Rarely covered in Western media, some of Thailand’s most prolific criminal groups originate from Chinese mafias. On Koh Samui, the anti-corruption collective “STRONG” questions why demolition orders for the luxury villa complex “Ariya Residence” remain unenforced, despite official documents and a follow-up from the Ministry of the Interior.
The project “Ariya Residence”, located in the hills of Lamai on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province, is under close scrutiny from civil society. Several buildings have been deemed non-compliant with building control regulations, and administrative orders to halt construction and demolish the structures have already been issued by Koh Samui municipality. The case has dragged on for several years, with a local anti-corruption association suggesting involvement of corrupt local officials.
According to a document from the Ministry of the Interior’s inspectorate, several points of concern have been identified. Orders to cease construction, modify and relocate structures do exist. What remains to be clarified is their exact legal status, the outcome of any appeals and the current stage of enforcement.
Koh Samui municipality has cited a budget of around 11 million baht to carry out the demolition. The collective is seeking clarification on the origin of this estimate, its scope and any funding requests already submitted. It argues that a simple lack of budget cannot be a definitive obstacle when enforceable orders are in place.
Obstruction or blocking of municipal officers during attempted interventions has also been reported. The document questions the existence of official records, any complaints filed and the support provided by the province to allow operations to proceed.
The most significant point concerns a letter from the Ministry of the Interior addressed to the governor of Surat Thani. It requests a detailed report, with all supporting documents, on actions already taken and next steps. The collective calls for transparency on the progress of the case and on the responsibilities of each administrative level, from the municipality to central services.
The developer identified for projects linked to the name Ariya is “XH Brothers Company Limited”, registered under number 0845561000171 since 8 January 2018, with capital of 5 million baht and an address in Mae Nam. A separate project, Ariya Season Residences, located in Bang Por / Maenam and comprising around thirty luxury sea-view villas (completion expected end of 2026), is also linked to this developer. It reportedly holds a hotel licence allowing daily rentals.
For “STRONG”, the issue goes beyond a single property development. It concerns the effectiveness and credibility of law enforcement when administrative orders have no concrete effect. The collective states it will continue to monitor the case files, provincial actions and any eventual demolition.
Source : STRONG anti-corruption