Illegal operators removed from Leypang beach

Officers arrived to have tables, chairs, sun loungers and umbrellas removed yesterday (Mar 30). Officers also serve a notice for the restaurant to be demolished.

More than 20 officers were present for the raid yesterday, led by Thalang District Chief Bancha Thanu-in.

Among those present as enforcers were a representative from the Royal Thai Navy, which has its Third Area Command at Cape Panwa, on the east coast of Phuket, along with three representatives of the ISOC Region 4 branch. As the Internal Security Operations Command, ISOC is the political arm of the Royal Thai Military.

Also present were Cherng Talay Police along with officers from the Phuket Marine Office, Sirinat National Park, the Thalang branch of the Phuket Provincial Land Office, the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) and local village headmen (Phu Yai Baan).

The land is registered as ‘NorSorLor’ government property, Mr Bancha explained.

“Some parts of this area are for the public. We are to tidy this area so the public can make use of this space, as well as restore the beach to be beautiful, natural and sustainable,” Mr Bancha said.

Officers needed to explain to the operators where the boundaries were for the government land, he added. (See the Department of Land public map here.)

Officers will continue to check the area to prevent future instances of encroachment, Mr Bancha said.

Rapin Suwannasin, Chief Administration Office (Palad) of Cherng Talay OrBorTor, noted that the road used to access the beach was also public land.

Cherng Talay OrBorTor was moving to prosecute people who had encroached on the area, he said.

Some of the claimants had presented SorKor 1 land use documents as evidence for their right to use the land they were occupying, he noted.

Cherng Talay OrBorTor had checked the land in question and confirmed it is public land, he said.