Surat Thani: A combined force of security officers, local administrative staff and revenue officials raided a cluster of 23 luxury hilltop villas on Koh Samui found to be illegally operating as a high-end hotel.
Led by the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4, the force raided the 23 villas which were opened as a five-star hotel called Samujana Villas. The villas are located on 70 rai of land on a mountain in tambon Bo Phut of Koh Samui district.
The hotel opened in 2011 and has 89 rooms. Each villa has between three and eight rooms, costing between 30,000 baht and 130,000 baht a night.
A preliminary investigation found the hotel was operating without a licence, which prompted the authorities to summon Sunipha Thanalekhaphat, the managing director, to face charges for operating the hotel illegally and modifying the buildings without permission, a source said.
The investigation also found the hotel was registered as a legal entity named Samujana Co, which has Ms Sunipha as its sole board member, the source added. Three companies have shareholdings in Samujana, namely Triumph Trading Limited Cp, Perfect View Holding Co and Bid Borough Ridge Co.