The House of Representatives Committee on Prevention and Suppression of Corruption and Misconduct met at Phuket Provincial Hall on Friday (June 26), led by committee chairman Asaphol Santraiphop, to follow up on long-running concerns over encroachment at Freedom Beach and other public areas across the island.
The meeting was attended by Phuket Vice Governor Romdon Hayiawae, MPs from all three Phuket constituencies, senior officials from government agencies, representatives from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), forestry authorities, the Provincial Land Office, Provincial Commerce Office, Phuket Provincial Police and other relevant agencies.
Officials presented updates on investigations into alleged encroachment at Freedom Beach, Nui Beach, Bang Tao Beach and other public coastal areas.
According to the official report, the Phuket Forestry Center and related agencies said inspections and enforcement operations had continued, with authorities examining the legality of land title documents used to support ownership claims in some disputed areas.
The Phuket Provincial Commerce Office reported that about 32,000 companies are registered in Phuket, including approximately 10,000 with foreign shareholders.
The Department of Business Development has identified 6,682 companies for further investigation over suspected nominee arrangements or other irregularities, primarily in the tourism, e-commerce, construction, real estate and transport sectors. Officials said the companies remain under scrutiny to prevent the misuse of business registration laws.
Phuket Provincial Police also briefed the committee on 42 cases involving alleged encroachment on public land across the province, including at Bang Tao, Freedom and Nui beaches.
Police said suspects had been identified in most cases, with only six investigations still seeking to identify those responsible. The majority of the cases remain under investigation.
The committee also received updates on the verification of disputed land documents and efforts by multiple agencies to coordinate enforcement against illegal occupation of public land.
Committee members were scheduled to inspect Nui Beach to gather additional information from officials and local stakeholders before considering recommendations for further action.
Despite the committee’s anti-corruption mandate, the official report of the meeting made no mention of the high-profile corruption scandals currently plaguing Phuket, which have resulted in the transfer of former Phuket Governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn and several senior police officers pending investigations into alleged organised corruption and bribery networks linked to businesses operating on the island.
The report also made no mention of recent public allegations concerning systemic corruption, protection rackets or the wider investigations now being conducted by national authorities.