• Burmese
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
29 °c
Ashburn
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

High-profile Military Families Linked to Unlicensed Resorts on Ngapali Beach

Moe Myint by Moe Myint
March 13, 2018
in Burma
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0 0
A A
The Pristine Mermaid Resort has constructed a 10-foot high retaining wall on the Ngapali shore.  / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

The Pristine Mermaid Resort has constructed a 10-foot high retaining wall on the Ngapali shore.  / Moe Myint / The Irrawaddy

9.7k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

YANGON – An official from the local branch of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism Department (MOHT) in Thandwe district in southern Rakhine State confirmed that close relatives of several high-profile former army generals owned high-end but unlicensed resorts in prime locations on Ngapali Beach in Thandwe Township.

During a visit to Ngapali and Thandwe Township over the weekend, this reporter obtained an official document listing the hotels and resorts that had been registered with the MOHT.

Pristine Mermaid Resort, situated in Mya Pyin village, owned by Daw Nanda Aye, daughter of former military dictator Maung Aye and the wife of Pyi Aung, son of former general U Aung Thaung, had not received a hotel business license from the MOHT as of March but has been operating the property since early this year.

RelatedPosts

The undeveloped project area. Min Aung Khine/The Irrawaddy / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy

Rakhine Gov’t Blames Misunderstanding for Complaints Over Waterside Project

February 19, 2018
3.7k
A cyclist passes by the front gate of the Pristine Mermaid Resort on Ngapali Beach on Sunday. / Moe Myint/ The Irrawaddy)

BT Bay Hotel, also known as Bawga Theidhi, located in Lin Thar village, is owned by a family member of former sports and tourism minister U Tint San and also does not have a hotel license. Bawga Theidhi is a division of the Hotel ACE group, owned by Phyo Ko Ko Tint San, who was arrested for possession of assault rifles at Yangon airport in 2017.

Another resort, The Lodge Blue Ocean, belongs to U Myint San, who also owns the Lin Thar Oo lodge in Lin Thar village on the Ngapali shore.

According to the Thandwe branch of the MOHT, Ngapali has 35 licensed hotels and guesthouses providing at least 1,300 rooms to tourists. Meanwhile, about 20 unlicensed guesthouses along the Mazin-Gyeiktaw Road are illegally operating tourism businesses.

It’s unclear whether these unlicensed properties are paying tax to the government even though they openly advertise on international travel websites such as Agoda, TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet. According to a senior Thandwe Revenue Department official, taxation was handled by the Yangon division office.

The Irrawaddy tried to reach the hotel owners or their senior business executives by phone on Tuesday but they declined to comment on the matter.

The three hotels and guesthouse owners mentioned above were granted construction permits or guesthouse licenses by the local municipality. However, MOHT regulations state that local guesthouses that do not have a license from the ministry are prohibited from receiving foreign guests.

A local drives passed the BT Bay Hotel in Lin Thar Village. / Moe Myint/ The Irrawaddy

U Than Tun, chairperson of the Thandwe Township municipality, said that BT Bay and The Lodge Blue Ocean had applied for hotel construction permits several years ago. Pristine Mermaid Hotel was granted permit for construction on nearly three acres of land and it is now waiting to embark on a new phase of construction on an adjacent three acres of land.

The township municipality determined that the new proposed construction violates local laws and decided to withhold permission for the building.

“We have found that Pristine Mermaid breached municipal law and they have promised to fix the height of a brick wall by May,” the official said.

U Than Tun revealed that even the Civil Aviation Department’s joint venture project, Ngapali Paradise Hotel, which is located next to Thandwe airport, had failed to follow the laws. Moreover, several hotel projects are currently being constructed in the village without the proper permits.

According to MOHT statistics, tourist arrivals to Ngapali have been growing robustly, increasing 14 percent to 50,496 in 2017 from 43,440 in 2016.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: Property development
Moe Myint

Moe Myint

The Irrawaddy

Similar Picks:

The undeveloped project area. Min Aung Khine/The Irrawaddy / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy
Burma

Rakhine Gov’t Blames Misunderstanding for Complaints Over Waterside Project

by Min Aung Khine
February 19, 2018
3.7k

Korean firm didn’t realize it had no right to sell land plots, officials say

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
Deputy Defense Minister Lt-Gen Myint Nwe. / The Irrawaddy

Tatmadaw Refuses to Hand Back Land in Shan’s Kyethi Township

Former RIT students lay wreaths for Ko Phone Maw and Ko Soe Naing to mark the 30th anniversary of their deaths on Tuesday at Yangon Technological University. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

Remembering Two Deaths that Changed the Course of Myanmar’s History

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

China is Systematically Dismantling Tibetan Monastic Traditions

China is Systematically Dismantling Tibetan Monastic Traditions

1 week ago
1.9k
The Lady Myanmar’s Generals Can’t Defeat

The Lady Myanmar’s Generals Can’t Defeat

5 days ago
807

Most Read

  • Myanmar Junta Scrambles for Chinese Energy Investment as Lights Go Out

    Myanmar Junta Scrambles for Chinese Energy Investment as Lights Go Out

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • New Law on Civil Servants by Myanmar’s Parallel Gov’t Troubles Observers

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Moves to Seize Sagaing Roads

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Certifying a Chinese Security Invasion; Boosting Ties With Nuclear North Korea; and More

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Changes Election Law Ahead of Polls

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.