Businessman ordered off SorPorKor land

PHUKET: The Phuket Appeal Court today overturned a judgment of the Provincial Court and ordered Phuket businessman Narong Nopdara to vacate 21 rai of land in the Nakkerd Hills in Karon.

The successful appeal was launched by the Phuket Land Reform Office (ALRO), which argued that Narong was not entitled to occupy land issued under the SorPorKor land reform program, which aims to provide poor people with farmland.

It was shown in court that Narong had about 800 rai of land elsewhere in Phuket and in Phang Nga.

The Appeal Court ordered Narong and his associates to quit the 21 rai immediately.

However, Narong’s lawyer said that the businessman would take his case to the Supreme Court to try to get the Appeal Court decision reversed. The Phuket Provincial Court has already ruled that the land belongs to Narong, said the lawyer, who asked not to be named.

Meanwhile, the ALRO has announced that it has canceled SorPorKor 4-01 papers on seven pieces of land after proving that the papers are for land that already has SorKor 1 documents.

ALRO Chief Teerawut Thavorn-pattanapong reported yesterday to a meeting of the Phuket Land Reform Committee chaired by Vice-Governor Pongpow Ketthong that the ALRO had withdrawn SorPorKor papers for five rai of land registered to Nab Kraithong, three rai registered to Darunee Lukjon, 34 rai registered to Sombat Srisansuchart, 23 rai registered to Sathit Laum-mai, 58 rai registered to Pian Keesin, 14 rai registered to Huan Yooyen and 22 rai registered to Suparp Saksrithavee.

K. Teerawut said that, under Thai law, a plot of land could not have two papers. Once the ALRO had proved that the land in question already had SorKor 1 papers, it was obliged by law to cancel the SorPorKor papers.

“This will have no impact on the registered occupiers of the land, and they will not have to move off the land,” K. Teerawut said.

The ALRO Chief added that the problem arose from a “misunderstanding” on the part of the the land occupiers, who believed that if they changed the SorKor 1 papers to SorPorKor 4-01, they would be able to get the land upgraded to Chanote status.

Asked how the occupiers had managed to get two sets of paper for one piece of land, K. Teerawut said, “It was just a little mistake.”