PHUKET – Thai police arrested a local influential figure and his immediate family members in Phuket for allegedly operating a massive land scam inside a protected national reserve. Investigators revealed that the suspects falsely claimed private ownership of protected rainforest land near Freedom Beach and illegally sold parcels to unsuspecting property investors.
The coordinated police operation dismantled a network that generated more than 20 million baht in fraudulent real estate transactions. Following the arrests, natural resources officials announced sweeping plans to demolish unauthorized buildings and reclaim over sixty rai of coastal forest for public use.
Key Takeaways• Police captured a four-member family syndicate in Phuket for selling protected coastal reserve land and collecting over 20 million baht. • The primary suspect used firearm intimidation and threatening online posts to silence buyers who tried to report the illegal property scheme. • Environment authorities launched an immediate mission to tear down unlawful structures and restore sixty rai of pristine beach land to the public. |
How the Multi-Million Baht Land Scam Unfolded
The Central Investigation Bureau joined forces with environmental crime officers to apprehend Parinthorn, widely known by locals as Sia Lek Freedom Beach. Officers also arrested his wife, his adult daughter, and his son-in-law on outstanding criminal warrants charging them with public fraud and illegal land encroachment.
According to police reports, the family grabbed high-value real estate parcels located in the Khao Nak Kerd National Reserved Forest near Patong. The suspects claimed they possessed authentic property deeds, convincing several private investors to wire large sums of money for plots they could never legally own.
Buyers quickly discovered that the plots sat entirely inside state forest boundaries where private ownership is strictly prohibited by law. Furthermore, victims could neither occupy nor develop the parcels, resulting in immense financial losses exceeding 20 million baht across multiple private buyers.
Intimidation Tactics Silenced Victims for Months
Despite suffering heavy monetary damage, many victims hesitated to contact law enforcement because the primary suspect maintained an aggressive local reputation. The suspect regularly uploaded threatening photographs featuring weapons onto social media channels and fired live gunshots into the night air to terrify nearby residents.
These continuous acts of armed intimidation created widespread fear across the neighborhood, causing swindled investors to delay formal legal action. However, persistent complaints finally reached national investigators, who built a rock-solid case against the syndicate after gathering exhaustive digital and ballistic evidence.
During initial police questioning at Kathu Police Station, the main suspect denied all criminal allegations and refused to speak with reporters. Officers immediately processed the family members before transferring them directly to central police headquarters in Bangkok for formal prosecution under computer crime and fraud statutes.
Government Reclaims Freedom Beach for the Public
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin arrived in Phuket to oversee direct land reclamation efforts personally. The environmental operation follows strict cabinet directives demanding that public coastal assets remain entirely open to visitors without unlawful commercial exploitation or gatekeeper fees.
State enforcement teams are preparing to demolish unauthorized structures, including a controversial 78-step concrete stairway previously used to extract illegal entrance fees. The multi-agency operation will return over sixty rai of pristine beachfront land to Thai citizens and international tourists completely free of charge.
Forestry officials confirmed that the inter-agency probe required nearly six months of rigorous boundary surveys and land deed verifications across adjacent plots. With clear evidence in hand, government agencies are executing a zero-tolerance policy against unlawful forest encroachment to protect Thailand’s precious natural heritage.
