Demolition of waterfront buildings between Hua Hin’s Fishing Pier and Chao Mae Thap Thim Shrine is scheduled to begin on 25 September 2026, Mayor Nopporn Wutthikul has announced.
In a post on his official Facebook page on Wednesday, 16 September, Mayor Nopporn said the municipality had appointed a contractor after owners failed to comply with a 30-day deadline to remove the buildings.
The mayor held a meeting in the Nares Damri Room to review preparations before joining officials at the Fishing Pier to post demolition notices outside affected properties. Officials also explained the legal position to building owners and sought their cooperation.
Mayor Nopporn said the municipality intended to carry out the work lawfully and transparently while protecting public access to the area.
What the Hua Hin waterfront demolition notice says
The municipal notice explains the legal basis for the demolition and what will happen to materials and belongings removed during the work.
According to the notice, the building it covers stands on state-owned public land designated for common use. Its owner had challenged municipal orders prohibiting the building’s use and requiring its demolition, but the Supreme Administrative Court dismissed the claims. Those judgments are final.
The notice cites Section 43(2) of the Building Control Act as the basis for the municipality to carry out the demolition itself.
It also states that the municipality will seize and store construction materials and belongings removed during demolition, or sell them and retain the proceeds.
The owner must reclaim those items or proceeds within 30 days of the demolition or receipt of notification. Anything left unclaimed after that deadline will become the municipality’s property, according to the notice.
The planned work is the latest stage in a dispute dating back at least to 2002 over homes, seafood restaurants, guesthouses and other buildings along the roughly 400-metre stretch of beachfront. Some structures extend over the sea.
Residents and owners have disputed the authorities’ position for years. Some say their families were part of Hua Hin’s original fishing community and occupied the area before the town developed as a resort.
They have cited old property records, tax receipts, permits and previous official recognition to support their right to remain. However, not all occupants have formal title deeds for land on the seaward side of the road.
Around 40 buildings were targeted for removal in 2016. Some owners subsequently dismantled their properties, while others challenged the municipal orders in court.
In 2018, the Phetchaburi Administrative Court upheld demolition orders in several cases, finding that the buildings concerned stood on state-owned public land. Appeals later reached the Supreme Administrative Court.
In June 2025, Hua Hin Today reported that more than 30 structures faced another demolition deadline under an enforcement process involving the Marine Department.
The mayor’s latest post did not specify how many buildings would be demolished from 25 September or how they relate to the structures covered by that earlier process.