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FARMED OUT
AGRO MINISTER SUPPORTS CALL FOR STATE FARMLAND TO BE USED FOR HOTELS, RESORTS
NEWS
PAGE 3
Patong to get ‘baht bus’ around town
LIFE
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Veg Fest closes with a blaze of firecrackers
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The Phuket News editor@classactmedia.co.th
M
inister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Thamanat Prompow has voiced his support for allowing holders of ‘SorPorKor’ land into areas that generate income from tourism, including building hotels, resorts, shops and restaurants. Mr Thamanat revealed his support while in Phuket last week, when met with local farmers who have been assigned rights to farm “SorPorKor’ land. So-called ‘SorPorKor land’ became available through Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) after the agency was formed under the Land Reform Act of 1975. ALRO is better known by its Thai initials, SorPorKor. The land-reform project was intended to provide poor farmers with
what was deemed to be degraded forest areas so that they could eke out a living growing crops on state land. Phuket Province has areas in the “reform zone”, Mr Thamanat said at an event held at Bang Neow Dum reservoir in Srisoonthorn on Oct 20, attended by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat and heads of local government offices. In total, there is 32,372 rai of land in Phuket under the administration of ALRO, Mr Thamanat explained. Of that total, 13,184 may be allocated to farmers in Phuket, and so far 9,701 rai of that land has been already allocated to farmers on the island as 687 plots assigned to 583 ‘cases’ in 10 tambon (subdistricts): Ratsada, Karon, Chalong, Rawai, Kathu, Kamala, Patong, Cherng Talay, Srisoonthorn and Pa Khlok. “The problem with the land in ‘reform zone areas’ is that overall
it is hilly,” making it unsuitable for farming, Mr Thamanat noted. However, he added, much of the land had sea views “and is suitable for use for tourist service businesses that can generate very high incomes”. “This can create a good living situation for farmers,” he added. “There is a need to use land to serve tourists in various businesses such as hotels, resorts, accommodations, shops, restaurants,” Mr Thamanat said, according to an official report of his visit. “The solution is to allocate community land according to the announcement of the Agricultural Land Reform Office regarding the allocation of community land in agricultural land reform areas announced on October 30, 2020,” he said. Mr Thamanat reviewed maps of areas in Phuket with SorPorKor land that may be developed. Local officials
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guided him with explanations of the areas that he was reviewing, and local farmers present made their pleas to develop land for tourism purposes, and explained key issues they were facing. Mr Thamanat noted one key issue: “Land prices are very high, and causing rights disputes and land owners [sic],” he said. CONCERNS The revision of SorPorKor land use in 2020 caused much concern in Phuket. Under the original “nine rights” laid out in the Land Reform Act of 1975, farmers allocated SorPorKor land were issued a SorPorKor land-use document and were allowed to use the land for agricultural purposes only. The land-use rights were allowed to be passed on to family members, but the land could never be sold legally as it was to forever remain owned...
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