The Forest Department has filed a complaint with police in Phuket, against the chairman of the Phuket Big Buddha Foundation, for alleged land encroachment at Khao Nak Kerd, the tallest mountain in the province.
Last week, a mudslide off the mountain struck several houses located at its base, killing 13 people, mostly Myanmar nationals.
Officials from the Forest Department and the Phuket Buddhism Office, police and local officials conducted a field inspection of the Phuket Big Buddha statue and its compound yesterday, to determine whether all the facilities are contained within a 2.4 hectares plot of land as permitted by the Forest Department.
Using a GPS device, the team discovered that the entire compound is located on about 3.2 hectares, exceeding the permissible limit for the construction of a parking lot, toilets and other buildings.
The alleged land encroachment and illegal construction are thought to have contributed to the causes of last week’s mudslide following heavy rain.
The Phuket Big Buddha, one of the island’s landmarks, stands 45 metres tall and is constructed of concrete covered with Burmese white marble.
