New app lets public dob in encroachers
The Royal Forest Department is developing a mobile application and website allowing the public to report forest trespassers and encroachment to the department, says chief Chonlatid Suraswadi.
The system used by the application and website will involve people filing reports to the department based on satellite images from the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), he said.
According to Mr Chonlatid, the new system is part of an initiative to establish “Forest 4.0 in Thailand 4.0,” where the department will start integrating digital technology into its operations across the country.
“We have a jurisdiction of over 60 million rai, which makes it difficult for it to provide a comprehensive service for the public,” he said. “This application will allow the public to help safeguard our forests, while also conserving them in the process.”
Although both the application and website are still in the developmental process, the application can already be downloaded, while the website can be reached via URL https://change.forest.go.th.
The application, available for free download, is called “Pitak Phrai”, translated as “Guarding the Forest”.
However, users will currently only be able to report cases through the system’s website, as the mobile application is not yet ready, according to Sirirat Phattanasupong, a Royal Forest Department scholar overseeing the system’s development.
She said that the application’s testing phase is set to be complete by this year, and could be open by next year.
According to Ms Sirirat, upon its completion, the mobile application will support an offline mode, to support cases where users are not able to find a strong internet connection to immediately report the case.
She said users will be able to use the application’s offline mode to fill in the necessary information for the reports beforehand.
The application will automatically submit the information to the department once the user is nearby a steady internet connection, she added.
People can report the location and suspected illegal activities.
Ms Sirirat said the application will also allow authorities to compare past and present satellite images, to deduce if an area has been tampered with according to the filed report.
According to Mr Chonlatid, authorities will be able to confirm within 15 days whether a filed trespassing case can be truly classified as needing legal action.