PATTAYA, Thailand – Pattaya City is moving to restore public access to disputed land at Bali Hai Pier, removing barriers placed near the Waterfront condominium project and pressing the Department of Lands for a clear ruling on ownership.
On November 2, Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet, Deputy Mayor Manot Nongyai and city executives inspected the site after a municipal deadline for removing structures, vehicles, boats and related equipment expired on October 31. Officials from Banglamung District, the Pattaya Marine Office and Pattaya Police also joined the operation.
Mayor Poramet said inspections confirmed that the area in question was public land. Pattaya had previously invited representatives claiming rights over the site to discuss the matter on October 28. Following that meeting, boats were removed and the area was cleared, in line with assurances given to the city.
However, officials later found that metal barriers belonging to Bali Hai Co Ltd had been put back in place, blocking the area again. The city said attempts to contact lawyers and other representatives had failed to produce a resolution, with responsibility being passed between different parties.
During the latest operation, officials removed the metal barriers for safekeeping as evidence at Pattaya Police Station and documented the action in a daily police report. The city also installed its own concrete barriers to clearly mark the public boundary. Pattaya has invited Bali Hai representatives to another formal meeting at City Hall on November 4 at 11am in an effort to find a solution.
The mayor also addressed the wider ownership dispute involving the land beneath and around the Waterfront condominium project. He said the plot had previously been in the possession of a person named Thaworn, who had expressed an intention to transfer it to Pattaya City. The city declined, however, after examining the title deed and concluding that the land extended into the sea and was public property rather than privately owned.
Poramet said the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Banglamung Land Office and Pattaya City had previously reached a conclusion that the disputed area was public land and that the title deed should be revoked. The matter was subsequently forwarded to the Department of Lands, but more than a year later, a final ownership determination has yet to be issued.
Pattaya is preparing for either outcome. If the land is officially confirmed as public property, the city says it will order the building to be demolished. If lawful private ownership is established, the owner will have to apply to Pattaya City for permission to amend the building in accordance with the relevant regulations.
In the meantime, the city will formally contact the Department of Lands to request an urgent clarification of the land’s legal status, while maintaining its position that public access to the Bali Hai area must be protected.
