SURAT THANI: Three resorts and one restaurant on the island of Koh Phangan, notorious for the popular full moon party, were seized for illegally occupying public land on Monday.
The raids were part of a major operation against land encroachment on tourist islands off the coast of Surat Thani.
A combined force of police, soldiers, forestry officials and local administration officers, led by deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, seized Big Chill Resort, Lighthouse Resort, Mellow Mountains Bar and Rin Beach Resort.
The four places were among the 19 resorts, bars and restaurants on the island inspected in Monday’s operation on suspicion of being built on encroached land, said Supphachai Suksai, head of the Royal Forest Department's 4th southern forest encroachment prevention and suppression centre.
He said the three resorts and the restaurant were clearly found to have encroached on public land, while the rest were pending further inspection to determine if they encroached or not, said Mr Supphachai.
Big Chill Resort, consisting of nine bungalows, is located on 4 rai of land on Khao Hin Nok mountain in Moo 1 village of tambon Koh Phangan. Thawil Danwiriyakul identified himself as the owner of the resort during Monday’s raid.
Lighthouse Resort, with 12 bungalows, is built on 2 rail of land in the Rin Beach area. The owner was identified as Duldet Suksom.
Mellow Mountains Bar, a restaurant owned by Duangruedi Saelim that has previously been raided by soldiers for unlawfully serving magic mushroom (Psilocybe cubensis) smoothies to foreign customers, is also in the Rin Beach area. The amount of land it occupies was not announced.
Rin Beach Resort, with 18 bungalows, covers 1 rai of land, also in the Rin Beach area. It is owned by Prasop Thuaycharoen, the kamnan of tambon Ban Tai in Koh Phangna district.
The four businesses were seized for violating the Royal Forest Act (1941) and the 1954 Land Code, and for encroaching on the river.
Pol Gen Srivara said the seized resorts and restaurant were only some of the businesses found encroaching on public land on Koh Phangan.
Aside from Koh Phangan, 48 other such businesses on the island district of Samui will next be inspected and dealt with within a month, he said.
“Tough legal action will be taken against the offenders no matter who they are, local leaders or business people alike,” he said.