In Thailand, the demolition of hotels and resorts has begun — for now, this only applies to hotels illegally built next to national parks. At least according to the Thai press, the “illegal resorts and hotels” built on Sor Por Kor land around Khao Yai National Park, on land intended for agricultural use, have been threatened with imminent demolition. However, this most likely will not end.
The details are as follows: the order to demolish illegal resorts and hotels was announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Tamanat Prompov. But overall, he promised to rid agricultural land of any illegal activity. The Minister stressed that a new review of Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) lands has been ordered in general. An inspection of the lands surrounding Khao Yai National Park with the demolition of illegal hotels, in his words, “will be a precursor to a nationwide inspection of all land plots.”
The minister sent an additional warning to those hotel owners who know for sure that they own land illegally. He advised them to voluntarily surrender the occupied areas to ALRO and save themselves from a visit from the authorities. “Don’t wait for people to come to you. Every piece of illegally occupied land will be confiscated, and their documents will be canceled,” he warned.
Our information: Khao Yai National Park is one of the oldest in Thailand and the most famous among tourists. It is located approximately 200 km northeast of Bangkok. Since 2005, the park has been protected by UNESCO. It is famous for its mountains, which tourists can climb, caves, waterfalls, and also the richness of its fauna — even bears, elephants, and tigers are found here. The park has 11 routes accessible to tourists.