Phuket Authorities Enforce Supreme Court Ruling Against Bang Tao Beach Land Occupation

Authorities in Thalang District have begun enforcing a Supreme Court ruling concerning the alleged occupation of public land at Bang Tao Beach. Official notices ordering the disputed area to be vacated were installed on the site, requiring the defendants in the case, along with their employees, contractors and other associated persons, to leave the beach. Authorities have not publicly released the names of all individuals covered by the order.

The notices were put up on August 28, although the action was not reported by Phuket media or official provincial-level sources at the time. The information came to light after an AI-generated translation of a Bangkok Post report drew attention to the case, leading to the discovery of the original announcement issued by the Thalang District Office on the evening of Friday, August 28.

According to the district administration, the operation involved representatives of Thalang District, the Cherng Talay Tambon Administrative Organisation, Cherng Talay Police, Phuket Provincial Police Region 8 and the Department of Forestry, including its special operations personnel.

The Thalang authorities said the notices were installed to enforce the Supreme Court's decision in a case involving the illegal occupation of public land at Bang Tao. Besides requiring the disputed area to be cleared, officials were instructed to prevent the land from being occupied again by other parties. The district announcement contains conflicting dates, referring to both August 27 and August 28, while the notices themselves are dated August 28.

The authorities have not published the names of the defendants in the land occupation case. Importantly, the district administration has not stated that every beach club, restaurant or other business operating in the area is automatically covered by the court order. Officials have distinguished between people accused of occupying public land and businesses that may have been operating there as tenants. Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also referred to this distinction during his visit to Bang Tao.

The Phuket authorities intensified their scrutiny of the beach businesses near the Muslim cemetery at Bang Tao after the high season ended. In April, provincial officials carried out two inspections of an area they referred to in official releases as “Maya Beach”, after one of the businesses operating there. Officials said at the time that more than five rai of public land had been used for commercial purposes without authorisation and that more than 16 structures were located on the disputed area. During the second inspection, electricity and water supplies to the businesses were disconnected in an effort to stop unauthorised operations.

In early May, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakun personally visited Bang Tao. He instructed local officials to take firm action against illegal commercial activity on public land and said there should be “no influential figures or mafia” operating in Phuket. He described the situation as a challenge to the authorities from unnamed shadowy interests.

By June, the investigation had come under a committee headed by Rear Admiral Praphan Srisuwipai, deputy head of the Phuket Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC). At that stage, officials were examining 34 structures in total, including 16 commercial properties and 18 residential buildings.

The commercial properties listed by ISOC were:

• The Wave Phuket

• Ember Steak House

• Maya Beach Club

• Bud Haven

• A-Loma Massage

• Reggae Bar

• Tiki Shack Bar & Restaurant

• MAMBA

• Yuuhi Beach Club

• Beach Pig

• Solis Beach Club

• ALOMA

• ALOMA Bang Tao

• Blue Ocean Restaurant & Bar

• Golden Fish

• Nomad Beach Club Phuket

At the time, the committee chairman specifically stressed that appearing on the list did not mean that a business had been found guilty of any wrongdoing. The purpose of the investigation was to establish the boundaries of the properties, verify land documents and determine where private ownership ended and state land began.

That clarification later became particularly important. In July, Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwannachawi confirmed that five land title deeds — Nos. 22642, 22643, 34220, 34223 and 34224 — were valid. Around nine rai covered by those titles were legally owned by a private company, according to the authorities.

At the same time, officials identified roughly six rai without land titles where 31 commercial structures and other buildings had been found. A further 17 structures were believed to extend into public land directly along the beach.

Another significant development came on August 6, when the Thalang District Office announced a Supreme Court ruling in “one of the cases” concerning the occupation of more than five rai of public land at Bang Tao.

The announcement said the Supreme Court had upheld the conviction of Kittiphong Kaeukong, who was sentenced to one year in prison and fined 100,000 baht. Other cases connected with the area were still under consideration.

The placement of the official notices on August 28 therefore represents the enforcement of a final court decision in that particular case. It remains unclear how many other cases relating to the disputed Bang Tao land are still being investigated or could result in further legal proceedings.