Thais Told Not To Sell Land To Foreigners

[sriracha john]

Pha-Ngan official warns not to sell land to foreign

Samui used as an example of how to destroy island environment by excessive development

Villagers on the island of Koh Pha-Ngan have been urged by a provincial official to help promote eco-tourism and keep their land out of the hands of foreigners.

Thawatchai Terdphaothai, the deputy governor of Surat Thani province, said yesterday he did not want to see Koh Pha-Ngan face the same fate as neighbouring Koh Samui, where land rights have been sold legally to foreign investors and the natural environment has been ruined by tourism.

Thawatchai asked Koh Pha-Ngan villagers to learn from the recent case of (alleged) illegal land sales on Koh Samui involving foreigners.

The deputy governor said local communities should set rules to prevent villagers selling their land to foreigners.

Thawatchai said Koh Pha-Ngan is well known for its full-moon parties but still has beautiful natural attractions and local culture to attract more tourists.

The provincial authority and local investors would join communities in developing 'eco-cultural' tourism, he said.

Chan-chod Piriyasatit, the head of the Koh Pha-Ngan Tourism Association, said he would ask the authorities, especially the police, to be more concerned about the safety of tourists on the island.

Meanwhile Pramote Sabyen, the director-general of the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) Southern Office, said the long-term development of tourism on Koh Pha-Ngan would still focus on promoting the full-moon parties, because these were the main source of income.

However, the preservation of local culture should also be promoted, the director-general said.

He added that villagers should be confident their participation in eco-cultural tourism would draw more visitors to the island.

Pramote said the TAT is cooperating with police and provincial authorities to improve security for tourists.

Since 2003, the number of visitors to Koh Pha-Ngan had increased by at least 19 per cent per year. He asked local people to take care of tourists and not exploit them.

Following the case on Koh Samui and a land-ownership probe there, officials were checking land rights on Koh Pha-Ngan, said Damrong Pidej, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

The department was preparing to declare Koh Pa-Ngan a new national park, he said.

- TN

[sbk]

If you are going to post such information please be sure to post a link to the originating source as well as the name of the source. I see no such information in this post and would be very interested where it came from.

As for the idea that Koh P will be turned into a national park, well, seems highly unlikely. Perhaps, more likely, he meant to say that the parts that are already national park will be enforced. A great deal of the interior mountainous region is national park already.

[Rooo]

You know what seems to be relayed through that article?DO NOT SELL TO FORIGNERS in one breath, but get investors to work with local community?Do not sell to forigners but do to RICH THAI?

[womble]

Whilst foreigners are responsible to a certain extent for the mess the island is in, I truly believe the worst most short sighted developments are carried out by the Thais. Also for any dodgy construction which is made by a foriegner there will be many more Thais involved than foriegners.

Here we go again blaming foriegners for all their problems, why can't they face up to facts and admit the problems stem from greed and the mindset that it doesn't matter where money comes from as long as you have it.

You can be as corrupt as you like, but if you have money here you have respect no matter how you earn't it.

[Rooo]

Whilst foreigners are responsible to a certain extent for the mess the island is in, I truly believe the worst most short sighted developments are carried out by the Thais. Also for any dodgy construction which is made by a foriegner there will be many more Thais involved than foriegners.

Here we go again blaming foriegners for all their problems, why can't they face up to facts and admit the problems stem from greed and the mindset that it doesn't matter where money comes from as long as you have it.

You can be as corrupt as you like, but if you have money here you have respect no matter how you earn't it.

How true.One has only to drive along the coastline & see all the illegal buildings,the reclaimed land on the waterfront & all the squatters on public land, opening reataurants.

[sbk]

Well, my husband has read all the online Thai papers and none of them have this. I would still like to see the source as we live on Koh Phangan and have heard nothing of authorities urging locals not to sell. No one has contacted my father-in-law, who owns a fair amount of land, so not sure what this is on about. Perhaps just one of those general useless announcements that never reaches the ears of the people its supposed to affect.

Anyway, he did say the govt is talking about removing from the entire country the title that allows people use of public lands. Can't remember the name sorry, something that ends in 5.

[Malice in Wonderland]

I believe the aforementioned article is from "The Nation" newspaper,have seen it published elsewhere on the web...

[t.s]

Well, my husband has read all the online Thai papers and none of them have this. I would still like to see the source as we live on Koh Phangan and have heard nothing of authorities urging locals not to sell. No one has contacted my father-in-law, who owns a fair amount of land, so not sure what this is on about. Perhaps just one of those general useless announcements that never reaches the ears of the people its supposed to affect.

Anyway, he did say the govt is talking about removing from the entire country the title that allows people use of public lands. Can't remember the name sorry, something that ends in 5.

The source is clearly attributed at the bottom of the post with the "-TN" indicating it is the

"The Nation"

Had you been interested, you would have found the article clearly linked to from the front page of this online publication.

[fleeing]

Instead of slanging each other about the source of this 'contribution', it would be far more helpful if we could discuss this.

Sadly such xenophobic statements from Thai politicians and bureaucrats are not new. But will this have any effect on developments on Phangan? As sbk pointed out, these statements are rarely directed at the people being addressed, but at the media. Perhaps this is just the Deputy Governor's attempt to distance himself from the dodgy dealings on Samui, and curry a little flavour with the big boys in Bangkok. Or perhaps he is the sponsor of the Land Officer in Thong Sala, who has been making himself rather unpopular by demanding big tea money for approving any kind of title upgrade or sale that involves farang.

What does set my alarm bells ringing are the references to 'eco-cultural' tourism, with the help of 'local' investors and 'a new national park'. This is almost exactly what was referred to on Koh Chang, just before the well connected investors moved in, and proceded to build spa resorts just about everywhere.

While I think we can (almost) agree that the unbridled expansion of package-tourism and residential developments on Samui, have scarred that island in many ways, is a 'luxury package' destination (like Koh Chang) going to be much better in the long run?

Perhaps less important for most, but not for those planning to invest or move to Phangan, will such statements (if repeated) change Phangan to a place that is just not particularly pleasant to visit?

Please discuss!

[sriracha john]

If you are going to post such information please be sure to post a link to the originating source as well as the name of the source. I see no such information in this post and would be very interested where it came from.

As for the idea that Koh P will be turned into a national park, well, seems highly unlikely. Perhaps, more likely, he meant to say that the parts that are already national park will be enforced. A great deal of the interior mountainous region is national park already.

sorry... get so used to abbreviating in the other political threads that I forget that maybe not everyone is up on them:

TN = The Nation

BP = Bangkok Post

TD = Thai Daily

BHE = Bangkok Herald-Examiner

CNN = Cable News Network

TNNBPRD = Thai National News Beer or something other (can never really recall it specifically, but it's Jai Dee's personal news source provider)

If it's posted as such, it's from that day's online version. However, the specific story link is here:

http://nationmultimedia.com/search/page.ne...amp;id=30009406

Apologies for any inconvenience.

I, too, was shocked to see the idea of turning Pha-ngan into a NP. It would certainly change the periphery of the island that surrounds the central pre-existing NP.

Also, thought it was noteworthy that they understand the FMP are the "bread and butter" of Pha-ngan's income and they don't foresee a change in that.

[Thaipwriter]

No great loss, given the masses of human dross that wash up there every month for the full moon party.

[Khun Jean]

That article realy made me laugh, with a tear i must say.

Eco-tourism is unknown in Thailand. And if i see someone who is taking care of beaches and nature even simple things like throwing your garbage in a bin it is always the foreigner.

I think the opposite of what is stated is actually true.

[womble]

A bit of a generalisation, but yes most of the locals arn't that up on enviromental issues. There is no eco tourism and little sustainable tourism at the moment. The natual beauty of the country especially in high volume tourist areas is quickly diminishing due to greed and excess.

Maybe more Thais would use bins if there actually were any, how many public bins are there in the streets?

Are there any?

The only ones I see are outside 7/11

[Jai Dee]

sorry... get so used to abbreviating in the other political threads that I forget that maybe not everyone is up on them:

TN = The Nation

BP = Bangkok Post

TD = Thai Daily

BHE = Bangkok Herald-Examiner

CNN = Cable News Network

TNNBPRD = Thai National News Beer or something other (can never really recall it specifically, but it's Jai Dee's personal news source provider)

It might be a good idea to quote the full name of your news source in future SJ... just to avoid any potential confusion.

Having said that, abbreviated sources such as CNN (Cable News Network), TNA (Thai News Authority), AP (Associated Press) etc. are used frequently in the public domain and are widely recognised... but TN, BP, TD, and of course the infamous BHE are not frequently anachronized (sp?) so it would be best for all if you quoted the full news source name.

Cowjai mai?

[sbk]

Well, according to local sources, the govt has already been on the island to survey and mark the boundaries of the national park on the island: it is already in place, has been for years but was never clearly marked.

As for the idea of a new Koh Chang. Well, I would be interested to know several things: what kind of land titles were in effect on Koh Chang before Thaksin's move to turn it into a luxury resort island and how many local residents lived on the island at the time (and for how long).

Koh Phangan has had people here for generations and alot of the land titles currently held are Nor Sor Sam or Chanote. Also, need to point out that Koh Phangan people are still southerners through and through and wouldn't take any action to remove their land rights very lightly.

As for Thaipwriters response: typical ignorant ill informed comment from someone who doesn't really know what they are talking about

and t.s. --take your attitude elsewhere please. All I asked for was a clear source (TN is not clear) and a link to the page where the article was found. No need for your aggressive attitude. Thanks.

[sriracha john]

sorry... get so used to abbreviating in the other political threads that I forget that maybe not everyone is up on them:

TN = The Nation

BP = Bangkok Post

TD = Thai Daily

BHE = Bangkok Herald-Examiner

CNN = Cable News Network

TNNBPRD = Thai National News Beer or something other (can never really recall it specifically, but it's Jai Dee's personal news source provider)

It might be a good idea to quote the full name of your news source in future SJ... just to avoid any potential confusion.

Having said that, abbreviated sources such as CNN (Cable News Network), TNA (Thai News Authority), AP (Associated Press) etc. are used frequently in the public domain and are widely recognised... but TN, BP, TD, and of course the infamous BHE are not frequently anachronized (sp?) so it would be best for all if you quoted the full news source name.

Cowjai mai?

kao jai...

Is it permissible for TNNBPRD to be used instead of Thai News New Beer Purchased Routinely Department (or whatever it is? I can never recall the specifics of that acronym?)

[Charma]

Everyone is talking as if Samui has had it. Is it really too late for Samui? Obviously it has problems, but then what place in Thailand doesn't?

What things need to be done to turn this situation around? Perhaps the biggest step would be for Samui and KP to obtain independent status as in Phuket. This would give Samui the means to invest much more of the revenue it generates into it's own infrastructure. I fear that the latest turmoil will make independent status much more difficult to achieve. However, the island still has a worldwide reputation as a luxury resort and much of the press that is read intently on this forum never reaches the world outside. Samui still has a lot to offer and it is surely not too late to turn things around.

At the moment it seems that the island is being used as a political football and it is not really clear whether there is any real intentions to tackle the important issues of development control, island infrastructure and land rights. The key decisions will of course be made by the Thai people, but I think foreigners still have a positive role to play.

[sbk]

Just as an FYI, according to my husband who has just finished reading the Thai newspapers online, there is no mention of these comments. At least, none he saw.

Seems more like a message to foreigners looking to buy property on the island rather than anything meaningful. Too bad they can't just tell them not to sell to anybody as the rich Thais will most likely just buy up the property and then sell it to foreigners anyway.

As for the Samui political football idea Charma. Absolutely. High ranking TRT party members and their spouses have been involved in illegal land dealings in Samui (ie illegal modification of the beach) and this is all a PR move to get the focus off of them and onto the bad foreigners raping Thailand. It is Thai Rak Thai after all.