Mafia crackdown: Koh Samet gearing up for trouble as soldiers descend on holiday island today

[gchurch259]

Encroachment is epidemic in Thailand, only thing worse is dumping everything they do not want on whoever's property is closest. There must be a million tons of trash, ole signs,junk or whatever everywhere. Even the Klongs are fail game for dumping.

 

In our neighborhood the owners continue to build stuff out into the street or have plants in the common area and the streets.

 

They have little or no respect for other peoples rights !!

[williamgeorgeallen]

13 minutes ago, pegman said:

Yes soon it will be sanitized and have Singapore prices. In the next few months they will be turning their attention on the illegal use of fake thai companies  for ownership of houses, thai proportion condos and foreign controled businesses. Thousands of foreigners will haver their  property and businesses seized and be charged with fraud. Sentences will start at 6 months in the BKK Hilton. Wonder how many of these posters cheering on Thais losing everything have a cell awaiting themselves?

i know a canadian guy. cops stopped him on his scooter and asked for some cash for him not having a helmet. he started having a go at them about corruption. cop wrote him a ticket, he wasted half a day at the cop shop paying the ticket. he keeps his mouth shut  now.

so true about all the foreigners loosing their property if they decide to clamp down on that.

we should enjoy it for the way it is, or leave. its not going to change. the army are just having a turn at the trough. wont last for ever. thaksins third cousin once removed will be back after the road map has been completed or the cops can get enough money to start some riots.

[FredNL]

So this is why I received about 25 offers to buy real estate and resorts at Koh Samet the last 2 days. They were going for real low prices. It almost fooled me.

[mcfish]

i know a canadian guy. cops stopped him on his scooter and asked for some cash for him not having a helmet. he started having a go at them about corruption. cop wrote him a ticket, he wasted half a day at the cop shop paying the ticket. he keeps his mouth shut  now.
so true about all the foreigners loosing their property if they decide to clamp down on that.
we should enjoy it for the way it is, or leave. its not going to change. the army are just having a turn at the trough. wont last for ever. thaksins third cousin once removed will be back after the road map has been completed or the cops can get enough money to start some riots.

William the brown nosing brown bag boy. Are you this sleazy in real life as well? Encouraging riots by the way isn't very bright, you won't have enough brown bags to get you out that pickle

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[williamgeorgeallen]

3 minutes ago, mcfish said:

William the brown nosing brown bag boy. Are you this sleazy in real life as well? Encouraging riots by the way isn't very bright, you won't have enough brown bags to get you out that pickle

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk
 

you are out of your dept trying to discuss something which you have no first hand knowledge of, but instead of moving on you have to degrade yourself to name calling. this is the one thing that annoys me the most in this forum is how people with a difference of opinion need to act like children. your not the only one. another guy on here is even worse than you. i have given up trying to discuss anything with him.

[bberrythailand]

8 hours ago, MorristheRunt said:

I am one of this regimes biggest critics, BUT on this I can only say OUSTANDING EFFORT, well done to all involved!

 

Long may it continue, and lets hope they go all out on the BAR STEWARDS on Koh Tao

 

 

Totally support them too, but I fear that we won't see any election that they are sure to lose before 2025...

 

 

 

 

[PumbaBangkok]

18 hours ago, Pinot said:

Slowly getting around to all these places. Thai people deserve to have these encroaching businesses thrown off the kings beachs. 

 

You can not let  local officials run these beaches. They're the ones profiting. It's interesting...none of the local officials ever get prosecuted for allowing this to happen. 

They never process these people. It could lead to unfortunate instances of influential figures having their dealings exposed in a court

. Unnacceptable risk....

 

[williamgeorgeallen]

7 hours ago, fullcave said:

 

Thanks, I'm surprised you even allow any comments. 

the army needs to bring in a 15 year jail sentence for anyone who says something bad about them. i have seen this system used before and it works very well, at getting people locked up.

[kingstonkid]

As an aside 

 

Do we know which hotels are being shut down or which beaches.

 

might not be a bad idea to publish

 

[impulse]

12 hours ago, mcfish said:

Go buy a seven eleven and tell me how much bag money you pay? 

 

You'd never know.  It's wrapped up in the franchise fee.  They get a bulk rate, even on corruption.

[zaZa9]

17 hours ago, saminoz said:

I think that, before the pro-junta cheerleading team get overcome by their orgasms, we should wait and see which military bigwigs step in and take over the revenues.

I can't see them simply bulldozing these sources of revenues.

I suspect that they'll simply change ownership somehow.

 

"..wait and see" ??

Now theres a turn up for the books.

All Ive ever read from the Anti -Thai Sad Sack Brigade  is that the army should have saved the world by  last Monday  ...

But now its "wait and see" ??

 

Well you wait and see.

I live near Surin Beach , and every , yes EVERY , structure illegally placed on public land was removed from it.

One of those structures was deemed by locals as 'untouchable' ( apparently it was owned by some very highly connected Thais).

It still went.

Google Zazada for those interested.

 

And rather than be all pro , or all anti , I decry the loss of that building.

It was beautifully built and had possibly the best quality  beach side amenities on Phuket.

I and many others wanted to see it 'confiscated' and retained  for that , and as a Tourist Info .

But it was demolished , because that was the law.

 

Good to see someone following it  , but Im also critical of the mess left behind.

There must be 10,000 lumps of cement and blocks and   tile left behind.

Samet will be the same.

 

Samui and Tao however will not be.

People , both rich and poor , are being run out of the National Parks at both as we speak - including family of well known yellow shirt leaders ( remember them  ? , that called for a Coup ?)

But since those islands have been populated for a long time , any attempts at 'change' will , IMO , be much more gentle , and much more open to negotiation.

But not on the beach  and not in National parks - the army is convinced that these areas were not 'owned' when the Parks were declared. 

And I applaud their resolve.

 

[lucky11]

19 hours ago, mcfish said:

You replied to the wrong person.. It happens. I'm very much pro army and can't thank them enough for cleaning out the scum on sukhumvit Nana where I bought my condo. 12 years of being pushed shoved and relegated to walking on sukhumvit traffic lanes at night and It's now finally over wooohooo

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

 

 

Yes, I think he misinterpreted your post - it's not a case of you having to read the article again, but him reading your previous post again!!

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, brain150 said:

It's interesting:
So the local government is the mafia !

Instead of dealing with the problem you send in the army and all the Thai people

who try to make a living lose their businesses and jobs.

 

Because some people make the big money out of it it is all justified because you have to hit the "big guys".

Sadly the only ones suffering are the normal people who try to make a living.

 

Pretty hard to believe that anybody would support such action.

I only find it hard to believe that a poster, presumably not owning a business on Samet, would support the despoliation of a once beautiful island and the open flouting of Thai law.

Last time I went there ( it was so bad I never went back ) there was garbage end to end of the island, the village was a tip and the only thing the park officials did was collect the fees. They certainly didn't use them to clean up the place.

That the government is going to give the people responsible the boot is excellent news.

[farcanell]

Nai harn beach is a completely different place, from what it was a couple of years ago... there's no doubt that a difference is being made.

 

the question is, how fast will it revert to what it was, once a government is elected.

[mcfish]

Nai harn beach is a completely different place, from what it was a couple of years ago... there's no doubt that a difference is being made.
 
the question is, how fast will it revert to what it was, once a government is elected.

The army will still hold a Lot of power regardless of who is elected. You wouldn't want to risk pissing them off and reversing all of their work, that would be political suicide IMO

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[impulse]

4 minutes ago, farcanell said:

the question is, how fast will it revert to what it was, once a government is elected.

 

That's the $64,000 question.  Are the current, favorable actions being taken for the long term, or just clearing the slate for the next batch of kleptocrats?  

 

The good news is that something is changing.  So there is at least a possibility that it's the start of reform.  But it will be years before we know for certain.

[zaZa9]

13 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

there is some confusion. this is not about stopping corruption. it is an amazing opportunity to make money. westerners dont see the corruption that is ingrained into thailand. every property owner and business owner on that island is now in delicate talks with the army to stay. some will succeed if they can afford it and others will be made to go. nothing will really change.

 

Agree that this isnt about corruption per se .

This is black and white , its about whether a building , ANY building , is on gazetted public land , or if it is not.

The law is clear , the sand is Crown Land .

So in Phuket so far EVERY building on  the sands of every public beach has been removed. Even those built by the Or Bor Tor..

I guess you'd say 'delicate negotiations ' failed.

The more difficult job of determining boundaries inland , in a country only just recently beginning to utilize modern surveying techniques, will take time.

But there are 'developments' covering all ranges of wealth , from camps to luxury resorts , already closed and demolished , and Im sure you've read about this here on TV. ( Phu Kao and Sirinath NPs being 2 examples I can think of now )

 

Critics want every action of the Army to be about anti-corruption measures.

Ive never been silly enough to expect that .

Others insist that those who have been 'run off' should  be charged and pay back rent.

Clearly this is not happening , so I dont know why they carp on about it.... the judiciary is cumbersome and a mess , and as such by-passed altogether by the army.

"Anti-democratic" they will yelp , implying that they want to believe a Junta should be democratic ...555

I guess the naysayers  need to cling onto some scraps of their 'anti' argument ,  albeit while they watch their "Nothing will Change" mantra disproven daily ...

 

[farcanell]

True.... as always, time will tell, but it is actually encouraging that we are seeing some infrastructure changes, down south of the island.... as opposed to the continual building for buildings sake.

 

mind you, I drove along a roadway during a decent downpour, a few days ago, and noticed that the new drainage system was overflowing, and in one place, the water had broken thru and undermined the concrete slab in front of a shop, collapsing it

 

rebar in concrete, what a wonderful idea

[zaZa9]

33 minutes ago, lucky11 said:

 

 

Yes, I think he misinterpreted your post - it's not a case of you having to read the article again, but him reading your previous post again!!

 

No , I meant to quote another post ... I explained that on page 2 ...

[williamgeorgeallen]

32 minutes ago, zaZa9 said:

 

Agree that this isnt about corruption per se .

This is black and white , its about whether a building , ANY building , is on gazetted public land , or if it is not.

The law is clear , the sand is Crown Land .

So in Phuket so far EVERY building on  the sands of every public beach has been removed. Even those built by the Or Bor Tor..

I guess you'd say 'delicate negotiations ' failed.

The more difficult job of determining boundaries inland , in a country only just recently beginning to utilize modern surveying techniques, will take time.

But there are 'developments' covering all ranges of wealth , from camps to luxury resorts , already closed and demolished , and Im sure you've read about this here on TV. ( Phu Kao and Sirinath NPs being 2 examples I can think of now )

 

Critics want every action of the Army to be about anti-corruption measures.

Ive never been silly enough to expect that .

Others insist that those who have been 'run off' should  be charged and pay back rent.

Clearly this is not happening , so I dont know why they carp on about it.... the judiciary is cumbersome and a mess , and as such by-passed altogether by the army.

"Anti-democratic" they will yelp , implying that they want to believe a Junta should be democratic ...555

I guess the naysayers  need to cling onto some scraps of their 'anti' argument ,  albeit while they watch their "Nothing will Change" mantra disproven daily ...

 

sure going to be interesting to see how it plays out. i have seen a lot of crack downs on corruption over the last decade and nothing has ever changed so please excuse me for being skeptical.

[Beats56]

I usually go to Samet every year. I think I will wait now till all this demolition is complete. Garbage ...I find the beaches are fairly clean but other areas are not. I am use to seeing garbage now as all of Thailand is like that. I try to lead by example and clean up anything caused by me. The worst is coming back on the ferry and pulling up to the pier. So much crap in the water. Just discussing. I wish I had a list of the resorts being torn down. I got a map of the island and would be good know which ones.

I usally stay in the Hat Sai Kaew area.

[williamgeorgeallen]

14 hours ago, MoonUnit said:

Would you be so kind as to elaborate on my post, #74, williamgeorgeallen?  Would clear things up a little.

just checked #74. think i answered that in the other topic. maybe PM me or ask me again in that topic if i did not answer your question.

[zaZa9]

3 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

sure going to be interesting to see how it plays out. i have seen a lot of crack downs on corruption over the last decade and nothing has ever changed. 

 

Me to.

In those previous  instances I never once saw anything 'physically' removed from the set-up , unless it was removing  soldiers from the streets.

 

But this time I have seen action , and it has negatively affected all 'observable' classes.

( I say 'observable' as I have no idea what goes on with the Power Elite ....however 2 of Surins  demolished beach clubs were partnered by Thai shareholders of mega hotel chains ) 

 

Like yourself , I dont want to be all 'pro' or all 'against' anything.

But my hunch is that since the army has announced that  24 resorts on Samet  will go , they WILL go.

The army cant let itself be seen as waivering - thats  a sign of weakness for military men.

My observations of Thai people is that they usually only half listen anyway - nobody is going to listen at all to the army  if they are seen as weak.

 

As to whether what Im seeing down here in the South , which I should ad has always been anti-red , will result in a fundamental change to Thai ways , I have sincere doubts.

The historically 'approved' way for Thais to populate the lands claimed by the king as Thailand  was to spread out and 'squat' on the piece they wanted. Clear the jungle and farm it and survive. And fend off all comers and/or pay tribute ( 'taxes' implies too much fairness ) to a strong man , or a noble granted  control over that land  ( and all upon it  )  by royal decree . After a certain period and with a lot of payment to officials ( 'strong men' in a way as well as they have clout )  , they could attempt to have that land put in their name.

 

Many  are still endeavouring to get the land their parents claimed , or squatted on ,  up to Chanote ( freehold ) title right now.

So there is a culture of land grabbing... of taking into private use what all and sundry knows is Public.

And with a dysfunctional Police force , who are constantly looking to get a cut out of this mindset , we already can see Viagra Salesmen back on the Suk , or more beach chairs appearing on Lamai Beach in Samui... ( Im sure theyve come from Phuket ! 555)

Hell even 'bare earth' Surin Beach  had some umbrellas and rubber mats appear yesterday .

 

So I guess my conclusion is that , while the enforcers of the laws are 'buyable' for such trivial amounts , or ,  in short , so poorly educated and  paid as to  view corruption as a career , then not much will change.

Its easy for the army to knock down things.

But its a far more difficult task to train a generation of young  bureaucrats to  go against the  Thai tradition of listening to their elders.

The army  would need years and years , all the while with the critics screaming ,   and other governments pressuring for "A Return to Democracy" ... the  current Thai version of which , those governments  dont really understand ...

For a 'transparent' system to work  ,  the  newly graduated  officials would need   ignore their seniors corruption and demands for money to flow up the line , so ignore their bosses ,  or even expose them!  

They would need to  think , "My job is more important than a bribe. "

 

With current Thai attitudes , and  within a relatively short time frame  see this as a near impossible task.

[sandrabbit]

On ‎21‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 11:25 AM, webfact said:

Naew Na reported yesterday that 100 park officials, soldiers and police had set up roadblocks all over the island and were checking work permits, forbidding tents on the beaches, closing down jetski operations and trying to stop speedboats - though they failed to have much impact in the last of these.

I don't understand them not allowing people to camp on the beaches, there is not enough accommodation on the island to cope if they stop this as during songkran and the new year you can't move due to the amount of young Thais partying there. As for the speed boats, companies like white shark actually provide a needed service as the slow ferry services are quite inflexible. We would hire a boat from white shark and cross to the island about midnight and go partying at ploy then get picked up between 3 & 4 am to go back to the mainland for a reasonable price. If you want to avoid the national park fee at Na Dan then don't walk straight to Sai Kaew, walk down the streets to the left of the main road past the wat.

[Golden Triangle]

Good to see some action being taken at last, now when you have finished there can you just pop over to Pattaya and clean up Walking Street, pretty please

 

This government has at least another year in office, and even after the elections will still wield considerable power, a lot can happen in 12 months, I will follow their actions with interest.   

[DSJPC]

17 hours ago, 1sickpuppy said:

 

 

There is light at the end of the tunnel & its a freight train coming your way. checkout time

sick indeed!

[BuriramDevelopers]

On 21-11-2016 at 7:11 AM, mcfish said:

Yesss love this government and could care less it's military! Simply brilliant work!!

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk
 

True in a completely non economic thought proces. Just wish they would be able to run the country's economy up a little....

[Honthy]

23 hours ago, louse1953 said:

Not sure about KT,it is a marine national park,not the actual island.

Koh Tao is a marina national park now, was prison island before.

[oldsailor35]

On 11/21/2016 at 4:57 PM, bamukloy said:

This i cant understand this with Thais..its either nothing or go crazy 100%.

I cant see any point in tearing down these resorts

 

just loss of jobs and a waste of opportunities they could have used those buildings for.

 

And what happen to the debris from the resorts? 

-left on the ground for yet another eyesore ?

 

Good to see they are doing something, but to far in the extreme.

 

Sacking the corrupt people there is good for now, but they will only replace them with another mob.

 

Will the new lot do exactly the same thing, 6 months later when they realise the money that can be made?

Money corrupts always.

 

Sad state of affairs, but is really just greed that corrupt everything on this planet.

...which of course is a human issue, not just Thai.

As for the debris from destroyed resorts, the owners must be made to pay for its disposal, they brought it there in the first place.

[oldsailor35]

On 11/21/2016 at 5:41 PM, Grubster said:

I really don't know what to think of this, is it a clean up of corruption or a changing of the guard. We shall see. Until I see Red bull in jail I don't trust much.

And a big inquiry into the Koa Tao fiasco.