Heaven can wait, but Nui Bay beach club must go, says Royal Thai Navy
Nattha Thepbamrung


Heaven Restaurant in Kata has been spared, for now. Photo: Royal Thai Navy

PHUKET: -- Heaven Restaurant and Bar, perched high on a hilltop near the Kata View Point on Phuket’s southwest coast, will not be demolished until all parcels of SorPorKor land in Phuket have been checked and verified.

The decision follows the owner, Boonlert Tamsua, filing a complaint that his property was being singled out and that the same level of attention should apply to all SorPorKor land in Phuket, confirmed Lt Sompop Kamkana of the Royal Thai Navy’s Third Area Command.

SorPorKor land is state land, usually degraded forest, that is allocated for agricultural use only by poor people under a government programme administrated by the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO). There is about 40 million rai of SorPorKor land across Thailand, 32,372 rai of it in Phuket.

Heaven restaurant and the Bui Bay members Club nearby were inspected by officials and Navy personnel during a raid on June 23, during which it was revealed that neither Kata-Karon Municipality or the Agricultural Reform Office (ALRO) believed they had they authority to demolish the buildings – despite the structures being deemed to have been illegally built on state land. (See story here.)

“Heaven Restaurant is built on SorPorKor land and located higher than 80 meters above the sea level (which is also illegal). However, there are many similar cases. I have asked AMLO for the locations and will start checking with my team next week,” Lt Sompop told The Phuket News.

“We have to do the same thing to all transgressors at the same time. If we kept doing it case by case, the building owners would complain that it is unfair, like Heaven Restaurant did.”

Several calls by The Phuket News to confirm whether or not the Heaven restaurant remains open were unsuccessful. The club’s Facebook page remains online (click here), but the website is no longer available (click here).

Meanwhile, the Nui Bay Member Club on Nui Beach, at the bottom of the hill from where Heaven Restaurant is located will be levelled by July 15 – or the Navy will take direct action, Lt Sompop warned.

“Karon Municipality officials must post the final notice on July 8, giving the owners seven days to vacate the land. They then have seven days before the municipality demolishes the buildings by themselves.” Lt Sompop explained.

“If the municipality does not do its job, the municipal officers will likely face an order issued under Section 44 (of the interm constitution).”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/heaven-can-wait-but-nui-bay-beach-club-must-go-says-royal-thai-navy-53044.php

-- Phuket News 2015-07-03

I can only guess that the 'brown envelopes' are working.

Are they still open for business ??

From what I understand, K Boolert is a pretty heavily connected guy.

Someone must be very proud, that is a genuine punning headline right there.

A rare as an incorruptible copper in this country.

How many % they think tourism will be down next high season?

Good to know that "unfair" still trumps the law in Thailand.

Some things never change.

This same Boonlert also made the news in 2010 when the cop shop knocked down his bar. http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phuket-cop-sought-bar-demolition/9351

I used to really enjoy Nui Beach (it was known as "the secret beach" back then. It was owned by an ex-naval special forces guy who was as nice as they come! Since he sold it on though, different story all together

singled out? That is his defense? 5555

And the Navy actually bows to such a lame defense? When the military coup happened I really had hopes they'd clean up this mess. Now I guess it's all back to how things were. How foolish of me...

It does not look like he is using the land for farming purposes, unless he thinks that by keeping meat in his freezer constitute farming, so now he is upset and wants to grass all the others up because they have not been caught yet, bulldoze it, he knew the score, now it is payback for his ignorance

I used to really enjoy Nui Beach (it was known as "the secret beach" back then. It was owned by an ex-naval special forces guy who was as nice as they come! Since he sold it on though, different story all together

Yes was nice, once.

When a -Special forces" guy owned that land?

I was there when you still walked down or drove with Honda dreams down on a small path-a short cut.

1997+

Saw and spoke, with my GF there then a bit later to a heavy tattooed younger Thai who drank a lot beer and said his old father-uncle? is the owner and he had plans for the beach and the land.

He cut away the cheap motor bike guests and asked for parking fees and entrance fees ect.

The down turn started.

I used to really enjoy Nui Beach (it was known as "the secret beach" back then. It was owned by an ex-naval special forces guy who was as nice as they come! Since he sold it on though, different story all together

Yes was nice, once.

When a -Special forces" guy owned that land?

I was there when you still walked down or drove with Honda dreams down on a small path-a short cut.

1997+

Saw and spoke, with my GF there then a bit later to a heavy tattooed younger Thai who drank a lot beer and said his old father-uncle? is the owner and he had plans for the beach and the land.

He cut away the cheap motor bike guests and asked for parking fees and entrance fees ect.

The down turn started.

I didn't start going there until 2001 and it was awesome. He closed the beach for a while in about 2004 or so as a Danish girl turned up dead there. The Danish consulate made a lot of noise and the Chalong police forced him to close, so he stayed closed - he was pretty offended that they thought he might anything to do with it. He re-opened for a short time and then sold the bar etc to some mafia type. Didn't like it. It was Phuket's best kept secret for a while but, hey-ho, things change