ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE Hat’s off! Photo finish for Phuket ladies at Melbourne Cup fundraiser INSIDE TODAY November 17 - 23, 2012 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht EVERY SINGLE BAR IN PATONG AFFECTED, SOME PAYING 100,000 BAHT A MONTH Corruption killing A villager holds the remains of a hawksbill turtle that is blamed for a mass poisoning of 43 villagers. Patong night trade Turtle soup Nightlife venue operators blamed for call on Phuket Governor to poisoning curb ‘out of control’ corruption sea gypsies By Kritsada Mueanhawong Full story on Page 8 PATONG nightlife venue operators this week dispatched Work on B600mn a delegation headed by Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukban and Patong Entertainment Business Association underpass to start President Weerawit Kurasombat to urge the Governor to investigate rampant extortion by government officers. on November 21 Deputy Mayor Chairat and Mr Weerawit broached the THE leading engineer heading the issue with Governor Maitri Inthusut at Provincial Hall on project to build for Phuket’s first Wednesday morning. Also present was Prapan Kanprasang, underpass at the Darasamuth Inter- head of the Damrongtham Center (Provincial section, located in front of the Ombudsman’s Office). Central Festival Phuket shopping “Many government departments in Phuket ask enter- mall, confirmed this week that work tainment operators in Patong for protection money, and will commence on November 21. the problem is getting worse,” said Mr Chairat. Speaking at a meeting at the “We would like to ask the Governor to please investi- Phuket Highways Office in Phuket gate these government departments,” he added. Town, Itiwatra Kritsanavanich said Mr Weerawit told the Gazette that officials from up to Kang Chelgue is assisted out of a tour van while being rushed to Phuket International that the inside lanes on the north side nearly 20 government departments and law enforcement Hospital for emergency treatment to a serious head injury. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar of the junction will be blocked off agencies regularly ask night venues in Patong for money. with concrete barriers to allow “To the best of my knowledge every single bar in Patong workers to start cutting down the has to pay at least 500 baht to some government official LUCKY ESCAPE FOR TOURIST trees on the median strip. each month,” he said. “From November 21 to the end “Large nightlife venues in Patong pay much, much Korean tourist survives being struck in the head of the month, we will put the con- more,” Mr Weerawit said. “Some pay as much as 100,000 by the propeller blade of a passing longtail boat crete barriers in place so we can baht a month.” prepare the site before we start Patong’s nightlife industry was a prime target for while snorkelling with friends on a day trip on digging and installing the retaining officials to demand corrupt payments, he said… Phang Nga Bay. Full story on Page 2 walls in December,” Mr Itiwatra said. Continued on Page 3 – Chutharat Plerin 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS November 17 - 23, 2012 Korean tourist survives Business Cola wars start fizzing hit from longtail boat as Supercheap secure By Thawit Bilabdullar Pepsi deal. Page 11 KOREAN tourist Kang Chulgue, who was struck in the head by a People longtail boat propeller while on a Former heroin addict snorkeling trip in Phang Nga Bay, was well enough to be released Yassine talks drugs and from Phuket International Hospi- dinghies. Pages 36 tal on Wednesday. Medical staff at the hospital told the Gazette on Tuesday that Mr Charity Kang was conscious and eating Events galore. SKAL, unassisted. Mr Chulgue, 30, was on a day PIWC and LHP line up trip with five other Korean for charity. Page 38 tourists at the popular tourist site Tumlod-Khao Phing Kan, located Explore near Koh Panyee in Phang Nga Bay, when the accident happened. Blazing saddles. Baz Mr Kang was rushed to Phuket blazes through on his International Hospital at 4:30pm on Monday by Sri Soonthorn bicycle. Page 40 Municipality rescue workers. Unconscious on his arrival at Phuket International Hospital, Korean tourist Rescue van driver Chaiyuth Kang Chulgue has now recovered and been discharged from their care. Diving Rassamee explained that Mr Kang Thai Dive Master fell unconscious while en route to snorkeling off Koh Panyee. After where he was put into a tour van the hospital due to blood loss. about 20 minutes in the water a and rushed to Phuket,” Mr trainee, Scuba Bunny “All I could do was give him longtail boat passed through where Chaiyuth explained. conquers all. Page 41 first aid to stop the bleeding and they were snorkeling. “Mr Kang was bleeding a lot get him and his five friends to “After realizing that Mr Kang and there was a lot of traffic hospital as soon as I could,” he had been struck and injured in the because it was rush hour, so when Sport added. head, they rushed him by boat they saw our rescue van, they Avram Grant takes time Tourists in the van told Mr back to the Baan Krasom Pier in stopped and asked for help,” he on his holiday to talk Chaiyuth that Mr Kang was Takua Thung in Phang Nga, added. football. Page 50 Rohingya land in Phang Nga Teen axe killer in court next week HEAVY seas forced a boat loaded The plight of the Rohingya has THE 15-year-old boy who with 112 Rohingya attempting the been well documented by the confessed to murdering his step- perilous journey to Malaysia to land United Nations and other interna- father with an axe on August 21 on Tai Muang beach in Phang tional NGOs. In June, the BBC has been charged with murder and Nga, where they were promptly reported that in Rakhine State, 57 will go to trial next week. arrested by the authorities on Muslims and 31 Buddhists had Lt Col Boonlert Onklang of the November 10. died, an estimated 90,000 people Chalong Police Station told the According to police the boat were displaced and over 2,500 Gazette that the boy, who cannot was part of a flotilla of seven boats homes were burned during be named because he is a minor, ferrying over 1,000 Rohingya that sectarian violence. remains in the custody of the Mrs Panta grieves for her husband, departed their native Rakhine State A report submitted to the UK Phuket Family and Juvenile Court. who was killed by his stepson. on the western coast of Myanmar Parliament indicated that the Bur- “Officers have been investigat- Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong on November 2. mese Army and police were ing his background, behavior and the boy’s mother. Lt Chaiyuth Boonyai of Tai playing a leading role in targeting other factors that might have made “He said he made the decision Muang Police Station said that the The Rohingya refugees were Rohingyas through mass arrests him murder his stepfather,” Col to kill his sleeping stepfather,” Col Rohingya were spotted leaving rounded up by police and handed and arbitrary violence. over to Phang Nga Immigration. Boonlert said. Wanchai said. their stricken vessel and making The figures jumped dramatically At the time of the teenager’s “We cannot give any further for the shore near to the Tai Muang Police charged the new arriv- in October with reports of a fur- arrest, Col Wanchai Palawan, who information about the case as it is Industrial and Community Educa- als with illegal entry into Thailand ther 80 deaths, 20,000 displaced heads the Phuket Provincial now with the court. The rest tion College. and took them to Tai Muang persons and an unknown number Police investigations division, said depends on the judge’s decision,” “We arrested a total of 112 men Police Station for questioning of homes burned, believed to run that the boy did not like his Col Boonlert said. between the ages of 18 and 40 before handing them over to into thousands. stepfather as he constantly beat – Irfarn Jamdukor years old,” he said. Phang Nga Immigration officers. – Kritsada Mueanhawong November 17 - 23, 2012 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Slow loris Bangla raids Aussie fights for life after to continue 18-storey balcony plunge By Atchaa Khamlo THE Australian man who fell 18 floors from a Patong hotel balcony on Tuesday was conscious and underwent surgery to address a ruptured spleen at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town on SLOWLY, BUT SURELY: The slow loris Wednesday. raids on Soi Bangla follow tourists John Hurley, 39, suffered sev- making complaints about the touts. eral broken ribs, a punctured lung, Photo: Issac Stone Simonelli Rescue workers prepare to rush serious injuries to his right leg and Mr Hurley to Patong Hopsital. COMPLAINTS from tourists broken left hand in the fall from have prompted Patong Municipal- the Royal Paradise Hotel, which Patong Police said they were now ity to launch a campaign to rid Soi dominates the Patong skyline. questioning witnesses known to Bangla of touts who charge tour- During surgery on Wednesday, have seen or spoken with ists for having their photos taken doctors began correcting his shat- Mr Hurley before his fall. with specimens of the slow loris tered right leg, which was nearly “We found a chair on the protected species. torn off in the impact. balcony of his hotel room and on Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat “We are still concerned about the chair was one of Mr Hurley’s Sukban told the Gazette that the his condition as he suffered seri- shoes,” explained Patong Police campaign used the coordinated ous internal bruising, but he is Deputy Superintendent Kittipong effort of the Phuket Environmen- conscious and responding to Klaikaew.