Volume 12 Issue 38 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 September 17 - 23, 2005 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 20 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Bangkok resurrects casino plan IN THIS ISSUE BANGKOK (The Nation): The government has revived its plan NEWS: Rise in tax on spirits to introduce casinos to Thailand beginning to be felt; Don’t for- as a way to boost the sagging get us – Phi Phi. tourism industry amid increased Pages 2, 3 & 6 competition from rival Asian des- INSIDE STORY: Calling the tinations, the Minister of Tourism shots. Pages 4 & 5 and Sports, Pracha Maleenont, said on September 8. AROUND THE ISLAND: Glock, K. Pracha said the “one SWAT & barrel. Page 8 region one casino” initiative was AROUND THE REGION: Cast proposed in response to the open- away on Samui. Page 9 ing of Hong Kong Disneyland this month and the expected PEOPLE: Forza Ferrari with opening of two casinos in Chief F1 Designer Rory Singapore in the next few years. Byrne; Weddings: tying the “Thailand needs a new knot. Pages 10 & 11 Wildflowers grow where there should be water in the Bang Wad Reservoir. Unless there is heavy rain soon, and plenty of it, even the puddle in the middle will disappear. tourism magnet to lure more in- LIFESTYLE: It’s that time again. ternational tourists and local trav- Criminally good Ear Candy. elers,” he said. Pages 12 & 13 The Disneyland theme park is expected to divert potential AFTER DARK: A splendid travelers to Hong Kong, especial- Punky Reggae Party. Reservoir down ly travelers from China, one of Page 15 the Tourism Authority of Thai- SPA MAGIC: Body & Mind. land’s main targets. Page 18 K. Pracha said Prime Min- ister Thaksin Shinawatra had FIRST PERSON: A bitter pill for assigned the Government Lottery Thailand. Page 23 to last few drops Office to conduct a feasibility BUSINESS: Hotels “back on By Ananya Hongsa-ngiam, zette that two of the four lagoons as the Tourism Authority of study that should be completed track”; Money Talks.Page 25 Anongnat Sartpisut the city normally relies upon are Thailand’s “mega-fam trips” for by the end of this year. & Alasdair Forbes also low on water. One, on Soi thousands of foreign tour agents, The government wants to SPORT: Laguna Triathlon pre- Paniang, just to the northeast of were taking place at the time – build at least four casinos in the view; Surfing; Basketball. KATHU: The water level in Phuket City, is at 25% of capa- and rain was definitely not re- Kingdom, he said, one each in Pages 26 & 27 Phuket’s sole public reservoir, the city. Another, in Suan Luang quired. four of Thailand’s six regions. PROPERTY: Home of the Bang Wad Reservoir, is down to Park, on Chao Fa Rd, is down to Sometimes the pilots did Two of the casinos would be lo- Week in Rawai; Decor: just 400,000 cubic meters and just 10% of capacity. succeed in producing rain, but it cated in existing tourism hotspots Splashing out when feeling falling – lower than at this time Attempts by the Royal fell on Phang Nga instead of such as Phuket or Pattaya, and flush; Construction: Tara! of year in any of the past 21 Rainmaking Project to seed Phuket. In the end, the amount two would be built in less popu- Gardening: When any dream years. Water officials blame the clouds and produce rain have had of water they were able to add lar locations. will do. Pages 30-33 shortage of rain. little success. to the reservoir totaled just “If we want more tourism Phuket Irrigation Office Since August 20, pilots from 81,000 cubic meters, an amount income we must start putting this PLUS (PIO) Project Director Watchara the project have been flying mis- K. Thanatsanee described as in- thing on our tourism map. The Arepornsiri has warned that if sions over Phuket in an effort to significant. casinos will also help the econ- QUEER N EWS 6; AROUND THE NA- there is not enough rain by the get the clouds to shed their The rainmakers will, how- omy to recover,” K. Pracha said. TION 7; HAPPENINGS 14; WINE, end of September or early Octo- bounty, said Thanatsanee Sawat- ever, keep trying until November PM Thaksin first unveiled PHUKET DIARY 16; MOTORING ber, the reservoir will effectively dirak, Chief of the Phuket Pro- if necessary. his casino plan a year ago, but 17; HOROSCOPES 11; OUTSIDE IN be empty and Phuket will have vincial Agriculture and Coopera- In a normal year the PIO he was strongly criticized by de- 13; BOOKS 19; PATTAYA, HORO- to rely entirely on supplies from tives Office. is contracted to supply – from its vout Buddhists who said the ca- SCOPES 20; DOVEN, THE TIME privately-owned tin lagoons. Part of the time they have Bang Wad Reservoir – 2 million sinos would promote gambling MACHINE 21; LETTERS 22; COM- But even the tin lagoons are been unable to fly because of cubic meters of water to Phuket and spark social problems. In PUTERS, ON THE MOVE 24; TAKE running low. Sawong Sri-In, di- strong winds. In other cases, the City Municipality and 4 million to Phuket, the plan appeared to be A BREAK 28 & 29; CLASSIFIEDS rector of Phuket City Municipal planes were grounded because the Phuket Provincial Water Sup- opposed by most local people. 34-43. Water Department, told the Ga- tourism-boosting activities, such Continued on page 2 Editorial: page 22 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS September 17 - 23, 2005 The water level in Bang Wad Reservoir on September 1 was the lowest it had been at that date in 22 years Rise in spirits 8 tax begins to 7 6 5 hit shop shelves 4 By Anongnat Sartpisut by data listed on a United Na- 3 tions website which showed Thai- PHUKET: The Excise Depart- land ranking fifth in the world in 2 ment’s tax increase on distilled terms of per capita alcohol con- spirits, which went into effect sumption, behind South Korea, the Million cubic meters 1 September 6, is gradually being Bahamas, Taiwan and Bermuda. 0 Source : Phuket Irrigation Office reflected on store shelves across At Tesco-Lotus, the new the island as retailers replace old tax formula has already resulted 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 stock with new. in price increases to several prod- Year (September 1) The increase, which osten- ucts, for example: sibly has the twofold goal of cut- Starnovitch Vodka: 225 baht ting down on alcohol consump- to 232 baht; Malibu white rum: Bang Wad reservoir tion and boosting government rev- 739 baht to 759 baht; Clan Mac- 6.97 enue, applies to all distilled alco- Gregor blended Scotch whisky: down to last drops Dwindling Reserves in hol products, including brandy, 279 baht to 283 baht; Camus co- 7 Bang Wad Reservoir From page 1 whisky, “special blends”, rum, gin gnac: 1,109 to 1,199 baht; Mar- and vodka. tell VSOP brandy: 1,199 baht to ply Department (PPWS), which 5.92 Levels recorded on first day 6 Distilled spirits are now sub- 1,269. is responsible for the southern of each month in 2005. ject to a tax of 40-50% of the Wichan Meesen, Manager half of the island apart from Phu- All figures in millions of market price, or 400 baht per li- of the Market Place supermar- ket City. cubic meters (mcm) ter of pure alcohol content – ket in Central Festival Phuket, 5 4.64 K. Wachara said that the The brown area is whichever is higher. Formerly the said he did not believe the in- PPWS had used an average of ‘dead’ storage – tax was 35-50% based on mar- crease would have much effect 10,000 cubic meters a day from ket price or 240 baht per liter of on buying patterns. 4 water that cannot be the reservoir, which was within used. The Bang Wad pure alcohol content. “Even if they raised it to 500 its quota. The city, however, had 3.15 Reservoir has a dead The tax rise does not apply baht per liter of pure alcohol, I used 3.3 million cubic meters up storage volume of to beer and wine. think most of our customers to the beginning of September 3 0.27 mcm The announcement came would still have the spending and had therefore been cut off. after the recent Cabinet meeting power to continue buying what K. Wachara complained 1.97 in Phang Nga and was prompted they want. that neither organization was Million cubic meters 2 making full use of resources. 1.32 “They just keep using water from Ticket scam suspect gets bail the dam. We warned them four 1 0.78 0.77 months ago of the possibility of a 0.49 PATONG: British national Jona- It is alleged that he bought water shortage, but they have than Duncan, charged with sell- them by fraudulently using other done nothing.” 0 ing fraudulently obtained air tick- people’s credit cards. Meanwhile, the Municipal- Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep ets to tourists, has been released When the card owners dis- ity, which warned at the end of Source : Phuket Irrigation Office on bail of 50,000 baht after covered the fraudulent charges, March that it might have to be- pumped from the Anuphas tin- cise Office Lagoon. Sayan Wari- spending five days locked up fol- they ordered that the payments gin rationing supplies, has yet to mine lagoon in Kathu, which still aroonrot, Manager of the PPWS, lowing his arrest.