Hua Hin Mayor Nopporn Wutthikul said 15 buildings encroaching on the waterfront are to be demolished within a 120-day period beginning on 25 September 2026.
However, no demolition had taken place at the time of reporting, despite earlier announcements that work would begin that day.
Mayor Nopporn Wutthikul led about 100 officials to the area between the Fishing Pier and Chao Mae Thap Thim Shrine.
Those attending included officers from Hua Hin Municipality’s Legal Affairs and Municipal Enforcement units, along with representatives from Hua Hin District Office and Hua Hin Police Station. Other agencies represented were the Internal Security Operations Command in Prachuap Khiri Khan, the Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Land Office, the Marine Department’s Prachuap Khiri Khan Branch Office and the Provincial Electricity Authority’s Hua Hin Branch.
The mayor said the visit was intended to gather information, plan the work with the contractor and government agencies, and explain the process to those affected.
Some owners agreed to the demolition, while others objected, citing concerns about their homes and livelihoods and seeking further discussions. Residents have also applied to Hua Hin Provincial Court for temporary protection while pursuing their claims.
Mayor Nopporn said the municipality had signed a contract with a demolition contractor on 24 September. The municipality is funding the removal of 15 buildings, with another 11 covered by the Marine Department’s budget.
The mayor said residents had challenged the municipality’s orders prohibiting the use of the buildings and requiring their demolition, first through the provincial authorities and then through the Phetchaburi Administrative Court.
He said the Supreme Administrative Court had upheld the lower court’s ruling that the municipality’s orders were lawful, bringing those proceedings to a conclusion.
“We therefore have to act in accordance with the powers given to us by law. If we fail to do so, we could face charges under Section 157,” Nopporn said.
He said officials were awaiting the court’s response to residents’ application for temporary protection. Unless an order prevented the work from proceeding, he said, the municipality and other agencies would have to continue acting on the demolition orders.
Residents’ representatives disputed the municipality’s interpretation of the administrative rulings and called for negotiations before any buildings were removed.
One representative argued that the courts had upheld the municipal orders but had not themselves directed the municipality to carry out the demolition. The representative said officials should appoint a committee to assess each household’s circumstances and establish what help was needed.
“Some may have another home available, but they do not have another place to earn a living. There must therefore be measures to help those affected,” the representative said.
Locals said the community’s history stretched back about 190 years, pointing to house registrations and permanent water and electricity connections as evidence that the authorities had recognised their presence.
The representative said residents were seeking to establish their rights to the land, citing Department of Special Investigation findings and aerial photographs that they said supported their claims of longstanding occupation.
A court had declined to accept their petition to establish those rights, the representative said, but residents were appealing.
They had also submitted a letter to the municipality on 24 September challenging the legal basis of the demolition orders and requesting a written response.