PHUKET: A development company has reopened a public road giving access to Laem Nga beach following a public protest by local residents over its closure.
The protest came amidst growing concern over beach ownership and access on the resort island in the wake of the case involving a Swiss man accused of assaulting a woman sitting on steps leading from his villa to the same beach.
About 500 people rallied against Cape Nga Development Co on Thursday because a road to Laem Nga beach had been blocked by the construction firm even though it is a public road, in tambon Ratsada in Muang district.
Phuket governor Sophon Suwannarat said on Sunday the company had agreed to allow public use of the road to the beach, but provincial authorities must provide security and keep the road clean in exchange for the reopening.
The announcement was made following a meeting of provincial authorities and representatives of the company, which was not named by the governor. The province is investigating the ownership of the road to the beach.
Ratsada mayor Nakarin Yosaengrat said on Thursday the 1.3km road was built in 1994 by the then-Rural Development Department, which now is the Rural Roads Department. The road was transferred to Tambon Ratsada Municipality three years later. Only 800 metres of the road remained open to the public after the company built fences around the development.
The governor was on a trip to Berlin and was ordered to return home by Interior Minister Anutin Chanvirakul on Friday.
Mr Sophon was attending ITB, the world's largest tourism fair, in Germany, and defended his visit as being necessary to promote tourism to the island. He said he had kept in touch with his two deputy governors, discussing any problems, while he was in Europe.