More than 300,000 applications to use forest land, largely involving state agencies, are intensifying debate over how Thailand manages degraded forests as the government moves to widen the range of activities permitted in forest zones.
The issue has gained urgency after the cabinet on Sept 1 approved in principle a draft ministerial regulation adding six categories of permitted forest land use, bringing the total to 16.
The new categories cover renewable energy, telecommunications, infrastructure, waste management, welfare projects for the Royal Forest Department and other activities related to social, economic and environmental development or security.
The department says the amendment is needed to update regulations dating from 2015, accommodate activities that were not previously covered and clear a large backlog of applications more quickly.
Forestry experts, however, warn that widening access to forest land could undermine rehabilitation efforts, particularly if degraded areas are increasingly viewed as land available for development.
They are especially concerned about the broad category covering “other” purposes related to social, economic and environmental development or security, saying it could become a loophole for projects outside the existing categories.
Pressure to clear backlog
Supot Pooratanaopa, deputy director- general of the department, said the existing ministerial regulation needs to be updated.
The revised regulation would also streamline the approval process, including by delegating authority in some cases rather than requiring every application to be approved at the department’s highest level.
Mr Supot said the changes were expected to help speed up the processing of more than 200,000 pending applications.
The backlog grew after cabinet resolutions required state agencies occupying forest land to seek legal permission. Projects without proper authorisation can face difficulties securing budget allocations, leaving some schemes stalled for years.
Department figures show 187,521 applications involving forest land under the Forest Act (1941), while another 116,717 applications concern land governed by the National Reserved Forest Act (1964).
The Interior Ministry accounts for the largest number of applications, with 160,386 cases, followed by the Transport Ministry with 9,155 and the National Office of Buddhism with 4,658.
Only a fraction of the applications have so far been approved.
Mr Supot said the revised regulation was intended to respond to changing development needs and was not designed to favour any particular private company.
He said sensitive projects would remain subject to strict scrutiny.
Waste management projects, for example, must be reviewed by a provincial committee and cannot be located in areas where they would cause serious damage to important forest ecosystems. Certain activities are also subject to forest replacement or rehabilitation requirements.
The department uses satellite imagery and other information when assessing the condition of land proposed for use, he said.
The draft regulation also contains restrictions on areas that may be considered for development, excluding protected areas such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation mangroves and community forests, as well as land subject to specific cabinet prohibitions.
Nevertheless, Mr Supot acknowledged the expansion of eligible activities was likely to generate more applications, particularly for projects that may require substantial areas of land, such as renewable energy developments.
Certain activities, including renewable energy, telecommunications and infrastructure projects, can be granted permission for periods of up to 30 years.
He said strong measures would be needed to limit ecological damage.
Develop or restore?
The changes have renewed a wider debate over what Thailand should do with forests classified as degraded.
The country has about 102 million rai of forest, while the department oversees around 65 million rai.
Assoc Prof Sakhan Teejuntuk, director of the Princess Sirindhorn Centre for Sustainable Development at Kasetsart University, said about 30% of the land under the department’s responsibility is regarded as degraded forest.
Rather than viewing such land primarily as available for other uses, he said the government should adopt more substantive measures tailored to conditions in individual areas.
Local communities should play a central role and receive tangible benefits from forest restoration, he added.
Mr Sakhan cited Nan province, where extensive areas of forest have become degraded. One obstacle to rehabilitation, he said, is concern among some residents that restoring degraded areas to healthy forest could eventually restrict their access to the land.
Such concerns have complicated attempts to encourage local participation in restoration.
“We have not yet seen real success in forest rehabilitation by state agencies because they have used a one-size-fits-all approach under the bureaucracy,” he said.
Restoring forests can take more than five years and requires sustained monitoring and measures adapted to local conditions, he said.
Mr Sakhan also expressed concern over the provision allowing forest land to be used for “other” social, economic, environmental or security purposes.
The wording, he said, could potentially be interpreted broadly and allow projects that conflict with forest conservation objectives. He also warned that enforcing rehabilitation obligations on state agencies can sometimes be more difficult than regulating private operators.
Target still far away
The debate comes as Thailand remains well short of its goal of having green areas cover 40% of the country.
Khwanchai Duangsathaporn, chairman of a subcommittee involved in drafting the national forest policy and master plan on forest development, said green areas cover about 31% of the country, leaving Thailand roughly 27 million rai short of its target. He said any expansion of activities that result in forest clearance should therefore be considered cautiously because replacing natural forest ecosystems is extremely difficult.
“In our generation, it is impossible to see a man-made forest plantation reproduce a natural forest ecosystem because it takes such a long time,” he said. He urged the department to take a cautious approach when deciding whether forest land should be released for development, warning that Thailand is already facing growing pressure on its forest resources.
“Social and economic development means nothing if we don’t have forests to limit the impacts of natural disasters,” he said. Mr Khwanchai was concerned about the inclusion of the catch-all “other” category, which he said could create a loophole for a wider range of projects to seek access to forest land.
The government faces a difficult balancing act.
More than 300,000 applications remain in the system, while state agencies are under pressure to legalise projects occupying forest land. At the same time, Thailand remains far from its 40% green-area target and continues to struggle with forest degradation.
The revised regulation may help clear years of administrative delays, but forestry experts warn that faster approvals should not come at the expense of rehabilitation.
At the heart of the debate is a broader question: whether degraded forest should be treated as land available for development or as forest that should first be given the chance to recover.