Thailand minister travels to Phuket over alleged Freedom Beach encroachment

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Sutchart Chomklin travelled to Phuket on 7 November 2026 on the orders of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to oversee legal action against people accused of encroaching on reserved forest and exploiting public land, including Freedom Beach, Sutchart said.

The government has alleged that influential groups occupied more than 70 rai at Freedom Beach, causing damage valued at more than B3 billion. During a visit to the beach on 13 May, Anutin ordered authorities to reclaim the area and said it should remain freely accessible to the public rather than being controlled through a concession or by private interests.

At Kathu police station, Sutchart reviewed progress in the case and efforts to pursue four people under arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court. The Central Investigation Bureau instructed its Crime Suppression Division to investigate and arrest Prinyatorn Rueangrattanawanich, also known as “Sia Lek”, and three others on allegations of jointly defrauding the public and entering false information into a computer system.

The suspects are accused of advertising land in the Khao Nak Koet reserved forest for sale while claiming it had lawful title documents, leading members of the public to transfer money, according to the report. Sutchart said the government would continue pursuing people who occupied or profited from reserved forests and public land, and would closely monitor the cases.