Residents fight to keep
land - June 6, 2005
Urge long-timers not to
sell to investors, so children can inherit
Koh Chang residents have
quietly formed a group to protect natural resources on the island, which
they say are threatened by the rapid changes that come with tourism
development.
They are worried about changes of land ownership after residents sold their
property to developers, who turned it into resorts and hotels. Only a few
residents have refused to give up their property.
One is Sombat Salakpetch, 62, a native of Koh Chang. He works at his orchard
covering more than 100 rai which he inherited from his parents. His
ancestors settled on the island over 100 years ago.
"Salakpetch'' was taken from a rank bestowed on his ancestors by King Rama V
during a visit to the island. A village canal and a waterfall were named
after his family.
Sombat, also known as Grandpa Bat, said few people lived on the island
during his childhood. Boats were the only mode of transport. The first road
was built 30 years ago by soldiers. A few residents owned vehicles which
they used to take crops to a pier.
"When a vehicle broke down the owner just dumped it for the only way to get
spare parts, which were expensive, was to travel by boat for at least four
hours to the mainland,'' he said.
It was beyond his imagination that the island would one day receive more
than 10,000 private vehicles a day during the peak tourist season.
In the old days, parents would give orchards or paddy fields to their
favourite children, setting aside plots facing the beach for their least-favoured
ones, he said. "At the time, people shunned seaside plots. Nobody wanted
such land even for free,'' he said.
Now it is the seaside plots that are expensive. Prices have increased to 15
million baht per rai while orchards or paddy fields fetch no more than 1.5
million baht per rai.
Grandpa Bat said he felt the peaceful island was being threatened by the
presence of investors who had tried to "swallow'' his community. The
abundance of natural resources on the island had gradually depleted as vast
areas of forest were destroyed and the number of wild animals fell rapidly
in 6-7 years. ``The canals and waterfalls are drying up. The water level
drops sharply during the dry season and this year the situation is critical.
It will get worse if investors continue to expand their resorts,'' he said.
Grandpa Bat's group meets once a month to discuss problems and exchange
views.
"We keep telling residents not to sell their land. If they really have to,
they should sell some, and not all they have. We ask them to keep some land
for their children to cultivate.'' The community was not comfortable with
the influx of strangers.
"There are more newcomers living near us. That changes our life. We cannot
trust anybody,'' he said.
Robbery and theft was no longer uncommon.
He said thieves recently broke into his house and fled with a cloth which
his late grandfather wore on the day he was granted an audience with King
Rama V. Now Grandpa Bat's elder sister, Siang Salakpetch, who takes care of
the family's assets, dare not leave the house.
"The tourism boom is good as it creates jobs and incomes for residents. But
crime is also on the rise,'' said Mrs Siang, 75.
Grandpa Bat called on the authorities to control tourism expansion in the
southern part of the island.
He was also worried about moves to evict people from their land. He said
most residents do not have land ownership documents for their plots even
though they have long occupied the land. The only documents they have are
Por Bor Thor 5 papers, the land tax receipts which indicate they make use of
the land.
Moon Jetprik, 69, resident of Ban Klong Prao, said he chose to settle down
on the island 40 years ago because of the island's natural abundance.
Back then, community spirit was strong.
"People used to share food and water. Now we have to buy drinking water at
10 baht a bottle.''
The cost of living was also higher now as tourists put upwards pressure on
prices.
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