A group of Phuket businessmen who own 19 rai of land around Rawai beach are planning to ask the government to buy their properties for more than 500 million baht and develop the plots to help the local sea gypsy community sort out their long-standing habitation problems.
Satuan Mookdee, one of the 13 developers, said on Thursday the group would go to Government House soon to submit the proposal to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The developers will suggest that the government build a condominium on the properties as accommodation for the sea gypsies and develop other parts as a community-based tourist attraction.
“We will also submit documents with recommendations for solving the land dispute conflict with the Chao Lay [sea gypsies] to all concerned agencies. We are now wondering how can the Chao Lay people be construed as ‘landowners’ instead of the people who have land ownership documents?” Mr Satuan said.
Mr Satuan shows a title deed for his land at Rawai beach. (Photo by Achadtaya Chuenniran)
“We want the government to buy our land where the Chao Lay are living. We have land plans and designs ready so it can be developed into a condominium where the Cha Lay can live or whatever. It's up to the government, to improve their quality of life.”
Mr Satuan said the price of the land was initially estimated at more than 500 million baht.
He was speaking at a press conference at a hotel in Phuket on Thursday. The meeting was attended by five of the 13 developers who affirmed they had acquired the land legally and demanded some media outlets and state agencies treated them more fairly.
Also present at the meeting was a representative from land developer Baron World Trade Co which is in dispute with the sea gypsies over a 33-rai property that blocks a walkway to their ritual site.
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Mr Satuan said his group was worried as the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and the National Human Rights Commission appeared to favour the sea gypsies more than the developers who had legally obtained title deeds to the land.
He claimed the sea gypsies were nomads from Malaysia and Indonesia who settled at Rawai beach and urged officials to launch nationality verification to prove they were Thais.
Weerachai Tantiwattanawanlop, a landowner at Rawai beach, claimed the land dispute would not have occurred if independent organisations had not intervened. He asked the media to show the private landowners' side of the story in their reports.
Krittiya Sa-ngiamkul, another landowner, complained the developers had been prematurely judged by society as wrongdoers despite buying the land legally and owing money to the banks.
“Now we want to sell our land to the government so they can allocate it to the Chao Lay or develop it as a community-based tourism site,” Mrs Krittiya said.
Chatree Mardsatun, a representative of Baron World Trade Co, said the plan to build seaside villas on the 33-rai plot worth more than 1 billion baht was suspended until the problem was settled.
He said the company would sue individuals and agencies that accused it of acquiring the land documents illegally. It would submit clarifications to the DSI, the NHRC and state agencies that had received petitions from the gypsies such as the Central Administrative Court, as well as Government House. It would also seek a meeting with the prime minister, Mr Chatree said.
Sea gypsy protesters camp outside Phuket provincial hall to demand answers from civic authorities to their problems. (Photo by Achadtaya Chuenniran)
Last month, Pol Lt Col Prawuth Wongsinil, head of the DSI’s consumer and environmental protection bureau, said the sea gypsy community had the right to live on the 33-rai Rawai beach plot after DNA tests of human bones collected in the area found they had occupied the area for over 100 years.
The sea gypsies were using the land before Sor Khor 1 land occupation documents were issued in 1955, he said, noting that the documents could have been illegally issued.
Meanwhile, a group of about 50 sea gypsies gathered in front of Phuket provincial hall to demand answers from authorities who promised to keep them informed about the demarcation of public space, including the disputed walkway to their sacred shrine.
Niran Yungparn, the group’s coordinator, said provincial officials had promised to give them answers yesterday but had failed to do so.
He accused the officials of being insincere about tackling their problems and ignoring their request to prosecute the men hired by Baron World Trade Co during their confrontation on Jan 27.
He said the rally on the footpaths outside the hall would continue until they received answers. They will also lodge a complaint with Deputy Prime Minister Gen Thanasak Patimakorn who was scheduled to attend a meeting at the provincial hall on Friday.