More than 3,000 residents of Khok Tanod community in Chalong, Phuket, are seeking government help as Phuket eviction lawsuits linked to a long-running dispute over privately owned land threaten 669 households.
Community representatives from Moo 9 submitted a petition to the Phuket Damrongdhama Centre, the province’s complaints centre, yesterday, September 21.
They asked officials to help protect residents’ rights during the legal process and prepare housing support for families who may ultimately have to leave. Many households are low-income and do not have another home. Phuket’s official public-relations office also identifies Khok Tanod as Moo 9 in Chalong.
According to Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee’s account of the meeting, numerous eviction and demolition cases have been filed against residents. The account said litigation in the dispute has already reached final judgment at the Supreme Court level in some cases.
Officials stressed that the provincial administration cannot overturn or interfere with court decisions, although residents whose cases remain before the courts can continue presenting evidence through the judicial process.
A 2015 report by the Community Organisations Development Institute, or CODI, said private ownership claims and eviction action involving more than 600 Khok Tanod families had already emerged in 2005, years before the latest petition.
The Phuket Provincial Office of Social Development and Human Security has opened registration for affected families, with one representative from each household able to apply for welfare assistance.
People left without accommodation may be referred to temporary housing through the Centre for the Protection of the Destitute, although stays are limited. Families who need to rent elsewhere but cannot afford the initial cost may also apply for emergency financial assistance.
For a longer-term solution, officials are looking at CODI’s Baan Mankong programme. The national scheme helps lower-income communities secure land and develop housing through collective arrangements, including negotiated land tenure and community-managed finance.
The MP said previous efforts to organise the wider Khok Tanod community failed because of economic pressures and a lack of continuity. Officials are now proposing a savings group so participating households can prepare to access Baan Mankong funding, alongside negotiations for a three- to 20-year lease with the private landowner.
The province said it would coordinate between residents and relevant agencies rather than intervene in the court cases. Officials will also work with agencies including the Provincial Electricity Authority over electricity access and other basic services while housing options are explored.
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The story Phuket court fight puts 669 households at risk of eviction as seen on Thaiger News.
