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Ad- Bule Rock Fes (f.o.c.) Eye Front K. Jib Volume 17 Issue 7 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555February 13 - 19, 2010 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Ice storm: crystal INSIDE meth on the rise RYSTAL meth is rep- of the hotel, he was arrested. lacing ya bah as the drug Mr Lek’s girlfriend, Gingarn C of choice for Phuket’s ‘Yui’ Sungkha, 22, was picked up teenagers, according to the in the hotel room. Two more 22- island’s top police officer. year-olds, Sitthipong ‘Em’ Pradab Phuket Provincial Police and Surin ‘Tu’ Suwannoe, were Commander Pekad Tantipong’s arrested 15 minutes later when comments came after police they returned to the room. seized 100,000 baht’s worth of ya Searches of the suspects ice (crystal methamphetamine) in and the hotel room yielded 25 a sting operation on January 6. small bags of the drug weighing Skating Swedes Six were arrested on drug a total of 20.69 grams. Find out why two tourists are charges. A Nissan Cefiro registered skating almost 5,000 kilometers Maj Gen Pekad and Phuket in Bangkok was also seized as from Chiang Mai to Singapore. City Police Superintendent evidence in the case. Pages 4 - 5 Wanchai Ekpornpit announced Two more suspects were the arrests and seizures at a press arrested earlier in front of the Drug suspects Surin 'Tu' Suwannoe of Nakhon Sri Thammarat (left) and NEWS: Governor meets conference at Phuket City Police Twin Inn after buying ya ice from Station at 11am on January 8. Prasert 'Lek' Kaewsuwan of Ratchaburi (right) at last week's press the gang. honorary consuls; Ham- conference. mering out piracy; Tourist “Right now it seems ya ice Athit ‘Jack’ Pimsamut, 30, cop found dead in Rawai. is spreading in Phuket, and ya “Alien workers much prefer after police were tipped-off that and Rangsan ‘Joe’ Bunklieng, 32, bah (methamphetamine) is drinking to taking drugs,” he a gang of four drug dealers were were caught with 0.75g and Pages 2 - 3 looking out of date. We’re not added. staying at the hotel. 0.65g of the drug, respectively. AROUND THE REGION: sure why,” said Gen Pekad. The six suspects were An undercover officer A small bag of ya ice, Gearing up for the Koh It was mostly young Thais paraded in front of the press at arranged to buy drugs from typically weighing one gram or Phang Nga Film Festival. who were taking the drug, he said. the conference. All were arrested Prasert ‘Lek’ Kaewsuwan, 30. less, currently sells for around “They’re encouraged into on the evening of January 6 at After Mr Lek attempted to sell 3,000 baht, police say. Page 6 doing it by their friends. the Twin Inn in Phuket Town the officer some ya ice in front – Atchaa Khamlo GOOD LIVING: Marque Rome takes a trip to Cloud 9, a new eatery in Rawai. Graft allegations dog convention center Page 8 HE LATEST setback to (Strong Thailand) economic reportedly pulled out of the The probe would be AROUND THE NATION, QUEER Phuket’s decades-old stimulus package. bidding after refusing to pay the thorough and transparent, he NEWS 7; LIFESTYLE 10 & dream of building an The politicians, whose large sums demanded. added. 11; PEOPLE 12; EXPAT GAL- Tinternational-standard names were not mentioned, A team from King Mongkut Despite some media outlets LERY 13; HAPPENINGS 14; convention and exhibition center allegedly demanded kickbacks Institute of Technology in reporting that work on the project INSPIRATIONS 15; WHAT’S came last week, when several amounting to 41 percent from the Ladkrabang has now been selected had been halted, by February 10 ON 17; TAKE A B REAK 19 & media outlets reported allegations project’s 100-million-baht design to conduct the design work. the design board from the King 20; BOOKS, HOROSCOPES of corruption by local politicians budget. Finance Minister Korn Mongkut University had not been 21; EDITORIAL, LETTERS 22; with interests in the project. The Treasury Department, Chatikavanij has ordered his told to stop working. FIRST PERSON, ISSUES AND The center is to be built on which is developing the project, deputy, Pruektichai Damrongrut, They have already worked ANSWERS 23; BUSINESS & 150 rai of Treasury Department initially favored a team of to launch a probe into the alleged out the basic layout of the new MONEY 25; SPORT 26 & 27; land near Tah Chat Chai, at the Thammasat University engineers corruption. complex, which will feature a PROPERTY 28; CONSTRUCTION island’s northernmost point. bidding on the contract for the “In every Thai Khem convention hall and exhibition UPDATE 29 ; EARTH M ATTERS Funding will come from center’s design, according to the Khaeng project there must be center and have an ‘iconic’ 30; PROPERTY LEGAL 31 the government’s 1.43-trillion- reports. measures which ensure there is design. CLASSIFIED ADS 32-44. baht Thai Khem Khaeng The university team no waste,” said Mr Korn. – The Nation Group 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS February 13 - 19, 2010 Tourist cop’s death puzzles detectives N INVESTIGATION is underway to attached to anything, leading them to wonder determine whether an Immigration whether the American asphyxiated himself Police Volunteer found dead in his by tying the cable round his neck and pulling ARawai home committed suicide or both ends. was murdered. While police believe suicide is the most likely American national Richard Johnson, 67, was scenario, they have yet to rule out murder. found slumped against his bedroom door with elec- Further investigation has revealed that Mr trical cord round his neck on February 5. Johnson had been doing business in Phuket for There were wounds to his neck and several years. forehead. He lived alone in the home, having separated Roxanne bar burns The body was discovered by an unidentified from a Thai wife who since remarried. OLICE are hunting a man Wanida and her Danish husband. friend of Mr Johnson, also a foreigner, who went Fellow Phuket Immigration Police Volunteer who burned down the After the bar closed Sat- to the home out of concern after the dead man Tim Gardener said, “Richard was a friendly chap Ppopular Roxanne Bar on urday night, one staff member called him to ‘say goodbye’. with a story to match all occasions. He will be Wichit Road in Rawai in the stayed on for security. Chalong Police and Phuket Ruamjai Kupai missed.” early hours of February 6. The staff member told po- Foundation rescue workers arrived at the scene “He would amaze listeners with stories of his Chalong Police were no- lice that a man wearing a hood around 7:45pm. varied careers – US Navy Seal, karate instructor tified of the blaze at 3:30am. suddenly appeared, dousing fur- They estimated Mr Johnson died about three to Hollywood stars, bodyguard to presidents, It took two Rawai Mu- niture at the front of the bar with hours earlier. working for Hawaii Police and Fire Departments nicipality fire engines about 30 gasoline and quickly setting it There were no signs of struggle in the house, and captaincy of various ships around the world minutes to put out the flames, alight before fleeing. located on Soi Khok Makham in Rawai. as a senior mariner.” but not before they destroyed Police are investigating a In the room police found Mr Johnson’s Mr Johnson’s body was sent to Vachira the bar and everything inside. business rivalry as a possible passport as well as a card identifying him as a Phuket Hospital for examination. Located near the motive, noting that patrons of the Tourist Police volunteer. Police are hoping the results of that work will Sapphaya Spa, the Roxanne Bar popular bar often parked their What is puzzling investigators are the show whether they can close the book on the case was run by a Nakhon Sri cars in front of rivals’ premises. mechanics of Mr Johnson’s death. – or begin the hunt for a murderer. Thammarat woman named – Gazette reporter The white cord around his neck was not – Gazette reporter Col Grissak: injustice, drunkenness, robbery spark violence By Atchaa Khamlo The comments came just punch-up with a tuk-tuk driver don’t know for no reason. Thai “The case in Chalong of the ATONG’s most senior cop after the announcement of his following an argument over fares. people are naturally nice.” German being stabbed to death says perceived injustice, transfer from the bright lights of More recently, a 32-year- Col Grissak said Thais was started when the German Pdrunkenness and robbery Patong to Phang Nga’s sleepy old Thai man confessed to stab- sometimes attack foreigners if didn’t notice the Thais’ bike and attempts lead Thais to assault Kuraburi district in the latest po- bing elderly German expat Wolf- they feel they have been cheated nearly crashed into them,” he said. foreigners. lice reshuffle. Dieter Kesselheim to death in an or feel under attack. “Then they chased him and Kathu Police Superinten- They also follow a number apparent case of road rage. “Lately there was the case honked at him, so the farang gave dent Grissak Songmoonnark said of attacks on tourists in Phuket Two weeks earlier, another of the tuk-tuk driver beating up them the middle finger. The case it was important to examine the and other parts of Thailand. German man was shot dead af- the foreign tourist because of the was down to neither side show- underlying causes of Thai-on- In early January Canadian ter ‘giving the finger’ to a Thai fare,” he said.

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