September 17-11 Pp01
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ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE A new life for Liberty Getting back on her feet after crippling motorbike crash INSIDE TODAY October 6 - 12, 2012 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht FORENSICS REPORT AND INVESTIGATION BY EXPERT WITNESSES PROMPT CHARGES Tiger roars back over fire deaths Tiger CEO and parent Mayor Pian blasts company charged with gross land investigations negligence causing death PIAN Keesin returned to Phuket By Chutharat Plerin politics this week after being installed THE operator of the ill-fated Tiger Discotheque has told as the Mayor of the Gazette he will fight the police charges of gross neg- Patong for his third ligence causing death and injury filed against Tiger Group consecutive term. CEO Piya Isaramalai and Tiger Group’s parent company, Minutes after Sara Entertainment Co Ltd. the inaugural meet- Both Mr Piya and Sara Entertainment will also be ing of the Patong charged with allowing the Patong nightclub to continue Town Council on Mayor Pian Keesin trading after hours. On August 17, Thamrongsak Boonrak, Tuesday, Mayor Pian fired an opening salvo Legal Counsel for Tiger Group, explained that “heavy rain at the investigations into land titles being started to fall at about 1am, the time we usually close. illegally issued so that national park land That’s why people did not want to leave the club.” ends up in private hands. Top of his Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan concerns were the “seemingly selective” announced the charges on Tuesday after reviewing a re- way that plots were being targeted. port by expert building inspectors citing numerous Full story on Page 3 breaches in fire-safety regulations at the nightclub. The disco had improper placement of fire extinguish- ers, substandard emergency-exit ladders and used a DIVING TO RECORD DEPTHS Phuket crabs march on highly-flammable foam for wall and ceiling decorations, PANIC stikes at the heart of Phuket Town said the report. GO ECO Phuket cleanup campaign sets world residents as thousands of crabs take to the Also reviewed was a formal report compiled by Royal record as hundreds of divers take to the seas to streets, bound for the enticing mud of Thai Police forensics investigators indicating that the..… clear underwater debris from coral reefs at prime nearby mangrove forests. Continued on Page 2 Phuket dive sites. Full story on page 5 Full story on Page 7 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS October 6 - 12, 2012 Tiger parries attack From page 1 Business fire started inside the building. AirAsia drop Phuket Mr Piya and Sara Entertain- flights in strategic shift ment Co Ltd will be charged under to China. Page 12 Section 291 of the Thai Criminal Code, which states, “Whoever, doing the act by negligence and Business that act causing the other person ASEAN is due to face to death, shall be imprisoned not out of ten years or fined not out hurdles over Fair Trade of twenty thousand baht.” Agreements. Page 15 The deadly fire broke out in the nightclub at about 4am on August Environment 17, while hundreds of revellers were still inside. Go Eco Phuket. A clean Four people died in the blaze, sweep of the record including two tourists. Eleven people were also injured, includ- book. Page 18-19 ing one Frenchman who was so badly burned that he was airlifted People to Bangkok for medical treatment Thamrongsak Boonrak, Legal Counsel for Tiger Group, said they would there. fight back against the criminal charges. Photo: Chutharat Plerin Crash, bang, wallop: “We will collect every bit of former was hit by lightning, caus- spect the transformer?” Mr Meet Phuket’s very own evidence to defend ourselves, and ing the power to go off and Thamrongsak asked. stuntman. Page 21 we will give our true testimonies starting the fire, because the At the time of going to press, to the police,” said Mr power lines could not handle that the Gazette was unable to contact Thamrongsak. much electricity,” said Mr Mr Atipong for comment or an Arts “We have video clips taken by Thamrongsak. explanation as to why the trans- A very naughty bear mobile phones proving that the “This is a natural incident. I do formers were allegedly removed electricity went off about five min- not understand why the Provin- without the police investigators appearing in a cinema utes before the fire started. They cial Electricity Authority Patong inspecting them. near you. Page 22 cannot say we overused electric- (PEA-Patong) office panicked so Asked about the future of the ity [and thus caused the fire] since much about that,” he added, in fire-gutted building, Mr it went off,” he added. reference to PEA-Patong chief Thamrongsak said, “We are wait- Sport Initial witness reports taken Atipong Thongyon staging a press ing to demolish the building. We Phuket FC: A five-game hours after the blaze attested that conference the day after the fire are not going to keep it. We want battle for survival after there was a loud boom before the to show to the media that the two to get rid of it. fire started, prompting many transformers supplying the night- “It is not good leaving land another loss. Page 46 people to report that the trans- club were fully operational. standing unused. We all know how former supplying electricity to the “They took away the trans- valuable Phuket land is. The sooner club was possibly struck by light- formers to check them. Why we can get rid of the building, the ning. didn’t they wait for the National sooner we can start a new busi- Missing student found drowned “It is possible that the trans- Office of Forensic Science to in- ness,” he added. RESCUE workers on September 27 recovered the body of Nithipol Lorlaem, 17, who was swept away by strong waves when he Construction of underpass delayed entered the sea while with friends CONSTRUCTION of Phuket’s at Nai Yang Beach two days earlier. first underpass, at the Darasamuth Mr Nithipol’s friends told life- Intersection in front of the guards that on the fateful afternoon Central Festival Phuket shopping they went to the beach and sat near mall, will not commence until at the police box to eat meatballs. least October 9, the director of the “They told us that Mr Nithipol The body of Mr Nithipol was Highways Department’s Phuket accidentally dripped some meat- recovered about 500 meters from office confirmed on Wednesday. ball sauce on his shirt and he where he entered the water. The government tender for wanted to wash it off before where Mr Nithipol drowned as Italian-Thai Co Ltd, Thailand’s larg- going home, so he went into the officers at Sirinath Marine National est construction contractor, to water,” explained a lifeguard. Park had forbidden them to set up formally take on the project was sup- “The area in front of the police a lifeguard station there. posed to be signed on September 28, box is a ‘no swimming’ area. We Park Chief Cheewpap Chawee- said Director Samak Luedwonghad. On hold for now, but the impending motorist misery is still on the way. marked the area with red flags to tham was surprised to hear the “However, with the government Phaklak retiring on that date, there Chatchawan Boonjaorenkit, will indicate this,” he added. news and vowed to clarify the budget year ending on September will be a delay,” he explained. need to review and approve the He added that lifeguards were situation immediately. 30, and Director-General of the The incoming Director-General contract before it starts, he added. on patrol at the time, but not – Orawin Narabal Department of Highways Wanchai of the Department of Highways, – Chutharat Plerin October 6 - 12, 2012 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 New governor en route to Pian blasts Phuket land Phuket probes as ‘hypocritical’ By Chutharat Plerin example, the former Director- General of the Department of MINUTES after the inaugural National Parks, Wildlife and Con- meeting of the newly elected servation. He was working on land Patong Town Council on Tuesday, encroachment but has since Patong Mayor Pian Keesin blasted retired. We don’t know if the new the effectiveness of the current chief will continue the investiga- spate of ongoing and ever-increas- tion,” he added. Phayao Governor Maitree Intusut ing Phuket land investigations. Mayor Pian’s comments also (pictured) has been appointed as “I want to see real law enforce- follow the sudden transfer of the new Governor of Phuket, ment on this issue. Land in Phuket Dusadee Arayawuth from his posi- effective immediately. Photo: PR Dept needs to be preserved and its tion as the Secretary-General of the THE Thai Cabinet has named development planned with a long- Public Sector Anti-Corruption Com- former Phayao Governor Maitree term view,” Mayor Pian, who was mission to a post as the Permanent Intusut as the new Governor of born in Patong, told the Gazette. Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, Phuket. The appointment by Cabi- “Sometimes it seems like the effectively removing him from his net is effective immediately. law is fighting itself. For example, investigations into corrupt officials. The Cabinet announced the ap- some people have documents “I want to send a clear message pointments and transfers for 19 issued by the proper authorities to to those who have the authority in provincial governors on Tuesday, prove they own land on hills that these matters. Be fair to everyone, two days after former Phuket Gov- are way above the legal limit to take the task seriously and be un- ernor Tri Augkaradacha retired.