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Communal land titling dilemmas in northern Thailand: From community forestry to beneficial yet risky and uncertain options

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  • Wittayapak, Chusak
  • Baird, Ian G.

Abstract

Communal land titling has become a popular tool for land-use management and governance in Southeast Asia in recent years, including in Thailand. In this paper, we describe how the community forestry movement in northern Thailand emerged and dissipated, and then transformed into a communal land titling movement. We then explain how the government of Thailand has recently chosen to abandon a stronger rights-based communal land titling process in favor of a less rights-based approach, albeit one that potentially provides considerable access to lands and natural resources as well as other associated benefits, but not without potential short-term problems and risks, and also risks and uncertainty for the future. We do not claim to know what decisions are most optimal, but the five case studies that we examine from Northern Thailand do provide insights into some of the potential dilemmas associated with entering into beneficial yet imperfect communal land titling arrangements. Ultimately, we advocate taking a hopeful but critical perspective to considering communal land titling options, whether in Thailand or elsewhere, and basing such decisions on detailed consideration of historical and present-day circumstances, and with the full participation of those who will be affected by crucial decisions, so that the best and most timely choices can be made, even if options are unlikely to be without some risks and uncertainties.

Suggested Citation

  • Wittayapak, Chusak & Baird, Ian G., 2018. "Communal land titling dilemmas in northern Thailand: From community forestry to beneficial yet risky and uncertain options," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 320-328.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:71:y:2018:i:c:p:320-328
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.12.019
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Beaulieu, Antoine & Leblond, Jean-Philippe & Déry, Steve & Cao, Huhua, 2023. "Urban air pollution anxieties, forest conservation, and farmland expropriation: State territorialization in the uplands and highlands of northern Thailand," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    2. Bokyong Shin & Chaitawat Boonjubun, 2021. "Media and the Meanings of Land: A South Korean Case Study," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 80(2), pages 381-425, March.
    3. Pravalprukskul, Pin & Bruun, Thilde Bech & Messerli, Peter, 2023. "Maize boom, bust and beyond: Investigating land use transitions in the northern Thai uplands," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    4. Leknoi, Unruan & Likitlersuang, Suched, 2020. "Good practice and lesson learned in promoting vetiver as solution for slope stabilisation and erosion control in Thailand," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    5. Roestamy, Martin & Martin, Abraham Yazdi & Rusli, Radif Khotamir & Fulazzaky, Mohamad Ali, 2022. "A review of the reliability of land bank institution in Indonesia for effective land management of public interest," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    6. Sapkota, Lok Mani & Jihadah, Lina & Sato, Mayumi & Greijmans, Martin & Wiset, Kanchana & Aektasaeng, Ngamnet & Daisai, Atcharaporn & Gritten, David, 2021. "Translating global commitments into action for successful forest landscape restoration: Lessons from Ing watershed in northern Thailand," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    7. Haenssgen, Marco J. & Leepreecha, Prasit & Sakboon, Mukdawan & Chu, Ta-Wei & Vlaev, Ivo & Auclair, Elizabeth, 2023. "The impact of conservation and land use transitions on the livelihoods of indigenous peoples: A narrative review of the northern Thai highlands," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).

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