Keep Phuket land for Phuket people: Land Chief

PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Land Office chief Paitoon Lertkrai today told the Gazette that he is deeply concerned that far too many Phuket people are selling their land to off-islanders.

“I do not mean just people from other countries, I mean anyone not from Phuket,” he said.

“Right now many Phuket people are selling their land, and most of the buyers are people from other provinces or Thai companies.

“I am worried that if all Phuket people sell their land, then their future generations will become poor because all their family land would have been sold and the money all spent,” explained Mr Paitoon, who is originally from Surat Thani.

“I want Phuket people to keep their land for their children… and their children’s children. If they sell it all, where will their children live?

“They should sell only some of their land and keep some for their children to live on,” he advised.

His concern has grown out of the recent spike in volume of land transfers being processed at the Land Office in Phuket Town.

“Just today [December 28, 2010] our office earned more than 10 million baht in transfer fees alone. We transferred ownership of about 200 titles today,” he explained.

“On average, we earn about four million baht a day.” he added.

Mr Paitoon pointed out that during the fiscal year October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010, the Phuket Land Office earned about 1.3 billion baht in transfer fee revenue.

— Pimwara Choksakulpan