Bangkok: The "land grab by Aunt Sanong" case has intensified, leading to a formal complaint being prepared for submission to the Anti-Corruption Commission. The complaint seeks an investigation into the alleged misconduct of the former mayor of Mae Nam Khu Subdistrict and several government officials, accused of improperly exercising their discretion in the case.
According to Thai News Agency, the complaint was initiated by Ms. Sanong Pholwiset, a disabled resident of Rayong Province, who had reached out to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on July 17th for assistance. Ms. Sanong claims that officials from the Rayong Self-Sufficiency Settlement unlawfully seized her farmland, despite an investigation by Mr. Sawangpong Metikul in October 2020 confirming her rightful possession and use of the land. The contested land is located near a community and main roads, with signs indicating its private ownership, and has been cultivated with rubber trees for decades.
During a site inspection, no evidence of industrial estate developments was found. Neighbors reported seeing officials erect signs on the land in June 2016, but these signs have since vanished. Ms. Sanong asserts that she was coerced into signing over half of her land in 2018 under duress, fearing eviction from her home. Witnesses, including Mr. Samroeng Srirattanasomboon and Ms. Pornthip Wisesri, are prepared to testify in her support.
The complainant's documents include a letter from the Rayong Provincial Self-Sufficiency Settlement dated October 2020, which confirms her land ownership. Another document from October 2018 outlines the land division, which Ms. Sanong believes initiated the dispute. She urges an investigation into the former mayor's role and the actions of involved officials, questioning the legality of the land division and the motives behind it.
These allegations remain under investigation, with no conclusive judgment from authorities. Ms. Sanong plans to file her complaint with the Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Suppression Division on July 22, 2026. As the investigation continues, those implicated have yet to respond to the allegations.