Resort encroaching on Navy land ordered demolished

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has ordered a luxury resort to cease its operations and to be demolished after an inspection found that it was illegally built on state land under the care of the RTN. The resort boasts six modified shipping containers made into pool villas and is located on a hilltop in the Samae San sub-district, Chon Buri.

Star Over Sea received the order from the RTN to suspend operations after allegations of illegal encroachment on state land. Its online ads brought attention to questions about its legality.

Ads on Facebook offered the resort’s large pool villas for 15,000 baht per night on weekdays and 16,500 baht per night on weekends. Those social media advertisements prompted the RTN to take legal action against the resort.

The resort had been warned by RTN officers on August 18 last year to stop operating since the land it was located on belongs to the Treasury Department. Authorities say the notification was ignored.

Now the commander of the Sattahip Naval Base issued an official letter to the local authorities requesting their cooperation in overseeing the demolition of the resort.

According to reports, the resort owner, Rommanee Joe had applied for permission to rent the state land for housing and agricultural purposes but her application was never approved. The luxury villas were built anyway, sprawled over about 11 rai of hilltop land.

After never receiving permission, ignoring orders to stop operating, and then brazenly advertising the villas for rent online, the navy had enough. They have now ordered the owner to dismantle all the structures and vacate the land within 30 days.

The Samae San land is off-limits and under the care of the Sattahip naval base as part of the law by the royal command of King Rama VI. Individuals are not eligible to receive land title deeds and residents are prohibited from legally occupying the land.