The Railway Authority is moving to reclaim land worth 10 billion baht across three provinces, totaling nearly 7,000 rai, after discovering various unauthorized uses without rental payments. The Deputy Minister of Transport has ordered a resolution to the issue, and the Railway Authority's board is preparing to establish a special team to carry out the reclamation mission.

          Mr. Somyuth Ruang-ngam, Deputy Director of Operations at the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), revealed that following the encroachment of land at the Mae Nam station for unauthorized profit-making activities, the SRT board expressed concern and plans to set up a special task force to address this issue nationwide, alongside registering residents and users of SRT land across the country.

          Currently, encroachments on SRT land are reported in nearly every province, from areas along the railway to beautiful plots near mountains or the sea. Presently, there are three target provinces: Buriram, Kanchanaburi, and Phang Nga, totaling 6,928 rai with a value exceeding 10 billion baht. In Buriram, SRT has about 5,000 rai of land that is being used in various ways without rental payments, including government offices, prisons, commercial areas, and properties linked to a famous former politician, such as football clubs, training centers, competition fields, retail shops, and even a renowned racetrack. Deputy Minister of Transport, Mr. Phairin Chuchotitham, expressed concern over the usage of these lands and suggested that SRT negotiate with landowners after the MotoGP event. However, in previous negotiations, landowners were willing to pay rent to SRT and requested to formalize the rental agreements legally.

          Mr. Somyuth continued that in Kanchanaburi, there are 1,070 rai around the Nam Tok railway station in Sai Yok district, which is a beautiful area next to a waterfall and a river, and has been encroached upon for commercial activities catering to tourism, including accommodations, restaurants, and various service businesses, with both rental agreements and unauthorized usage. Similarly, in Phang Nga, there are 858 rai by the sea in Thanu district near the Sarasin Bridge, where various private entities are using the land for commercial purposes, including restaurants, retail shops, and entertainment venues.

          Moving forward, if the task force is established, SRT will conduct on-site inspections and negotiate with private entities to formalize rental agreements for land usage, which may also involve relocating some activities in line with the organization's restructuring plan aimed at increasing revenue from commercial activities. Meanwhile, for the general public encroaching on railway land for residential and community purposes, SRT may consider not expropriating or charging for land use, as it serves a social benefit rather than a profit-making motive. Notably, areas in the outskirts of Bangkok, such as Taling Chan, Bang Ramat, and Thonburi, have seen significant encroachments on SRT land.

          “If these issues are left unresolved for too long, they become chronic and harder to fix. Today, management is prioritizing the generation of commercial revenue, so we must expedite the organization of land use to comply with legal standards,” Mr. Somyuth stated.

          Mr. Somyuth further explained that the root cause of unauthorized encroachments or private entities covertly using the land stems from corruption among public officials, who operate in collusion with landowners like SRT, agencies overseeing the land, and various infrastructure departments that facilitate commercial activities on railway land. It is evident that multiple government officials are involved. Therefore, SRT must place greater emphasis on these issues, similar to the case of the Mae Nam station, where illegal activities are carried out without regard for the law, resulting in significant profit exploitation.

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