Crackdown on nominee-owned businesses in Phuket, Krabi, Pha-ngan and Surat Thani

Major crackdowns on nominee-owned businesses were launched simultaneously today in Phuket, Phang-nga and Krabi provinces, as well as on Pha-ngan Island in Surat Thani province, targeting mainly real estate majority-owned by Thai nominees on behalf of foreign partners.

Pol Lt Gen Noppasilp Poonsawat, the police commissioner, presided over the launch of the crackdown at the Muang Phuket provincial police station this morning. Local and immigration police, officials from the Land Department and Commerce Ministry are involved in the operations.

Pol Lt Gen Noppasilp said the crackdown operations are divided into three phases. The first and second phases are now under way on Pha-ngan Island and the third phase is targeting Phuket, Phang-nga and Krabi, which are famous coastal areas popular among foreign and Thai tourists.

Altogether 59 arrest warrants and 60 search warrants have been issued by the courts to facilitate the crackdown, with 29 suspected nominee companies in Phuket alone being targeted.

In Phuket, officials from the Forest Department and the police served notifications on several encroachers on the Nui Beach yesterday, requiring them to dismantle their shelters and other structures by July 9 or forest officials will demolish them.

Nui Beach is located in the national forest reserves, which cover the Nark Kerd mountains.

No one claiming direct ownership of land on the Nui Beach was present when the officials served the notifications yesterday. Some of their representatives showed up, however, to acknowledge receipt.

The encroached beach covers an area of about 2.4 hectares (15 rai) and some claimants have filed lawsuits with the Administrative Court challenging the Forest Department’s move to reclaim the state land.