Wanthana Asoksakul, director of Darunothai School, also Saturday apologised for the situation and to the public for not being able to competently look after all of the children enrolled

She said a committee had been set up to investigate, and students implicated in extortion had been suspended.

Wanthana said she had been unaware that the school was implicated in cases of extortion until a story was run on social media.

The case went viral after the parents of a student wrote on social media that three students had extorted money from their child.

The parents said during the past year their child on several occasions had returned home with injuries, but said they were inflicted in accidents.

They then found out about the alleged extortion and intimidation from conversations between their child and another student on a messaging application on the child’s mobile phone.

In the conversations, students allegedly threatened to hurt the child if he failed to give them money.

When the child responded that he did not have any money, the other students allegedly demanded that he steal some.

The parents of the victim filed a complaint at a local police station last Wednesday.

They also decided to remove their child from Darunothai School and enrol him elsewhere.

“We need to ensure our child’s safety,” the mother of the young victim said.

According to her, executives at the Darunothai School had instructed her child to be vigilant and try to avoid the bullies.

“They studied in the same class. What was my child supposed to do?” she said.

The mother also confirmed that the parents of the bullies had already contacted her to apologise.

“Their children must have learned a lesson,” the mother said.

Nong Chik Police Station superintendent Colonel Thompong Petchpirun made the recommendation after learning that his 37-year-old subordinate, Pol Lieutenant Meechai Chorsom, was implicated in the robbery.

“The robbery took place at a time when he was taking leave to visit his family,” Thompong said yesterday.

He said Meechai was usually polite and quiet and a good worker. “I don’t know what has gone wrong,” Thompong said.

Meechai, a deputy inspector at Pattani province’s Nong Chik Police Station, was detained as soon as he reported to work at the police station on Friday night. He has been charged with robbing a gold shop in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Thung Yai district last Wednesday.

Thung Yai police used CCTV footage to seek an arrest warrant for Meechai. The robber made off with 20-baht weight of gold necklaces worth about Bt400,000.

A source from the investigation team said police had tracked down the owner of a motorcycle used in the robbery, who told police that Meechai had borrowed his motorcycle and returned it to him a few days ago.

After the arrest, police escorted Meechai to his house where clothes and a cap allegedly used in the robbery were found.

Pol Maj-General Damras Wiriyakul, a deputy chief with the Provincial Police Region 8, yesterday headed to Nong Chik Police Station to handle Meechai’s case.

Meechai was interrogated for more than five hours before being transferred from the station.

A further interrogation will take place at the Thing Yai Police Station in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

Pattani police chief Pol Maj-General Piyawat Chalermsri said Meechai had denied any wrongdoing.

“At this point, I have set up three committees already,” he said.

The first committee would investigate Meechai’s alleged criminal offences, Piyawat said. If he is found guilty, Meechai will be sacked, although technically it is possible that he could still receive his pension.

The second committee will check whether the gun used in the robbery was issued by a state agency and if it had been reported as missing.

The third committee, meanwhile, will determine whether Meechai’s supervisor should also be held responsible for negligence in relation to the case.

THE GOVERNMENT has been trying to promote its large-plantation policy since last year with the ambitious goal of bringing farmers out of the “middle-income trap” by 2021. But farmer groups cannot help but wonder whether the policy has really increased their bargaining power.

“When I go to rice mills, I still feel powerless,” the manager of a large rice plantation in Khon Kaen province said on condition of anonymity recently.

Under the large-plantation policy, the government does not push farmers into working on the same plots of land. Rather, a shared management system is promoted that the government believes will help farmers lower their costs and boost their productivity.

Sombat Laksanawilai, a farmer and a large rice plantation manager in Nonthaburi’s Sai Noi district, said it was not easy to bring farmers together and direct them towards the same guidelines or practices.

“Members of my group still grow various rice varieties,” he said. “And when it comes to the purchase of production materials, they are prone to stick to shops they are familiar with.”

He also said rice farmers were not free to sell their produce to rice mills or dealers because most of them were indebted to specific middlemen.

Although his group has attracted many rice farmers, Sombat said they had not agreed to sow and harvest at the same time.

Sanan Ponsri, manager of several large plantations in Nakhon Pathom’s Buddhamondhol district, said bringing farmers into the same group alone would not deliver any benefits. In his opinion, the government should focus on farmers’ problems and introduce solutions in the form of knowledge, technological tools and marketing support.

For example, he said he believed that orchid and vegetable farmers had few problems. “But if the government is keen to help, it should recommend lotus varieties that will help lotus growers differentiate their produce and claim a better price,” he added. Asked about rice, Sanan said the government had arranged for him to meet with rice-mill representatives twice but he did not really get anything from those meetings.

“It’s like they came to meet me just because the government asked them to,” Sanan said. “I don’t think I have the power to negotiate anything. I felt like I’m walking towards a gas chamber when walking to the meeting room.”

He also said that while rice-mill representatives agreed to offer a better price than the market price at the meetings, they would later use certain criteria

about paddies to lower the prices when actual purchases occurred.

“It is also not practical if the government will match our plantation with a rice mill that is about 50 or 60 kilometres away. We have to think about transportation costs too,” he said.

In his opinion, applications that the government tries to promote will not work in farmers’ real lives.

“To tell the truth, these farmers are old people. They are not familiar with technology,” he said.

Sanan added that he did see some good things about the large-plantation policy. “At least farmers talk more and share their experiences. They learn more about tips to lower their production costs,” he said.

Pongthep Akratanakul, who heads Kasetsart University’s Centre of Excellence on Agricultural Biotechnology, said he approved of the government’s large-plantation policy.

“At the very least, it should help raise farmers’ incomes and quality of life,” he said.

The government should now try to engage the private sector and universities in the implementation of the policy, he added.

“The policy will be useful when it’s not just asking rice mills to raise paddy prices a bit. We should focus on better quality and productivity,” he said.

Pongthep said universities should actively conduct research to improve the country’s agricultural sector, and that related government agencies should agree to fund useful research.

For example, he said, paddy fields in various regions had different soil and weather conditions and researchers could help find and recommend the best rice varieties for each area.

“Look at jasmine rice from the northeastern province of Surin. It can fetch up to Bt300 per kilo,” he said. In the market, each kilo of rice earns the farmer between Bt10 and Bt15 only.

Assoc Professor Dr Somporn Isvilanonda, a senior academic at the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand, said at a recent seminar that the government should take more tangible steps in driving its large-plantation policy so that participating farmers could lower their production costs, boost their yields and get better prices.

“For example, we can encourage rice farmers to go organic. That’s a way to increase their produce value and income,” he said.

The Agriculture Ministry has announced that it will actively drive farmers towards its “Agriculture 4.0” policy over the next four years.

The rocker started the first leg of the day from the house of Dr Diew in Tambon Mai Ngarm Tak province and heading to the first stop at a Caltex service station 17 kilometres away. He was due to complete his fourth segment at a roadside resting place in Lampang’s Thern district, which borders Tak.

Team officials said that the mountainous terrain caused the runner to shorten the first lap to just 17 kilometres.

Artiwara and his teammates were given moral support from local people who showed up to cheer them on throughout the day’s route.

As of yesteray, Artiwara had covered 1,790 kilometres, leaving about 400 kilometres to reach the final destination in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai.

People in some northern and northeastern provinces have organised parallel charity runs in their respective provinces to support Toon.

In Khon Kaen, home to one of the 11 hospitals eligible to receive funding from Toon’s fundraising campaign, more than Bt6 million was raised in a seven-kilometre parallel run organised on Saturday by the provincial administration and the residents.

Khon Kaen Governor Somsak Joengtrakul said that, since Khon Kaen was among the 11 recipients identified by Artiwara, it was appropriate for the province to show its support by organising it own fundraising run.

A crowd lined the seven-kilometre route to cheer the runners and make donations.

In Nan province, Governor Paisal Wimonrat led over 1,000 people and officials in a charity run and walk in Muang district.

Over a thousand people from all walks of life took part in the activity. Participants were able to choose from a 3.5-kilometre walk or a seven-kilometre mini-marathon run. Bicyclists could choose between three different 15-kilometre routes that converged at the Khuang Muang plaza.

Organisers said they organised the event not only to raise donations for the rock star’s charity run but also to encourage the people of Nan to engage in increased physical exercise to help prevent illnesses and lower state medical expenses.

Donors contributed Bt2.2 million at the event.

The cash has been handed to Paisal, who will forward it to the marathon-running rock star’s hospital aid project.

It was initially reported that a bus of Siam Dernrod company carrying 11 passengers was heading to Bangkok when it was forced to stop at about 2.30pm on Road No 410 in Bannang Sata precinct by a group of 10 armed men.

The men removed the passengers from the vehicle before burning it to the ground. Before fleeing, they cut down trees to block the road and deployed spikes to prevent officials from following them.

After being alerted, combined forces blocked the road out of fear that the militants might plant bombs and trigger them if the forces entered the area.

Before the attack, some militants were said to have set fire to villagers’ houses and cut down some trees.

THE US Trade Representative (USTR)’s upgrade of Thailand’s status to the Watch List (WL), from the previous Priority Watch List (PWL), of countries monitored for violation of intellectual property rights (IPRs) will boost the country’s international image, economy and foreign investors’ confidence, according to top government officials.

However, FTA Watch, a non-government organisation, warned that there could be long-term negative consequences on domestic drug prices and the agricultural sector.

Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was happy that the USTR had recognised Thailand’s efforts in combating violation of IPRs.

The upgrade followed the US’s out-of-cycle review for Thailand, which had been on the PWL for more than a decade. It was also attributed to the government’s proactive measures, including amendments to several laws to strengthen the legal framework against the violation of IPRs, and an increase in the number of inspectors for patents and copyrights to speed up the registration process.

In addition, the government has increased the budget for the Department of Intellectual Property Rights’ procurement of equipment and information technology systems while ordering law-enforcement authorities – including police, military, Department of Special Investigation, the Anti-Money Laundering Organisation and Customs Department – to join forces to combat violations

Usually, the USTR announces its annual report on the status of foreign countries in April, but it decided to conduct a special review on Thailand.

Commerce Minister Sonthirat Sonthi-Jirawong said the USTR’s upgrade of Thailand’s status under Section Special 301 of the US trade law shows that Thailand’s IPR protection has achieved progress, especially in terms of suppressing illegal sales of counterfeit products.

Fake products, which are copycats of branded items, have disappeared from the domestic market in many areas since July this year. The Commerce Ministry has also opened operational centres to crack down on sales of counterfeit goods inside five major shopping centres and other locations in Thailand: MBK shopping centre and Chatuchak Sunday Market in Bangkok, Talad Rong Kua in Sa Kaew province, and Patong beach and Karon beach in Phuket province.

In addition, the USTR has recognised the Thai government’s efforts to ease concerns in the US private sector regarding the faster process to register patents and trademarks so that foreign companies have full legal protection on their intellectual property.

Tariff privileges

Thailand has also joined an international convention to facilitate the cross-border registration of trademarks and other intellectual property in multiple member countries. The Thai Food and Drug Administration has also boosted transparency in registration of regulated products with more public hearings with all stakeholders.

Sonthirat said the status upgrade to the WL would boost Thailand’s international image and foreign investors’ confidence, especially concerning the use of high technology and innovation.

According to the commerce minister, the upgrade will also positively affect the US’s granting of tariff privileges under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for Thai exports to the US market.

As a result, the Thai economy, foreign investment in Thailand and international trade will benefit from the status upgrade to WL.

Meanwhile, Kannikar Kijtiwatchakul, coordinator of FTA Watch, expressed concern that the Thai government might have made a secret deal with the US for this status upgrade by trading long-term benefits of the people to win acceptance from the US.

“From now on we have to keep a very close watch on every law amendment and new legislation, as the government may come out with a new patent registration policy, which will provide huge benefits for big companies, but will lead to very negative impacts on the people,” Kannikar said.

She cautioned that the government might approve the “ever-greening patent”, which allows pharmaceutical companies to constantly renew their drug patents and results in more expensive medicines and a longer monopoly enjoyed by big multinational drug companies.

“If such a policy is implemented, we expect the government will have to bear an additional Bt8 billion on medicine expenditure, because of more expensive drugs, which will hurt many people,” she warned.

Kannikar also expressed concern that the effort to monopolise the market through the patent registration policy may widen into the agricultural sector via seed patents. This would make farmers unable to keep seeds for the next farming season, forcing them to buy new seeds from big agricultural companies every year.

Fourteen officers were included in the Corrections Department’s December 1 list of dismissals after they were found guilty of serious misconduct, ranging from taking bribes from inmates to embezzlement and enabling sex in the cellblocks.

Hinting that more warders might be dismissed in this fiscal year 2018, department chief Narat Sawetanan said such dismissals take place every year because prisons were places of vice. He noted that the ratio of warders to inmates in Thai jails was one to 32 – a far cry from the international standard of one to five. This inevitably meant more mingling between officers and prisoners, leaving greater opportunities for misconduct.

He also noted that years of living in same-sex captivity could lead straight men or women to develop homosexual relationships with other inmates. This happened despite measures – including easy-to-monitor open floor plans and half-doors on toilets – to prevent sexual activity.

Free condoms from the Public Health Ministry are placed in men’s toilets in prisons, not to encourage sex but to ensure safe sex to prevent HIV/Aids and other STDs.

Narat said that prison officers also had to monitor shared cells with female couples “sleeping too close under the same blanket”.

But sex in prison led to the dismissal of some warders who smuggled lovers’ gifts or alcohol for jailhouse “weddings”, or arranged sexual encounters.

In one case, a female warder allowed three male inmates to have sex with their girlfriends in the female detention zone’s toilets at a jail in Lop Buri’s Chai Badan district in exchange for a payment of Bt8,000 per couple.

Gossip among inmates about sex in the toilets led to an inquiry that discovered evidence on CCTV footage. The inmate couples confessed that they met during prison activities and wished to take their romance to another level. So the men, with the help of a warder, were escorted to “repair a broken facility within the female detention zone’s toilets”, where they had sex with their girlfriends.

The warder in question admitted to having arranged such a meeting to get money to curb her financial problems. She was fired and prosecuted, changing her own status to that of an inmate.

In another case, a warder was caught smuggling in a bottle of brandy for the “wedding” of two male inmates in exchange for Bt2,000. Other warders smuggled in gold rings for the lovers to seal their relationships or cash to pay the “dowry”.

Out of the 14 punished warders, 13 were dismissed without a pension while one was dismissed with entitlement. Eleven of the 13 also faced criminal charges, while the other two were fired for absence from official duty for more than 15 days.

Other misconduct included the embezzlement of prison earnings of Bt601,202, implication in the corruption of salary and allowance payments worth Bt4,995,037, taking bribes from prisoners over the seizure of mobile phones, taking bribes to allow inmates to gamble, allowing amulet trading, and involvement in the smuggling of drugs and mobile phones.

Despite officials’ attempts to keep prisons free from illegal items or deeds, the weak link seems to be the minority of warders who go astray. But, as the recent dismissals demonstrate, department head Narat is determined to keep prisons transparent and corruption-free by removing any officers who give in to greed.

Sukanya Tanyakan also pointed out in a Facebook post that the committee had slandered her son by saying that he did not respect seniority.

Her comments came after the results of a military investigation committee into the death at the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (AFAPS) were revealed on Friday. The committee concluded that Phakhapong died from poor health, which ultimately resulted in heart failure.

Even though it was admitted that the cadet had been severely punished prior to his death, the committee claimed that this was not the cause of his death.

The military investigation’s conclusion contradicted not only the family’s belief that Phakhapong was healthy and did not die from heart failure, but the result of an autopsy conducted by the Central Institute of Forensic Science. The autopsy reportedly noted that the cadet’s body had bruises and a broken rib that may have been caused by a physical attack.

The first suspicious point that Sukanya noticed was in CCTV footage from the morning of October 17,  the day he died,  showing her son carrying a cloth basket. She said this had been recorded at what should have been a study time for the military student.

Moreover, she pointed out that the military said no one had harmed her son on October 17, but did not disclose footage from the day earlier, when Phakhapong had been severely punished. For October 16, the military had only released CCTV footage from the afternoon, and not for four hours in the morning.

Addressing the military’s claim that Phakhapong’s body had many bruises because he had fallen from a ladder, Sukanya stressed that the CCTV footage only showed that her son had been carried down from the ladder, but there was no clear footage to show that he had fallen from it.

She also noted that the military had said her son suffered from hyperventilation, as did many other cadets. If that was the case, then the military should do something to prevent it, she said.

“It is also very embarrassing that the military blamed my son, saying that it was his mistake for not thanking the senior students, so he was punished. This is a slander of a dead person.”

It was reported earlier that the family was determined to pursue a lawsuit against the military for the death of their only son.

Meanwhile, juvenile rights activist Ticha Na Nakorn said the committee’s report strongly signified that the military did not have a good strategy to solve social conflicts. Instead, their efforts to clear themselves had backfired on the army.

Ticha has also strongly urged Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon to resign over his inappropriate comments about the death of the cadet.

Prawit said that corporal punishment was common and that he had lost consciousness when he was once punished at the AFAPS as a cadet, but had survived.

Ticha’s petition on Change.org has already reached more than 5,000 signatures, while another online petition urging all officers responsible for Phakhapong’s death to resign has gained more than 80,000 signatures.

The brothers have brought to Bangkok the holiday spirit from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in a touring exhibition featuring magical experiences from the film, which will run from today until March 2.

It has been over 10 years since the last Harry Potter book was published, and six years since the final film in the series. Since then, the now 31-year-old English actors have grown up and ditched their red hair, but they were both happy to take a walk down memory lane to revisit their wizarding days.

They told The Nation that they had been looking forward to coming to Thailand since they heard about the project a year ago.

“We feel lucky to be here. This is very different – you won’t see it anywhere else,” said Oliver of the themed retail experience.

“This is a massive world that essentially makes you feel like you are in Hogsmeade [the wizards’ village]. You can go into Ollivanders’ wand shop and have the wand experience,” said James. “It’s not you choosing the wand, the wand chooses you – just as in the film. So anything like that is a unique experience [for Thailand]. Normally you’d have to travel very far to get this.

“Even when you line up to come in, there are a lot of things going on. The windows are moving and you can interact with them.”

James also said he was especially impressed with one fan’s reaction yesterday when they were exploring the city. “She called me James, not even Fred. She said ‘Welcome to Thailand’ and smiled.”

The holiday exhibition also features the newest Harry Potter-themed retail experience, which is reminiscent of the atmosphere of wintry Hogsmeade village and Diagon Alley, the fictional London shopping street for wizards.

Complete with an extensive wand assortment, film-inspired window displays and interactive elements for muggles, Wizarding World is certain to be a hit with fans of JK Rowling’s magical creations.

The exhibition has been brought to Bangkok by Warner Bros Consumer Products and international exhibition organiser GES.

“Christmas in the Wizarding World is very special here because it is the only one in Asia. The other one is in the United States,” said Robin Stapley, vice president of design and creative for GES.

“There is such an amazing fan base for Harry Potter here – and we have been around the world. We’ve recreated the magical settings of Hogsmeade and the snow experience, so they can experience this innovative environment inspired by Harry Potter.”

Along with Ollivanders Wand Shop, which is outfitted with soaring shelves of hundreds of precariously stacked wands boxes, there are also recreations of Honeydukes sweet shop, Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop, and Dervish and Banges, which sells magical instruments. Also on sale are Hogwarts school robes, fan-favourite plush owls and other themed merchandise. 

Other activities include a memorable photo opportunity, featuring a selection of background options from the “Harry Potter” films as well as an interactive “quaffle toss” game, where guests can score a goal amid a colourful display of Quidditch-themed items.

Entry is free, but space is limited. Customers can avoid queuing and reserve a specific entry time by paying a pre-booking service fee of Bt100.

AMID the plunging price of rubber latex to below Bt50 per kilogram, concerned officials are now eyeing the potential for eliminating the encroachment of rubber trees in forests. As well as returning forests back to nature, the move would help reduce the volume of latex and thus push up prices.

The Rubber Authority of Thailand recently contacted Natural Resources and Environment Minister General Surasak Karnjanarat for help as he oversees the newly-opened Forest Protection Operations Centre, tasked with suppressing all forms of forest encroachment nationwide.

Cheewapap Cheewatham, head of one of the centre’s special forest suppression taskforces, Phayak Prai, realises that suppressing illegal rubber plantations in forests is about more than pushing up plunging latex prices.

It’s about protecting the country’s precious forests, which have been extensively degraded by the expansion of this kind of plantation.

“Comparing the potential and role of pristine forests to that of plantations, you see very distinctive differences in the benefits and losses of these two types of tree plots. The fact is the benefits from our forests are shrouded by the growth of the economy, which does not reflect their true value and contribution to sustainable growth,” Cheewapap said, pointing to the remarks of a fellow researcher.

The origin of Thai rubber

Rubber is one of Thailand’s economic crops, a long-time champion export commodity with an annual volume of around 350,000 tons, as reported last year, worth Bt 155,684 million.

The first tree was reportedly introduced more than 130 years ago to Trang province by the so-called “Father of the Rubber Tree”, Phraya Ratsadanupradit (Khaw Sim Bee na Ranong).

It became popular among residents of the South, grown in vast swathes throughout the region, quickly becoming one of the country’s prime export crops.

During the height of the Thaksin government, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry in 2005 introduced the one-million-rai rubber tree project, which was aimed at expanding rubber plantations in other regions to respond to growing demand around the world, especially from China.

Tree planting expanded extensively, exceeding the initial plans, while reports of forest encroachment by the new plantations continued to surge.

According to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry (Monre), rubber plantations nationwide account for around 30 million rai (4.8 million hectares), about triple what they were in 1986.

Of these, 8.5 million rai are in the forest, with 5.2 million sitting in forest reserves, and another 1.04 million encroaching upon the protected forests, including national parks. Yet around another 2 million more are located in the forests protected under the ageing 1941 forest law and others.

Of the 5.2 million rai encroaching on forest reserves, the Royal Forestry Department has estimated that 1.2 million rai are occupied by “Nai Tun”, rich and influential figures, many of them organised crime groups.

Of the 1.04 million rai of plantations within the protected forests, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation has learned that around 120,000 rai are effectively under the control of Nai Tun.

Nai Tun have altogether encroached on around 1.32 million rai in various types of forests.

Ecological values

Also an academic, Cheewapap understands why rubber should not be grown in the forests.

Forests, especially those in watershed areas, have a complex system comprising components that include living organisms, whose interactions function to maintain a balance within the watershed system and the earth underneath, Cheewapap explained. This in turn provides ecological services downstream, including preservation of soil and water.

As the system is disrupted and changes occur, the rate of rainwater absorption by the soil surface, for instance, can be reduced by almost 50 per cent, thus affecting the system’s ecological services, including prevention of soil erosion.

What follows, he said, is an increase of overflows and runoffs over the soil surface, and thus flash floods.

A rubber plantation, when compared with a fertile forest, is not biologically diverse and the tree itself has shallow roots which cannot hold onto the soil underneath and thus increases the rate of soil erosion and runoff.

Worse, rubber planters tend to use fertilisers and pesticides to boost production in the forest, causing accumulative effects of chemical contamination in soil and water sources.

Cheewapap cited a 2012 study of 25 watersheds nationwide by the Pollution Control Department. It found that pollution caused by biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) occurred the most, followed by nitrogen, and pesticides, which were around 13.7 million kilograms, 4.2 million kg, and 1.15 million kg, respectively.

Southwestern and Southeastern coastal watersheds, as well as Mekong watersheds were the most affected areas as they had vast areas of rubber plantations.

Cheewapap cited another study by Dr Pongsak Witawatchutikul, a ministry forest expert, that found Thailand should have had watershed areas accounting for 25 per cent of the country’s land mass, but found that the entire forest area of the nation adds up to only around 23 per cent.

“The impacts of rubber plantations on the ecosystem are overlooked just because they look like the forests when seen from afar. But structurally, the plantations cause an extensive change to the forest structures and functions needed to sustain ecological services,” Cheewapap quotes Pongsak as saying.

Pongsak has studied the economic values of the watersheds and found that pristine forests could yield higher economic values – a Bt14,000 per rai per year – than that from a rubber plantation. In contrast, changes to the ecological system by rubber plantations cause a loss worth Bt81,600 per rai per year.

Renewed suppression efforts

Realising how threatening rubber plantations could be, Monre recently came up with new measures to suppress their expansion in the forest. They aim to cut large quantities of latex from the plantations illegally encroaching on the forestland, and especially those owned by Nai Tun.

Despite the efforts to suppress illegal forest encroachment by the FPOC, the ministry learned that Nai Tun have applied a new trick by hiring migrant labourers to collect latex in confiscated plantations. It has thus come up with six additional measures to support the FPOC’s operation.

Besides extraditing the cases, which so far, have involved 160,000 rai of rubber plantations, the ministry has instructed the FPOC to integrate forces to block illegal latex collection from those confiscated plots.

Latex and plantations under the Forest Industry Organisation, estimated at around 86,000 rai, would also be aborted.

For cases concerning the poor, the ministry would work with the RAT to extradite classification of land uses among them.

Those sitting on Watershed levels 3, 4, and 5 would initially be allowed to continue their uses of forest land, but those sitting on Watershed levels 1 and 2, which are fragile, would be required to imitate the ecosystem of forest in their plantations to help maintain ecological balance.

To demonstrate how serious the state is on this issue, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha last Tuesday gave a directive for concerned officials to deal with the problem, stressing that for plantations owned by Nai Tun, no trees would be spared.

Cheewapap said based on academic findings, the argument should now be considered settled as to where rubber should be grown.

As it has long been wrongly grown in watershed areas, the solution could involve imitating a healthy forest ecosystem by planing other tree species alongside the rubber trees.

Confiscated areas in particular, he added, should be blocked from any attempts by encroachers to trespass to collect latex. They should be left undisturbed and given the chance to regenerate as natural forests again, Cheewapap stressed.