The ruling Bhumjaithai Party has vowed legal action against anyone spreading false information about the Khao Kradong land dispute, accusing critics of politically motivated attacks on the party and its leaders.
Suphachai Jaismut, a party-list MP and member of Bhumjaithai's legal team, said on Wednesday the party has no issue with members of the public sharing information in good faith.
However, he warned anyone found to be deliberately spreading distorted information or making accusations intended to harm the party, its leader, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul or individuals linked to the party would face legal action.
Mr Suphachai said he had often chosen to tolerate political attacks in the past, even when they affected him personally, but added that legal measures become necessary when criticism crosses the line and causes serious damage. While freedom of expression must be protected, he said, it must remain within the bounds of facts and the law.
His remarks came as the long-running Khao Kradong dispute in Buri Ram returned to the political spotlight on Wednesday, when the People's Network for Reform and allied labour groups submitted a petition at Government House calling on the government to expedite the return of the disputed land in Buri Ram province to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).
Led by Pichit Chaimongkol, the group said the issue was not merely a land ownership dispute but a test of the rule of law and good governance.
The group cited a 2023 Central Administrative Court ruling and opinions from several state agencies, which it said supported the view the land belongs to the SRT.
It also urged Mr Anutin and Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob to remove their names from house registration records located within the disputed area, saying that association with the land could raise questions about ethics and transparency.
The renewed pressure followed remarks issued by the Department of Lands on Tuesday, which insisted land title deeds in the Khao Kradong area had been issued lawfully.
The department said railway officials had either certified boundary surveys or failed to object during the land title issuance process dating back decades.
It also maintained the Central Administrative Court had ordered only the establishment of an investigation committee under Section 61 of the Land Code, not the automatic revocation of the title deeds. After completing its investigation, the department said it found insufficient evidence to prove that 995 land title deeds had been unlawfully issued on SRT land.
Mr Chaichanok, meanwhile, said the issue should be left to legal processes and reiterated his commitment to legality and property rights.
Separately, Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, Seri Ruam Thai Party leader, submitted a petition calling for action against officials involved in the case.
