“I’m ready. I am waiting on the Phuket Legal Execution Department (PLED) to inform me of what action is to be taken,” MaAnn Samran, chief of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) told The Phuket News this morning.
However, by 4:30pm today (Mar 5) no news was forthcoming from the PLED.
The vendors – mostly restaurants and other businesses that cater to tourists – had until 4:30pm today to vacate their illegally occupied plots in accordance with a “final warning” handed down in an order made public at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Feb 13. (See story here.)
PLED Director Kattakamon Tunwun told The Phuket News this afternoon, “We have to wait until 4:30pm. Phuket officials must go to check that people have vacated the land. If they have not, the officials must come to report it at the Phuket Legal Execution Office.
“Our role is just to support officials in enforcing the law. That’s all,” she added.
Yet Mr MaAnn was adamant that he could take no action until the PLED gave its permission.
“I can only take action by command from the Legal Execution Office only,” he said.
Thalang District Chief Adul Chuthong concurred.
“We can do nothing until Phuket Legal Execution Office tells us to,” Mr Adul confirmed to The Phuket News.
“I am not sure what the next step in this case is. Tomorrow (Mar 6) Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong will hold a meeting early in the morning. This case might be raised at that meeting,” he added.