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Kanchanaburi residents lack land rights 50 years after dam move

Kanchanaburi residents lack land rights 50 years after dam move

MGR Online•Society•1h ago

Reader Briefing

A parliamentary subcommittee met on November 12, 2026, to resolve land ownership disputes for residents displaced by the Srinagarind and Vajiralongkorn dams in Kanchanaburi.

  • •Over 900 households displaced by the Srinagarind Dam still lack land title documents.
  • •Land disputes arise from state agency boundaries overlapping with allocated residential and agricultural plots.
  • •The subcommittee is pushing for the use of One Map to resolve boundary conflicts and grant land rights.
  • •Affected areas include Si Sawat, Thong Pha Phum, and Sangkhla Buri districts in Kanchanaburi province.

Overview

  • •On November 12, 2026, a meeting of the Subcommittee on the Study of Guidelines for Resolving State Land Overlapping with People's Land was held at the Parliament Building.
  • •Residents in Si Sawat and Thong Pha Phum districts evacuated their homes over 50 years ago to allow for the construction of the Srinagarind and Vajiralongkorn dams.
  • •For the Srinagarind Dam, approximately 1,200 households were displaced, but only about 300 households have received land allocations, leaving over 900 households without land rights.
  • •The lack of land rights is caused by boundaries of state agencies, such as the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, overlapping with allocated plots.
  • •A 1973 Cabinet resolution authorized the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand to build the Srinagarind Dam with a plan to allocate 20 rai per household.
  • •A February 27, 1979 Cabinet resolution authorized the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand to build the Vajiralongkorn Dam with a plan to allocate 15 rai per household.
  • •Residents in Si Sawat, Thong Pha Phum, and Sangkhla Buri districts face uncertainty regarding their land rights despite their sacrifice for national infrastructure.
  • •Mr. Phanom Phokaew proposed that the Office of the National Land Policy Board and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation accelerate the One Map integration to clarify boundaries.

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Key Entities

Person

Warittha Sanguansermsri(วริษฐา สงวนเสริมศรี)
The Governor of Kanchanaburi province.
Tharat Luangsa-ard(ฑรัท เหลืองสอาด)
The Deputy Governor of Kanchanaburi province.
Anan Preedasuttijit(อนันต์ ปรีดาสุทธิจิตต์)
The Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Study of Guidelines for Resolving State Land Overlapping with People's Land.
Phanom Phokaew(พนม โพธิ์แก้ว)
A Member of Parliament for Kanchanaburi Constituency 5 from the Pheu Thai Party and a subcommittee member.

Organization

Subcommittee on the Study of Guidelines for Resolving State Land Overlapping with People's Land(คณะอนุกรรมาธิการพิจารณาศึกษาแนวทางการแก้ไขปัญหาที่ดินของรัฐทับซ้อนกับที่ดินของประชาชน)
A subcommittee under the House of Representatives' Committee on Land, Natural Resources and Environment.
House of Representatives Committee on Land, Natural Resources and Environment(คณะกรรมาธิการที่ดิน ทรัพยากรธรรมชาติและสิ่งแวดล้อม สภาผู้แทนราษฎร)
The parliamentary committee overseeing land and environmental issues.
Pheu Thai Party(พรรคเพื่อไทย)ℹ️
The political party of Mr. Phanom Phokaew.
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand(การไฟฟ้าฝ่ายผลิตแห่งประเทศไทย)ℹ️
The agency authorized by the Cabinet to construct the Srinagarind and Vajiralongkorn dams.
Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation(กรมอุทยานแห่งชาติ สัตว์ป่า และพันธุ์พืช)ℹ️
A state agency whose land boundaries overlap with residential allocations in Kanchanaburi.
Office of the National Land Policy Board(สำนักงานคณะกรรมการนโยบายที่ดินแห่งชาติ)
The agency proposed to help integrate and improve the One Map land boundary system.

Place

Kanchanaburi(กาญจนบุรี)ℹ️
The province where the land disputes and dam constructions are located.
Si Sawat District(อ.ศรีสวัสดิ์)ℹ️
A district in Kanchanaburi affected by the Srinagarind Dam construction.
Thong Pha Phum District(อ.ทองผาภูมิ)ℹ️
A district in Kanchanaburi affected by the Vajiralongkorn Dam construction.
Sangkhla Buri District(อ.สังขละบุรี)ℹ️
A district in Kanchanaburi where residents were affected by large-scale state development projects.
Srinagarind Dam(เขื่อนศรีนครินทร์)ℹ️
A hydroelectric dam in Si Sawat District that led to the displacement of 1,200 households.
Vajiralongkorn Dam(เขื่อนวชิราลงกรณ)ℹ️
A hydroelectric dam, also known as Khao Laem Dam, in Thong Pha Phum District.

Policy

One Map
An integrated state land boundary map intended to resolve overlapping land claims.