IN A major crackdown on illegal nominee land ownership as many as 266 police officers led by Deputy National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Samran Nualma raided 27 companies on Koh Phangan and seized 37 land title deeds worth a total of 150 million baht, Naewna and PPTVHD36 said today (May 13).
Meanwhile Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also visited the tourist island today and during a meeting with local residents and officials to deliver policy directives he vowed to not tolerate foreigners taking up Thai jobs nor would anyone be allowed to seize public land.
He stressed the importance of preserving the environment and maintaining the beauty of the beaches and promised to implement zoning measures that would not harm the natural environment, offering flexibility and leniency.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, through the Department of Forestry and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, has the capacity to cooperate with local authorities, municipalities, and sub-district administrative organizations to allocate land for people to earn a living.
However, this land allocation must directly benefit the people, not be given to a single individual, group, or company, with this then being subdivided for distribution to others. Such action is contrary to the intended purpose and will not be tolerated, he said.
Meanwhile, in the raid on 27 companies on Koh Phangan one foreign national and three Thais were arrested on charges of conducting illegal foreign business operations and nominee ownership to circumvent the law.
During the searches, authorities seized company documents, meeting minutes, land titles and sales contracts, lease and management agreements, financial evidence such as bank accounts, income and expenditure records, international money transfer documents plus digital data and computers.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page – Police carrying out a big crackdown on Koh Phangan today, May 13, 2026. Photos – Naewna
Insert – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul with Koh Phangan officials and residents. Photo – PPTVHD36
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