THE Prime Minister has given more than 1,300 people in Nan the right to live in forestland in an effort to encourage people to live harmoniously with nature and tackle deforestation.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha visited Ban Nam Pak in Tha Wang Pha district yesterday to host a land-use permission ceremony for people who live in the preserved forest.

In total, some 1,358 people were given the right to live on 15,055 rai of the forest. They are expected to make a living by using the resources from their land according to HM King Rama IX’s initiative, without destroying more forest.

Prayut said he was glad to visit Nan and help relieve the burden of people who did not have their own land to make a living and tackle deforestation and forestland encroachment, which have been chronic problems for more than 10 years.

“The land-use permission for the people in five areas in Nan will associate with the land management method ‘planting three types of forest, getting back four benefits’, which was initiated by HM King Rama IX, in order to let people live sustainably with the forest and decrease deforestation by 90 per cent within the next 20 years,” Prayut said.

“Moreover, the cooperation between the state, entrepreneurs and people will move the country forward.”

Local governor to oversee project

Permission to use the forestland was given by Natural Resources and Environment Minister General

Surasak Karnjanarat to Nan provincial governor Paisal Wimonrat. The governor will give the landuse permission to people in the project.

The forestland that will be given to people is in five areas – Tha Wang Pha district, Ban Luang district, Song Khwae district, Na Noi district, and Chiang Klang district.After the ceremony, Prayut went to Phuka Pasak Mansion to meet

Kasikorn Bank chairman and CEO Banthoon Lamsam and Dr Boonyong Wongrakmit and discussed the deforestation problem in Nan.

He said later that he was glad a big entrepreneur like Banthoon was taking part in the government’s effort to tackle the deforestation problem in Nan. He said that from the discussion he saw that if farmers do not have knowledge, they cannot be innovative, so the main task was to educate the people to help the country move forward.