Thai authorities have launched an investigation into a senior police officer accused of illegally building a resort on state-allocated land in Ubon Ratchathani, following complaints from local residents and a formal petition by the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
Thailand’s Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has formally requested that police investigate an alleged land encroachment case involving a senior police officer in Ubon Ratchathani province. The officer, Police Senior Sergeant Major Yutthaphon Srisompong, known publicly by his online persona “Johnny Mue Prab” (Johnny the Enforcer), is the registered owner of a resort built on land reserved for low-income residents under the government’s self-help settlement scheme.
The land in question is located in Sirindhorn district’s Lam Dom Noi area and was designated for disadvantaged families to construct homes and engage in small-scale agriculture. According to the Department of Social Development and Welfare, part of the resort appears to intrude on forest reserve territory that forms part of the designated settlement zone. Officials estimate that around one rai—approximately 20% of the forested portion of the reserve—has been affected.
The complaint was filed on Monday, July 7, 2025, by Watchara Kosentor, a representative of the Department of Social Development and Welfare, with the Natural Resource and Environmental Crime Suppression Division (NED). It follows reports from local residents, who first raised concerns in 2021 about the unauthorized construction near the border of the settlement area.
Although the department issued a formal order to halt construction in 2022, the notice went unheeded. Authorities have since clarified that no permission was ever granted to Pol Snr Sgt Maj Yutthaphon to occupy or develop any part of the 24,675-rai land allocated for the settlement. The process for accessing and using this land requires prior approval from the department, which was not obtained in this case.
At present, investigators remain uncertain how the officer came to possess the land title or proceed with the development. In addition to the land encroachment case, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Yutthaphon is also under a separate investigation for suspected unusual wealth. His resignation from the Royal Thai Police has been withheld pending the outcome of both inquiries.
The formal complaint was submitted by Watchara Kosentor on behalf of the Department of Social Development and Welfare. The case is now under review by the Natural Resource and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, as reported by multiple Thai media outlets.
