Most of the demolition orders were signed by the previous Phuket Governor, Nisit Jansomwong, confirmed Lt Sompop Khamkana of Royal Thai Navy’s Third Area Command this week.
“Because of the timing, we were just waiting for the new Governor (Chamroen Tipayapongtada) to oversee the proceedings,” Lt Sompop said.
Warning letters for business owners to vacate their properties were to be issued this week, Ma-Ann Samran, chief of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor), the local authority for Surin Beach, announced on Tuesday (Dec 1). (See story here.)
Also, Surin Beach will be closed for up to a week while the demolition is carried out, he added. “Hence the need to inform tourists,” Mr Ma-Ann said.
A total of 36 businesses are targeted for demolition. “Of these, 20 belong to Cherng Talay OrBorTor,” Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Armornwat said at the meeting on Tuesday, when the New Year deadline was set.
“These will be no problem, as Mr Ma-Ann has already approved the demolition of these buildings,” he said.
The renewed drive to clear Surin Beach aims to bring to an end the ongoing saga that began with the same order issued more than 16 months ago, to clear Surin Beach “completely”.
That saga may not yet be over. Mr Ma-Ann this week admitted to The Phuket News that several business owners had filed appeals against the demolition orders with the Phuket Provincial Court, and those appeals had yet to be ruled on.
“We have approval (sic) to demolish most of them, but some of them have filed appeals that are still in the court,” Mr Ma-Ann said. “We will wait for court approval, but we hope to have all cases concluded so we can demolish the buildings by New Year.”
Likewise, legal tangles may well delay the demolition of the 16 beachfront units at Surin owned by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO).
“Right now, PPAO officers are still working on acquiring legal permission to demolish the PPAO buildings at Surin Beach,” said V/Gov Chokdee.
“Unfortunately, as acting PPAO chief Watcharin Patomwattanapong was unable to attend Tuesday’s meeting, we will have to wait for him to return to Phuket before we can move ahead with these.
“I will follow up with Mr Watcharin when gets back, which should be this week.”
“The sooner we get approval, the better for us. I want to see Surin Beach returned to its ‘virgin state’ by the end of the year,” V/Gov Chokdee said.
Regardless, Acting Thalang District Chief Anirut Bua-on was more forthright in his opinion. “We do not need court orders. All of them have been informed to vacate the properties since last year,” he said.
“The deadline is New Year 2016 for all officials to finish all their paperwork. All the buildings must demolished, and we will be there to protect officials,” said Lt Sompop.
“We do not want to do anything right now because the announcement has not become a formal rule yet, but they will be gone at the same time that we start the demolition, which I believe will be within two weeks. After then, everything must be cleared in time for a Happy New Year 2016.”