PM Anutin visits Bang Tao Beach, vows crackdown on threats in Phuket

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited Bang Tao Beach in Phuket at 11.20am on May 10 to hear a briefing on a long-running public beach encroachment dispute and declared that “mafia” and thugs would not be allowed to intimidate people. He said the response would be based on law and backed fully by the government, with the aim of turning the area into a model case.

The inspection took place in Cherng Talay, Thalang, with Deputy Interior Minister Vorasit Liangprasit, Prime Minister’s Secretary-General Traisulee Traisoranakul, Permanent Secretary of the Interior Arsit Sampantharat, Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Samran Nuanma and Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat among the officials present.

Land status and orders to officials

Anutin said the first step in resolving the dispute was acknowledging that the occupied area had no legal land title documents. He added that he had visited Bang Tao two years earlier and said the land was state property, making any construction without permission illegal.

He said some operators might still be able to seek use of the area as public land for shared benefit, but not in a way that blocks access or prevents people from walking along the beachfront.

Anutin said he was not there to shut down livelihoods, but operators would need to cooperate with changes needed to bring activity into line with the law. He assigned coordination to local authorities and forestry officials, ordered Vorasit to help oversee the process, and told the Phuket forestry center director to proceed on the basis of legality while protecting income opportunities.

Source: https://www.prachachat.net/politics/news-2004631