Worasit revealed that demolition of illegal structures encroaching on Phuket beaches will occur within August, affirming that land held by nominee owners must be compulsorily sold. He said all data will be completed within two weeks.
On 23 June 2026 at 13:30 at the Government House, Worasit Liangprasert, Deputy Minister of the Interior, disclosed after visiting Phuket Province to monitor progress on resolving issues related to influential groups and cracking down on nominee landholders, that authorities are tracking the process of public land encroachment, particularly at Bang Tao Beach, Freedom Beach, and Nui Beach. The influential groups at Bang Tao Beach are now under police investigation, including bribery issues, with details on implicated officials to be provided by the Anti-Corruption Organization. At Freedom Beach, although it is within a national park, police investigations are ongoing and demolition of structures is expected by August, during which affected parties may file complaints. Demolition at Nui Beach is planned for mid-July. Regarding benefit extortion by influential groups, 99% of information has been gathered and awaits disclosure by relevant agencies. Regarding nominees holding land, cooperation with the Department of Business Development, Ministry of Commerce, revealed 317 companies holding 480 plots. All 317 companies will face compulsory land sales as they have no ownership rights. Further investigation will determine how they acquired the land, with data to be compiled and sales enforced. If not acted upon, the provincial governor will oversee this. Additionally, all 317 companies will be investigated by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) for similar violations, as they likely hold land on behalf of others, with damages valued at nearly 6 billion baht.
Worasit also said that investigations into nominee landholdings will expand nationwide, targeting areas where foreigners have settled. Clearer results are expected within two weeks, though he acknowledged the complexity of the data requires time for accurate verification, warning that officials may face consequences if inaccuracies occur. Many holdings are disguised, such as Company A being 51% Thai-owned and 49% foreign-owned, while Company B is used to increase Thai ownership percentages to appear legally Thai, yet combined foreign ownership surpasses Thai ownership. Each province has been progressively reporting these issues to the Ministry, with data management to be completed within two weeks. He emphasized that nominees who acquired Thai nationality will be scrutinized for legal compliance, and any irregularities will be dealt with according to law. Authorities can trace the reasons behind acquiring Thai citizenship, so there is no concern about how investigations will proceed. Regarding claims that foreigners legally hold land under Nor Sor 3 title deeds, Worasit confirmed that foreigners have no rights to hold land unless granted special BOI investment privileges. If public land encroachment occurs, the Land Department and Forestry Department have authority to investigate.