Encroaching buildings demolished at Phuket's Freedom beach

Foreigners were sold fake title deeds at extortionate prices

PHUKET - Authorities have made arrests and demolished structures encroaching on Freedom beach in Muang district, where foreigners were duped into buying illegally issued land title deeds at inflated prices.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin led Sunday's operation, in company with 350 forest protection and local government officials and police. They used heavy machinery to knock down the buildings and restore free public access to Freedom beach, in tambon Karon.

The structures encroached on nine rai (14,400 square metres) of the beach.

“Freedom beach is beautiful and today’s operation is aimed at ensuring free access to the beach as a New Year gift to the people,” the minister said.

According to Mr Suchart, fraudsters used ownership documents for other blocks of land to illegally seek title deeds to land along Freedom beach. Then they sold the illegally issued land documents to Thais at 3-5 million baht per rai and to foreigners at 16 million baht per rai.

The minister estimated the illegal land sales and business development on Freedom beach reaped about 3 billion baht. Police arrested four suspects on Sunday.

He said authorities would work out fair compensation for the duped buyers, and protect witnesses in the case.

“We want Freedom beach and its world-class beauty to be a public space that children, all Thais, can enter, and conserve it as a priceless natural asset of the nation,” Mr Suchart said.

As officials demolished buildings on the beach, the minister instructed them to guarantee free access for the general public. There must not be an entry fee, he said.

However, authorities would impose appropriate fees on foreign visitors, to raise a fund to maintain the beach, Mr Suchart said.

Nikorn Sirarotchananon, director-general of the Royal Forest Department, said efforts to take back Freedom beach from illegal land owners and occupants had already resulted in the development of a recreational forest covering 41 rai (65,600 square metres).

Efforts were aimed at restoring a total of 260 rai (416,000 square metres) to Freedom beach, which is part of a reserved forest.

Freedom beach on Sunday.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin, centre, and senior officials on Freedom beach on Sunday.