Agricutural Land Reform Office

       Agricultural Land Reform Act B.E. 2518 (1975) was promulgated on 5 March 1975. This related to loss of ownership of farmers and become to tenants with high rental rate. This made the soil lacked of maintenance and affected to low yield. Farmer had not been fairly treated and had been steadily taken advantage in terms of renting and selling system. During such period, farmers’ problems were so critical in various aspects, resulting to the economic, social, political, and administrative turmoil in the country. As a consequence, the government made the decision to solve the problem by means of land reform Land Reform Implementation can be described in 4 steps as follows:

1. Land Acquisition for the Agricultural Land Reform There are 4 categories of public land:

• Common use land e.g. pasture,
• Public land for the use of government or ‘prohibited land’
• Waste land e.g. classified land according to the resolution of the cabinet,
• Deteriorated reserve forest as resolute by the cabinet for the agricultural land reform scheme, There are 4 categories of private land:

1. Royal donated land
2. Ratchaphatsadu land
3. Donated land
4. Purchased land

2. Land Allocation

Land allocation can be categorized into 4 types of activities as follows:

Land allocation for Agriculture of which comprising the allocation to farmers and farmers’ institution,

Land allocation for other activities, all of which should support or relate to the land reform scheme in complied with the MOCA’ s proclamation, Land allocation for public utilities which are the public service, and

Land allocation for utilizing natural resources to the benefit of different laws in which ALRO only allows the use of land, but the permission for activities has to be complied with such different laws. Persons Eligible for

 Land Allocation

1. In case of the land allocation for agriculture, the land have to be allocated to landless farmers or small-scale farmers whose land are inadequate for subsistence. There are two categories among them as the followings:

1.1 A person whose main occupation is agriculture,

1.2 A person who wishes to be a farmer. In this case, there are three types of the landless as follows:

1.2.1 Poor people,

1.2.2 An agriculture graduated, and

1.2.3 Farmer’s children Criteria and conditions for a people who wishes to be Farmers, as Stipulated in the Royal Decree

 

1. In the case of land allocation for other activities that supported or related to the land reform scheme; i.e. an individual or a juristic person who is legally capable and operates activities as specified in the MOAC’s proclamation

2. In the case of land allocation for public utilities: i.e. government offices, state enterprises, government agencies and non-profit organizations,

3. In the case of the land allocation for utilizing natural resource to the benefits of other law e.g. mining, sand suction, quarrying, etc.

 

3. Control of Land Rights

      The provision in the land reform act that concerns the control of land rights has the purpose to forbid the change of land conditions or activities as agreed when allocated. Beside, it is the way to protect farmers from losing their land and then become tenants or a landless again.

       Section 39 indicates that the land rights granted by ALRO could not be divided or transferred to others. Exception is inherited to descendants or the transfer to farmers’ institution or ALRO for the benefits of the agricultural land reform. All this has to conform with criteria, methods and conditions determined by the ministry’s law.

4. The Integration of Development and Management of Production and Selling System The summary of development in land reform area spelled out in the definition of the land reform and in Section 19 as follows:

1. Determine the agricultural extension plan in land reform area , as well as the agricultural land consolidation, improvement of efficiency in production and the products’ quality, farmers’ welfare, public utilities, education and public health. These will enable farmers to access the better livings,
2. Determine the productions and selling plan of farm products in land reform area in order to uplift their income and protecting the benefits of farmers and farmers, institution,
3. Coordination for funding sources for farmers, which some may obtain from the Agricultural Land Reform Fund or other financial institutes e.g. the Bank for Agricultural and Agricultural Cooperatives.