Lenso Phone card Front eye K. Able Volume 14 Issue 45 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 November 10 - 16, 2007 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Spa tax B2bn marina to be IN THIS ISSUE scrapped NEWS: Don’s Mall robbed; Tesco-Lotus update; Korean project slated By Natcha Yuttaworawit mystery death. Pages 2 & 3 PHUKET CITY: The contro- INSIDE STORY: TAT tries to reel versial 10% tax on spa services in qualitiy tourists. will soon be scrapped, a mem- Pages 4 & 5 ber of the National Legislative AROUND THE NATION: Sex-drug Assembly (NLA) said during a for west coast visit to the Phuket Provincial top suspect in Frenchie’s death. Page 7 By Pathomporn Kaenkrachang Health Office on November 4. Sangsit Piriyarangsan, AROUND THE ISLAND: Big fish PHUKET: Phuket Governor head of the NLA’s finance com- trains minnows. Page 10 Niran Kalayanamit on October mittee and chair of a special PEOPLE: Putting puppetry 31 met with Korean investor panel set up to review the spa back into the light. Wang Il Lee to discuss a planned tax, said his members heard from Pages 14 & 15 2-billion-baht investment in a con- representatives from the Federa- dominium, villa and marina tion of Thai Spas about how the LARGER THAN LIFE: The project to be built at Layan tax and other unnecessary con- world’s gone queuing crazy. Beach. trol measures imposed by the Page 17 The project, at the north Public Health were crippling their LIFESTYLE: Carnival wel- end of Bang Tao Beach in industry. comes tourists. Page 19 Cherng Talay, would contain the As the panel agreed with first marina on Phuket’s west their argument the tax would be SPA MAGIC: A heavenly rub coast. waived within two weeks, he on Earth. Page 21 The Korean initiative, by said. PUSHING BUTTONS: How tight the Puvana Phuket company, is “Currently, all spa busi- are your security defenses? the second attempt to develop a nesses are classified no differ- Page 32 marina at the 50-rai site, which ently than massage parlors that in 2005 was earmarked to be- offer sexual services. This SPORTS: US duo win FIVB; come Layan Marina before that means they are subject to a tax Golfers swing for charity; project stalled and the land was of 10% in addition to local tax, Triathlon duel set for Decem- acquired by Puvana Phuket. which brings the total to more ber. Pages 36 & 37 If completed, the project than 11%. I set up the commit- would be the largest Korean in- PROPERTY: Home of the tee so that we could compile a Week; Construction: Kamala vestment in Phuket, Gov Niran range of opinions to present to project a sellout; Property said after the meeting. ‘We want to serve as a bridge to Phuket for Korean investors,’ the Ministry of Finance,” said K. Watch: Danang overview; “Puvana Phuket is a new Wang Il Lee, President of Puvana Phuket. Sangsit. Gardening: Chefs wear silly company led by its president, “The Excise Department hats. Pages 38-42 Wang Il Lee, from Seoul. He The project would also be tion permits. After we begin can levy about 100 million baht a came to discuss his plans and ask redesigned to comprise eight con- work, we expect the project will year from spa tax, far less com- PLUS for legal advice. The target group dominium buildings with a total be completed and sold out within pared with other taxes. As only would be Korean retirees. of 150 units, 45 villas and a ma- two years,” he added. about 20% of businesses adver- QUEER NEWS, TRASHING PHUKET “I think this is a good chance rina with berths for 30 boats. “We plan to build the con- tising themselves as spas are 6; AROUND THE REGION 8; for Phuket to draw investment “The marina will not be dominiums and villas at the same thought to be part of the sex AROUND THE SOUTH 9; CHEAP from Korea; they already have very big because of the limited time, then the marina. The con- trade, owners of the remaining EATS 13; HAPPENINGS 16; the required foreign investment area. We want it to support only dominiums will cost between 80% are firmly against the tax,” LIFESTYLE 18 & 19; TAKE A permit from the Korean govern- property buyers. US$600,000 and US$1 million, said K. Sangsit. BREAK 23 & 24; BOOKS, EVENTS ment,” he said. The entire project will cost while villas will start at about “The spa tax should be can- CALENDAR 27; EDITORIAL, LET- The old project name more than 2 billion baht,” Mr Lee US$1 million” K. Lee added. celed. The Excise Department TERS 28; TSOWNDINGS, HORO- “Layan Marina” would be said. “After Layan, future pro- itself acknowledges that spas SCOPES 30; BUSINESS AND M ONEY changed, but Mr Lee declined to “We are currently complet- jects will be in Kata and in Krabi provide a legitimate service to 34 & 35; CLASSIFIEDS 43-55. say what the new name would be. ing the paperwork for construc- Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS November 10 - 16, 2007 From page 1 Layan marina Police arrest island-wide cat burglar By Janyaporn Morel wanted under eight warrants for his involve- Col Sompong said that police know the idea refloated ment in eight robberies since June: four in location of the homes of Somak’s accom- PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Police an- Phuket City, two in Thalang and two in Kathu, plices. province. But for now I am tak- nounced the arrest of suspected thief Somsak he said. Somsak told police that the gang wanted ing it step by step,” he said. Kaewdee, 27, at a press conference on Oc- Police were able to collect fingerprints to steal cash only and targeted private prop- Mr Lee is also looking at tober 30. at many of the crime scenes. After checking erties and shops. He estimated that the gang long-term developments in Phang Somsak, a resident of tambon Thep- the prints against their records, Somsak was had stolen over one million baht in cash, said Nga, he added. krasattri, in Thalang district, is accused of revealed as the main suspect, said Col Col Sompong. “The expectation is that robbing homes and small shops across Phuket. Sompong. He added that Somsak said the trio Phuket will be like Singapore in He was arrested at the entrance of Soi He added that Somsak had provided the looked for houses with slide windows that a few years because marketing Hone Sai Thong, in Moo 7, Rassada, on Oc- names of two friends as his accomplices – could easily be broken into and that their larg- in Phuket is very active. This is tober 29 at 2:30 am, said Lt Col Sompong “Jessada” and “Su” – and had confessed to est haul from a robbery was 1.2 million baht important in developing Korean Boonrat of Phuket City police. robberies in all three districts of Phuket; so from a home in Kissalai village on Chao Fa investment. At the time of his arrest, Somsak was far a total of 12 in all. East Rd. “Korean investors know about this project; they are al- ways asking me what projects and investments are going on in Don’s Phuket,” he said. Cholera ‘under If the Layan project is a success, Mr Lee is “sure” that Mall more Korean investment will fol- low. “We want to serve as a control’ in Phuket bridge to Phuket for Korean in- robbed vestors,” he added. By Semacote Suganya From page 1 RAWAI: A gang of seven teen- PHUKET: With 110 cases of agers, six of them masked, tore cholera reported in Phuket so far off the doors to Don’s Mall Spa tax scrapped this year, the possibility of an out- Minimart at 4 am November 2, help revive people. I don’t under- break of the disease has raised making off with computers and stand how the Ministry of Public fears of the threat posed to tour- money from cash registers. Health can label spas as a dan- ism. Don Battles, founder of the gerous business. It’s just not true. Authorities say that the situ- Rawai landmark mall, told the I think the former government ation is “under control” and that Gazette, “This was a well- made a mistake when it imple- the high season will not be af- planned teenage gang. Six broke mented this tax.” fected. into the minimart while one was K. Sangsit said that by can- Phuket Governor Niran the lookout. They then broke into celing spa tax, the Thai spa in- Kalayanamit and Dr Wanchai the butcher’s shop. They stole dustry will be able to excel and Sattayawuthipong of the Phuket computers and till float [money].” become one of the best in the Provincial Health Office held a The amount stolen has yet world, helping Thai people earn conference call with Prime Min- to be determined. better incomes. Most of that in- ister Surayud Chulanont and Dr “Chalong police are being come will stay in Thailand, be- Prachit Prarachit, permanent very helpful and doing a thorough cause about 90% of the spas in secretary of the Ministry of Pub- Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont (top) receives a report on the investigation. I believe the police Thailand are run by local people. lic Health, on November 5 to dis- status of cholera in Phuket by conference call. are doing the best they can,” Mr “The government should cuss the cholera situation in Battles said today.