Thai government proposes expropriation of heritage sites

A view of the Si Satchanalai Historical Park, a Unesco World Heritage site in Sukhothai Province, northern Thailand.

BANGKOK: Thailand's National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) has agreed to a proposal that some people can continue living in cultural heritage areas – and even receive state funding if they agree to relinquish ownership rights to the land and help conservation efforts.

"We believe this idea will help reform the way people participate in the conservation of cultural heritage," General Jira Komutpong said Tuesday in his capacity as spokesman for the NRSA's committee on the reform of sport, arts, culture, religion, morality and ethics.