More Trouble At Panason City In Phuket

[george]

More trouble at Panason City in Phuket

Mrs Yaowaluck's home and salaeng are now

completely surrounded by high mounds of dirt.

The fill reaches half way up the side of this dwelling.

WICHIT, PHUKET: -- Problems continue at the troubled Panason City housing project, with workmen this morning allegedly trying to bury seven houses under mounds of earth using three excavators, according to residents of nearby Ketkaew village.

Four of the houses were still occupied, 50-year-old local woman Yaowaluck Promsiri said.

The incident caused outrage among local residents, 30 of whom are understood to have gone to Phuket Provincial Hall today to demand an audience with Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop.

The development has been the subject of numerous protests over the past year, with residents claiming the developers are trying to drive them out of their homes against their consent.

Two weeks ago a crowd of about 60 protesters gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall to demand that the governor step in to resolve the conflict.

For our previous report, click here.

The project owners claim a number of families are living on the 78-rai plot without title deeds and are thus trespassing on company land.

Mrs Yaowaluck, who has lived in a house in Ketkaew village with her husband and daughter for over 10 years, said she left her house this morning on a salaeng (motorcycle with illegal sidecar) to find her path blocked by a mound of dirt.

The dirt, which had been previously piled up elsewhere, was now covering seven local residents’ homes.

Mrs Yaowaluck said residents of Ketkaew village didn’t have any title deeds, but had residency contracts with the company that originally sold them the houses.

She claimed the Panason City project owners had agreed not to go ahead with any more work on the project until a scheduled meeting with local residents was held on November 30.

“Until then they shouldn’t do anything,” she said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-11-09

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[LivinginKata]

Shots fired at Phanason City protest in Phuket

The villagers used old tires to start the fires. The backhoe operators replied with warning gunshots.

Some houses have been partially buried with dirt.

PHUKET CITY: The tense standoff at the Panason City construction site heated up this morning when landless villagers set fires to prevent backhoes from covering their modest homes with dirt and warning gunshots were fired by workers.

The fires were set at about 10am today and warning shots were fired into the air by backhoe operators around noon, one of the protesters told the Gazette by phone.

The protesters have blocked the entrance to the village since November 10 in a protest that sees little hope of ending any time soon.

Protest leader Kasinee 'Ee' Sae-en, said that with no other options left the villagers plan to take their protest right to the top with a trip to Government House in Bangkok.

“We will try to contact the Prime Minister or other officials there, because we haven’t had any luck with local officials. The Mayor of Wichit has already given formal permission for the company to fill in the land, so we have to do something,” she said.

The Gazatte tried to contact the mayor of Wichit municipality, but was unable to get a reply.

Many of the villagers have been living in the area for 10 years.

The villagers lack title deeds, but say they had signed deals with the previous owner of the land to live there before Bangkok-based Panason group acquired the land, 78 rai next to Soi Thep Anusorn off Chao Fa East Rd in Wichit.

For the previous report click here – Atchaa Khamlo

-- Phuket Gazette

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]2009-11-14

[Boater]

if they havent got land titles, they really havent got a leg to stand on ! .....

they seem to think Som Chai 's contract which probably has no legal standing what so ever will help.

i feel sorry for them,

[Meridian007]

What is the length of time in Thai law that someone must habitate on an "abandoned" plot of land, to acquire ownership of it? I remember hearing something about this, but I don't know the length of time required.

[horsewell]

Squatting for 1 year without someone removing them... but they have to apply for the deeds before it's theirs. http://www.samuiforsale.com/

Edited November 14, 2009 by horsewell

[Somtamnication]

10 years.

[LivinginKata]

10 years.

I think (?) the 10 years applies to land with Chanote title. Lesser land titles I think only one year. At least that's what someone told me a few years ago when I asked about what advantages Chanote title gave over Nor Sor Sam Gor.

[zzaa09]

if they havent got land titles, they really havent got a leg to stand on ! .....

they seem to think Som Chai 's contract which probably has no legal standing what so ever will help.

i feel sorry for them,

Yes, sympathies extended. <deleted> the legalities!! A little respect is in order.....fellow being.