Officials inspect Laem Singh land
PHUKET: Vice Governor Somkiat Sangkhaosutthirak led a team of officials on Wednesday (July 11) to inspect the contentious 35 rai of land on the hillside next to Laem Singh Beach.
Paritta Wangkiat
Friday 13 July 2012, 05:57PM
Local people complained earlier to the Ministry of Interior in Bangkok that the land appeared to overlay two public water courses draining water from the top of Kamala Hill into the sea.
The water courses don’t appear on the title deed for the land, noted Prapan Kanprasang, chief of the Damrongtham Centre and a member of yesterday’s official team.
As result, V/G Somkiat ordered the Phuket Land Office to find a way to add the water courses into the map on the deed, while local authorities will arrange for discussions with the land owner for him to relinquish those parts of the deed that overlay the waterways.
“If the owner agrees, the problem [of the waterways] will be over,” Mr Prapan said. “But if not, local authorities will lodge a complaint with the police against the owner of the land and any officials involved [in issuing the deed] to police.”
A deadline of 30 days for resolution of the conflict was set.
In March, the land was inspected by the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) after locals also made complaint to that body.
Initially, the owner put up a fence around the land, which prevented tourists and local vendors from getting down to the sea, and they staged a demonstration in an effort to restore their livelihoods.
The land is owned by a director of a major Thai television channel, who later settled with the locals, reopening the route down to the beach.
