Land Dispute Over Access to Public Waterway

In the district of Bo Rai, Trat, 68-year-old Tawee has sought help from local officials due to a land dispute with her neighboring property owner. The conflict arose when the neighbor requested a new land survey from the Land Development Department (Sukborrak), which subsequently encroached on a public waterway that Tawee has used for over 30 years. Represented by substantial documentation, Tawee expressed her grievances to Deputy Governor Pira, revealing that her neighbor prohibited her from using the waterway. Historically, the waterway flowed between Tawee's and the neighbor’s lands, situated about 10 meters away from the original land markers. The new survey erroneously aligned the neighbor's property lines to overlap with the public waterway, causing significant distress for Tawee whose agricultural crops have suffered due to lack of water. Despite verbal assurances from Sukborrak that she could resume using the waterway, the neighbor continues to block access, even erecting physical barriers. In ongoing developments, a second survey confirms the previous findings, indicating that the neighbor’s property does indeed cover the public waterway. Tawee feels deeply injusticed and may escalate her complaint to Bangkok if the provincial aids fall short. This situation exemplifies a larger issue of resource management and property rights, mirroring disputes in everyday life such as conflicts between siblings over access to family resources. The land boundaries are akin to clear divisions in a shared pie, where miscalculations or misunderstandings can leave one party without their fair share, resulting in strife and an urgent call for resolution.