A team from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) arrived in Phuket yesterday to investigate the controversial sunset-blocking Cape Krathing villa property under construction and have said that it is likely that the land title issued for the land is illegal.
Lt. Col. Prawut Wongsrinil said, “After being notified of this development, we investigated and found that in 2010 a land title had been issued for a plot of land covering around 30 rai (11.9 acres) in this area.
“The land document had been issued for an individual from Bangkok. However, this land title was issued without the owner previously having has a SorKor 1 land title,” he said.
By Thai law, to issue for the land title deed, the SorKor1 land document must be presented.
A SorKor1 land document proves that the land was registered as a utilized possession before Dec. 1, 1954, which was when the land code began to be enforced.
The officer said that it’s unlikely anyone registered that plot of land since it’s not well-suited to farming or building and tourism was not yet an industry in Phuket.
“The area has a shallow surface. Most of the land has rocks which are not suitable for growing crops. The land is also mountainous and has a sea boundary. Therefore, it is believed that the land document is illegal. The issuing of the land document and the construction of the property will have to be investigated further,” Lt. Col. Prawut noted.
On July 31, Rawai Municipality ordered construction to stop on the collection of villa buildings, likely to become a resort, on Phuket’s southwest coast after discovering that parts of the buildings breach the project’s building permit.
Then, on Aug. 3, Deputy Director of the Phuket branch of ISOC Capt. Boworn Phromgaewngam led Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos and officials to inspect the construction site and ordered that new construction plans for the eyesore construction site be drawn up and clarified within 30 days.
It was confirmed on Aug. 24 that sections of the controversial property which have deemed to be illegal by officials were in the process of being demolished.
More recently, on Monday, Mayor Aroon said that that demolition of the illegal parts of the project were not yet complete and he was awaiting instructions from the Phuket Governor.
The investigation into the SorKor 1 deed is ongoing.
Story: The Phuket News
