The government is advancing the "Phuket Model" to thoroughly inspect every inch and crack down on illegal use of state land, including reserved forests, national parks, and public areas, strictly enforcing the law and preparing to expand the approach nationwide to protect natural resources.
On 30 July 2026, Ms. Lalida Pertwivatana, Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered all relevant agencies to seriously crack down on encroachment of national reserved forests, national park areas, and public lands under the "Phuket Model." This includes a thorough "examination of every inch" to investigate illegal use of state land, improper issuance of land titles, land holdings through nominees, and unlawful use of state land before expanding the initiative nationwide to safeguard natural resources and protect national interests.
The Deputy Spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office stated that the government assigned Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri to oversee policy implementation, and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin to coordinate integrated work with relevant agencies. The Royal Forest Department and partner agencies have inspected target areas, reviewed historical land titles, enforced the law against encroachers, and coordinated with the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to examine financial and asset trails related to offenses. They are also restoring reclaimed areas back to public and forest land for sustainable shared use by the public.
Ms. Lalida said that operations under the "Phuket Model" have begun yielding concrete results, including reclaiming the Nak Koet mountain range national reserved forest—a dispute unresolved for over 28 years—and proceeding with demolition of structures encroaching on Nui Beach, Freedom Beach, and Sirinat National Park. Actions have also been taken against illegal structures on state land in multiple locations to return public areas to the people and preserve the country's natural resources. Furthermore, this approach has been applied to address land use issues in Thap Lan National Park.
Additionally, the Prime Minister has ordered related agencies to urgently inspect and strictly enforce laws against unlicensed hotels in Phuket due to potential impacts on tourist and public safety. Efforts are underway to remove stairs and structures encroaching on hillside areas leading to beaches, which have been used to unlawfully charge tourists, restoring equal public access to these areas for both residents and visitors.
"The government will continue to enforce laws strictly and fairly against all offenders and expand the 'Phuket Model' to other areas nationwide to protect natural resources, preserve state land as public assets, and uphold the principle that 'Thailand belongs to all Thai people,'" she said.