Armed with a search warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court, Mr Bannaruk and the raid party, including leading officers from the Royal Forest Department (RFD), Region 8 Police and Karon Police, arrived to inspect the site this morning.
The aim was to survey the area “claimed by private parties” and the newly built structures that now stand there - despite the notorious Nui Beach Club being demolished by the Royal Thai Navy in 2020.
Mr Bannaruk explained that the total area claimed by “private parties” covered an area of 18 rai 2 ngan 78 square wah
The land in the area is either under the protection of the Royal Forest Department or is SorPorKor land managed by the Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro), he said.
If the operators of the long-standing beach business are found to be trespassing on public land, they will be prosecuted, Mr Bannaruk assured.
Many new buildings have been built at the site, and the “operator” charged people B100 each to be allowed to access the beach, Mr Bannaruk explained.
The practice is not new for Phuket locals, as the “entrance fee” had been levied for decades before the Navy finally took action to uphold a court order to demolish the Nui Beach Club in 2020.
However, the practice had returned, Mr Bannaruk noted today.
When Mr Bannaruk and the 100-strong contingent arrived at the bach, the business was “closed for the day’” so the “owner” and his lawyer, Thanakorn Siehan, could be available to answer questions, said an official report of the raid.
Nui Beach staff were also present for the inspection today.
Officials today apparently confirmed that the area was the same land under the protection of the Royal Forest Department.
Officials also confirmed that the structures present today were built after the demolition in 2020.
“Previously, there had been an order to demolish 16 buildings that were constructed without permission. But today it turns out that there are many additional buildings built from the original. It is open as a restaurant and viewpoint,” Mr Bannaruk told the media present, representing many national news channels.
“In this matter, the court has already decided on the land rights at Nui Beach, but government officials in the area continue to receive benefits,” Mr Bannaruk said, openly accusing local officials of corruption.
Many “time-wasting games” had been played in delaying the clearing out of the business at Nui Beach, he added, including repeatedly filing formal requests for the RFD Region 12 branch to review the survey of the area that deemed the business to be illegally on state land, and even for the boundary of the Nakkerd Protected Forest Reserve to be redrawn.
“Moreover, there was also intimidation to make people in the area afraid,” Mr Bannaruk added.
“From this visit we will examine the facts and investigate the problem. The Director-General of the Royal Forest Department has ordered me to come down and inspect the area in order to be serious and to strictly enforce the rules in accordance with the law,” he noted.
“The problem of ownership of beachfront land in Phuket has spread widely and there have been complaints from many areas of Phuket,” he said.
The raid came as Thanakrit Jitareerat, Assistant to the Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, arrived on the island today to be briefed on progress in the Urs Fehr case, and on investigations into illegal encroachment onto public land, namely to create ‘private beaches’.
“Where there is invasion, every area must be taken care of in the matter of prosecuting trespassers. In fact, yesterday it was found that in some areas there were actually invasions and a network belonging to local politicians. It is in the process of being investigated whether it is the use of public land for private use or not,” Mr Thanakrit said.
Mr Thanakrit explained that the aim of his visit was to gather all information for Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, so he could explain the issues to the members of the House of Representatives “who still have doubts and are concerned about the issues that have arisen”, he said.