ANDAMAN Edition Volume 18 Issue 45 November 5 - 11, 2011 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht Bar owners hit by ‘beer crisis’ By Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai BARS and other businesses in Patong’s entertainment industry, as well as the thousands of other establishments islandwide, are reeling from the effect of product shortages brought on by the floods in Bangkok and Central Thailand. Among the greatest concerns for the bars is the shortage of al- coholic beverages, which Patong Entertainment Business Associa- tion (PEBA) says will reach China's Changning Zhang smashes the Mikasa as Canada's Victoria “crisis” level within 30 days if Altomare blocks. Photo: FIVB steps are not taken to bring booze back to Phuket’s party town. “At the beginning of the flood crisis, we didn’t expect it to af- FIVB IS BACK The beer shortage is likely to reach ‘crisis level’ within 30 days, say experts. fect us much,” said PEBA THE FIVB Beach Volleyball Swatch Also vying for the top prize of President Weerawit Kurasombat, can usually make about 30,000 maining 10% is from cocktails,” World Tour returned to Phuket US$30,000 are April Ross and Jen whose members generate more baht a night from selling beer he added. this week with the qualifying Kessey from the United States. than 100 million baht annually for alone,” he said. “This is the beginning of the rounds opening the tournament They are also looking to win their the local economy. Alcohol sales comprise a criti- high season. If the supply situa- at Karon Beach on Wednesday. third Phuket FIVB title. “But now we are starting to feel cal portion of income for tion does not improve within about As the final tournament on the The final will be played on center Swatch World Tour 2011, the court on Sunday (November 6), the effects – we are running short entertainment businesses, he said. 30 days, I believe the entertain- season-ending US$190,000 along with the third-place playoff. of alcoholic beverages,” he said. “Overall, between 20% to 30% ment business will start showing tourney has attracted 53 teams Before the final gets underway, Mr Weerawit said that even of the overall income generated by the real signs of a crisis,” Mr from 26 countries. students will be playing for the small bars in Patong make 6,000 entertainment businesses is from Weerawit warned. On the list of world-class right to be named champions of the to 7,000 baht a night from alco- alcohol beverage sales alone. entrants are reigning world inaugural PTT Schools Cup. hol sales. “Of that income, 60% is from See ‘Beer stocks dwindling’ on champions and current world See page 44 for our run down of number one duo Larissa Franca the teams hoping to take top “The main income generator beer sales, 30% is from sales of pages 4-5 and ‘Flood shortages spur and Juliana Silva from Brazil. honors at this year’s tourney. for each bar is beer sales. Big bars whiskey and wine, and the re- consumer price rises’ on page 11 Mystics fail to reveal bodies of missing lovers By Wichai Wittawat and Warisa Temram They are both stuck under the bridge to- Each time it costs money, and we still gether,” one rang song (spirit medium) said haven’t found the bodies.” THE families of the man and the woman while a Gazette reporter was present. To this, one seer days later said he had who have yet to resurface since disappear- On hearing the seer’s description of finally discovered the reason why – the ing from Thepkrasattri Bridge last Thurs- where to look for the bodies, rescue volun- spirit of the sea had already claimed them day night have called in soothsayers to help teers, divers and local fisherman launched and was hiding them from the living. find the bodies. a search and scoured the area – to no avail. Tah Chat Chai Police Duty Officer However, despite at least five mystics As more seers arrived to help, the num- Watcharin Jiratikarnwiwat responded to the proffering descriptions of where to look in ber of failed search attempts rose. call just after midnight last Thursday night the fast-flowing waters under the bridge, Perturbed by the visionaries’ repeated reporting that a man and a woman had divers have yet to find the bodies of troubled failure to locate the bodies, one Kusoldharm “jumped” from the bridge. young lovers Nattaphon Sitthiyanon, 25, rescue volunteer told the Gazette, “Every At the scene, Maj Watcharin found an and Chanokporn Aimauksorn, 27. time a rang song claimed he knew where abandoned white Toyota Vios parked half MYSTIC RIVER: Hopes of finding the lovers’ “I can see them. I see both of them now. the bodies were, we sent a dive team down. Continued on page 2 bodies are waning. Photo: Wichai Wittawat 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS November 5 - 11, 2011 Bus terminal hits Witches’ brew Bar girls busted spiking tourists’ drinks and ‘breaking point’ robbing them. Page 6 By Pimwara Choksakulpan Sathaporn Sornchana related the tale of intervention by Mayor Livewire GOVERNOR Tri Augkaradacha Suratin, adding that it was no sur- Set up a computer to has been roped into resolving the prise. “The contract allows the Google in English all ongoing dispute between local workmen to complete the job residents and the Phuket Highways from September 28 through Janu- the time. Page 12 Office over work that may see the ary 26. The contract is for 120 bus terminal north of Phuket Town days, but the work should take Culture finally open. only 45. We gave more time be- Sea gypsies angle for The 128-million-baht facility cause we knew this kind of was completed nearly two years problem would happen,” he said. rights to fish in coastal ago, but has yet to be used. Phuket Land Transportation waters. Page 14 The delay in opening stems Teerayout Prasertphol, chief of the Office Chief Terayout Praserphol, from complaints over traffic Phuket Land Transportion Office. in support, said, “The road and In Focus safety due to buses using the ter- suggested where buses using the traffic island are under the author- minal, and problems in having a terminal could make U-turns have ity of the Phuket Highways Office Patong’s jet-skiers government authority managing been deemed either unsafe or un- and what we are doing is for pub- rescue 600 Bangkok the site once the terminal opens. wanted by local residents. lic use, so the [project] committee The move to call in the gover- Contractors hired under gov- agrees for them to keep working.” flood victims. Page 16 nor appears to be a last ditch effort ernment contract to do the work However, the next day, Octo- to stop work in front of a house failed to even start this month. ber 28, Mr Sathaporn received Property belonging to Rassada Mayor Workmen arrived at the site on notice from the Damrongtham Completion of Pullman Suratin Lianudom, where the October 22 only to be “ordered” Center (provincial ombudsman’s Phuket Arcadia is on the Highways Office wants to “break” to stop work by Mayor Suratin. office) that a complaint had been the median strip and install traffic At the ensuing meeting of the filed by the “Rassada people” and horizon. Page 27 lights so buses can enter and leave Provincial Land Transportation that no work could commence the terminal safely. Committee, Phuket Highways until Governor Tri had reviewed Sport Alternative locations previously Office Deputy General Manager the case. ITF Pro Circuit 2011 tournament heats up at TSLC: Lomas rugby a American denies snatch theft AMERICAN Jake Bordes, 27, has big hit. Pages 41-43 denied charges of committing sev- eral snatch thefts in Kata-Karon. Mr Bordes was stopped and Troubled lovers still missing arrested on October 26 after Chalong Police received reports of From page 1 CCTV footage from Tah Chat “Ritua Walli” being robbed at about Chai checkpoint showed the white 9pm that day on Ket Kwan Road way across the bridge and a pair Vios leaving Phuket at 1:19pm that in Kata, and “Amande Jo Reed” of women’s shoes outside the car day. being robbed near Wat Karon – there were no people in the area. Police are still checking foot- about 30 minutes later. Items inside the car were in a age from other CCTV cameras in Both victims reported that a state of disarray and it looked as the hopes of learning more about “Westerner” wearing a yellow t- if “things had been thrown around the couple’s activities after leav- shirt and jeans was riding a after a fight,” he said. ing Phuket. motorbike as he stole their bags. It is believed that troubled “They were lovers, but recently At about 10pm, Sen Sgt Maj young lovers Nattaphon and they’ve had many problems – Boonlue Samngamya spotted Several women identified Mr Bordes as the snatch thief. Photo: Warisa Temram Chanokporn took their problems they always argued,” Ms Bordes, who matched the victims’ black wallet under Bordes’ motor- iPad and a knife. to the bridge and ended up disap- Chanokporn’s brother said. description, riding a Honda mo- bike seat, all of which Ms Reed In addition to the two women pearing into the waters below, Maj “They rented a car together and torbike near the Phuket Island identified as possessions stolen robbed, a Russian woman – who Watcharin said. the next thing I know, she had View Hotel in Karon. from her earlier in the evening. asked not to be identified – went “I talked to some fishermen jumped off the bridge with her He said that Bordes “looked She also identified Bordes as the to Chalong Police Station after who regularly fish in that area and boyfriend.