Phuket pier under investigation

PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak yesterday gave an official task force 15 days to determine whether or not a pier, being built at the Baan Kor En village in Thalang, is legal.

V/Gov Somkiet and Prapan Kanprasang, head of the Phuket Damrongtham Center (Provincial Ombudsman’s Office), joined officials from the Phuket Marine Office and the Natural Resources and Environment Phuket office during an inspection of the site this morning.

The visit yesterday followed an anonymous complaint filed at the Damrongtham Center that a pier was under construction without a building permit, said V/Gov Somkiet.

“The complaint also alleged that the pier is being built on public land,” he added.

V/Gov Somkiet explained that the first step of the investigation was to have the Damrongtham Center confirm with the Treasury Department whether or not the land in question is indeed public land.

“The Damrongtham Center will inform the governor in writing within 15 days,” V/Gov Somkiet said.

The Phuket Marine Office also has 15 days to confirm whether or not the project has been approved and whether or not the pier extends onto a protected area in the sea, he explained

“If the owner presents a building permit, the Mai Khao Tambon Administrative Organization [OrBorTor] must verify whether or not the permit is genuine,” he said

“We need every factor to be verified in order to help prevent encroachment on our natural resources from investors so that it can be preserved for the next generation of Thai people,” he added.

— Irfarn Jamdukor