Koh Samui luxury villas face demolition amid legal battle

A luxury villa project on Koh Samui faced legal action yesterday as local officials attempted to enforce a demolition order for 11 buildings. The project’s legal representatives intervened, preventing access and challenging the orders.

Yesterday, October 21, Ramnet Jaikang, Mayor of Koh Samui, assigned an experienced legal officer, Pallop Meepian, to carry out the demolition orders issued by the municipality. The orders pertained to the Ariya Residence project, comprising 11 villas.

They were backed by Police Lieutenant Pongsakorn Meepan, head investigator, Colonel Dusit Kesornnkaew, head of the task force against land encroachment and environmental destruction, officers from Bo Phut Police Station, the Tourism Assistance Centre, and other relevant officials.

According to the Building Control Act of 2522 (1979), the Koh Samui municipality, acting as the local officials, issued a demolition order (K.15), number 158/2562, on October 18, 2019. The order instructed the owner of the unauthorised buildings in Moo 3, Maret, Koh Samui, Surat Thani to demolish the structures within 90 days. The order was posted on the buildings on October 22, 2019.

Further orders (K.6), numbers 87, 90, and 93/2567, were issued on April 9, 2024, requiring the demolition of unauthorised constructions in the same area within 30 days. The orders were posted on the buildings on April 10, 2024.

Despite these directives, the owners failed to comply with the demolition orders within the specified timeframes. Under section 43(1)(2) of the Building Control Act of 2522 (1979), the municipality announced the enforcement of the demolition starting yesterday, October 21, at 10am.

As the local officials arrived to carry out the demolition, they encountered a barricade at the project’s entrance. A sign reading Private Property, No Entry was posted, and a lawyer representing the project’s owners appeared before the officials, reported KhaoSod.

The lawyer informed them that a petition to revoke the demolition order had been filed on October 18, and the owners opposed any demolition activities, arguing that the municipality’s actions since 2019 were legally flawed. They intended to pursue legal action in the administrative court, the project’s lawyer said.

“We believe that the municipality’s actions are not under the law, and we will take this matter to court.”

Following the obstruction, Pallop, the legal officer from the municipality, proceeded to file a report with the Bo Phut Police Station to take further legal action. The Fourth Army Area Command issued an urgent directive to enforce administrative measures strictly, emphasising the need to proceed with the demolition of the luxury villas.