‘Maldives of Chanthaburi’ resort shut down over sea encroachment

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‘Maldives of Chanthaburi’ resort shut down over sea encroachment

By The Nation

 

FILE photo

 

Officials on Wednesday morning raided and shut down a popular island resort that was advertised as “the Maldives of Chanthaburi”, saying it encroached on the sea.

 

Pongpat Wongtrakul, the province’s deputy governor, led marines of the Chanthaburi and Trat Protection Taskforce, marine park officials and harbour officials in the 9am raid on the Koh Chik Resort in Moo 1, Klung district.

 

They found 10 guests waiting for a boat to take them back to the mainland, but neither resort owner Narong Hongbin nor any staff were on the premises.

 

The resort became popular after advertising its bungalows built over the sea on Facebook, adopting the name “the Maldives of Chanthaburi”.

 

Of the resort’s 15 bungalows, nine of them sit on platforms directly above the sea surface, akin to most resorts in Maldives.

 

Environmentalists complained to the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, and on Monday Governor Somchai Leewongsakorn inspected the island.

 

Pongpat said the resort owner had not sought permission to build structures in the sea and must demolish the bungalows within seven days or else the authorities would do so.

 

He said forestry officials would determine whether the part of the resort on land encroached on protected forest.

 

Guest Thirawat Kornthiangtham said he’d checked in on Tuesday and was shocked by the raid. He said he’d heard the resort was fully booked two months in advance.

 

Neighbour Srirat Lohasart, 57, said closing the resort would hurt local people who sold it food and otherwise did business on the island.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30358080

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-07

[seajae]

good to see them actually following through on these things but have to wonder who told the resort people the raid was being done seeing none of them were on the premises with guests there, very suss. Had to have been someone higher up that knew the raid was going to be done, will be interesting to see what happens here now, these resorts need to be fully demolished if sound encroaching on land or sea, its the only way to really stop them, hit the owners in the pocket then levy massive fines

[Pattaya46]

Someone who knows where exactly is this resort ?

Article says "island resort" and "Koh Chik Resort in Moo 1, Klung district"... ?

[SoilSpoil]

38 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

Someone who knows where exactly is this resort ?

Article says "island resort" and "Koh Chik Resort in Moo 1, Klung district"... ?

Koh Chik near Koh Chang

[Pattaya46]

3 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

Koh Chik near Koh Chang

Yes, thanks. I had finished to find it on GoogleMaps.

Here they are : Kohjik Resort onGoogleMap

and indeed a lot of construction above the water...

[Kerryd]

There are a lot of resorts like that on the mainland, though most of them are built on little inlets (or "private lagoons") and not on the open water.
Lol - I have a site flagged just 25 kms up the coast from this place. And another similar one over in Ranong province. 

There's even a website dedicated to "over the water bungalows" ! (www.overwaterbungalows.net)

[marko kok prong]

why didn't they just blow the $8i! out of it there and then,where Capn Kilgour when you need him.

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, MekkOne said:

Somebody that was making business with no harm to anybody but just benefits to the locals has been raided and closed down... And again old pensioners that have nothing better to do other than rant are happy about it... Get a life.

Making a business by building a resort over the ocean without permission !!

Got to draw the line somewhere or these will be built everywhere...

[MekkOne]

7 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Making a business by building a resort over the ocean without permission !!

Got to draw the line somewhere or these will be built everywhere...

so why TAT was actually using this resort as advertisement for the island?? Again yesterday was totally OK some prick on the top of the chain changed and now the resort isn't allowed anymore, no matter the brown envelope delivered to the old boss, need a new one...

[Redline]

1 hour ago, MekkOne said:

Somebody that was making business with no harm to anybody but just benefits to the locals has been raided and closed down... And again old pensioners that have nothing better to do other than rant are happy about it... Get a life.

I guess if you promote breaking the law and environmental degradation, it’s all good ????

[MekkOne]

4 minutes ago, Redline said:

I guess if you promote breaking the law and environmental degradation, it’s all good ????

another one that writing without even know what was the resort for the locals...

 

 

[Redline]

4 minutes ago, MekkOne said:

another one that writing without even know what was the resort for the locals...

 

 

So, if I can’t stay there, even more reason to get rid of it.  I’m sure the sea life will be happy and thriving whoever doesn’t stay there.  It’s about rules, whether you like them or not.  Or, am I wrong again?

[MekkOne]

4 hours ago, Redline said:

So, if I can’t stay there, even more reason to get rid of it.  I’m sure the sea life will be happy and thriving whoever doesn’t stay there.  It’s about rules, whether you like them or not.  Or, am I wrong again?

Strange that this stuff always happen when they are changing the villages heads or some local governor, 7 days, we will see... I bet the old rule will still there and this place will still have 15 bungalows, 9 of them built right on the sea...

[Catoni]

14 hours ago, seajae said:

good to see them actually following through on these things but have to wonder who told the resort people the raid was being done seeing none of them were on the premises with guests there, very suss. Had to have been someone higher up that knew the raid was going to be done, will be interesting to see what happens here now, these resorts need to be fully demolished if sound encroaching on land or sea, its the only way to really stop them, hit the owners in the pocket then levy massive fines

  I checked it out on Google Earth and zoomed in.  One person put a phot of the little rooms that look sort of the same idea as what you can find in the Maldives and also at Bora Bora near Tahiti. 

   Looks like nine nice little one room places to stay.    Fail to see how its hurting the environment..... unless they are pumping their raw sewage into the water.  But they never said that that's what's happening. 

    I'd be a hell of a lot more concerned about places in Thailand pumping raw sewage and plastics into the water.  Go after them... leave this lovely little resort that's helping the local economy alone. They don't seem to be hurting anything.

      To many busybodies going after the hard working little guy not really hurting anything... and ignoring the much bigger real problems....

    

[quandow]

OK, damage has been done. Destroying the huts will do MUCH further damage to the environment. Why not just fine them stiffly, not enough to put them out of business but let the punishment fit the crime, then everyone move on?

[metisdead]

Some offensive posts have been removed. 

[Redline]

11 hours ago, Catoni said:

  I checked it out on Google Earth and zoomed in.  One person put a phot of the little rooms that look sort of the same idea as what you can find in the Maldives and also at Bora Bora near Tahiti. 

   Looks like nine nice little one room places to stay.    Fail to see how its hurting the environment..... unless they are pumping their raw sewage into the water.  But they never said that that's what's happening. 

    I'd be a hell of a lot more concerned about places in Thailand pumping raw sewage and plastics into the water.  Go after them... leave this lovely little resort that's helping the local economy alone. They don't seem to be hurting anything.

      To many busybodies going after the hard working little guy not really hurting anything... and ignoring the much bigger real problems....

    

Corruption has its own rules