Thai provincial administration chief responds after Phuket official posts complaint over transfer order
Thailand’s provincial administration chief said a transfer order affecting a Phuket provincial official is separate from the official’s earlier role in reclaiming beach land, and said no wrongdoing has yet been concluded.
The head of Thailand’s Department of Provincial Administration said an order transferring a Phuket provincial official for further inquiry is separate from that official’s past role in helping reclaim beachfront land for the state.
Naritcha Khosasilp, director-general of the department, spoke on May 21 about a social media post by Phuket deputy provincial clerk Rung Rueang Thimabut, one of five Phuket provincial administration officers ordered to report for temporary reassignment. In the post, Rung Rueang said he had helped reclaim Freedom Beach and Bang Tao Beach for the government, with land valued at several billion baht, and questioned whether he had been treated fairly.
Naritcha said the reassignment and the beach land recovery cases were different matters. He said good work and actions that may require further proceedings must be considered separately.
Asked whether more than five state officials may be implicated in the case, Naritcha said the matter remained under investigation. He added that the Phuket official who expressed dissatisfaction could file a request for fairness, because the order clearly calls the officers in for further questioning within 30 days and no wrongdoing has yet been concluded.
Naritcha, who also serves on the Anti-Money Laundering Office committee, said authorities are also examining the financial trails of state officials in Phuket and Surat Thani. He said a clearer report is still pending but is expected soon, and that he is following the matter closely.
On a separate question about a planned police operation targeting nominee arrangements encroaching on public land, Naritcha said such groups exist in several areas.
The order sending the Phuket provincial clerk to temporary reassignment was issued on May 20 along with orders affecting three district chiefs and one Phuket provincial protection official. The move was intended to allow an investigation and prevent interference with evidence, after entertainment venue operators in Patong Beach gathered to oppose alleged extortion and benefit demands by state officials in the area.
