The Koh Samui municipality is intensifying its investigation into the fake building permits scandal, suspecting an organised network involving brokers and potentially more than a dozen cases following the initial discoveries in 2025. Homeowners scammed by unscrupulous property developers will have to pay for compliance upgrades out of their own pockets and start work within the next four months.
We now know a little more about this corruption case shaking the Koh Samui municipality; On 22 March 2026, the Koh Samui municipality, in Surat Thani province, announced the extension of its investigation following the discovery of a network falsifying building permits (form A.1) within its technical department. Mayor Ramnet Jaikwang has ordered an immediate inspection and judicial proceedings after the discovery of forged signatures on construction authorisations for luxury villas, compromising public safety and the local administration\'s credibility.
Legal expert Pallop Mipiao revealed that the first forgeries had been detected as early as October 2025. They concerned a private residential building and a commercial establishment modification. During on-site checks, the owners presented documents absent from official records. Even Mayor Ramnet Jaikwang, whose signature appeared, claimed to be unaware of their existence.
An investigation commission confirmed the irregularities. The employee involved denied the facts and has been suspended. The mayor tasked the deputy secretary, chairman of the disciplinary committee, with broadening the investigations to identify potential accomplices within the municipality's technical department.
« It is unlikely that a mere agent would act alone with such audacity », it was stated.
Hired in June 2022, this employee raises questions about his links with external intermediaries, potentially « brokers » facilitating these schemes with island villa developers. On 27 March, legal expert Pallop Mipiao will file a complaint with Koh Samui police for forgery of official documents and corruption. Meanwhile, a retrospective review of all permits is underway, with already more than ten potential cases suspected.
In response to these abuses, the authorities recommend using Article 39ter of the 1979 law (official link, page 12) on building control (amended version). This mechanism allows quick and transparent construction:
Owners can start work immediately after notifying the local authority, accompanied by an acknowledgement of receipt, without waiting for formal approval. Required documents include validated plans, certifications from qualified architects and engineers, proof of ownership, under penalty of sanctions if irregularities are detected within the following 120 days.
This system is presented as reducing bureaucratic delays for properly prepared projects, while maintaining strict controls to prevent further abuses.
This therefore amounts to a double penalty for owners who recently bought (between 2024 and 2025) a property on Koh Samui. They will have to bear the costs of compliance themselves, potentially millions of baht in some cases, but also start work within the next four months under threat of heavy penalties.
Matichon