Phu Quoc's local administration has issued an enforcement decision requiring Le Trong Dai, 44, the investor behind Ocean Bay Resort and Spa, at Ong Lang Beach, to take remedial action over construction violations.
Ocean Bay's floating restaurant extending into the sea (Photo: Ocean Bay Resort and Spa).
Ocean Bay is a large-scale resort complex built within the coastal landscape protection corridor along Ong Lang Beach, one of Phu Quoc's most popular tourist destinations.
According to its official website, the resort advertises a range of five-star services and facilities, including accommodation, restaurants and a health and beauty centre.
The complex comprises several permanent structures and 42 wooden guest cottages of different categories. Some have large floor areas and designed heights approaching 10 metres.
The resort previously attracted tourists with a floating restaurant featuring a wooden platform extending dozens of metres out over the sea. The area was furnished with wooden tables and chairs and fitted with a lighting system. At its centre stood a mermaid statue more than 20 metres tall, designed as an attraction for visitors.
Authorities said the structures did not fully comply with approved planning regulations and had violated land-use and construction laws. They must therefore be dismantled and the site restored to its original condition.
The 42 wooden houses are due to be forcibly removed from November 16 to November 18 (Photo: Ocean Bay Resort and Spa).
According to the Phu Quoc administration's plan, the enforcement operation is scheduled to take place from November 16 to 18.
Guest rooms featured on the Ocean Bay Resort and Spa website.
Previously, a delegation from the local administration met with Dai and ordered him to stop accepting new guests, help existing guests relocate elsewhere, clear the site and dismantle the structures voluntarily. Authorities warned that electricity and water supplies would be cut off and forced demolition carried out if he failed to comply.
At the meeting, Dai requested to stop accepting guests from November 7 and proposed dismantling the 42 wooden cottages and removing valuable assets according to his own timetable. However, the proposal was rejected.
After receiving several deadline extensions but continuing to delay compliance, Dai is now required to carry out the demolition within the approved timeframe and in accordance with the authorised plan.