ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE Bad boy Dennis on the run A failed assassination attempt that wounded two German tourists leaves police searching for the intended target INSIDE TODAY February 2 - 8, 2013 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht LEGAL TOUR BUSINESS OPTS FOR ‘APPEASEMENT’ CLOSURE ‘Kamnan of War’ Taxi mob battles Alleged mastermind on Russian front behind M16 ambush arrested in Krabi with Anti-Russian sentiment weapons of war. finds foothold, as taxi mob Full story on Page 6 forces ‘Russian’ Bang Tao tour operators to close their doors Royal Thai Navy re-starts refugee By Chutharat Plerin ‘help on’ policy AFTER hundreds of Rohingya have GROWING anti-Russian sentiment on the island reached already been taken into custody a flashpoint in Bang Tao on Monday when a mob of angry along the Andaman coast this year, taxi drivers forced the closure of a legally operated tour the Royal Thai Navy this week company. resumed its policy to “help on” the Targeting the company, Alex Holiday Tour, the mob open boats the refugees are using to tore down the company’s signs, alleging that it and other flee the violence in their homeland. “Russian” tour companies were undercutting the prices The resumption of the Navy’s of local people and making it impossible to survive. police comes as 205 refugees on By the end of the day, Alex Holiday Tour, despite being Monday night were forced ashore a fully legal business and employing Thai staff, had Koh Racha Noi, a well-known day- permanently shut its doors. trip destination for snorkellers and “The director closed the business to avoid having any scuba divers 25 kilometers south of further problems with the locals,” Ma-ann Samran, presi- Phuket. dent of the Cherng Talay Administrative Organization In light of previous refugees (OrBorTor) told the Gazette. coming ashore having eaten scant “Locals explained to me that the Russian-owned busi- meals of uncooked rice and sea nesses were stealing tourists from them, which was having water, members of the Navy a significant effect on their income,” Mr Ma-ann explained. provided the refugees with food In addition to offering tour packages and supplying tour rations and freshwater, before guides, these businesses are telling tourists to avoid using “allowing” them to continue their local tuk-tuks and taxis, he added. journey south. Ma-ann Samran, president of the Cherng Talay OrBorTor, points to the closure papers Continued on Page 3 signed by the director of Alex Holiday Tours. Photo: Christian Mouchet Full story on Page 8 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS February 2 - 8, 2013 Swiss student held in Business Cost of living: Phuket Ranong out on bail most inflated province in South. Page 11 By Kritsada Mueanhawong A SWISS national held by Ranong Luxury living Immigration since December 25 Enjoy the high life at on charges of stealing an officer’s Avista Hideaway Resort camera was released on bail on January 23 after her mother & Spa. Page 15 posted bond of 130,000 baht in Ranong Court. Health Unaware that her daughter, Tscherina Nora Janisch, 22, was New Year’s resolutions being held in a Thai prison, Eliza- in our first ‘Health with beth Maria Janisch initially reported Tscherina as missing when she Hayden’. Page 39 hadn’t heard from her in three weeks. Explore After she was listed as missing Surf’s up year round at on the travel website Travelfish, her story was picked up by main- Swiss tourist Tscherina Janisch was a missing person until a Ranong Tourist Officer discovered her in prison. Photo: Facebook Phuket’s latest attraction stream media across the region. ‘Surf House’. Page 40 Ranong Tourist Police officer University of Singapore, had en- Although initially concerned that Cpl Rungroj Somjai read about her tered Thailand on December 8 and officers might be spreading in a local newspaper on January overstayed her tourist visa by incorrect information about Explore 19 and quickly reported to the three days. Tscherina, Mrs Janisch told the Blazing ‘Baz’ hits some Swiss Embassy that he had seen When she presented herself at Gazette, “When I arrived in her weeks earlier. Ranong immigration and was Ranong I realized that I was wrong, quieter trails around The Swiss Embassy then con- asked to pay an overstay charge, as the officers have been very good Koh Yao. Page 41 tacted Tourist Police in Bangkok, she refused and was arrested. to me and my daughter.” who informed Phuket Tourist As her arrest was being pro- Mrs Janisch also expressed her Police, who in turn contacted the cessed, police say, she stole a gratitude to the judge for granting Sport Ranong Tourist Police, who found camera from an officer. Ms Tscherina’s bail. Phuket FC unveil their Ms Janisch incarcerated in Janisch denies the charge. She believes the accusation of squad ahead of the Ranong. Ms Janisch’s mother rushed to theft is the result of a misunder- Page 50 Ms Janisch, an exchange stu- Thailand as soon as her daughter standing between the officers, her new season. dent studying at the National had been located. daughter and the interpreter. Motorcyclists’ rush to a party Police tyred of Russian tour bus antics A TRAFFIC policeman on duty in Bus driver Manas Worasiri, 50, leaves one dead, one injured Thalang had a lucky escape on was charged with reckless driv- Wednesday morning, diving out of ing by operating an improperly A BURMESE man working in the way just in time to avoid maintained vehicle. He was fined Phuket was killed and another being struck by a speeding wheel 600 baht for the transgression. injured when the motorbike they that had come loose off a passing “The bus is always checked as were riding slammed into a road- tour bus. required. I do not know why this side guard rail at high speed near Sen Sgt Maj Sayumphu accident happened,” Mr Manas Baan Sapam Mongkol Wittaya Nhucharoen was directing traffic told police. school on the night of January 23. on the busy Thepkrasattri Road at No passengers were injured in The driver, Zaw Min Oo, 37, about 8:15am when he saw the the emergency braking required to died at the scene. His passenger, wheel coming directly at him. Sgt Sayumphu points to where the stop the vehicle, and by the time Myo Aung Chay, also 37, suffered “I managed to jump out of the tour bus wheel struck his other police arrived at the scene, a broken leg and was taken to Failure to slow at a curve led to two way in time, but it hit my motor- motorbike. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar they all had been picked up by an- Vachira Phuket Hospital. casualties. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar cycle, which was parked by the other bus. Mr Myo told police that the two “Mr Zaw was driving at high side of the road,” Sgt Sayumphu came loose. The only injury was to the wall were en route from Phuket Town speed and failed to slow down as said. After hitting the motorbike, the at Hang Krajok Tungman, and a to Thalang to join a party with he approached the Khuan Din The bus, displaying a Pegas wheel continued at high speed representative said that that dam- friends, said Phuket City Police Daeng curve, where he lost con- sign in the front window, had across the street and hit and dam- age was covered by insurance. Duty Officer Chaleaw Taihoo. trol of his motorbike and hit the picked up 32 passengers at the aged the wall at Hang Krajok “The case is closed,” said An unopened bottle of liquor guard rail,” Maj Chaleaw said. airport and was heading towards Tungnam Co Ltd, a construction Thalang Police Officer Niphon was found near the scene. – Thawit Bilabdullar a hotel in Kata when the wheel supply store. Temsang. – Thawit Bilabdullar February 2 - 8, 2013 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Aussies spill mafia beans in assassination attempt Sometimes you just want to give By Chutharat Plerin Patong Hospital. up and leave it. Image:Gazette file “Johann Baschenegger, 42, and PATONG Police are searching for Joseph Woerner, 71, were both Danish national Dennis Mark shot in the arm,” Patong Police Thais, expats Knudsen, 24, the intended target chief Chiraphat Pochanaphan said. in the drive-by shooting in Patong Mr Baschenegger arrived in vote for car last week that saw two German Phuket around midnight on Janu- tourists accidentally wounded. ary 21. parks to be The news follows Australians “My friend Joseph arrived be- John Cohen, 32, and Adam Shea, fore me. We were hanging out in 26, opening fire in Soi Sansabai, front of the hotel when we were mandatory near the tourist-popular Soi Bangla, both shot in the arm,” he said. NEARLY 80% of all readers who at about 7:30pm on January 22. Col Chiraphat expressed his voted in the latest Phuket Gazette Their intended target was a concern about how detrimental online poll have called for all new man initially named by police only such an incident could be to buildings in Phuket to provide at as “Dannie”. Phuket’s vital tourism industry. least some parking spaces as a re- However, police have since “The suspects opened fire in the quirement for being given a build- confirmed that the man’s real middle of a densely populated ing permit. name is Dennis Knudsen. tourism area and injured two in- Of the 590 people who voted “We have been informed that nocent people. They have in the poll, launched on Decem- ‘Denny’ is a Danish national and seriously tarnished Thailand’s ber 25, more than half (58.3%) that his real name is Dennis reputation and must face the high- voted “Yes.