Speaking to the Phuket News yesterday (June 11), Governor Maitri Inthusut reiterated that the government will continue to establish order by returning all public places to the public, while also seeking out measures to help operators who have been affected.
So far 352 affected operators in Patong have already registered for assistance, he said.
The governor described the NCPO orders to weed out encroachment on 14 major public beaches on Phuket's west coast as “a successful operation so far over the past three weeks”.
He gave praise to cooperation among and service from local authorities and personnel from the Royal Thai Army's 41st Military Circle Command (based in Nakhon Si Thammarat) and the Royal Thai Navy Region 3 command (based in Phang Nga), in helping to raize and remove encroaching structures.
“The beaches are starting to look orderly and beautiful like they once did,” he said.
He explained that Phuket province has proceeded under four relevant laws. Namely, the law governing buildings; the law governing public spaces and the laws governing environmental and marine matters, respectively.
“We have treated each beach on a case-by-case basis, and in any case with uncertainties about the respective law will be consulted with the jurisprudence [experts] before proceeding,” he continued.
“We will proceed with cooperation, orderly of the law, carefully and completely and without impeding on the rights of the people.”
He said that local authorities are now surveying each beach locale to see how many shops and operators have been affected, so that legal zones can be devised in order to help them conduct business.
He pleaded for the cooperation of all sectors, especially local hotels, to ensure that the current order is maintained.
He insisted that everyone will need to cooperate in negotiating and divising zones for affect operators to conduct their businesses, while the local government authorities will be“hosts”.
“The complexity for each [beach] locale varies. Some locales will need to secure permission to use private property, and some locales will devise a zone in which the government selects, but not on state land. Zones thay will be on private property will need to be agreed upon between local government and the respective organizations...
"Any private land that is granted for the public to make a living will be welcome,” he said.