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The large restaurant at Tri Trang appears to be too close to the sea

Too-Close Phuket Beach Restaurant Highlights Phuket Foreshore Takeovers

Thursday, July 18, 2013
PHUKET: Allegations that a large illegal restaurant has been built too close to the shore have rekindled concern about protecting all of Phuket's beaches from encroachment.

The restaurant at Tri Trang Beach, south of Patong on Phuket's west coast, appears to be too close to the water to be legal.

Yet the ''owner'' claims to have a property title for the restaurant - and another ''owner'' claims to have a property title for a larger 111 rai property on land surrounding the restaurant.

Emerald Co wants to build a resort fronting the secluded beach but the restaurant is in the way.

The restaurant, once a simple structure, has been enlarged and developed at a cost of three million baht, a group of Phuket investigators was told at the beach earlier this week.

The restaurant's ''owner,'' Sompong Sakultab, is reported as saying that he inherited the property from his father.

However, he has been unable to produce a building permit for the construction and the Patong Council laid charges against him in August last year.

A second charge in that he has failed to respond to an order to demolish the building has since been laid.

Khun Sompong's lawyer says his client will fight the demolition order through the courts.

Phuket Marine Office 5 Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut, one of the officials inspecting the beach, said he could not understand how a property title could be issued for such a small plot of land with the larger plot directly behind it.

He said that private encroachment was out of control on many parts of Phuket's shorefronts. The issue was ''difficult to solve,'' he said.

Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak led the Tri Trang inspection with representatives from the Damrungtam complaints office, based at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City, and the Phuket Land Titles Office.

Protecting Phuket's beaches was also the focus of a meeting yesterday with Vice Governor Jamleran Tipayapongtada urging authorities overseeing Patong, Tri Trang, Laem Singh and Kamala to manages the popular beaches using common sense.

It was the second meeting in a series. Vice Governor Jamleran had previously told the authorities that he wanted a cutback in the number of rows of umbrellas and a clear idea of beach zones for jet-skis and paragliders.

''I want a beach map that shows who has the right to do what and where,'' he said. ''I also want everyone to understand that the beaches are public. They do not belong to anyone.''

He gave the local authorities 30 days to come up with a beaches blueprint.

Comments

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Khun Sompong's lawyer says his client will fight the demolition order through the courts, a process that could take 30 years, during which time the restaurant would probably remain open for business: ahahahah this is exactly what I mean: bla bla bla bla bla... Very easy to solve the problem: during the process the restaurant can't be open!!!

Posted by dave on July 18, 2013 19:53

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The only plus of the tsusami was missed by Authorities when they had a blank canvas to start afresh corruption went on dodgy land titles appeared and heres a example,it is truly amazing the onus isnt on the claimed land owner to prove you own it wi 7 days or be demolished in 14 days which should occur for no building permit anyway,the onus appears to be on the offials to prove it not him & drag it out for 30 years if they pounced on these people the min the first trench was dug,they wouldnt have the problem,how come no one sees anything until a 2 story building is completed and there long moved in.

Posted by slickmelb on July 18, 2013 20:37

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I'd like to see the small beach the le meridian has blocked public access to, (between Patong and Karon) become public. I tried to go there yesterday but couldn't get past hotel security. They pointed me to a sign asking for 1500 baht per person, per day

Posted by S on July 18, 2013 21:14

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Agree with Dave. Question - how can it be legal to put up such ugly fencing all over Phuket and especially at beaches like Tri Trang??? Second question - what is the purpose of a fence like the one at Tri Trang, other than ruining the landscape and view???
I was shocked visiting the beach this year, don't know how long it has being fenced in but can promise that the beach was nicer Before. To the (so called) owner of the property I can say that I will not return there...

Posted by Swede from Malmo on July 18, 2013 23:33

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@ S: yes, the access to the beach is on private property, however mostly you will be allowed in.
Sure way to get there is by boat.

Posted by stevenl on July 19, 2013 10:36

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To S.

There are many beaches like the Meridien that own the land and can charge for access to the beach. In Patong, Paradise beach is very nice and Ya Nui beach near Nai Harn. Not a big deal as there are many other nice beach spots to go with public access. Although, all of those can be accessed by boat and I have done that with all 3 mentioned here with longtails in the past.

Posted by Jim Kata on July 19, 2013 13:08

Editor Comment:

I'd actually be surprised if any resort charges for access. Le Meridien always used to tell would-be swimmers to take a side route, around the resort building.

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In the case of Le Meridien the family of the owner may actually own the beach compared to the other cases quoted.

Posted by Evilbaz on July 19, 2013 14:00

Editor Comment:

I suspect you're talking about a long time ago, Evilbaz.

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I wasn't offered another route to the beach, only the 1500 baht offer.

Posted by S on July 19, 2013 16:04

Editor Comment:

You should give the senior management a call and tell them. All the resorts on shorefronts are obliged to offer a route to the beaches.

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@ Swede...
Agreed that horrendous green wall is an absolute eyesore and has ruined what was once a great little beach. Likewise one has to wonder why Land Officials aren't decrying it's placement right through the upper part of the beach (instead of behind it as Thai law dictates). Word on the street says there are at least a few back room shenanigans involved... However, for clarification, that ugly green wall was not put up by the proprietor of the beach restaurant in question -- the wall, which now totally blocks the beach access road, was put up by the Emerald Co. which is building the resort there (at a snail's pace, I might add, so don't expect that lovely wall to go away anytime soon).

Posted by Gforcejunky on July 21, 2013 00:16

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We offer to sell an investment property to the location of the hotel. Patong Beach Phuket & Kamala Beach Phuket

Posted by abdul on July 21, 2013 13:41


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