PHUKET: About 100 council officers and military, some armed, stood by along with gawping tourists as the demolition of illegal shorefront premises at Phuket's Nai Yang beach began today.
In the process of being wrecked were The Beach Club and the Baan Busaba Massage and Beauty Shop.
Staff put out signs making the point that court actions were still underway over the properties and efforts were made to park cars in the shorefront road in the path of a demolition grader, to no avail.
An official from Sakoo Council said the final notice of demolition, giving seven days' warning, was handed to the ''owners'' last week.
The proprietor of the Beach Club, however, has been reluctant to accept the move and the action was delayed today while all items inside the premises were carefully removed and listed, one by one.
Aroon Peawpanchoo said: ''I don't know why they are choosing to knock down the property. I was due to appear to seek a court protection order in Nakkon Si Thammarat tomorrow.''
Sakoo chief officer Sumet Suwannarat said that the grader was authorised to move.
''The court has provided not protection. We are carrying out the law after giving seven days' notice.''
Since taking charge in a coup on May 22, the military has cleared construction deemed illegal along Phuket's popular west coast.
There are, however, some beaches where structures that onlookers thought would be deemed illegal have survived.
At other beaches, vendors have set up stalls and a return to old habits seems imminent. In other cases, vendors have been warned they face arrest if they return.
Jet-skis and parasailers, meanwhile, have been allowed to continue to operate at Patong.
In the process of being wrecked were The Beach Club and the Baan Busaba Massage and Beauty Shop.
Staff put out signs making the point that court actions were still underway over the properties and efforts were made to park cars in the shorefront road in the path of a demolition grader, to no avail.
An official from Sakoo Council said the final notice of demolition, giving seven days' warning, was handed to the ''owners'' last week.
The proprietor of the Beach Club, however, has been reluctant to accept the move and the action was delayed today while all items inside the premises were carefully removed and listed, one by one.
Aroon Peawpanchoo said: ''I don't know why they are choosing to knock down the property. I was due to appear to seek a court protection order in Nakkon Si Thammarat tomorrow.''
Sakoo chief officer Sumet Suwannarat said that the grader was authorised to move.
''The court has provided not protection. We are carrying out the law after giving seven days' notice.''
Since taking charge in a coup on May 22, the military has cleared construction deemed illegal along Phuket's popular west coast.
There are, however, some beaches where structures that onlookers thought would be deemed illegal have survived.
At other beaches, vendors have set up stalls and a return to old habits seems imminent. In other cases, vendors have been warned they face arrest if they return.
Jet-skis and parasailers, meanwhile, have been allowed to continue to operate at Patong.
I wonder how long it takes until 5* Indigo Pearl will use these now illegal premises to set up their beachfront they don't have right now. Or is it just coincidence that everything in front of their property has to go?
Posted by Sascha on December 8, 2014 12:33