Phuket: The Prime Minister exposed a scheme to fraudulently seize land for private resorts. Anutin Charnvirakul was furious during his visit to Freedom Beach to confront mafia encroachers, calling it "disgraceful" and ordering an investigation into government officials. He exposed a scheme to fraudulently seize land for private resorts, vowing to restore justice to the villagers. He opposed bail for "Sia Lek" (a nickname for a prominent figure in the Thai business) fearing witness intimidation.
According to Thai News Agency, at 7:00 PM at Freedom Beach, Phuket, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul gave an interview during a site visit to Freedom Beach, stating that there were attempts to seize all the land where villagers lived and evict them. He said that if the government hadn't intervened, the area would have become a resort and hotel, with land ownership documents being sold to the villagers using forged and fraudulent documents. He emphasized that if the land were to be used by the nation, it should be open to everyone, not monopolized. He questioned whether anyone would accept an entire beach being seized for personal use. He stated that the plan, if successful, would turn the beach into their private paradise. He added that they had spent thousands on this scheme, but their plan had failed, and they would now have to pay for their actions in prison.
When asked if he was angry that one person had damaged the reputation and image of Thai tourism by tarnishing the beautiful beaches and clear waters, Prime Minister Anutin stated that the relevant agencies would investigate further and would eventually find out who was involved.
When pressed on whether it was infuriating, the Prime Minister responded, "It's disgusting," especially the involvement of government officials. He said, "It's already bad enough that government officials are involved, but I don't believe government officials are cooperating. Building a 300-step concrete staircase is impossible; it's impossible that government officials didn't know about it. In my capacity as Director of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), I will mobilize full force to restore justice to the victims, stop the actions of those involved, and prosecute them."
A reporter asked if he had encountered any mafia members at Freedom Beach. The Prime Minister pointed to the Phuket governor and jokingly said, "Look at that mafia! The scariest person in Phuket!" (laughs).
When asked if it was unfortunate that he arrived just one day late, after "Sia Lek" had already surrendered, the Prime Minister responded, "It's alright. I didn't want to meet him anyway. Why would I? It would be bad luck. I don't want that." He affirmed that legal action would be taken to the fullest extent. He also urged anyone currently encroaching or doing anything illegal to withdraw their structures. "We won't wait. We will use the existing laws, which are the legitimate rights of the government, to demolish, destroy, and reclaim the land. There will be no delays, because the evidence seen today is only a small patch; there's nothing to worry about."
The Prime Minister also assured that if we were to reclaim the assets today and then be extorted again, it would be a curse upon the entire nation, which is impossible. He affirmed that no one would dare do that and that he is not worried because we have law enforcement officers.
Mr. Anutin clarified that his visit to Bang Tao Beach the other day did not include Freedom Beach, citing urgent duties in Ranong Province. He explained that he initially thought the situation was resolved and that the "Bang Tao Model" would be implemented, emphasizing the need to eliminate oppression and prosecute offenders fully, reclaiming state property. He stressed that this order is applied nationwide, not just in this area, and cannot be applied separately. He affirmed that he has not abandoned the villagers, and that he was there to investigate when they suffered from thugs and oppression. He stated that upon arrival, he was unsure what to do, as the police have already initiated legal proceedings and initially opposed bail, citing the suspects' influence and their potential to intimidate witnesses. He expressed a desire for a severe punishment to prevent bail, and stated he believes there are still many mafia groups operating within the organization, emphasizing the need to expand the investigation w ithin this framework to cover all areas.