The Great Phuket Cleanup

A 14-member team of police, backed by the military, has moved in to tackle corruption on the island and is taking on the authorities that have allowed the problems to fester.

Maj Gen Paween Pongsir’s four years of experience with Phuket police saw him dragooned from his new post in Surat Thani to return and clean up corruption in the popular tourist resort.

Based on his experience with his former colleagues and local officials, he knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

“The problems in Phuket are not hard to solve,” Maj Gen Paween, Commander of General Staff Division Provincial Police Region 8, told Spectrum. “The authorities are weak and left the issues to fester for a long time. The authorities who take care of this province should be arrested for ignoring their duty."

Since Maj Gen Paween arrived in Phuket with his 14-member core team drawn from across the police force, action has been swift. Their investigations have been emboldened and supported by the National Council for Peace and Order, which has recently sent in hundreds of soldiers for back-up after ordering a crackdown on land encroachment.

So far, 30 illegal beach bars and restaurants have been torn down and more than 110 local “mafia” taxi operators and four officials have been arrested for running extortion rackets. Next on Maj Gen Paween’s Elliot Ness-style sweep of Phuket are the illegal structures encroaching on public land.

BEGINNING OF THE PURGE

In recent years, Phuket’s taxi mafia — working in conjunction with corrupt local officials and police — had grown uncontrollable.

Tourists were being charged over-the-top fees for rides, while the drivers “hijacked” visitors from organised tours — sometimes dragging them out of other vehicles — and collected commissions from businesses at the other end. Money was also being extorted from tour buses, hotels and honest taxi drivers who had their paths blocked unless they paid protection money to the cabbie mafia.

The problem was compounded by unregistered taxi drivers, known locally as “black plates”, competing with registered drivers, “green plates”, for tourist business. The black plate taxis are all illegal and often intimidate competitors and even threaten other motorists over parking spots.

“They would ask for a huge amount of money to reach your destination,” said Steve, a seven-time visitor to Phuket.

“Taking a taxi from the airport to Rawai is a 50-minute drive and they charge 1,000 baht. That’s more expensive than taking a bus to Bangkok.”

Maj Gen Paween was ordered by his boss Gen Punya Mamen, Commissioner of Police Region 8, to start the investigations in February after receiving multiple complaints from local businesses and tourists about the illegal taxis.

“Taxi groups in front of hotels charge tourists very expensive prices and also ask for protection fees from tourist buses sending guests to hotels,” he said. “They charge around 600 baht per bus for ‘protection fees’ and ask to see the booking vouchers of tourists’ itineraries to try and determine how wealthy they are and how much money they can make from them.”

Maj Gen Paween knew collecting information against the taxi mafia would be difficult so he sent his men undercover, posing as hotel cleaners and staff and infiltrating the taxi mafia. They also posed as tour operators and experienced the taxi gangs trying to extort money.

During this undercover stage, the officers were able to gather evidence and photograph the offenders.

Maj Gen Paween said the gangs all claimed that they were legal and conducting legitimate business at hotels and tourist spots, even though they were stealing customers.

“They also insisted they had approval from provincial authorities, which is why a small issue became such a crisis,” he said. “Where they locate themselves, their vehicles, the drivers and their behaviour were all illegal.”

Maj Gen Paween used local police, but was also forced to recruit officers from other parts of Region 8 and Bangkok. Officers from the Drug Suppression Department were asked to go undercover to infiltrate the gangs.

“They investigated the structure of the gangs, even bank details and transactions that show how bribes are paid to powerful figures,” he said. “These police have specialist investigatory skills they have learned in their everyday jobs to find out fine details.”

The investigation took three months to complete and also involved talking to 150 businesses which were victims of the gangs. Maj Gen Paween said they were willing to pass on information after being assured that they would be protected from the taxi mafia and arrests would be made.

So far, 12 cases have been launched against 119 offenders allegedly involved in the taxi mafia after arrests made by police and armed forces. Those arrested include local official Tewee Thongcham, deputy mayors Ithiporn Sangkeaw and Sompong Dabpetch, director of the Kata-Karon Municipality Engineering Division Wanchai Sae-Tan, and the municipality’s chief administrative officer Weerasak Anekwongsawat. The cases have been sent to prosecutors.

The charges they face include obtaining property by extortion and forcing people to act against their will through threats to their body or property.

Illegal taxi shacks have been destroyed, and only registered taxis will be allowed to operate at Phuket airport. The military has also set a deadline of July 31 for the local authorities to get all illegal taxi operators off the street.

“When we first arrived here and the local police knew that we had come here to work on the mafia taxi issue, they all ridiculed us and said we couldn’t do it,” Maj Gen Paween said.

“I asked why, and they said many people had started and tried but gave up soon after. They said no one could do it, but we believed it wasn’t that hard.”

From 2003 to 2007, Maj Gen Praween was the tourist police commander. Working with the Department of Special Investigation, he had tried to solve the problems but failed because he was not permanently stationed in the area.

To ensure enforcement continues after their investigation is complete, Maj Gen Praween sought the help of the military as they launched the arrests last month.

“I asked for a supporting force from other provinces and an army presence of around 1,000 men. There are normally protests and roadblocks following arrests. I believe the military presence would help solve problems in Phuket and change the system until everything is cleared up.”

FIGHT THEM ON THE BEACHES

But the Phuket cleanup didn’t stop with the taxi mafia.

After demanding local authorities tear down the illegal bamboo taxi shacks located on public land, Maj Gen Paween’s team moved on to other illegal structures.

“After we arrested the taxi mafia on June 4, we set a meeting with all mayors asking them to remove taxi shacks located on public land in their areas,” Maj Gen Paween said. “Not only taxi shacks but also other businesses were instructed to be removed from public land.”

Going, going, gone: Maj Gen Paween Pongsir discusses his efforts to rid the island of its notorious taxi mafias. Far left and left, soldiers join in the effort to remove illegal structures from Sirinat National Park.

The local officials were threatened not only with being charged for neglecting their duties, but also the prospect of further charges if they were found to be connected to the illegal structures.

The first and biggest demolition of luxury beach clubs and restaurants was at Surin beach. The demolition was ordered by Ma-Ann Samran, the director of Cherng Talay tambon administration organisation.

He told Spectrum the demolition had been long planned, but only came to fruition after the junta-ordered encroachment crackdown secured the support of the military and police.

“We had worked on this for two years already,” Mr Ma-Ann said. “There were businesses using public areas for personal profit.”

He said a number of local issues at the beach were being addressed apart from the illegal beach bars, clubs and restaurants. Street vendors have been allocated a precinct, while registered taxi operators have been given access to the local government tourism office parking lot after the taxi shacks were removed.

He added that all illegal structures on the beach had to be removed, and operators who rent beach chairs and umbrellas had to be cleared out.

The demolition of illegal structures will also be extended to the Layan, Laypang and Bangtao areas.

“There are four beaches which have different kinds of problems; the conditions are different at each beach,” Mr Ma-Ann said.

“For example, at Layan beach, which borders Sirinat National Park, all structures must be removed. There is no legal space for any private business in this place.”

NOW I SEE YOUR POINT

Mr Ma-Ann denied any knowledge of officials he knew being involved in corruption.

“Whoever wants to build a structure on these beaches needs to ask for permission from the Cherng Talay administration organisation. They need to hold legal ownership of the land title, but it is impossible to have a land title issued for a beach area,” Mr Ma-Ann said.

“I don’t think any authority would be crazy enough to support these illegal activities.”

Catch Beach Club, a trendy, upmarket bar promoted heavily on travel sites such as CNN Go as recently as 2011, survived complete demolition as it only partially encroached on the beach.

Interestingly, CNN noted the inconsistencies in local authorities enforcement of beach regulations as “cocktails in the sand” venues started to boom across Phuket.

“Controls and enforcement vary widely from beach to beach,” CNN said. “In one recent striking example of Phuket’s bewildering beach regulations, a simple eatery on Karon Beach run by a local family for 20 years was declared illegal and demolished in a dramatic raid by 100 officials, while just up the coast on Surin another waterfront restaurant was merrily planting new coconut palms and piling up pontoons for its own floating pier.

“Local officials posted a sign ordering the removal of some items — until another government department intervened and business continued as usual.”

One upmarket venue that didn’t survive the purge is Diamond Beach Club. Spectrum was at the site on the last day of operation when staff were removing furniture and fittings prior to the demolition.

“Diamond Beach Club normally has more than 40 staff, and around 25 staff during the low season,” said one employee. “Today is the last day and all staff have been paid by the owner. After the demolition you will only see normal restaurants with sea views. Beach clubs here have lost their signature appeal.”

The employee complained that the demolition policy was unclear and added that the disappearance of the beach clubs would negatively affect nearby businesses and tourism.

“The attraction at this beautiful beach are the sunbeds. If there are no sunbeds, I think tourists will move to other beaches. There is nothing clear about the future policy. I am not sure whether the authorities will allow sunbeds to be operated or not or who will be authorised to operate them.”

He said the crackdown would mean “thousands of employees here will lose their jobs”.

The land at Surin is Nor Sor Lor, which indicates royal land, and was given to villagers in the area to build houses and establish small businesses before the beach clubs bought them out.

Asked how the beach clubs were able to build on the land without approval from local authorities such as sub-district administrations, the employee laughed. “Everyone knows why and how, right?”

RECLAIMING THE FORESTS

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is also trying to reclaim 2,743 rai of land which appears to be located in Sirinat National Park.

Samak Donnapee, director of the national parks office in Phuket, said on Tuesday his officers will try to revoke all the land rights certificates which had been issued for areas located in national park and forest reserves.

Cheewapap Cheewatham, a former head of the local national parks office, experienced first hand the corruption. Last month he stood down from the position, claiming he was placed under unbearable pressure — including being offered large bribes — to approve land deals in national parks.

He said orders issued by the NCPO to encourage environmental preservation and stop invasions on protected areas had encouraged forestry officials across the country fighting land encroachment and wood smuggling.

He also said having the support of the military and better inter-agency cooperation under the junta was empowering forest officials to do their jobs properly. In the past, after an investigation was completed, officials simply went back to Bangkok, leaving the local park chief to do the enforcement work without effective support. “It’s not that difficult to deal with if the sections involved — the Department of Lands and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which includes the DNP and the Royal Forest Department, are integrated properly," he said.

“We have to work together and we have to accept that the land papers were illegally issued and investigate the matter together.”

He said under the “special governance” of the junta, authorities should move as quickly as they can to tackle encroachment cases.

“The database has already been prepared; using good timing to investigate the cases, with support from the military, we will make good progress.”

THE BAHT STOPS HERE

Phuket governor Maitri Inthusut is known as the “Father of the city” and was transferred to the position two years ago from Phayao province under the former Pheu Thai administration.

While corruption has flourished under his administration, he says this has been largely due to an undermanned police force. It is only since the arrival of Maj Gen Paween and his Region 8 team with the support of the NCPO and soldiers that progress could be made in weeding out the dodgy operators.

“If the local police had to work alone, it might not have been possible,” Mr Maitri said of the cleanup. “Karon police station has only 48 officers, with around three or four investigators.”

Mr Maitri said his administration was using the Karon, Patong and Kamala areas as models for taxi stands, allowing three cab ranks and a call centre. Hotels would also be allowed to hire taxi drivers as their own staff who would receive training in languages and customer service.

On the beach encroachment issue, he said it was a provincial policy area which could not be managed prior to the arrival of the soldiers because of a lack of support and enforcement.

He said Surin beach had been returned to its natural state, and only a few more beaches required demolition of illegal properties.

“I do not think that the demolitions or having beaches without deck chairs will have a negative affect on the tourism industry,” he said. “It just affects business operators who might need to seek work elsewhere.”

The governor admitted land encroachment into national parks remained a problem, as parks officials and the land office use maps with different boundaries and operate under different rules.

“Sirinat National Park agents might say this particular area of land is encroached on,” he said. “But after I had a meeting with both sides, I could see that they have different theories and are using different laws.”

On the racy go-go bars and shows which dominate Patong's Bangla Road, Mr Maitri claimed authorities could do little because of a "lack of evidence".

"We cannot arrest all of them because there is no evidence for many of them," he insisted. "I can order the police to go check within 10 minutes from now, but what can we do when the police arrive and they stop the illegal, filthy shows and say they have not done it. These dirty businesses always find a way to escape arrest."

However, the governor did boast that the controversial jet ski rental business, which has been accused of relentlessly ripping off tourists, had been successfully cleaned up.

“All 486 jet-ski operators at six beaches have already been regulated,” he said, adding insurance coverage, a common method used to fleece tourists, was now under strict control.

However, Maj Gen Paween strongly disagreed the jet-ski problem had been solved, and said they should be banned all together.

“I don’t see any benefit from them,” he said. “They cause water pollution from the fuel and there are many accidents caused by jet skis.”

SOME HOME TRUTHS

Maj Gen Paween isn’t buying any of the excuses from the politicians and officials, and argues that a small group of individuals has inflicted serious damage on Phuket’s tourism image through their inaction, and in many cases direct involvement in corrupt practices.

As an example, he pointed to a blockade and protest by illegal taxi drivers conducted on the same day Phuket was launching a tourism roadshow in Berlin to attract German visitors.

"The news concerned many German tourism operators," he said. "They asked hotel representatives from Phuket how they can deal with the situation if their people visit the island. The representatives had no response because they had not been given assurances from the authorities. Imagine how much tourism money we lost from just this case.

“The image of the province was destroyed by a small group of people. Government officials are weak and most of them get benefits from these illegal taxis.”

He also pointed out that he had achieved a great deal in just a few weeks with a small team of 14 officers, putting to shame the efforts of the island's 1,000-strong local police force.

“The police force here is more than enough; there are more than 1,000 officers across the island,” Maj Gen Paween said.

“It is definitely possible to tackle illegal operations. We are only 14 officers from different departments, different areas and we can arrest 119 mafia taxi, so, Phuket police can do it as well.”

He said government officers and high-ranking authorities who refuse to take action are as guilty as the offenders.

“If you do not know how to govern the province or don’t have enough courage to crack down on illegal activities, you are not qualified to do the job because you have destroyed the nation indirectly, the same way that the different mafias have done,” he said.

Maj Gen Paween said some officials — including the main authority in the province — should be arrested and face criminal charges for neglecting their duties.

“What he should have been doing for a long time is taking action on illegal matters. He is the one who can do it, not the officers that he said he assigned the job to.”

Maj Gen Paween warned that more local officials faced arrest due to their involvement with the taxi mafia gangs and other illegal activities.

“We are checking the money flow of these local officers accounts to see if they are linked to or support any illegal activity,” he said.

“We have enough information and evidence to arrest some big people, including politicians who have been powerful in the area for a long time.”

He conceded that his team will eventually have to leave Phuket, but was confident local police would continue the crackdown if they felt empowered and were willing to perform their duties.

However, he did warn that his team was still open to coming back to the island if the corruption crept back.

“If we leave the province and people complain that there is no one continuing the suppression of crime, we may come back for a secret investigation in a few months.” 

Source: Bangkok Post