Ministry of Foreign Affairs Branches out to Phuket INSIDE PHUKET: Foreign Visitors to the Ministry’S Offices in Bangkok
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Volume 16 Issue 6 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 February 7 - 13, 2009 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Ministry of Foreign Affairs branches out to Phuket INSIDE PHUKET: Foreign visitors to the ministry’s offices in Bangkok. region and local expat residents “This will enable foreigners to will soon be able to take advan- carry out ministry-related proce- tage of a local branch of the Min- dures and process documents in istry of Foreign Affairs to be es- Phuket without having to go to the tablished at Phuket Provincial ministry’s offices in Bangkok,” he Hall. said. Phuket Governor Preecha Governor Preecha ex- Ruangjan told the Gazette on plained that the center will also January 30 that he had received be a venue for holding training confirmation that day to go ahead seminars for businesses and in- with plans to establish the For- dividuals involved in the tourist eign Affairs center, which will industry. offer a range of services similar “It will be a place where we to those provided at the Ministry can learn more about the cultures Peter Reid of Foreign Affairs offices in of different nationalities in order The coach of the Thailand Bangkok. to help us better serve the vari- national football team talks “The new Foreign Affairs Phuket Provincial Hall, where the Phuket branch of the Ministry of Foreign ety of foreign visitors that make exclusively to the Gazette’s branch should be up and running Affairs will be located. up the tourist sector,” he said. James Goyder. within three months,” said Gov- Governor Preecha said that Ministry of Foreign Affairs head- The range of services avail- See page 12 ernor Preecha. “There is no the center is a much-needed ad- quarters in Bangkok will be head- able at the Ministry of Foreign NEWS: Gun crackdown, need to undertake any construc- dition to the province as the num- ing to Phuket to train local staff Affairs typically includes consu- crime statistics, Heroines’ tion to house the new center as ber of annual visitors continues on a number of ministerial pro- lar affairs, such as the arrange- Monument expansion. it will be established in existing to increase. “Phuket is recog- cedures. However, Governor ment of visa and travel docu- Pages 2 & 3 rooms at Provincial Hall. How- nized as one of the world’s top Preecha was unable to confirm ments for Thai nationals, verifi- ever, it will take a while to set holiday destinations and is an in- exactly when the center would be cation procedures for processing YOGA MOMENTS: up the offices with furniture and ternational hub for the region. The fully operational and offering the marriages between foreigners Learn the basics with our equipment, including computers new center will help bring the is- full range of services currently and Thai nationals, advice and new illustrated guide. that will be directly linked to the land up to date in the eyes of for- only available in Bangkok. authorization of naturalization pro- Pages 16 & 17 ministry’s central offices in eigners,” he said. Once up and running, the cedures and legal advice. Bangkok,” he added. Representatives from the center will be ‘online’ with the - Nick Davies NATURE & NURTURE: Introducing a new regular feature by naturalist Patrick Campbell. Solution in the pipeline for water-starved residents Page 36 PATONG: Residents of parts of more permanent basis. and his neighbors were spending plant. The plant, designed to pro- Patong who have gone without Around 10% of Patong’s about 30,000 baht a month col- duce 12,000 cubic meters of po- AROUND THE ISLAND 6; piped water for more than six estimated 5,000 residences have lectively for water truck deliver- table-quality water per day, has AROUND THE NATION 7; months should see at least some been receiving less water supply ies. However, he said he was still never produced more than 7,000 AROUND THE SOUTH 8; improvement in supply by mid- than they need for the past six getting a water bill because air cubic meters. AROUND THE REGION 10; month, when installation of a new months, with many residences on pressure was registering as wa- Problems have included a GOOD L IVING 11; HAPPEN- water main is scheduled for Nanai and Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi ter flow in his meter. lack of continuous power supply INGS 14; INSPIRATIONS 15; completion. Roads receiving little or no wa- Mr Sayun said his agency at the very high voltages required, LIFESTYLE 16&17; MOTOR- Sayan Wareearoonroj, man- ter at all. has spent more than 1 million baht as well as problems with the in- ING 18; WHAT'S ON 19; ager of Phuket Provincial Water While there is barely enough on laying a new pipe from the take pipe out in Karon Bay dur- BUSINESS AND MONEY 20; Supply, told the Gazette that water to supply to Patong as main supply that runs along the ing the monsoon season. TAKE A BREAK 23 & 24; within three months the produc- things stand, these two streets lie length of beach road to the wa- Mr Sayun told the Gazette BOOKS 25; EDITORIAL, tion capacity of problem-plagued upslope. A lack of water pressure ter-starved area, and that this that REQ, the company that built LETTERS 26; GOVERNOR’S Karon water desalination plant has meant that some residences work will be completed in mid- the plant, has commenced work LETTER 27; HOROSCOPES 28; will be expanded from 7,000 cu- there have had to rely on truck February. on improvements expected to TECH 29; SPORTS 30; PROP- ERTY 33-38; CLASSIFIED bic meters per day to 12,000 cu- deliveries for their water supply. However, the main problem bring it up to full capacity within ADS 39-51. bic meters per day, which should One angry reader wrote to is the lack of capacity of Karon’s three months. solve Patong’s water woes on a the Gazette complaining that he reverse osmosis desalination -Khunakorn Terdkiatkhachorn 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS February 7 - 13, 2009 Police Blotter Police crackdown on illegal guns PHUKET CITY: Owners of un- Phuket Provincial Police Crime Stats registered firearms will soon feel the full force of the law as part January 2008/2009 comparison of an island-wide crackdown an- nounced by Phuket Chief of Po- Murder: There were five reports of murder (down 64% on the lice Apirak Hongtong. same period in 2008) with four arrests being made. In a statement, released on Manslaughter: There were 42 reports of manslaughter (down January 31, Police Major General 6.67% from January 2008) with 27 arrests Apirak said that due to the cur- Theft: There were 79 reports of theft (down 30.1% from Janu- rent economic downturn, Phuket ary 2008) with 51 arrests. Reports of bike theft stood at 12 (up is faced with the risk of rising 50% from January 2008) with six arrests. A single car robbery crime rates. To combat this was reported (down 75%) although no arrest was made. Reports threat he said he had instructed of fraud and embezzlement totalled 13 with a solitary arrest. police officers to raise levels of Gambling: Statistics are divided into two categories: general gam- inspections, particularly with re- bling and illegal lottery: There were 65 cases of general gambling spect to guns. This measure was which resulted in 177 arrests (up 8.33% from January 2008), but being taken to pre-empt an es- there was a 15.38% decrease in the number of people arrested in calation in the level of violent Phuket police are planning a crackdown on unregistered firearms under connection with the illegal lottery (22). crime on the island, he added. the direction of Pol Maj Gen Apirak Hongtong. Drugs: Arrests stood at 260 (up 111.65% from January 2008), from a total of 218 cases. Drug seizures for January were as follows: Dry marijuana: 425.19 grams, Krathom: (Mitragyna Speciosa): 1,171 leaves, 0.5 liters of extract, Ya bah: (metham- phetamine) 9,853 pills, Ya Ice: (crystal methamphetamine) 52.82 grams, Alprazolam: (Xanax): 29 pills, Heroin: 0.198 grams Co- caine: 5.8 grams. UV lights to detect fakes PHUKET CITY: In a bid to Wet markets are thought to combat counterfeiting, Phuket be hotspots for the passing of Provincial Administration Orga- fake bills. Criminals are known nization President Paiboon to favor the morning time – Upatising has used his own when light is poor and vendors money to buy 1,000 UV flash- are not as alert – as the time to lights, which he distributed to pass on the fakes. Mr Paiboon’s vendors at two wet markets in actions followed reports that Phuket City on January 23. some merchants at fresh mar- The paths of the moon and sun crossed above Thailand on Monday January 26, causing a partial solar Mr Paiboon gave the de- kets were refusing to take 1,000 eclipse that was visible above Phuket. The eclipse fell on the first day of the Lunar New Year. vices away to traders at Kaset baht and 500 baht notes, fearing Market near Robinson depart- they might be fake. ment store, and at the Downtown “This is the Chinese New Market on Ranong Road. Year season. The flashlights are Seaplane seeks to relaunch service There have been a number ang pao for the people,” he PHUKET: The Destination Air in the first place has changed, such as advertising scheduled of well-known counterfeiting said, referring to the custom of seaplane shuttle service whose li- James added.