A social media user with an apparent axe to grind prompted Pattaya and military officials to recheck whether the Sanctuary of Truth was encroaching on public property.
The March 13 inspection by Deputy Mayor Vichien Pongpanit, who was accompanied by Banglamung, Army and Marine Department officials, was the second performed on the Naklua Soi 12 temple. The facility and its boundaries, established in 1980, already had been approved by city officials.
But authorities were pushed to recheck their work following a Facebook post by an anonymous user who questioned whether the sanctuary was encroaching on public land, whether its walls were encroaching on the sea, whether the temple had built landfill land for the facility, and whether its parking lot and helicopter pad were legal.
The keyboard warrior did not indicate his motive for questioning the temple, other than to say he was a “Thai who loved the nation”.
After the inspection, Vichien said the facilities, parking lot and helicopter pad all had legal permits from the Banglamung District land office. They also showed another document from 37 years ago saying the sanctuary’s exterior wall was legal.
However, the deputy mayor noted, a second wall covering four meters was found to be exceeding the property’s legal boundary.
Temple officials said the second wall was built to prevent erosion and they will submit a proper application for it to the district.
Sanctuary of Truth personnel director Nopadon Pechrath said the temple has no intention of usurping public land and, if its sea-breaker wall was found in violation of the law, officials will take full responsibility.
Otherwise, he added, he was a bit mystified at what prompted people to question the sanctuary’s legality, as all its land documents and permits have been available for public inspection for 37 years.
