Loei temple vacates land after years of defying court order

Monks at a temple in Loei’s Nong Hin district agreed today to return land without resistance, about nine years after a court ruled that part of the area was reserved forest and the rest was Sor Por Kor agricultural reform land.

The move came as forestry officials and police visited the temple to enforce a Supreme Court ruling issued in 2017 ordering Rom Pho Thitham Temple to vacate more than 120 hectares of disputed land.

The operation, which began at around 8am, involved almost 200 officials from several agencies. They held discussions with Phra Sitthichai Kittiwattano, deputy abbot of the temple, and other monks, urging them to comply with the Supreme Court ruling.

Under the court order, Rom Pho Thitham Temple and those occupying the land are required to vacate the disputed area and return it to the Royal Forest Department.

The temple had previously refused to vacate the land, prolonging the dispute for about nine years.

Officials said the operation went smoothly, with the temple and monks cooperating fully and offering no resistance.