Director of the National Park indicates that the amendment of the Tap Lan area will solve the problem of people’s livelihoods.

Bangkok, The Director-General of the National Park Department pointed out that the improvement of the boundaries of the Tap Lan National Park, in accordance with the Cabinet resolution, is a solution to the problem of livelihoods of farmers and the poor. Capitalists and those who do not meet the qualifications will be prosecuted, with no exceptions. The public hearing will end on July 12, after which the results of the opinions will be summarized for the National Environment Board. Mr. Atthaphon Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said that the public hearing on the improvement of the boundaries of Tap Lan National Park will end on July 12. The adjustment of the boundaries is in accordance with the Cabinet resolution to use One Map, adhering to the survey lines in 2000, which will result in the area declared as Tap Lan National Park being cut off, approximately 260,000 rai, for the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) to allocate as farmlan d for farmers and the poor in accordance with the Land Reform Act. This is in line with the government's policy to resolve the dispute over overlapping areas, which has existed for more than 40 years. Before becoming a national park, the area was a national forest reserve. Later, the government allocated an area for Thai national development participants to farm, covering an area of ??approximately 58,000 rai. After that, the establishment of Tap Lan National Park was announced in 1981, overlapping this area. At that time, it was operated by the Royal Forest Department, which later established the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, which was separated from the Royal Forest Department. In the past, the people demanded that the area be separated from the Tap Lan National Park. A new boundary survey was conducted in 2000, but the process did not reach its goal. Many past governments tried to solve the problem for the people until the National Land Policy Committee (NLPC) agreed to a djust the state land boundary according to the 1:4,000 scale map and use the 2000 survey line as the boundary of Tap Lan National Park. The National Land Policy Committee (NLPC) proposed it to the Cabinet for consideration and approved on March 16, 2023. The area is a community, so it is not a forest clearing for anyone. It will not affect the prosecution of the offenders for encroaching on state land. Both investors and those who do not meet the legal qualifications will be prosecuted without exception. When the Cabinet approves the adjustment of the boundaries of the Tap Lan National Park, the National Park Department has the duty to open for public hearings, which will end on July 12. After that, the opinions, both in favor and against, will be summarized for the National Park Committee to consider. If the National Park Committee agrees to proceed according to the 2000 survey lines, the National Park Department will have to prepare a map attached to the new Tap Lan National Park boundary announcement royal decree. As for whether the National Park Committee will have any other proposals, it depends on the results of the consideration. After the National Park Department summarizes the results of the hearing of opinions within 30 days, the public can express their opinions on the improvement of the boundaries of the Tap Lan National Park on the website of the National Park Department https://portal.dnp.go.th/Content/nationalpark?contentId=37163 . Source: Thai News Agency