On November 7, Deputy Prime Ministers Suriya Juangroongruangkit and Prasert Chantrarawongthong held negotiations with representatives from the People's Movement for a Just Society (PMove) and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. The talks addressed the government’s proposed royal decrees aimed at conservation and management within national parks and wildlife sanctuaries under the National Park Act and Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act of 2019. These decrees are slated for Cabinet review on November 12, 2024, but PMove opposes them, citing infringement on citizens' rights and a lack of community inclusion.

PMove’s objections highlight legal and human rights issues, including:

1. Legal Risks and Mapping Deficiencies: The proposed decrees do not meet legal requirements under current environmental laws, as 210 of 224 conservation projects lack the necessary accompanying maps, which could expose the government to lawsuits.

2. Impact on Land Rights: Over 300,000 rai of community land is entangled in legal disputes since the 2014 coup, with residents facing potential eviction due to land designated for conservation. This issue extends to 3.5 million rai across 23 areas newly earmarked for conservation, impacting long-standing community land use.

3. Restriction of Rights: Provisions within the decrees limit land rights, proposing that community members can only use 20 rai for a maximum of 20 years and imposing eligibility restrictions, which exclude collective community rights and may marginalize local populations.

4. Delay Proposal and Future Steps: PMove requested the Cabinet delay the decrees and extend the legislative deadline by a year. They argued that these decrees, born from legislation passed during the military regime, need thorough revision in collaboration with affected communities to avoid harm to approximately 4,000 villages covering 4 million rai of land.

The two-hour meeting ended without resolution. Department head Atthapol Charoenchansa insisted on moving forward with the decrees, asserting that they aim to grant rather than restrict citizen rights. Prasert Chantrarawongthong, overseeing environmental policy, pledged to relay PMove’s concerns to the Prime Minister but offered no commitment to halting the decrees.