The Forest Department has ordered an investigation into a meditation centre, founded by the highly respected Buddhist monk, The Venerable Phra Medhivajirodom, after it was alleged that the centre is encroaching on the Doi Pui national forest reserves in Chiang Rai province.
The monk made headlines last week when he featured in a social media video delivering a sermon to staff and investors of the troubled iCon Group, during which he praised the company’s CEO, Waratphol Waratvorakul, as a model of success and hard work.
Surachai Achalaboon, the department’s director-general, said forest officials will inspect the “Rai Choeng Tawan” meditation centre in Huai Sak sub-district, Mueang district, on Monday, to investigate the alleged encroachment.
He disclosed that the Muttayalai Foundation and the National Office of Buddhism had sought permission from the Forest Department to use a total of 22.88 hectares of forest reserves for the meditation centre. It is alleged, however, that the centre has occupied 30.4 hectares.
He said that, if it is confirmed that the centre is encroaching on forest reserves, those responsible could face imprisonment of up to 20 years and/or a fine of up to two million baht upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Senate Environment Committee Chairman Chiwaparb Chiwatham, a former chief of the Forest Department, has questioned the propriety of using such an extremely large plot of land for a meditation centre, adding that such a centre should be modest in scale and content.
He noted that the Rai Choeng Tawan centre is similar to the case of the “Big Buddha” on Nark Kerd mountain in Phuket, located in Nark Kerd national forest reserves, where construction was undertaken before permission had been granted for the use of the forest reserve land.
13 people died last month when mud and water smashed through a community at the foot of the mountain following intense rainfall.