The Suffering of Muslims in Chumphon Chai Talay Tambon Chumphon, Sathing Phra District, Songkhla Province : An Ill Fortune on the Land of Ancestors

Abstract

"Baan Chumphon Chai Talay", Tambon Chumphon, Sathing Phra District, Songkhla Province, is a Muslim village that uses southern Thai dialect as their mother tongue, and the locals work mainly as local fishermen. Although there had been evidence of living in this area for many generations, since, at least, the reign of King Rama V, it was found that more than 49 out of 59 households did not have land rights documents as the land had been claimed public space, making lives difficult in many ways. The locals being unable to register their house number or their local mosque was, for instance, their difficulty which, as a result, caused them to pay overly expensive electricity bills. The writer had the opportunity to listen to the suffering and took part in solving the problem, leading to the process of issuing land rights documents. In conclusion, this process can be used as a guideline for case study for other villages. Facing such similar issues.