BANGKOK, July 15 — Thailand is pushing ahead with plans to reclaim parts of Phuket’s coastline, with authorities set to tear down illegal beachfront structures as part of efforts to return public beaches to nature, The Bangkok Post reported today.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin said officials will enforce long-running court rulings against developments built on protected land, including hotels and villas that have stood for years.

According to the news report, two large hotels have already been served demolition notices after more than a decade of legal battles.

Their operators have one month to dismantle the buildings themselves before the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) steps in to do the job.

Suchart said the affected sites fall under either national park land managed by the DNP or forest land overseen by the Royal Forest Department.

He also dismissed a fresh legal challenge by a group that had occupied beach areas and charged visitors for access, saying the ministry had ample evidence to support its actions.

According to the minister, previous court rulings had already cancelled the disputed land-use certificates and confirmed the areas were legally classified as forest land.

He said authorities had prepared for every possible legal scenario and remained confident the remaining cases would be resolved.

Suchart also warned that while some buyers may have unknowingly purchased illegally occupied land, those who knowingly acquired such properties could face legal action.

Among the sites earmarked for restoration is a 2.08-hectare site in Sakhu, where Thailand’s Supreme Court ordered the demolition of 39 hotel and villa buildings, as well as a separate 1.92-hectare site in Choeng Thale.

The move is part of a broader effort to restore Phuket’s famous beaches and ensure public coastal land stays in public hands.