ANDAMAN Edition Volume 18 Issue 32 August 6 - 12, 2011 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht Swede deal turns sour ‘I regret his death… I am very sorry for his family’ By Atchaa Khamlo Mr Schantz was from Gothenburg and had been living THE men who stand charged for in Thailand for three years, two the murder of Maksim Schantz in Pattaya and one in Phuket, the only intended to intimidate the vic- Swedish embassy told the Ga- tim to retrieve 2 million baht owed, zette. one of the men told the Gazette. Police suspect business and Mr Schantz, a 25-year-old Rus- relationship feuds had formed be- sian-born Swedish national, died tween the victim and Mr Soderland after being stabbed in the throat during their time in Pattaya. outside his upscale home in The “[Mr Soderland’s] half-Thai Lantern residential estate in Koh Tommy Viktor Soderlund. girlfriend left him for Mr Schantz. Kaew at about 8pm on Monday This love triangle and/or business night. ended 24 hours later with both competition may have had some- Bleeding profusely from the wanted suspects in custody: thing to do with the murder,” said neck, Mr Schantz fled towards the Tommy Viktor Soderlund, 26, and Lt Col Nanon Pitakkultorn of Johan Ljung, 25, stands charged for the murder. Photos: Dean Noble security booth at the front of the Johan Sebastian Ljung, 25, both Phuket City Police. estate, before he collapsed and from Sweden. At the press conference it was Nackaphan Photha, an investiga- no laws against cheating people died, police said. Mr Soderland and Mr Ljung revealed that Mr Schantz had pro- tions officer with the Tourist through phone calls like they did,” The assailants escaped through were caught hiding out at the Surin vided information that led to the Police. Maj Nackaphan explained. the development’s perimeter wall Sweet Hotel on Tuesday afternoon, February “call center gang”, which “Tommy was in the group we Police said that the duo had and stole a motorcycle by kicking and were later presented in a press operated scams out of an internet arrested [in February], but we confessed to the murder and ex- the driver off his motorbike while conference presided over by cafe in Pattaya. didn’t catch Johan. We charged plained that they had located Mr he was driving down the street. Phuket Police Commander Pekad He had previously been in- them for working without permits, Schantz through Facebook and Police launched a manhunt that Tantipong. volved with the group, said Maj but nothing else because there are Continued on page 2 Daycare teacher charged over beatings New bridge opens DAYCARE teacher Pranee “Kru Kiew” as to why this abuse took place, and why “We’ve already charged her with child Jantalert has been charged with child abuse, all of the other teachers had been sacked in abuse and we are looking into the Child with the possibility of more charges to come, response to the incident. Protection Act to see whether any other after being allegedly caught beating her stu- After a meeting last Sunday between the charges may be applicable,” he said. dents on video. temple abbot, temple committee members, “Once we’ve decided on additional Meanwhile, Wichit Municipality has teachers and parents, it was agreed that re- charges, we will ask her to come in for taken over the Wat Thepnimit daycare cen- sponsibility for the school would be handed questioning. If she doesn’t come, we will ter, where parents and other teachers say to Wichit Municipality and the four teach- issue an arrest warrant,” he added. the beatings took place regularly. ers who had been fired would be rehired. Sompis Pettongnang, mother of one of The scandal unfolded on July 24 when Pranee, however, has not been asked to the children hit in the video, said that the teachers from the daycare center showed come back to the school. case is with the police and now the con- parents a video clip of their colleague, 47- “Right now we are questioning parents cern is what to do with their children. The Thao Srisoonthorn Bridge opened on year-old Pranee, beating their children. whose children were beaten by Kru Kiew. “Most parents with children at this Monday to traffic heading northbound off The video was also posted on You Tube. Right now there are three families, but we daycare live nearby, so we would like to Phuket, while construction work continues Angry parents gathered at the temple expect more to come forward,” Phuket City see it continue operating,” she said. on the rotunda on the original Sarasin Bridge that remains alongside. Friday last week to demand explanations Police Officer Wirat Tenthong said. – Atchaa Khamlo 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS August 6 - 12, 2011 Safety project to leave Relic theft fears laid to rest Archaeologist explains that ancient road to Rawai divided beads and other artifacts have By Chutharat Plerin been kept for research. Pages 5 THE Land Transport Office has announced that construction of a Business median strip along Wiset Road MBK to add a Kathu mall from Chalong Circle all the way to its growing Phuket to Rawai will begin this month. The road will have at least five presence. Page 10 U-turn breaks. The project is part of a gov- Livewire ernment strategy to decrease fatal Woody Leonhard tells road accidents that was announced by the Phuket Provincial Land why Phuket 3G is a Transport Office Chief, Teerayut success. Page 12 Prasertpol, on Monday. “Our target is to reduce traffic Aviation fatalities [on this road] to zero,” Teerayut Prasertpol said. An in-depth look into “When the project is finished, Thai’s Phuket-Denmark there might be some accidents but they won’t be fatal,” he added. flight. Page 15 Mr Teerayut went on to explain that the initial plan – designed by Film Surathani Highway Department – Captain America shows incorporated four U-turns. us why he is the first “However, locals were not comfortable with that plan, and Traffic trundles along Wiset Road, which is to have a median strip from avenger. Page 17 after consideration, we added an Chalong Circle to Rawai Beach. Inset: Teerayut Prasertpol extra U-turn,” he said. Sport “In addition to the median and come orderly and look organized. crease road safety awareness with U-turns, local police will create The news follows an an- active participation from local Paul Larsen aims to be special zones alongside the road nouncement in May that Wiset Rd residents. set world sailing speed for hawkers to sell their products was Phuket’s choice for the na- “We chose Wiset Rd because it to motorists,” he said. tionwide White Road Project, an is a straight yet sloped road where record. Page 43 Mr Teerayut explained that by initiative in which every province a lot of serious accidents occur doing so, the road is hoped to be- chose one road on which to in- due to fast driving,” he explained. Swede scam debt ends Dutch tourists in Bangla brawl POLICE have yet to complete their strained by the assailants. To end investigation into two Dutch tour- the fracas, the policeman fired a in remorse killing ists being beaten in Patong in the warning shot into the air. early hours of Monday morning. The Dutchmen were later ad- From page 1 their room but a gun was not “We have checked the CCTV mitted to Patong Hospital for found, Maj Gen Pekad said. footage, but we have not come to treatment to injuries sustained in travelled to Phuket three weeks Mr Soderland and Mr Ljung any conclusions yet,” said Patong the fight. ago, eventually renting the house were taken back to The Lantern Police Deputy Superintendent Lt One report said members of the across from him. on Wednesday to go over details Col Kittipong Khlaikaew. local driver consortium set up a A knife, a gun and a plastic band of the crime. “One problem that we have so blockade in front of Soi Bangla. for tying their victim’s wrists had Mr Soderland told the Gazette far is that the tourists could not The drivers dispersed only after been prepared for the attack. that they bought the .32-caliber identify any of the assailants or any Patong Police Superintendent Col After their escape, the men handgun in Bangkok and that they license plate numbers of the ve- Arayaphan Pukbuakao spent more went to the Anda Place hotel in had no intention of killing Mr hicles involved,” he added. Tuk-tuks parked across Soi Bangla. than an hour negotiating with Thalang, where they had already Schantz. The incident involves a report them. rented a room. They wanted to use the weap- of two men, named as Unubovd in damages after one of them “The two tourists are fine Leaving the motorcycle behind, ons only to intimidate him into Alcawbimel, 19, and Bootaman walked into a parked minibus now,” Lt Col Kittipong said on they moved to the Surin Sweet returning 2 million baht. Frans Jelle, 20, allegedly being at- shortly after they left Soi Bangla Wednesday. Hotel. “I regret his death… I am very tacked by minibus drivers. at about 2:45am. “They are still traveling in Thai- Ljung’s blood-soaked shirt and sorry for his family,” Mr The fight broke out after the A police officer nearby tried to land. They went to Phi Phi Island a knife had been collected from Soderland said. tourists refused to pay 1,000 baht intervene, but was allegedly re- yesterday,” he said. August 6 - 12, 2011 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Drownings Power problem forces Hope to pass Phuket by continue at THE MV Logos Hope, the 132-meter ship the ship’s engine is experiencing “a technical that the decision to bypass Thailand was in that is home to the world’s largest floating problem” and that the captain decided to head any way related to the dispute over the library, has canceled its scheduled stop in directly to Malaysia to have the engine re- Crown Prince and the aircraft impounded in Karon Beach Phuket.