Phuket resort raided over beach beautification project

[webfact]

Phuket resort raided over beach beautification project
Phuket Gazette


The naked beach in front of the resort. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- National park officers yesterday raided the Anantara luxury resort in Phuket and filed a police complaint for alleged encroachment on park land.

The Mai Khao resort stands accused of clearing swathes of sea morning glory from the beach and planting palm trees as part of a beach beautification project.

Sirinath Marine National Park Chief Cheewapap Cheewatham, who led the raid, was accompanied by officers from the Cherng Talay Police.

“We found that the hotel hired Tananon Co Ltd to clear the area, which is outside the boundaries marked on the resort’s Chanote land title,” he explained.

Mr Cheewapap presented to the resort’s management with photographs of the beach before it was cleared as evidence that the plants had been removed.

“I have filed a complaint with the Cherng Talay Police requesting further action,” he said.

The resort is accused of breaching Section 16 of the National Parks Act of BE 2504, which states that it is illegal to “hold or possess land, or clear or burn the forest, do by any means whatsoever things endangering or deteriorating soil, rock, gravel or sand and carry on any activity for benefit, unless permission is obtained from the competent official.”

Despite the flurry of activity yesterday to protect national park land, Mr Cheewapap declined to comment on the stalled investigation into the alleged encroachment of 3,000 rai of Sirinath Marine National Park.

“We will reveal information concerning that case when officers from the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission in Bangkok come to Phuket at the end of January,” he said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2014/Phuket-resort-raided-over-beach-beautification-project-23295.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-01-16

[casualbiker]

So the hotel removed something that most consider a weed (so possible good to get rid of) and get prosecuted. In other parts of Phuket they can't even clean the beach of illegal sellers. Ahhh I just spotted the bit about getting permission.. Ie delivering a brown envelope.

"They can quickly spread by way of long, creeping stems. By crowding out, blanketing and smothering other plants, morning glory has turned into a serious invasive weed problem." From wiki.

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Edited January 16, 2014 by casualbiker

[simon43]

It doesn't matter if Morning Glory is deadly to the touch - the hotel has no right to clear land that they don't own...

[andreandre]

It doesn't matter if Morning Glory is deadly to the touch - the hotel has no right to clear land that they don't own...

I agree with this...tho' it appears to be a very minor "news maker" compared to all the real issues going on on Phuket...that seem to disappear once investigations proceed..

[casualbiker]

It doesn't matter if Morning Glory is deadly to the touch - the hotel has no right to clear land that they don't own...

This is more about the fact that palms were not greased to make it happen..

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[SOTIRIOS]

....of course...they were only trying to do good....

...it was 'step 1' of their plan......if nobody objects...keep going....

..."give them an inch they'll take.........however much they can"...unless someone notices....

(That is how the forests have disappeared in Thailand)

[Carrerakiss]

Technically this is wrong, but it's really only a technical infringement. If only the same fuss was made over the literally thousands of rai that are encroached by others.

It's all down to money in the end of course. Sad.

[xen]

The coastal morning glorys are often important in preventing erosion of the beaches by tide or by wind . If the resort looses it beach due to tidal erosion what will it do then. As much as i like palms they do very little to hold sand from eroding. However I doubt that this was the reason that the resort was fined but because it dared to do something without "paying" respect to the overseeing authorities.

[Somtamnication]

Well, in the update today, all the managers are farangs, at the beach, being told off. Did they forget to pay?

[Ulic]

Looks great with all the garbage and detritus picked up. Is is also against the law to pick up garbage

on property you don't own? These guys are not the problem. Deal with the problem not a hotel that

you think you can squeeze a back hander from.

[Somtamnication]

Well, the thingy ended with them promising to replant these plants on the beach. SO THAT EVERYONE CAN STEP ON THEM!!!

Love Thailand!

[simon43]

This is more about the fact that palms were not greased to make it happen..

Does greasing the palms before you plant them make them grow better???

Simon

[EBlair48]

Meanwhile, Nikki Beach Club, a concrete building (with a really ugly backside) is constructed nearby , right on the beach, in the Marine Park . Who issued the building permit for that?