Journalist in Samui Threatened with Violence Over Luxury Villa Report

[webfact]

 

A Channel 7 journalist in Koh Samui filed a complaint after being threatened by the owner of a luxury villa project. The incident occurred following the journalist’s report on potential irregularities in the construction permits for the villas.

 

Authorities from the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Division 4 are currently investigating the Samui Green Cottages project, which is located on Chaweng Noi Mountain in Surat Thani province.

 

The project involves the construction of 53 luxury villas, but concerns have arisen that the development might be encroaching on forest land or other restricted areas.

 

Further complications have surfaced, as the villa owner only submitted a construction model showing 40 villas, leaving the other 13 unreported.

 

Additionally, discrepancies between the submitted plans and the completed structures, including violations of legal slope and height regulations, have been identified. Six of the 53 villas have been completed, but the project is on hold pending further investigation.

 

The target market for these luxury villas is foreigners residing in Thailand, with each villa priced around 10 million baht.

 

On 17th July, the journalist documented ISOC officials visiting the villa site. During the visit, a Thai man claiming to be the project owner confronted the journalist. Expressing anger over the report, the owner directed his employees to photograph the journalist and issued a threat, saying, “You cause me a lot of problems.

 

Are you from Channel 7? I will sue you. I already prepared evidence of what you said about me in the headlines. Stop causing trouble for the locals on Koh Samui. You will see what I can do when I meet you again.”

 

The incident was partially recorded, including a moment where a female employee attempted to gather the journalist’s name. ISOC authorities intervened, asserting the journalist’s right to report. The villa owner argued he would pursue legal action rather than physical harm.

 

The journalist subsequently filed a complaint at Bor Phud Police Station, where officers assured they would summon the villa owner for questioning.

 

Photo via Facebook/ Ch7HD News

 

-- 2024-07-19

 

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[ChipButty]

Luxury villas for 10 million? thats peanuts these days, 

[watchcat]

37 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Luxury villas for 10 million? thats peanuts these days, 

 

Inflation

[JimHuaHin]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Luxury villas for 10 million? thats peanuts these days, 

Maybe peanuts for you, but not for many, if not most, retired expats in Thailand.

[Celsius]

I can't wait to buy 2 villas 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Are you from Channel 7? I will sue you. I already prepared evidence of what you said about me in the headlines. Stop causing trouble for the locals on Koh Samui. You will see what I can do when I meet you again.”

 

I am sure there are good reasons why investigative journalism seems to almost not exist in Thailand.

Journalists want to stay healthy.

And what's the point of reporting crimes when the authorities are often directly involved in this.

TiT

[fondue zoo]

Why does that look like landslip just waiting to happen.

[Galong]

16 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

Why does that look like landslip just waiting to happen.

Maybe the engineering degree is from YouTube.

[fondue zoo]

I also like the way the roofs are made to be sails so high winds can really get a good grip.

I'm sure their math is correct.

[ChipButty]

2 hours ago, Galong said:

Maybe the engineering degree is from YouTube.

Khao San Road easily available, 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Luxury villas for 10 million? thats peanuts these days, 

Green Cottages is a joke too...

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, fondue zoo said:

Why does that look like landslip just waiting to happen.

Because it is... 

[Zack61]

This needs to be sorted. A friend of mine bought 2 condos/villas at a resort development on Koh Samet some years ago. ( Resort name Pandora I think)

It was later determined, among other things, that half of the resort was built on National Park land and has left the investors out on a limb. There are now lots of lawyers making sh!tloads of money from the fight against the developers to get compensation. I see the same thing happening in this case. 

[Jackbenimble]

why was the name of the owner withheld in this article? Was it written to expose the journo to further threats? 

Edited July 19 by Jackbenimble

[ryandb]

No nationality of the owner mentioned.... must mean it's a local then! Honestly though is there any space left to construct in Chaweng Noi

[ronster]

Price for these was 17 million up as far as I remember from last report.

There are eyesores like this all over samui now and it looks awful.

I seen the news report on channel 5 the other day about this place and the ISOC people were struggling to even walk up the main road it was that steep .

If I was buying a villa on a hillside I would have it on one Rai of land and the villa would be smack bang in the middle so I didn't need to hear every conversation the neighbours have .

[john donson]

come on, everybody does it and he probably bribed the correct corrupt land official... who will miss a few more banana trees,  right ?

[ronster]

2 minutes ago, ryandb said:

No nationality of the owner mentioned.... must mean it's a local then! Honestly though is there any space left to construct in Chaweng Noi

They started on the lower hill face down from all the original ones you can see from the road and then absolutely destroyed the hill over the back of them near the school .

Looks like a slum in Rio now ! 

[Sig]

7 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Luxury villas for 10 million? thats peanuts these days, 

Depends on one's definition of luxury.
Luxury can be real, or it can be that of wannabes.
They must be quite small units if they're truly real luxury at that price.

[Sig]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Khao San Road easily available, 

Do they still seriously sell those there? I remember when they sold those on the street on Khao San! And if I remember correctly, it was only a few hundred baht! lol

[Lopburikid]

5 hours ago, fondue zoo said:

Why does that look like landslip just waiting to happen.

I was thinking the same myself. One very heavy down poor .

[Photoguy21]

5 hours ago, Galong said:

Maybe the engineering degree is from YouTube.

More likely from TikTok

[smew]

Typical Thai behavior… anger lies and violence…

[Liverpool Lou]

25 minutes ago, ryandb said:

No nationality of the owner mentioned.... must mean it's a local then! 

Specifically reported in the OP...

"During the visit, a Thai man claiming to be the project owner confronted the journalist".

 

This being Thailand there's probably a 99% chance, statistically, that the developer is Thai, anyway.

Edited July 19 by Liverpool Lou

[Asquith Production]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The villa owner argued he would pursue legal action rather than physical harm

He makes it sound like the physical harm is a legal option 

[Trip Hop]

5 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

I am sure there are good reasons why investigative journalism seems to almost not exist in Thailand.

Journalists want to stay healthy.

And what's the point of reporting crimes when the authorities are often directly involved in this.

TiT

 

The Mrs' ex boss runs a small newspaper/media outlet that feeds some of the majors and as well as local topics, specializes in alleged social injustice such as this.  He is also a lawyer though who has worked alongside the likes of Sittra, so he is fully aware of his legal liabilities.  I have no doubt that he takes risk that could be hazardous to his health but I'm pretty confident he's fairly connected too.

 

I have to say that I admire the guy for his stance.

 

 

[Tubulat]

7 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Luxury villas for 10 million? thats peanuts these days, 

Indeed, can remember on Phuket more than 20 years ago, villas were built at a price of 25 million thb.

[Peterphuket]

6 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

Maybe peanuts for you, but not for many, if not most, retired expats in Thailand.

What are we talking about, 254 thousand euros, you'll be lucky if you can find a 60-square-metre condo there in europe.

[Peterphuket]

50 minutes ago, Zack61 said:

This needs to be sorted. A friend of mine bought 2 condos/villas at a resort development on Koh Samet some years ago. ( Resort name Pandora I think)

It was later determined, among other things, that half of the resort was built on National Park land and has left the investors out on a limb. There are now lots of lawyers making sh!tloads of money from the fight against the developers to get compensation. I see the same thing happening in this case. 

This happened many times before on Phuket, can remember many houses and villas having to be demolished.
Nothing wrong with that if it does not comply with the permit.
It's only a problem if you farang doesn't know about it and signed the purchase contract.

[kuzmabruk]

6 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

Maybe peanuts for you, but not for many, if not most, retired expats in Thailand.

In Choeng Thale, where I live in Phuket, luxury is considered 100 million up.   Many villas are now renting for up to 1 million per month (12 million per year).