Rush to solve Laguna dispute

PHUKET TOWN: Thalang District Chief Kanthee Silapa yesterday set himself a deadline of three weeks from now to report his findings on the dispute over whether Thai Wah Development, Laguna Resorts and Hotels’ parent company, had encroached on government land. K. Kanthee announced his deadline – April 20 – at a meeting at Provincial Hall, which was attended by representatives of last Tuesday’s mob, local government officers and, from the Laguna side, James Batt, the Managing Director of Laguna Resorts and Hotels, and Niyom Tassaneetipagorn, Assistant Vice-President of Thai Wah Development. K. Kanthee announced the date after Cherng Talay villager Sittichai Chantawong pressured him to “hurry up and prove that the land in question was public land”. The District Chief said that he would expedite the investigation, but explained that there would have to be more meetings between the three parties before he reports his findings to the Governor CEO. Neither K. Niyom nor Mr Batt made any comment after the meeting and both have been unavailable since then.