PHUKET LAND SCANDAL Politics Or Passion?

The latest round of Phuket land investigations continue to hit media headlines.
A well known hotel site on the Patong Headland called Freedom Beach seems to have been the rallying point for a series of new Bangkok led probes.
Under the microscope are both raw land parcels and hotel and residential projects that cover the island from the south in Rawai up to Kamala, Patong and Nakalay.
For the most high priced west coast land appears to be the most contentious.
Corruption, flying titles and land grabs on public and national forestry real estate appears to be the common denominator.
I have to admit after being in Phuket over a decade land scandal investigation's tend to make me yawn.
Is this a real effort by the government to rectify abuses or is it a matter of politics aimed at an out of favor Democrat dominated island?
What's unfortunate is the volatility that is created by sensational headlines for foreign investors who often don't' understand the lay of the land.
One step forward or two steps back? The issues under the latest round of scrutiny are not new ones, nor do most local business folk expect them to be resounding or final.
The best advice for the moment is take a 'wait and see approach', and perhaps another cup of coffee to clear the sleep from my eyes.