Acting Phuket provincial palad appointed as governor warns officials amid investigation

Naphat Em-on was introduced as acting Phuket Provincial Palad at a meeting held at Provincial Hall in Phuket Town on May 26. He was transferred temporarily from his post as an inspector with the Department of Provincial Administration main office in Bangkok.

His appointment came less than a week after Rungruang and five other Phuket administrative officials were ordered to assist duties in Bangkok pending an investigation into complaints alleging bribery and extortion linked to entertainment venues in Patong.

During the meeting, Governor Nirat told officials that all government officers must carry out their duties with honesty and in strict compliance with the law and discipline. He also warned them against exploiting the names of superiors for personal gain, saying anyone found guilty would be held personally accountable and prosecuted without exception.

The warning came as public attention remained focused on the transfer of Rungruang, who had recently drawn notice for his involvement in land and beach encroachment cases at Freedom Beach, Bang Tao Beach and Nui Beach.

Former Phuket MP and lawyer Sutha Prateep Na Thalang publicly challenged Rungruang’s claims about the recovery of encroached land at several Phuket beaches. Sutha said the land title for Freedom Beach was issued around 2011, during the tenure of then-governor Wichai Praisa’ngob, and that the disputed 65-rai plots had already been revoked nearly a decade ago through action coordinated by the Land Department, Anti-Money Laundering Office and Royal Forest Department before Rungruang later joined enforcement operations alongside forestry officials.

Sutha alleged that Rungruang’s recent statements had misled the public and argued that the official’s transfer was instead related to the ongoing investigation into alleged entertainment venue bribery complaints in Patong.