District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. The forest fire that burned between August 13-17 destroyed over 1,527 rai of forest. Officials have been instructed to recover the seized land for the state, prosecute offenders without leniency, and deploy staff for strict 24-hour patrols to prevent further violations.
The minister noted that although fire control efforts have returned the situation to normal with no new fire spots detected, the ministry's work continues. Officials have been ordered to conduct detailed inspections of land plots in the affected area and nearby regions, and to pursue legal action if evidence suggests fires were deliberately set to clear or expand agricultural land. Continuous enforcement operations will be deployed in high-risk zones to protect the marsh forest as a national asset.
Arthapol Charoenchangsak, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants, reported that 250 staff members have been deployed to monitor for fire recurrence and detect new illegal burning. During recent patrols by the Prevention and Fire Control Division working with Regional Conservation Area Office 5 (Nakhon Si Thammarat), officials discovered three suspicious land plots in Kreng Subdistrict, Chao Uat District totaling approximately 140 rai, apparently newly encroached for palm oil cultivation.
The department will accelerate land rights verification and evidence collection on all three plots to pursue strict legal action without exception. Forest restoration efforts for Khuan Khreng Marsh are underway while 250 staff continue intensive 24-hour patrols to ensure the natural resource is not damaged again.
