Hospitality operators on Bangtao Beach in Phuket have been told to demolish any of their establishments that encroach on public land.
A team led by the local National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) office inspected the expansive beach as part of efforts to clean up public beaches from encroachment on Tuesday.
The inspection was carried out with the STRONG Anti-Corruption Network, NACC Region 8, the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), the Phuket Marine Office, Thalang district office and Choeng Thale tambon administrative organisation (TAO).
The visit followed an inspection in late January after a tip-off from STRONG. On Tuesday, the team found a building structure 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. Upon questioning, hotel operators claimed 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.
The NACC office advised agencies to 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. Operators will also be formally informed in writing.
If owners fail to comply, agencies will dismantle encroaching structures and pursue legal action, said authorities, adding most operators were willing to comply and cooperate with the inspection to determine whether their projects overlapped with the public area.
