Thailand demolishes illegal structures at Phuket’s Nui Beach
Authorities have begun demolishing 11 structures at Nui Beach after an encroachment case passed its appeal period, while officials investigate more than 400 Phuket land plots suspected of being unlawfully held by foreigners.
Thailand’s Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin on 20 July 2026 oversaw the demolition of illegal structures at Nui Beach in Karon, Phuket, as part of a government campaign to reclaim encroached natural resources.
About 400 officials were deployed for the operation, including teams responsible for demolitions and security. Authorities used an excavator to demolish a seaside resort-style building and other structures at the beach.
Chomklin said the legal process for the structures had been completed and that the beach and reserved forest would be returned for public use. He said the Royal Forest Department would improve the area after the demolitions and that the public would be able to use it without paying an entrance fee.
The Royal Forest Department said the operation involved 11 structures seized in 2026 whose appeal periods had expired, allowing demolition under the National Reserved Forest Act 1964 and its amendments. The encroached area covers about 15 rai.
A further 39 structures seized in 2020 and 2024 remain under consideration by the Administrative Court, the department said.
Deputy Interior Minister Worasis Liangprasert said officials were investigating suspected unlawful land holdings and the possible use of nominees to hold property on behalf of foreigners. He said more than 400 plots in Phuket had been identified as potentially unlawful and would be examined for possible nominee arrangements.
