Corrupt officials and Thai nominees are under scrutiny amid probes into foreign investors exploiting legal loopholes related to business operations and land ownership on Koh Phangan and Koh Samui, the governor says.
Residents and entrepreneurs have complained about certain Israeli tourists and business operators engaging in inappropriate behaviour and running illegal enterprises. The backlash prompted Surat Thani governor Theerut Supawiboonphol to convene an urgent meeting. He said two special task forces have made progress in their investigations.
The first unit focuses on verifying the legality of foreigners’ entry into the country, with offenders facing immediate prosecution. The second is investigating land ownership, construction, and business activities involving foreign nationals.
Mr Theerut said some foreigners enter Thailand as tourists but secretly conduct business by exploiting legal loopholes or using Thai nominees.
Such practices, he said, damage the country’s tourism image, displace local livelihoods, and cause financial leakage from the local economy.
The governor said he has instructed officials to take decisive action against both Thai nationals and state officers found to be aiding illegal foreign enterprises.
While stressing that most foreign visitors comply with the law and are welcome, Mr Theerut urged agencies to swiftly identify and take action against offenders, adding Surat Thani’s economy depends heavily on tourism.
Meanwhile, concerns have escalated after residents reported the construction of a luxury villa project comprising at least 20 buildings near a resort in Moo 3 on Koh Phangan.
Earlier inspections by the Fourth Army Region and the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 in 2016 found no violations.
However, a follow-up inspection last month revealed that at least five structures had been built within a national forest reserve. Officials are now preparing to verify the project’s boundaries.
Additionally, opposite the villa site, authorities discovered extensive land clearing and stone embankments which had been built to prevent landslides — possibly in preparation for further development.
Villagers claim that Israeli businessmen have been buying traditional farmland to develop what they describe as a potential Jewish settlement.