Landowners face jail in Koh Samui "mystery tunnel" case

 

Picture: Manager

 

Authorities in Koh Samui said they plan to pursue a case against landowners on the island after a tunnel was found to have been constructed without permission.

 

The tunnel connects the beach at Ban Tai with a private road and undeveloped piece of forest land two hundred meters from the ring road in Mae Nam district. 

 

It was earlier reported that the tunnel was part of an uncompleted hotel development. 

 

On Wednesday legal expert Phallop Meephian, local officials, police and army were all on the scene investigating.

 

The site is legally owned and features on two land title deeds with both Thais and a foreigner named on the documents. 

 

But no permission has been found for a tunnel. 

 

Building such a structure would fall under legislation that allows for a prison term of three months and or a fine of 60,000 baht. 

 

The tunnel was constructed between 2005 and 2006 and only recently came to the authorities' attention after a foreign tourist stumbled on it. 

 

It has been blocked up by the authorities so that the public cannot gain entry. 

 

Source: Manager Online

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-03-01

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

after a tunnel was found to have been constructed without permission.

Interesting.

Will the landowner be charged with removing the soil on their own land, thereby constructing a tunnel by default?

It looks well constructed, it seems to be in better shape than that of the Pattaya Klang tunnel and its been around since 2005.

 

Maybe the Thai roads and transport authority can get some pointers on how to build a tunnel. 

A tunnel of that size goes unseen in "Unseen Thailand" - even through the construction stage? Probably because the officials heads were buried in those big 'brown paper bags' which are very easily seen!

The tunnel goes through a mountain, I though you can't get title deeds on land with more than 35% slope, essentially makes all mountain and cliff unownable, hence the illegalities of digging through a mountain even though you appeared to have title deeds to both side of it.

yes indeed lack of regard for nature/environment, if only it was the island mafia getting arrested, I suspect their competition has just been removed

6 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Interesting.

Will the landowner be charged with removing the soil on their own land, thereby constructing a tunnel by default?

Only if you fill in the void with concrete thus constructing a tunnel as apposed to making a hole by merely removing soil !!!

6 hours ago, webfact said:

It has been blocked up by the authorities so that the public cannot gain entry.

Why? A mystery tunnel could be a tourist attraction, what else is there to see on Samui when you've seen the beaches and temples.

10 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

6 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Interesting.

Will the landowner be charged with removing the soil on their own land, thereby constructing a tunnel by default?

Only if you fill in the void with concrete thus constructing a tunnel as apposed to making a hole by merely removing soil !!!

Very true. I was being sarcastic.

What I do not understand is why a tourist tells the authorities that he has found a tunnel at the end of a private road. I lived on the private road when the tunnel was built in 2005, meant to build houses facing the water but was abandoned, but it gave me a shortcut to the beach.

8 minutes ago, fersken said:

What I do not understand is why a tourist tells the authorities that he has found a tunnel at the end of a private road. I lived on the private road when the tunnel was built in 2005, meant to build houses facing the water but was abandoned, but it gave me a shortcut to the beach.

 

9 minutes ago, fersken said:

but it gave me a shortcut to the beach.

You will have to go the long way around now !

regards worgeordie

How about court case before jail?

30 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

 

You will have to go the long way around now !

regards worgeordie

I moved in 2011

Someone smart may come up with the response that it was built to allow the quick escape from the beach in the event of a tsunami 

An unused hole in Thailand... quite amazing.

8 hours ago, digbeth said:

The tunnel goes through a mountain, I though you can't get title deeds on land with more than 35% slope, essentially makes all mountain and cliff unownable, hence the illegalities of digging through a mountain even though you appeared to have title deeds to both side of it.

Seems another case of how much it costs to get title documents and how much it costs for officials to turn the other way.

 

 The foreigner has been named as great uncle Bulgaria from Wimbledon common no less????

A shortcut for the island spirits and ghosts. thoughtful on somebody's part.

16 hours ago, fersken said:

What I do not understand is why a tourist tells the authorities that he has found a tunnel at the end of a private road...

 

The tourist did not tell the authorities. Stumble ≠ tell.

3 months imprisonment huh?

 

Well comparing the maximum penalties that makes it 97.5% less serious than vaping.

 

Probably that goes some way towards explaining why so few people take the law seriously in Thailand.

I looked at that property when I lived on Samui. It belonged to a wealthy foreigner, who was trying to sell it, because they would not give him permission to store his private jet at the Samui airport. They would allow him to land, then the jet needed to be flown to Surat airport to store. He decided he did not want to build, after hearing that. If I remember correctly it was about 30-50 rai, with the tunnel connecting the land to the beach. It was well known back then. Someone must have made a big deal about it. Who cares? It is just a tunnel. And quite a nice tunnel at that. 

15 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

It belonged to a wealthy foreigner, who was trying to sell it, because they would not give him permission to store his private jet at the Samui airport. They would allow him to land, then the jet needed to be flown to Surat airport to store. He decided he did not want to build, after hearing that. If I remember correctly it was about 30-50 rai, with the tunnel connecting the land to the beach. It was well known back then. Someone must have made a big deal about it. Who cares? It is just a tunnel. And quite a nice tunnel at that. 

So there is your answer why the Thai officials never heard about it.  Money into the pockets of q Thai official back in 2005. Then it becomes a mystery in 2019.  

On 3/1/2019 at 4:14 PM, worgeordie said:

 

You will have to go the long way around now !

regards worgeordie

nah angle grinder and 2  second  job,  probably be ok with a hammer and chisel if its  the usual Thai  lock on the gate.........it  will take them another 14 years to fix  it after that

On 3/1/2019 at 10:41 AM, bdenner said:

A tunnel of that size goes unseen in "Unseen Thailand" - even through the construction stage? Probably because the officials heads were buried in those big 'brown paper bags' which are very easily seen!

Thai property law is insane for everyone unless you have a death wish.

Nuff said.

It's not to difficult to find out who signed on the dotted line, Who would have been the head of the land department at that time? Sorry he's dead

Does the landowner have a name or is that a secret?

3 months imprisonment or a fine  for no permission. No comment as to whether or not it is  unsafe.

So in 1995 or now it simply a question of  back pay  or  payback.

8 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Does the landowner have a name or is that a secret?

He is rich and famous , probably his name is protected by a brown envelope.

So pay 60k. Drama over.