A Phuket village headman takes immediate reaction after witnessing illegal lodging at the mangrove forest by encroachers. His action had saved several rai of mangrove although there were three rai of them had been cut down already. The village head, Sinchai Limsakul, headman of Palai Village in Chalong, alerted police at 4pm yesterday.

Some of the uprooted trees were planted by Chalong Tambon Administration, government officers and villagers in honour of HM The Queen’s birthday, he said. Mr Sinchai went to Chalong Police Station to inform officers that four men had been seen clearing the area, part of a mangrove forest covering many tens of rai.
Mr Sinchai purely wanted the authorities to protect the forest since the remaining mangrove in Palai Village highly cherished by the local villagers, thus marked his immediate action alerted the police about the illegal lodging.

The most important thing was that the forest had been planted in honour of the Queen’s birthday, he said.

It was hoped that planting the forest would encourage villagers to cherish the natural resources of the village. Despite this, villagers failed to alert police when the four men began clearing the trees, he said.

News by Phuket Gazette