About 400 local officials went to Hat Nui in Phuket on Monday to demolish buildings encroaching on the shore.
The group was led by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin, who said local people were aware of the government’s plan to return encroached forest and marine park areas of Phuket to the public.
“Fishermen who approached the beach were shot at or assaulted. This is not private property. It is public land. We cannot tolerate it,” Mr Suchart said. Influential people illegally occupied many beaches in Phuket, the minister said.
Mr Suchart said they had begun the demolition of 50 buildings that encroached on Hat Nui. Officials would later guard the area to ensure they did not return.
The operation would expand to other beaches that have been encroached on in Phuket. It would take time because there would be legal disputes, he said. Encroachers would be ousted from about 300 public locations in Phuket.
A huge number of officials would be needed to end all encroachment at about 10 other beaches like Hat Nui.
After the offending structures were removed the government would develop the beach as part of a recreational forest area extending over a total area of 540 rai, Mr Suchart said.
