Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwannachawi announced the operation following a visit to Koh Por on Friday (July 24), where he had travelled to inspect progress on extending electricity and water services to the island. During the visit, he ordered officials to complete the electricity network within one year to ensure every household has access to power.
Mr Polapee later joined Krabi Provincial Police in announcing the results of an investigation into an alleged foreign nominee scheme involving a British national identified only as “Alain”.
Police allege the suspect established three companies ‒ Phuket Lanta House Co, Sky Global Net Co and Gulval Properties Co ‒ using Thai shareholders to initially comply with legal ownership requirements before restructuring the companies to give him effective control through cross-shareholdings.
Investigators say the network acquired 22 plots of land on Koh Por covering more than 126 rai, with an estimated value of B2.146bn, before advertising the land for sale online at prices exceeding B17 million per rai.
Krabi Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Sukasem Nakornwilai said the case will be prosecuted under the Land Code and the Foreign Business Act. Investigators will also seek to identify accomplices, including individuals, companies and anyone who assisted in concealing the alleged illegal ownership.
Mr Polapee said he had instructed the Krabi Governor and relevant agencies to expedite legal proceedings to return the land to Thai ownership. If those holding the land fail to comply with orders to dispose of it within the legal timeframe, authorities will proceed with a compulsory sale.
The Department of Lands will investigate the title documents before transferring the case to Krabi Province to oversee the disposal process, which officials expect could take between six months and one year.
Police are also examining whether foreign funds financed the purchases and whether any government officials were involved in facilitating the scheme.
Mr Polapee ordered the investigation expanded to cover linked companies, assets and individuals in Krabi, Phuket and other provinces under Provincial Police Region 8. Authorities will work with the Department of Lands, Department of Business Development, Immigration Bureau, Revenue Department and the Anti-Money Laundering Office to identify similar nominee networks operating in the region.
Following the land investigation, officials also inspected two hotels in Krabi suspected of operating illegally. One was built on land with questionable title documents, while the other was approved as a residential building but had allegedly been converted into a hotel without the required licence.