About 30 operators today (Apr 7) submitted their petition to the Justice Ministry’s public service centre in Phuket, seeking justice over the demolition order.
Walailuck Buasri, coordinator of the Surin beach business operators club, said the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) and the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (OrBorJor) had instructed them to dismantle their shops by April 15.
They had asked for a grace period for the demolition of the structures, but the two local bodies refused and instead filed a police complaint accusing them of encroaching on public land, said Ms Walailuck.
Earlier, the OrBorTor had met with all the affected operators about its move to regulate the beach. They had then moved the demolition deadline forward from April 20 to April 15, said Ms Walailuck.
This meant they had only seven days left to pull down and move their shops.
There are a total of 40 shops along the beach. Of these, 20 were built by the OrBorJor in 1995 and offered for rent. The other 20 were built in 2005 by the OrBorTor. Each business pays B5,000 in rent a year, Thai media reported.
“We want the demolition deadline extended. We question why it must be done so quickly. Most shop premises were built by the authorities and operators have traded in the area for a long time,’’ said Ms Walailuck.
Her group had earlier raised the issue with provincial authorities, but the governor replied the demolition order was issued under the National Council for Peace and Order’s policy to regulate all businesses on the beach.
She said the club members also wanted authorities to find a new trading site for them. Unless there was a quick response to their requests they would lodge a complaint with the Interior Ministry.
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