Thai investors are well-known to circumvent laws for the sake of money. Over the years, illegal resorts and hotels were for example built in national parks area or along protected coastlines. Now the government will proceed with the demolition of three resorts in Koh Samet in Rayong province and is due to process also with the removal of illegal construction in Khao Yai National Park.
BANGKOK- Nothing seems to deter the greed of some Thai investors. Even not in Khao Yai, Thailand’s oldest National Park and a World Heritage site by UNESCO since 2005.
A UNESCO mission published last March a worrying report on the state of Khao Yai National Park. In its executive summary, UNESCO team of experts indicate that “while recommendations made under previous World Heritage Committee decisions may have been addressed and positive progress made in regards to a number of threats to the property, a number of important issues and related recommendations have not been addressed or implemented, including integrated tourism management, construction of wildlife corridors, prevention of increased encroachment and increased resources for management. The mission encourages to seek greater support and attention from the highest national political level, along with engagement from the World Heritage Committee, in raising support to address the current and potential severe threats to the park”.
Thailand’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife and Plant Conservation has been battling land encroachment in many national parks over the last two years. A battle spearheaded by its Director General Damron Pidech, nicknamed “The Demolisher” by media, when he ordered a number of resorts demolished adjacent to Khao Yai National Park earlier this year. Pidech has since then been put into retirement. He has been hailed as a local hero who stood up against the rich and powerful to protect the country’s dwindling forests during his 40 years tenure at the Department.
Removing illegal constructions within protected areas remain however a sensitive task as pressure from investors and from villagers is constant. Polemics for example rose at national parks in Nakhon Ratchasima Province when nearby residents to national parks–who work in lodging- protested heavily against destruction of hotels.
Now comes the turn of Samet Island, in Rayong province. On November 15, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Preecha Rengsomboonsuk confirmed that authorities will demolish three illegal resorts in Koh Samet. The procedure will wait until the Legal Execution Department finishes putting up demolition notices at all of them. A court has already issued a verdict that the three resorts — Ploy Samet Resort, Mook Samet and Unseen Resort — encroached on Khao Lam Ya and Moo Koh Samet National Park.
Mr Preecha said that by law if the resorts operators fail to dismantle their installations within the stipulated deadlines, the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department will immediately move ahead with the eviction plan. Meanwhile, owners have tried to slowdown the procedure by asking for a further deadline extension. The Minister however vows to punish anyone found guilty of intruding on state forests and parks, no matter how powerful they are. “We cannot linger on this for any length of time as we would then be seen as being lax in our duties. I will try to take time out to travel there and oversee the demolition myself,” the minister said to local reporters.
Phuket Island has also been in the eye of the storm. According to Bill Barnett, Head of real estate consulting cabinet C9 Hotelworks, 12 Phuket properties have been listed in a government investigation. New investigations extend up to famous tourist areas such as Patong, Kamala and Kathu.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
