Pattaya, November 2025 – Local governments across Thailand are reportedly up in arms over the strict enforcement of the 1941 Forest Act, which automatically classifies any land without a title deed as “forest”, even in the middle of established towns and cities, severely delaying critical infrastructure projects.
The issue erupted during a recent Pattaya City Council meeting when Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Rermkijakarn asked councillors to formally approve the use of forest land for the construction of 392 public roads and basic utilities, as required under Section 54 of the archaic Forest Act of 2484 (1941). Without council approval, Pattaya cannot even apply to the Royal Forest Department for permission to build on land that technically falls under forest jurisdiction simply because it lacks individual title deeds.
Second Vice-President of the Council, Paiwan Aromchun, launched a scathing critique of the law’s application in 2025.
“It’s frankly laughable,” Mr. Paiwan said. “Any area without a Nor Sor 4 or title deed is automatically treated as protected forest by the Forest Department, regardless of whether roads, houses, and communities have existed there for decades. Local authorities trying to pave a street or install drainage now have to beg permission from Bangkok as if we’re cutting down virgin jungle.”
He urged the city administration to escalate the matter to the Decentralisation Committee and Parliament, calling for an urgent review or exemption so local governments can develop their own communities without endless bureaucratic hurdles.
Pattaya City Clerk Kiattisak Sriwongchai confirmed the problem is nationwide.
“Every single local administrative organisation in Thailand is facing the same obstacle,” he told the council. “The Forest Department’s position remains: no title deed = forest land, full stop. They even jokingly asked in one national meeting whether Sukhumvit Road itself would need forest-use permission if it didn’t meet exemption criteria.”
Mr. Kiattisak warned that while local governments strongly oppose the rigid interpretation, failing to follow the 1941 law and later regulations risks criminal prosecution.
Despite the heated debate, councillors unanimously granted the required approval, allowing Pattaya to proceed with applications to the Royal Forest Department for the 392 road projects.
Councillors and administrators alike described the 84-year-old law, drafted when Thailand was still mostly jungle, as completely disconnected from modern urban reality and a major drag on decentralised development. Many now hope Pattaya’s public criticism will add momentum to growing calls for legislative reform.
