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PHUKET: A military task force raided the White Box, one of Phuket's best-known shorefront restaurants, after ordering restaurants on Tri Trang and Paradise beaches today to be closed and demolished.
Other properties on the foreshores at Phuket beaches are likely to be targetted soon, including at least one resort under construction.
There was no answer when authorities knocked on the door at the White Box in Kalim today, although a vehicle prominently branded with the Watermark insignia was parked outside.
Vice Admiral Petchartat Tienanjan told Phuketwan that the task force group, including Phuket Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtadav and Patong Mayor Chalermlak Kebsub, would return to the multi-storey restaurant and all-purpose venue - a popular haunt for meals and events with expat residents - very soon to inspect the owner's property title documents.
Parts of the White Box appear to be constructed over sand and seafront rocks. Phuketwan was not able to trace the present owner today.
It's believed the restaurant has changed hands at least once since it was constructed.
Before calling at the White Box, the vice admiral, the deputy governor and the mayor raided Paradise Beach then Tri Trang with a group of sailors in camouflage.
In a brief meeting with the owner of the Tri Trang Restaurant, Sompang Sakultap, Vice Admiral Petchartat gave him two days to remove furniture and other objects from the premises before the building is demolished.
Khun Sompang said he had already lost a Phuket Provincial Court verdict in November last year that construction had taken place without a permit, and that the building should be demolished.
''If we have to go, then you'd better throw them off, too,'' he said, pointing at green screen further along the beach surrounding a resort that is believed to be under construction.
A pathway along Tri Trang beach is believed to define public land. Both the Tri Trang Restaurant and the green screen are on the beach side of the walkway.
Paradise beach and Tri Trang beach are small but increasingly popular beaches south of the west coast tourist hub of Patong.
Paradise beach is only accessible through private land or by sea.
The owner of the land has rejected offers by resort developers so far and chosen instead to charge for sunbeds and umbrellas and run a restaurant behind the beach.
Under the military's National Council for Peace and Order which took control of Thailand on May 22, umbrellas and sunbeds and most commercial activities have been banned from Phuket beaches, which are all public.
Shorefront beach clubs or restaurants have been demolished or are in the process of being warned they are to be demolished at Surin, Kamala, Patong, Karon, Kata, Layan, Laypang, Laem Singh, Bang Tao, Nai Yang, Nai Thon, Nai Harn and other beaches.
Kalim beach, where the White Box sits, is one of Phuket's smaller non-swimming beaches, north of Patong. Surfers mostly ride the waves there at high tide at this time of year.
Other properties on the foreshores at Phuket beaches are likely to be targetted soon, including at least one resort under construction.
There was no answer when authorities knocked on the door at the White Box in Kalim today, although a vehicle prominently branded with the Watermark insignia was parked outside.
Vice Admiral Petchartat Tienanjan told Phuketwan that the task force group, including Phuket Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtadav and Patong Mayor Chalermlak Kebsub, would return to the multi-storey restaurant and all-purpose venue - a popular haunt for meals and events with expat residents - very soon to inspect the owner's property title documents.
Parts of the White Box appear to be constructed over sand and seafront rocks. Phuketwan was not able to trace the present owner today.
It's believed the restaurant has changed hands at least once since it was constructed.
Before calling at the White Box, the vice admiral, the deputy governor and the mayor raided Paradise Beach then Tri Trang with a group of sailors in camouflage.
In a brief meeting with the owner of the Tri Trang Restaurant, Sompang Sakultap, Vice Admiral Petchartat gave him two days to remove furniture and other objects from the premises before the building is demolished.
Khun Sompang said he had already lost a Phuket Provincial Court verdict in November last year that construction had taken place without a permit, and that the building should be demolished.
''If we have to go, then you'd better throw them off, too,'' he said, pointing at green screen further along the beach surrounding a resort that is believed to be under construction.
A pathway along Tri Trang beach is believed to define public land. Both the Tri Trang Restaurant and the green screen are on the beach side of the walkway.
Paradise beach and Tri Trang beach are small but increasingly popular beaches south of the west coast tourist hub of Patong.
Paradise beach is only accessible through private land or by sea.
The owner of the land has rejected offers by resort developers so far and chosen instead to charge for sunbeds and umbrellas and run a restaurant behind the beach.
Under the military's National Council for Peace and Order which took control of Thailand on May 22, umbrellas and sunbeds and most commercial activities have been banned from Phuket beaches, which are all public.
Shorefront beach clubs or restaurants have been demolished or are in the process of being warned they are to be demolished at Surin, Kamala, Patong, Karon, Kata, Layan, Laypang, Laem Singh, Bang Tao, Nai Yang, Nai Thon, Nai Harn and other beaches.
Kalim beach, where the White Box sits, is one of Phuket's smaller non-swimming beaches, north of Patong. Surfers mostly ride the waves there at high tide at this time of year.
Been coming over for years and always went to Paradise beach.If they take away the facilities from there that will just about do it for me as I will look towards other countries that provide facilities. If only the authorities were as aggressive about cleaning the beaches in the morning before the tourists arrived rather than leave the beaches filthy as they are about "returning the beaches back to nature" I might understand. I will have a look in August before I make my mind up. Less tourists less money. Where will the end be? Rant over.
Posted by Malcolm Turner on July 24, 2014 13:59