Department of Agriculture Denies Fake News Regarding 12,000 Baht Lime Trees
The Department of Agriculture has officially refuted viral claims that lime trees for the Udon Thani Horticultural Expo were priced at 12,000 baht each, labeling the documents as falsified.
On November 5, 2026, the Department of Agriculture addressed viral social media reports claiming that lime trees procured for the Udon Thani Horticultural Expo were priced at 12,000 baht per unit. Sasiya Pantan, Deputy Director-General of the Department, confirmed that the documents circulating online are falsified and do not represent official departmental records. According to the Department, the documents were manipulated by removing dates and critical headers to mislead the public and damage the reputation of the organizers. The Department clarified that the actual procurement costs for the six lime trees used in the event differ significantly from the figures presented in the fake reports. Officials stated that the Department of Agriculture has reviewed its Terms of Reference (TOR) to ensure alignment with current market prices and that the documents in question were not submitted to the Bureau of the Budget. The Department is currently consulting with its legal team to pursue criminal charges against those responsible for spreading the misinformation. For residents and visitors, this incident highlights the importance of verifying information from official government channels before sharing it. It remains to be confirmed which specific individuals or groups were responsible for the document manipulation and what the final legal outcomes of the planned prosecution will be.
