Thai PM's Office denies using Mae Ho Phra teak in parliament building construction
The Thai Prime Minister's Office has confirmed that plantation areas in Mae Ho Phra in Chiang Mai province were recently reclaimed for forest conservation, denying suggestions that the forest’s teak would be used to construct the new parliament building.
Government Spokesperson Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd was responding to claims surfacing on social media regarding alleged plans to use teak from Mae Ho Phra in Chiang Mai for the construction of the new parliament building.
He insisted that no logging will be conducted in Mae Ho Phra, as Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha had recently ordered the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment to declare the area protected forest.
He acknowledged that the construction of the new parliament building requires teak with a diameter of eight inches. The Forest Industry Organization had previously identified 2,000 trees that meet the criteria within Mae Ho Phra area.
However, no logging in the area has been commissioned, as the forestry license has expired and locals have demanded that the forest area be preserved.