Thai actress defies laws to build house on Koh Samui mountain

Locals in Koh Samui in the southern province of Surat Thani filed a complaint with authorities after a luxury house belonging to a Thai actress was built on a mountain area that belongs to the government.

Officers from the Department of Land and Royal Forest Department yesterday investigated the house, and land around where the building is under construction, in the Bor Phut sub-district, Koh Samui district, Surat Thani province, but they could not gain access.

The unnamed actress was home but she wouldn’t allow the inspectors in because they did not have the right documentation to search the premises.

The three-storey luxury house, which is under construction, is located on the slope of the mountain, on land which is about 2,400 square metres. From the picture, it looks as if the house will be finished very soon. Nearby, there is another three-storey house under construction but this one is much smaller.

According to a report by the Public Relations Department of Koh Samui, the land documents and deeds of the area are still going through the building process, and the house construction has not been approved by authorities.

The house is also on public or government land and the construction is much taller than the laws suggest.

The acting director of the Building Control and Town Planning Office, Siraphop Nareelak, revealed that the actress tried to get the land documents and deeds on November 31, 2008. However, there was a problem with the aerial survey and the border survey.

The actress issued the deeds again in February 2018, and her request is still under process. This means she needs to wait for an official document to arrive before she can submit a construction plan before starting work.

The identity of the actress had not yet been reported and the investigation into the possession of the land continues.