Sea Gypsies Fight Eviction Threat
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Volume 15 Issue 45 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 November 8 - 14, 2008 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Sea Gypsies fight eviction petition claiming that the land was rightfully theirs and request- threat ing to continue living on it. INSIDE From the courthouse, they By Atchaa Khamlo marched some 200 meters to Phuket Provincial Hall, carrying PHUKET CITY: On Tuesday a banner that read “Phuket Com- November 4, some 300 members munity Network”. Once there, of the Rawai Sea Gypsy Com- Sea Gypsy Community leaders, munity staged a protest, starting including Supat Nunkhao, met at Phuket Provincial Court, in an with with the new Governor, attempt to continue living on a Preecha Ruangjan. disputed 12-rai tract of seaside Governor Preecha listened land they say was first settled by to their plight and told them he their ancestors more than 100 was familiar with the community, years ago. but had only driven past it. The land in question, in He said he would visit the Rawai Village, is currently home site soon and do his best to work to over 110 Sea Gypsy families, out an equitable solution to the NEW! DIY DAVE and is part of a larger 29-rai plot problem. With home improvement which the entire Rawai Sea Protesting Sea Gypsies on the march to meet the governor. Sea Gypsy Niran Yangpan, stores all over Phuket these Gypsy community calls home. who contacted the Gazette, said days, maybe it's time to learn The court had been peti- Khongthong, two of more than ders, some 300 other Rawai Sea he suspected that the chanote how to do it yourself. tioned by the inheritor of the 1,000 Sea Gypsies now living on Gypsies accompanied the pair holder eventually wanted to evict See page 28. chanote title deed for the land to the 12-rai plot. In a show of soli- when they went to acknowledge all the Sea Gypsies so that a resort issue an eviction order for darity and fearing they might be the court case with their lawyer. or other tourist business could be NEWS: Strange fish in Kwanjit Bangjak and Aroon the next to get their marching or- At the court, they handed over a built there. Rawai; Thailand awarded Smoke-free; 2004 tsunami not the first. Pages 2 & 3 INSIDE STORY: Sea Police to seek arrest warrant scouts trained to keep an eye on things in the water. Pages 4 & 5 following fatal bus crash LIFESTYLE: Halloween party pics & magic tricks. Pages 16 & 17 Salaeng driver blamed for highway tragedy QUEER NEWS 6; AROUND MAI KHAO: Police are set to 9 pm on Sunday, killing two the salaeng driver on this road limit at the time of the accident. THE NATION 7; ANDAMAN issue an arrest warrant for the people and injuring over thirty. at the time that the accident oc- The two passengers of the COASTING 10; GUEST C HEF driver of the salaeng (motor- Eyewitnesses at the scene curred. bus who died in the accident 11; PEOPLE 12-13; HAP- cycle with side-car attached) that told police that the bus was head- We will ask the court for were later named as Saowitree PENINGS 14; AFTER DARK caused the bus crash on the night ing north on the outbound lane of an arrest warrant once the in- Klongyuan, a 23 year-old woman 15; WHAT’S ON 19; BUSI- of Sunday November 2 in Mai Thepkassatri Road when the vestigation is complete”, said Tah from Krabi, and Ampi Kanom, NESS AND MONEY 20; TAKE Khao Village. salaeng approached, driving Chat Chai Police Superintendent 29, from Nong-Kai. Police also A BREAK 23&24; BOOKS, Having already questioned against the flow of traffic. Sakchai Limcharoen. confirmed that only one passen- WORD C OURT 25; EDITO- four eye-witnesses as well as the The bus driver was forced Sakchai added that the ger remains in hospital, with a RIAL, LETTERS 26; MOTOR- victims of the accident, police are to swerve to avoid colliding with police also planned to bring broken leg. All the others have ING 29; SPORTS 30; DESIGN convinced that the salaeng was the oncoming vehicle, but subse- charges against the bus driver. already been discharged. 33; HOME OF THE WEEK 35; primarily to blame for the acci- quently lost control, careering off Eyewitness reports sug- It is illegal to drive in the GARDENING 36; CONSTRUC- dent that occurred when a fully- the road and crashing into an gested that the bus driver, Watch- wrong direction on Thai roads, but TION 38; CLASSIFIED A DS 39-51. loaded bus, heading for Satun, electric pole on the median strip. ara Wangklaew, had been driving the law is rarely enforced. overturned and crashed at about “Police know the identity of well in excess of the legal speed Source: NBT 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS November 8 - 14, 2008 Box jellyfish discovered off Phi Phi PHUKET: The Marine and Coastal Resources Department has warned of box jellyfish attacks after the highly poisonous species was found off Koh Phi Phi in Krabi province. The box jellyfish is not common in Thai waters but the recent discovery of the species off Phuket’s East coast and some beaches in Krabi and PhiPhi has sparked fears for tourists’ safety and a possible impact on the tourism industry. So far, two deaths in Thailand have been attributed to the jellyfish. The first was in 2002 on Koh Phangan in Surat Thani province and the latest in April at Koh Lanta in Krabi. Earlier this year, the son of an Australian journalist was stung while swimming off Koh Mak in Trat. The jellyfish has most recently been spotted at Loh Sama bay on Koh Phi Phi. Box jellyfish are known for their powerful venom, which has caused at least 5,567 re- corded deaths since 1954. The Phuket Marine Biological Center, has circulated letters to all coastal provinces, urging authorities to set up signs warning of the presence of box jellyfish in swimming areas. Vinegar is the best solution to reduce the pain from a jellyfish sting before the victim is sent to hospital. Community members display hand-made products at Nai Harn Beach as part of a 5-day training session on economic self-sustainability. Nakok agog over strange fish Community training CHALONG: Residents of Ban Nakok in Chalong Village 5 were taken by surprise last Thursday afternoon, when a local fisherman a big hit in Nai Harn caught a large fish in a local pond quite unlike anything ever seen in RAWAI: The Austrian-Phuket Community Center, in association with the area before. The creature had the Phuket Provincial Office, held a five-day training session late last a mouth and sharp teeth like a month to help people from east coast communities develop local prod- crocodile, two sets of strange flip- ucts and services to achieve economic self-sustainability. pers and scales described as “like The training, held from October 25 to 29, was hosted by the All those of a cobra”. Seasons Naiharn Phuket resort at Nai Harn Beach. A local Thai-language The hotel’s management staff gave talks on a variety of com- newspaper reported that the The alligator gar can grow up to 10ft in length and weigh 135kg. munity development strategies on topics including product develop- strange catch was made by 38- ment, marketing and advertising. Guest speakers included Phuket year-old Nareupol Sanguan- Office of Sports and Recreation Development Director Promchote naam, who spotted the large fish to a water well in the area and Adapted to brackish, low-oxygen Traivate. while angling for much smaller the local Fisheries Department environments, it can breath air A total of 66 people from 17 communities attended the train- plaa chon (snake-head fish), a office were called in to try and and can survive up to two hours ing. They came from Rawai (50 participants), Pa Khlock (10) and species commonly found in the determine what kind of fish it out of water. Although an aggres- Rassada (6). many tin mining ponds on the is- actually was. sive carnivore, attacks on humans The Austrian-Phuket Community Center, established on Koh land. The fish was taken to the are extremely rare. Sireh after the 2004 tsunami by international humanitarian aid orga- Mr Nareupol quickly re- Fisheries Department office, The fish was later returned nization Hilfswerk Austria, has remained active in a number of com- turned home to get bait and tackle where it was later identified as to its original owner, a resident of munity development programs on the island since the disaster. large enough to catch the fish, an alligator gar (Atractosteus the Chao Fa Thani housing es- Local manager Kamaewalai Teerasuwannachak opened the which had round black eyes, a spatula). Native to the southeast- tate identified as Mr Jamrieng, training, which ended with a closing ceremony presided over by Phuket white underbelly and weighed in ern United States, the fish can who said he was raising the fish Vice Governor Worapot Ratthasima. at a hefty 25 kilograms. The reach lengths of up to 10 feet long at home but that it accidentally caught fish was carefully moved and weigh up to 135 kilograms. escaped into the tin mine. After his capture, the native Police catch serial cat burglar of Phang Nga’s Thai Muang Dis- trict confessed that he broken into red handed in Kathu house the house, using a knife to cut through a mosquito screen. TUNG TONG: A serial cat bur- year-old Sanchai Choophol, was He also admitted to having glar is behind bars thanks to some arrested on Saturday night in front committed several thefts in good detective work by the Tung of a house in Kathu.