BURI RAM: Eleven people have each been given a six-month jail term, without suspension, for refusing to dismantle stalls and shops built on public land in Pakham district, in the southwest of the province.
The Nang Rong provincial court on Thursday handed down the judgement for encroaching on land in tambon Nong Bua, Boonyang Pongruang, senior official at Pakham municipality, said on Friday.
The 11 are among 26 people who illegally built shops and stalls on about 9 rai of public land, he said. The Pakham municipality has held several rounds of talks with the encroachers since 2015, asking them to dismantle their structures and vacate the land. Many refused to do so.
They claimed they had occupied and made use of the land for generations. However, they had no land ownership documents to present as evidence of this. The 11 are local businessmen and residents, and former politicians.
Last year, the court sentenced 13 of them to two months in jail and a fine of 2,000-4,000 baht each, with the prison term suspended for one year. The court also ordered them to dismantle their structures. They did not appeal and later dismantled their premises.
Mr Boonyang said authorities were preparing a case against the two remaining encroachers.
