Workers and soldiers demolish two luxury villas that were built without a permit on a hillside in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province. (Photo: Supaporn Chaolan)
Authorities on Koh Samui have demolished two luxury villas that were built without a permit on a hillside on the island after the owners failed to demolish them themselves as ordered by authorities.
The villa was located on a hillside in the Bophut area of Koh Samui.
Koh Samui authorities demolished two villas late last year after discovering they had no building permits and were built on hillsides that exceeded the legal limit of 50 percent of the total land area.
The city government had previously ordered the villa owners to stop construction and demolish the buildings before the deadline expired, but they failed to comply with the order. The city government reported the case to Bophut Police Station on February 27, giving the owners an opportunity to appeal.
No appeal was filed.
The mayor’s secretary said the mayor had been lenient towards property owners on Koh Samui recently, previously allowing them to make necessary changes if properties had been built illegally.
