PHUKET, Thailand – Phuket authorities say Chabad Patong could face legal proceedings if it fails to remove or formally appeal orders concerning unauthorized building additions within the 30-day legal period. Phuket Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom said Patong Municipality has already ordered the suspension of use and removal of unauthorized alterations at the premises. The additions involve two areas: an extension on the rooftop and the conversion of a parking area on the ground floor into a restaurant and café without the required approval.
Chabad Patong is currently removing the rooftop structure, while the ground-floor restaurant and café have been closed and are no longer being used. The governor said the owner has 30 days from receiving the order to appeal before the relevant committee. If no appeal or other action is taken after the deadline, authorities can file a complaint and pursue legal action over the unauthorized construction. He stressed that buildings must be constructed according to approved plans and that any changes must receive official approval rather than being carried out independently.
Kittisak Morasil, director of the Patong Municipality Engineering Division, said the building was approved in 2015 as a six-storey structure for use as a restaurant and club, rather than as a religious facility. A subsequent inspection found additional alterations, including a tent-like structure on the sixth floor and the conversion of parking space into a restaurant and café. Patong Municipality subsequently ordered the unauthorized sections to be removed and their use suspended.
Kittisak said the rooftop section is now being dismantled and the ground-floor area has been closed. If the owner neither removes the structures nor appeals within the permitted period, the municipality will proceed with legal action, including filing a case and taking the matter to court under Thailand’s Building Control Act. The governor also said authorities are compiling information on companies connected to Chabad Patong, including links involving two companies and four branches in Phuket, for submission to relevant agencies.
