Beach plot in Phuket open to everyone
172 rai in Layan, Le Phang go public
A 172-rai plot of land on Le Phang and Layan beaches in Thalang district of Phuket is now open to everyone after the local government won a longrunning court battle and recently redesignated the area as being public access.
The beaches, which stretch for two kilometres in tambon Choeng Thale, are considered to be among the most charming on the resort island, with an estimated value of at least 40 billion baht, said a source.
In the past, tourists could not set foot on them due to a land dispute, with a private company claiming it owned the land from the roadside covering about 172 rai. However, the matter has been finalised and the beaches are now open to everyone.
“Whoever is found to be involved with encroaching on reserved land or land exploitation must face legal proceedings. Unlawfully occupied land will be seized as state land for the sake of safety and national security,” Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told the media yesterday while chairing the beaches’ opening ceremony.
“We have cooperated with all agencies to assure that people are safe, as well as the properties of locals and tourists on the island. The government will not tolerate foreigners or locals who benefit from such exploitation amid a growing number of tourists,” he added.
Mr Anutin said he had instructed his deputy, Chada Thaiset, to work with Phuket governor Sophon Suwannarat and the governors of adjacent provinces to step up law enforcement against offenders.
The dispute over the ownership of the 172-rai plot lasted for almost three decades between state agencies and private operators.
It was initially resolved by the Supreme Court in 2017, ruling in favour of the Phuket government. Illegally built properties there were demolished first in 2018 and then in 2021 and 2022, said the governor.
After the court ruling, the Choeng Thale Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO) submitted a letter to the Thalang district chief, asking for the land to be designated a public area.
According to Department of Lands director-general Pornpoth Penpas, the department prioritised conserving the area for public use to prevent land exploitation after rows of horsetail trees (Casuarina equisetifolia) were found lining the beaches.
The move was approved by the province in 2002 and an official notification issued in 2003. But this was later challenged.
The Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court subsequently ruled in favour of the local government, agreeing the land belonged to it and that the 172 rai in Moo 4 and 6 of tambon Choeng Thale was reserved land.
The department proposed it be reserved for public use. The move was approved by the committee and signed off by the Interior minister last month.
In other news, a recent survey in Pa Tong found 19 hotels there operating without permits.