Controversy Over a Luxury Villa on a Koh Samui Mountain

Local residents in Koh Samui, in the southern province of Surat Thani, lodged a complaint with the authorities about the construction of a luxury house on a mountain area that is government-owned. The house belonged to a Thai actress, whose identity was not disclosed.

Officials were refused access to the site

Officials from the Department of Land and the Royal Forest Department conducted an investigation into the property and the surrounding land, which is located in the Bo Phut sub-district of Koh Samui district. However, the actress denied them access to the premises, because they did not have the necessary documents to carry out the search.

The three-storey luxury house, which was under construction at the time, stands on the slope of the mountain and occupies approximately 2,400 square metres of land. Based on the available pictures, the construction appeared to be close to completion. Close by, another three-storey house was being built, although on a smaller scale.

No building approval and a height above the legal limit

According to a report by the Public Relations Department of Koh Samui, the land documents and deeds for the area were still being finalised, and the construction of the house had not received official approval from the authorities. The report also noted that the height of the building exceeded the limits allowed by the relevant laws.

The acting director of the Building Control and Town Planning Office, Siraphop Nareelak, said that the actress first tried to obtain the land documents and deeds in November 2008. However, there were problems with the aerial survey and the border survey, which caused delays. The deeds were then reissued in February 2018, and her request was under review at the time of the report. She therefore had to wait for an official document before she could submit a construction plan and start work.

Investigation into the land ownership

The investigation into the ownership of the land was still ongoing, as the authorities tried to resolve the legal issues around the construction of the house on government-owned land.

The case is a reminder that villa owners and the companies that rent and manage villas on the island must make sure they comply with local laws and regulations, to avoid controversies like this one. Learn more about professional villa management in Koh Samui.