Phuket’s paradise image — palm-fringed beaches, turquoise bays and glossy luxury villas — met a decidedly less glamorous reality this month as anti-corruption investigators took to the island’s dirt and dust. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) Phuket office, under the direction of Chief Suwat Saowarat, rolled out a new initiative, “Pinning Areas at Risk of Corruption,” and spent several days combing construction sites and excavation works that locals say have raised more than a few eyebrows.
From Karon to Thalang: a targeted sweep
The inspections ran from August 18 to 20 and were officially reported on August 28. The NACC team didn’t go it alone — representatives from the Provincial Public Works and Town & Country Planning Office joined the fieldwork to assess whether projects complied with the Excavation and Filling Act of 2000. That law exists for a clear reason: excavation and filling can affect public safety, the environment and neighbouring properties, and permits are supposed to be the brakes on reckless or illicit land alteration.
On August 18 the team inspected a site in Karon, accompanied by municipal officers. A day later they shifted their focus to Srisoonthorn in Thalang district, visiting two hotspots: one near the Kathu–Manik Road project and another by the Bang Neow Dam reservoir. The visit that drew the most attention — and the most raised eyebrows — was near Soi Khok Moo, where a luxury villa project sits cheek-by-jowl with areas that officials suspect may have undergone unauthorised excavation or infilling.
Srisoonthorn Municipality later participated in a follow-up inspection on August 20 to review further excavation and filling operations. According to NACC Phuket, officers have been ordered to “perform their duties in strict compliance with the law and regulations. We will continue to monitor, follow up, and take action within the scope of our authority.” That’s a short sentence, but it carries a long shadow for anyone thinking the island’s real estate momentum can outrun the law.
Why land works are a corruption risk
Excavation and filling may sound technical and mundane, but they are a fertile ground for corruption. Changing a site’s contours can increase buildable land area, alter water flow, threaten nearby structures and sometimes hide environmental damage. When permits are rubber-stamped, delayed or bypassed, backdoor deals and unofficial approvals can follow — and those are exactly the behaviors the NACC hopes to deter.
The initiative also ties into Section 33 of the Organic Act on the Prevention and Suppression of Corruption 2018, which highlights public participation as a key weapon against graft. During the site visits, NACC teams did more than flash badges and check boxes. They listened. Local officials were given space to explain the practical challenges they face enforcing regulations in fast-moving, lucrative construction zones; in turn, the NACC offered hands-on recommendations to tighten oversight and the permitting process. It was less about theatrical raids and more about systemic fixes.
Practical outcomes and a clear message
What did the inspections produce? The NACC’s publicized action serves as both audit and deterrent. By shining light on suspicious activities — from unauthorized land leveling near Bang Neow Dam to questionable fill near a luxury villa off Soi Khok Moo — investigators are sending a clear signal: no shovel will go unscrutinised.
That message matters in Phuket, where development pressure is constant. The island’s natural allure and high-end property market can encourage speedy construction that tests the limits of permit rules. Bringing the Provincial Public Works and Town & Country Planning Office into field inspections helps bridge gaps between policy and practice, making it harder for projects to slip through regulatory nets.
Local voices matter
On-the-ground engagement proved to be as crucial as legal muscle. Officials from NACC listened to municipal officers and local planners about enforcement gaps and resource limits. Those conversations produced practical recommendations — not just admonitions — aimed at improving how permits are issued, monitored and enforced.
In short, the campaign blends investigation with collaboration: identify suspicious digging, tighten oversight, support local officials, and invite community involvement. That approach reflects Section 33’s central idea — that fighting corruption works best when citizens and institutions work together.
As Phuket keeps building and rebuilding — villas, resorts, roads, drains — the NACC’s new initiative is a reminder that development must run through proper channels. For residents worried about landslides, water run-off or simply the loss of a neighbourhood’s character, the latest round of inspections offers some reassurance: the authorities are watching, listening and ready to act.
Reported by The Phuket News, the NACC’s swoop is more than a headline. It’s a practical push to ensure that the island’s future is built on permits and oversight — not shortcuts and hidden deals. And for anyone tempted to treat a bulldozer like a get-out-of-jail-free card, the message could not be clearer: dig at your own risk.
Good to see the NACC finally looking into this — Phuket has been a free-for-all for developers for years. Unauthorized filling near reservoirs is a direct threat to flooding and local safety. I hope they follow through with prosecutions, not just PR visits.
Follow-through is the real test, Alex. Agencies often poke around, make recommendations, and then the same players keep building.
Exactly, Mai. Recommendations without teeth are just nice paperwork; locals need convictions or real permit revocations.
As an urban planner I agree paperwork alone is insufficient, but capacity building at municipal offices is part of the solution too.
This sounds like the government trying to look good before tourist season. They’ll fine a couple of small contractors and call it fixed.
Why are people so surprised? Money talks and shovels listen. The real estate market loves bending rules.
That’s cynical but not untrue. Still, painting everyone as corrupt is unfair to honest developers.
I didn’t mean every developer. I meant the system creates incentives for cutting corners.
The environmental angle gets overlooked. Altering water flow near Bang Neow Dam could impact downstream farms and habitats.
Why does water flow matter? Will it make my school flood?
Yes, Tom, changing land contours can redirect rainwater and cause flooding in unexpected places, including schools.
Local voices matter indeed, but who really trusts local officials when budgets are tiny and developers are rich? Corruption thrives on that imbalance.
The NACC listened, but did they provide money or staff to help municipalities enforce rules? Saying listen is not the same as empowering.
Exactly, Sopida. Without resources the municipal officers are toothless.
This is classic governance failure: regulations exist but monitoring is weak. Field inspections are good, but transparency about permits is better.
Open permit databases would expose rubber-stamping, but that faces political resistance from vested interests.
Transparency forces public scrutiny. If records are public, journalists and residents can challenge shady approvals.
Public databases are great until they are selectively updated. We need independent auditors, not just data dumps.
I lived near Karon and the grading changed the view and the drainage. It’s heartbreaking to see neighborhoods lose character for villas.
That loss of character is a real social cost. Property owners gain but communities lose public space and identity.
Yes Tae, and it’s not reversible once the hillside is flattened and concrete poured.
Corruption in land works is predictable: where there’s opaque permitting, incentives to enlarge buildable land exist. The remedy is institutional reform and better data.
Institutional reform is a nice phrase, but what concrete steps should be prioritized in Phuket right now?
Start with mandatory geotechnical reviews, real-time permit tracking, independent site audits, and community reporting channels.
Geotech reviews would raise costs though; developers will push back hard.
They will, but it’s an externality: higher upfront costs prevent disasters like landslides that cost lives and far more money later.
The article hints at collusion without naming names. Why hide the culprits when newspapers could publish specific permit numbers and project owners?
As someone in local media, naming names requires evidence and legal vetting. It’s safer to report actions and let authorities pursue charges.
Fine, but that caution often turns into endless waiting while construction continues.
That’s a fair critique. Investigative pieces can be more aggressive, but they need time and protection from lawsuits.
Section 33’s emphasis on public participation is promising, but many residents don’t know how to report violations or fear reprisals.
We set up a simple SMS tipline last year and it uncovered two illegal fills. Empowering residents works if it’s easy and safe.
That’s inspiring. Can you share the steps? Fear of retaliation is real so anonymity is key.
Anonymity, witness protection, and clear follow-up from authorities keep people reporting. The NACC should fund more of this.
Are the NACC people like detectives? I want to help but I’m only 12.
They’re investigators, Tom. Kids can help by telling adults if they see dangerous digging or blocked drains.
This feels performative. Officials take photos, hold statements, then builders get fined a token amount and projects carry on.
Performance is part of political accountability, but the key is whether rules are enforced consistently over time.
Consistency is the missing ingredient in many places, sadly.
Developers argue speed is needed for the economy, but sustainable growth should be the priority. Quick profits shouldn’t ruin ecosystems.
Tourism-driven economies rely on rapid development though. There’s tension between preservation and livelihoods.
True, Phil, but preserving natural assets is the long-term economic strategy; lose those and tourism collapses.
I hope policymakers adopt that long view, but short-term political cycles often prevent it.
If the NACC means business, start with freezing new permits in hotspot zones until audits are done. That would stop harm quickly.
A moratorium could work, but it must be legally defensible and accompanied by compensation mechanisms for legitimate projects.
Fair point, but the default of doing nothing risks irreversible damage.