The taskforce launched a two weeks-long operation against influential figures early this week.

Thap Lan, the country’s second largest national park with around 1.4 million rai (224,000 hectares), has suffered extensive encroachment with many popular resorts set up by influential figures, including politicians and high ranking officials.

The problem has been raised in recent years at World Heritage Committee meetings – described as one of its “most depressing” issues, and one that posed a threat to the area’s world heritage status.

The government has been trying to address the issue by strictly enforcing forest laws against encroachers since 2011. It has filed complaints against more than 450 encroachers, the highest number ever for one area.

These include the high-profile case involving former deputy national police chief Pol General Jumpol Manmai, who was brought to Nakhon Ratchasima’s provincial court early this month to hear its verdict on the charge against him encroaching on the forest. (He received a jail term after confessing).

However, a number of resort owners still refuse to give up their land plots, which has led to authorities enforcing Article 22 under the National Parks Act, which gives forestry officials authority to remove properties found encroaching upon park areas, after 30 days’ notice.

Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn, who heads up the taskforce, said Phaya Sua had joined hands with the government unit for suppressing influential-figures in launching the current operation.

Nearly 100 properties were found encroaching on the park in the 2,100 rai seized. Those buildings were set to be “removed”, as per Article 22, he said.

And 20 more encroachers have been charged, including some officials from the Agricultural Land Reform Office, whom he said, helped the encroachers lay false claims over the parkland.

“In this area poor farmers were encouraged to clear the forests, before the land was turned into resort developments by rich or influential figures,” Chaiwat said.

All the 20 suspects, who must return to court for a second detention period application on April 5, deny the charge against them, which relates to the World Peace Valley Meditation Centre in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district.

Phra Thatthacheevo and 10 others had presented themselves in response to a police summonses to hear the charge at the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division office in Bangkok on Friday. They were released on condition that they met up with the officers again early Saturday to apply for the first 12-day detention order from the Sikhiu Provincial Court. Another 10 individuals, who also received summonses and had reportedly asked for postponement to hear the charge on April 4, also showed up at the court Saturday, bringing the total number to 20.

The Dhammakaya meditation centre in Khao Yai has also come under scrutiny following accusations that it encroaches on forest and agricultural reform land. The Sikhiu court had already issued an arrest warrant for former abbot Phra Dhammachayo in connection with this centre’s alleged encroachment case.

The 434-page book was written by former agriculture minister’s assistant Yutthapong Jarassathian and other Pheu Thai MPs. They planned the launch at the park ahead of the upcoming national book fair.

The officers posted the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) ban on political gatherings as well as park regulations prohibiting political activities there. They also asked the MPs to drop the book launch.

The writers said the book is about the benefits farmers gained from the Yingluck government’s rice subsidy scheme.

Yutthapong said the book is also about the plight of Thai farmers after rice prices plummeted.

He said he wanted to sell the book and donate some of the proceeds to the farmers.

Yutthapong said he had no idea which parts of the book were political as alleged.

Maj Natthaya Suwannapong of Phuket City Police arrived with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers at the U-turn in front of the Ikea store. The taxi driver, Atiwara Samarnthong, 37, was waiting for police at the scene at about 1:15am.

“Atiwara told us that he was taking two passengers to Patong from the airport when the boy turned into the road right in front of him. The taxi crashed into the bike, causing the teenager, hit by the windscreen, to fly out onto the road, ” said Maj Natthaya.

The victim, Krissada Junmanee, 18, and his motorbike lay about 20 meters away from the point of impact.

Police noted that he had not been wearing a helmet.

“The windscreen of the taxi was heavily damaged and splattered with blood; the airbags had been deployed; and the bumper and hood of the vehicle were also heavily damaged. The motorbike was also badly damaged,” confirmed Maj Natthaya.

Rescue workers rushed Krissada to Vachira Phuket Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police are investigating CCTV footage to determine who was at fault. Atiwara was taken to the police station for questioning but has not yet been charged.

They performed several traditional rites, including “Mon Rong Hai” or Crying Mon, a ceremony conducted to show respect to a revered person who passed away.

They will later travel to Grand Palace’s Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall to pay respects to the late King in front of his royal urn.

Large crowds of Thais have flocked to the Grand Palace since the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej last October to express loyalty and gratitude to the late King for his countless royal duties to uplift his subjects’ quality of life.

Raphisak Malairungsakul, director of Regional Environment Office 1, which covers Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces, said many northern provinces had small particulate matter up to 10 microns in diameter (PM10) over safe levels due to many factors.

They included unauthorised outdoor burning in the region, wind direction, and the pan-shaped geological characteristics. The key factor during this period, he said, was smoke from Myanmar, which had many more hotspots than Thailand.

Pollution Control Department chief Jatuporn Burutpat had already sent a letter to authorities in Myanmar, he said, to help control and reduce their hotspots as per the Mekong sub-region environment ministers’ agreement signed on February 24 in Chiang Rai. So, he expected the haze would linger for two to three days and, if there was rain, the situation would improve.

A Pollution Control Department report issued on 9am on Saturday said Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai had the highest PM10 level at 168 micrograms per cubic metre. It was followed by Mae Hong Son at 143 micrograms, while Lampang also reported high PM10 levels at 141 micrograms in Mae Mo district and 128 micrograms in Muang district.

The safe level for PM10 particles is under 120 micrograms. But, if a reading exceeds this, the smog can pose health risks.