Hotels on Bangtao Beach in Phuket have been told to demolish any of their establishments that encroach on public land.

Officials inspected the beach as part of efforts to clean up public beaches from encroachment on Tuesday. 

The visit followed an inspection in late January after a tip-off from an anti-corruption network. On Tuesday, the team found a building had been partially dismantled, leaving only its foundation in place.

However, new buildings were found to have been built on what is supposed to be public land, including restaurants. Some hotels on the beach were also found to have placed large rocks in the public zone. Hotel operators said the rocks were to guard against waves.

Several hotels were also found to have set up relaxation areas in the public zone, as well as stone walls that obstruct the public from accessing and walking freely on the beach.

Officials will set up a public notice board to inform operators that Bangtao Beach is a public-designated area and that all items and building structures encroaching on the area must be removed.