Surin beach took the hardest hit in the military cleanup operation in 2014.
After the tsunami in 2004, Surin beach was developed into a beach club beach. There were numerous world-famous high-end beach clubs which all have been diminished drastically.
Also, at Surin beach, there is a concrete pathway. Every construction on the beach side of the pathway was illegally built and therefore had to go.
Originally the constructions on the east side of the pathway were cheap housing built for the tsunami victims so they had a place to live after they lost all they had after the tsunami.
Later the original housing was sold several times and transformed into restaurants and beach clubs.
To transform the original housing into businesses was also illegal because the building permit was for private housing and not businesses. Soon Surin beach became a high-end beach club beach.
To stay on the east side of the pathway was not enough for the restaurants and beach clubs.
They expanded their business on the west side of the pathway, which is public land where it is illegal to build. Some beach clubs even made some areas on the public land “Members only areas,” so normal people had no access.
Click image to view full size.
