Foreign nationals arrested on Koh Phangan for illegal construction work
Polices expose illegal construction activities by unlicensed foreign contractors
Two foreigners arrested in Koh Phangan for illegal construction and electrical work without permits, facing legal action after police found evidence.
They threatened legal action against the officers but were eventually confronted with evidence of their activities.
Yesterday, on November 8 at 2pm, Police Lieutenant General Suksira Phueka-am, Commissioner of the Tourist Police, directed officers from the Tourist Police Station 5, Division 2, under Tourist Police Bureau 3, to coordinate with Koh Phangan Police Station and local administrative authorities for the arrest. The operation was led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Winich Bunshit.
The charges against them were engaging in a construction business without authorisation and working without a work permit. The arrest took place at a construction site in Ban Sri Thanu, Mueang subdistrict, Koh Phangan district, Surat Thani province.
Polices had been monitoring the duo’s activities and observed them transporting electrical materials to the site in a white Ford pickup truck, registration number 9KorKho 4869. They were seen purchasing flexible electrical conduits and equipment before driving to the construction site.
When officers revealed themselves, the suspects initially denied the allegations, claiming to be tourists and threatening to sue the officers, but their claims were undermined by documents found in their vehicle, such as cash receipts for construction materials, project plans, and house blueprints.
A Thai foreman, known as Mr A, confirmed that he was the building contractor, while Viacheslav and Ramis were responsible for the electrical installations, having been hired directly by the project owner. They reportedly worked at the site daily.
Officers, accompanied by Mr A, inspected the storage area used by the two foreigners, discovering a significant quantity of materials: 14 rolls of yellow flexible conduits, 40 junction boxes, 100 straight conduits, electrical cables, electric drills, and various tools, along with the pickup truck used for transporting the equipment.
The suspects acknowledged the evidence and confessed to conducting their contracting business unlawfully, lacking the necessary work permits, and admitted to undertaking similar jobs at several locations.
In related news, police in Surat Thani conducted ‘Operation X-Ray’ across Thailand’s most popular southern islands Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Tao, arresting 17 foreign nationals and one Thai citizen for working illegally and violating immigration laws earlier this year.
Among those detained were five Russians and two Ukrainians, who were found running unlicensed nurseries, teaching without permits, and operating private schools without authorisation.
The police detained the illegal construction workers and handed them over to investigators at Koh Phangan Police Station to proceed with legal action, reported by KhaoSod.
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