Pretty sad stuff. I might expect something like this to happen in a third-world country, but even in Thailand the government must buy back the land and get the owner’s consent.
Strangely enough, though, we have a similar issue going on right now. At least one homeowner is standing up to the government – but she is under intense pressure to give it up.
Me? I back the homeowners, no doubt about it. I would be the first to tell them where to stick their eminent domain 