Thai Tycoon Sentenced to 24 Years for Expanding Golf Resort into Protected Forest
SURIN, Thailand – In a landmark ruling on Thursday, the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 3 sentenced Thai business magnate Prayudh Mahagitsiri to 24 years in prison for his role in a high-profile land corruption scandal involving protected forest land in Nakhon Ratchasima province.
Prayudh, CEO of Thai Nox Stainless Co., Ltd., was found guilty on six counts under Sections 149 and 86 of the Penal Code, receiving four years per count for facilitating the illegal expansion of the Mountain Creek Golf Resort by 189 rai (approximately 74 acres) into state-owned Sor Por Kor and forest reserve land.
His daughter, Usana Mahagitsiri, was also convicted and handed a 12-year sentence for her role in authorizing fraudulent land identification in the scheme. The court ruled she was guilty on three counts.
Illegal Expansion Uncovered
The case centers around a fraudulent surveying and consolidation process that increased the resort’s land holdings from 2,304 rai to 2,493 rai (approximately 907 to 981 acres). Prosecutors argued that Prayudh and his associates colluded with land and agricultural officials to issue illegitimate land titles, enabling the illegal acquisition of protected land.
Evidence showed that Mahagitsiri family-controlled companies had purchased land with valid titles adjacent to undocumented land, which they then surveyed and incorporated into their holdings—a violation of land reform and conservation laws.
Public Officials Implicated
The investigation, which concluded in 2021, also implicated 5–6 officials from the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Land Office (Sikhio District Branch) and related government agencies, including the Agricultural Land Reform Office. Prosecutors from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) led the case.
These officials were allegedly bribed or coerced into enabling the title deed expansion into land meant for agrarian reform and environmental protection.
Significance and Broader Impact
This verdict marks a major victory in Thailand’s ongoing fight against corruption and signals a strong stance against the misuse of state land for private luxury development. The Mountain Creek Golf Resort, a high-end destination owned by Prayudh’s firm, had long been under scrutiny for its location on or near forest reserves.
The case highlights the systemic nature of land corruption in Thailand, especially in tourist and resort development zones.
