Thai Business Tycoon Sentenced to 24 Years for Land Corruption Scheme

Court finds Prayudh Mahagitsiri guilty of illegally expanding golf resort into protected forest reserves

 

One of Thailand's most prominent business figures has been handed a lengthy prison sentence after being found guilty in a major land corruption case, a court ruled on Thursday.

 

Prayudh Mahagitsiri, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Thai Nox Stainless Co., Ltd., was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment by the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 3 in Surin Province for his role in the illegal issuance of land rights documents.

 

His daughter, Usana Mahagitsiri, also received a 12-year prison sentence for authorising the identification of adjacent land in the fraudulent scheme.

 

The case centred on the illicit expansion of the Mountain Creek Golf Course in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, where surveying and consolidation of title deeds resulted in an increase of 189 rai (approximately 74 acres) of land beyond the original 2,304 rai (approximately 907 acres) owned by Thai Nox Stainless Co., Ltd.

 

The court delivered its verdict at approximately 1:00 PM, finding Prayudh  guilty under Sections 149 and 86 of the Penal Code, with a sentence of four years imprisonment for each of six counts.

 

His daughter was found guilty of similar offences across three counts, resulting in her 12-year sentence.
  

Prosecutors from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) successfully argued that Prayudh, as an executive director, colluded with state officials to facilitate corruption related to the illegal issuance of title deeds within state land, specifically in forest reserve and land reform areas designated as "Sor Por Kor".

 

The investigation, which concluded its findings in 2021, implicated approximately 5-6 land officials from the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Land Office (Sikhio District Branch) and related parties, including surveying officials and representatives from the Agricultural Land Reform Office.

 

Evidence presented to the court showed that private companies controlled by the Mahagitsiri family had supported state officials in fraudulently surveying and expanding the area of land title deeds to facilitate the development of the Mountain Creek Golf Resort and Residences.

 

The court heard that the companies had purchased land with legitimate title deeds alongside land without clear documentation before surveying the area to illegally incorporate the undocumented land, which included protected areas within Sor Por Kor and forest reserves.

  

This marks the second conviction for Prayudh in land rights cases. He previously received a 2-year and 8-month prison sentence for similar offences in Krabi Province.

 

The state officials implicated in the scheme were found guilty under multiple sections of the Penal Code, including Section 149, which carries penalties ranging from 5 to 20 years imprisonment, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty.

 

Other defendants in the case also received prison sentences, with the court expected to release further details in the coming days.

 

Legal experts note that Section 149 of the Thai Penal Code, under which Prayudh was convicted, is among the most serious corruption charges and reflects the gravity of offences involving collusion between powerful business figures and state officials.

 

The case highlights ongoing efforts by Thai authorities to address corruption in land management, particularly regarding protected forest reserves and agricultural reform areas that have been increasingly targeted for luxury developments.

(2025/05/01-00:00)