The Royal Thai Police (RTP) plans court action to reclaim its right to 10 rai of land on Koh Lipe, off the coast of Satun, that it says was encroached on by a holiday resort developer.
Pol Gen Wirachai Songmetta, acting deputy national police chief, said the force was granted the right to use the land by the Tarutao National Marine Park in 1989 to build a police station and accommodation for officers assigned there.
Pol Gen Wirachai said the developer of the resort had contested the RTP's right to use the land in court, demanding the police station and other structures be demolished.
The Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit in August last year on the basis the RTP was granted permission by the national marine park to use the land.
Pol Gen Wirachai visited the disputed land on Sunday and confirmed the 10 rai had been encroached on, leaving just the half a rai the police station stands on.
He said the RTP will reclaim the land in line with the Supreme Court's ruling. Land authorities will be asked to resurvey the area before the petition is filed with the court.
The resort operator, Manit Kaweerat, said he has Nor Sor 3 land documents that prove his ownership of 50 rai of land in total that he purchased about eight years ago to build the resort.
He was ready to go to court to prove his ownership of the land, he said.
