Thailand’s Community Forest Act: Analysis of the legal framework and recommendations

Thailand is undergoing an important development in its forestry laws. When the Community Forest Act B.E. 2562 was passed in 2019, Thailand had for the first time an official umbrella law to recognize community forestry. Subordinate laws still need to be developed to further clarify the Act for its implementation.

This assessment is the first of its kind. It fills in a legal analysis gap in Thailand’s forestry sector for policymakers, civil society organizations and local communities living in and near forests. It uses a method of analysis created by lawyers at the environmental law charity ClientEarth to help readers understand how the Act recognizes and secures the rights of forest communities. It can be an important tool to enhance the implementation of the Community Forest Act and the subordinate laws.