Phang Nga Avian 'Flu Outbreak Contained
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Volume 11 Issue 6 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555February 7 - 13, 2004 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 20 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Phang Nga Shock for TRT avian ’flu IN THIS ISSUE outbreak NEWS: Boys will be girls – the Phuket Pride parade; Airport sees record passenger traf- as Prasit quits contained fic. Pages 2, 3 & 4 By Sangkhae Leelanapaporn INSIDE STORY: Here we go By Gategaeo Phetsawang again – the combatants in the & Dhirarat Boonkongsaen Patong poll. Pages 4 & 5 PHUKET TOWN: The outgoing PHANG NGA: Some 70,000 AROUND THE ISLAND: A sure President of the Provincial Ad- chickens and ducks were swiftly cure for Mr Sourpuss: the ministration Organization, (Or- slaughtered after an outbreak of amazing miracle fruit. BorJor), Dr Prasit Koeysiripong, bird ’flu was confirmed on a Page 6 dropped a bombshell at his fare- farm in Takuapa District on Jan- AROUND THE REGION: Volun- well media appearance on Janu- uary 29. teers to boost security on ary 30 when he said he would The Government has since Samui. Page 8 not be standing as a Thai Rak lowered the alert status of Phang Thai (TRT) candidate in next Nga from red to yellow, indicat- PEOPLE: Chalong’s popular year’s parliamentary elections. ing that it believes the cull has new police chief. It had been widely antici- stopped the spread of the H5N1 Pages 10 & 11 pated that Dr Prasit would lead virus. TALES OF A TRAVELER: A the TRT campaign in 2005, when Pairat Dejsiri, Assistant melting pot called Melaka. the governing party will be try- Chief of Phang Nga Provincial Page 14 ing to wrest control of Phuket Livestock Office (PNPLO), told away from the hands of its three the Gazette that chickens on a STREETS OF PATTAYA: Now current MPs, who are all mem- farm in Takuapa had been found what’s all this about pigs and bers of the opposition Democrat to have died from the virus. contortionists? Page 17 Party. However, a five-year-old NEW! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? Dr Prasit, 48, who first set child who was hospitalized on Strange and scary tales from up the TRT Cooperation Center suspicion of having avian ’flu has readers. Page 19 in Phuket in 1997, said that he since been diagnosed as having would continue to support the conventional pneumonia. BUSINESS: Central sets opening date for retail party from the sidelines, but K. Pairat explained that a complex; Those sexy deriva- would not stand for election. poultry farmer had found about tives. Pages 20 & 21 “In the four years that I 20 of his ducks and 15 of his have worked for the OrBorJor, chickens dead. He reported the GOOD LIVING: Classic Pro- I have had to take part in 10 deaths to the PNPLO and the vençale food at La Cabane. meetings or similar functions ev- Dr Prasit: ‘It’s time to give something back to my family.’ corpses were taken to the South- Page 25 ery day, which is too much at my ern Veterinary Research and De- PROPERTY: Home of the week stage in life,” he explained. compasses Phuket Town. “But I ter not to write about me in terms velopment Center, which con- in Krabi; Graham Doven gets “I have had to make sacri- have always refused to stand for of political issues, but as an ordi- firmed the presence of the virus the wrong end of the pine- fices by sharing my time between District 1 because there’s a can- nary citizen.” on January 29. apple. Pages 26 & 27 the public and my family. Now didate for that area already,” he Asked about his specific “We immediately reported it’s time to give something back added. plans, he said, “I may become a this to the governor of the prov- to my family.” Local dentist and long-time lecturer or launch my own ince and we declared Takuapa PLUS “I confirm that I shall not TRT party organizer Dr Yada monthly economics magazine.” District a bird ’flu danger zone. stand in any political election,” he Palimaphan has been tipped to be Two candidates – Sam- All fowl within a radius of five AROUND THE NATION 7; HAPPEN- said at the farewell event, held the party’s candidate for District roeng Chaisorn of the OrBorJor kilometers of the farm were or- INGS 9; HOROSCOPES 12; KIDS at the Pearl Hotel in Phuket 1 in 2005. Gao Mai TRT (“New Step dered slaughtered.” 15; EARTHWATCH, FITNESS 16; Town. However, the Gazette un- TRT”) party and Wisut Santikun “We have set up check- BOOKS 17; EDITORIAL & LETTERS He explained that he had at derstands that Dr Prasit’s depar- of the OrBorJor Gao Mai points to prevent poultry from be- ture is prompting a major rethink Khonbaanrao (“New Step Our ing moved in or out of the dan- 18; ISSUES & ANSWERS 19; COM- first been persuaded by senior TRT members to stand as MP of TRT strategy in Phuket. People”) party – will compete to ger zone,” he added. PUTERS 20; MOTORING 24; for Phuket District 2. However, “From now on,” Dr Prasit take Dr Prasit’s place in the Phuket Governor Udomsak SPORTS 22 & 23; GARDENING others were keen to see him said, “I’d rather concentrate on OrBorJor in elections scheduled Usawarangkura ordered a ban on 28; CLASSIFIEDS 29-35. stand for District 1, which en- my own business. It will be bet- for March 14. Continued on Page 3 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS February 7 - 13, 2004 Queer News Gazette Guide on sale across island The Gazette Guide 2004 Fallout from chicken arrived in Phuket on January 19 and within four days 8,000 UDON THANI: As 58-year-old they had to suspect the worst – a hotel guest room and vendor village headman Boonchu Sri- time bomb. A bomb squad from copies had been distributed. singha was leaving his home in Border Patrol Police Unit 24 was The Guide, a “Who’s tambon Chiang Yuen on the morn- called in. Who” of Phuket business, is ing of 27 January, he noticed a Word travels quickly in a now on sale at 65 outlets white plastic bag hanging from Thai village, and by the time the around the island. the fence surrounding his home. experts arrived, a sizable crowd Pictured, JW Marriott Intrigued, he looked closer and had already gathered to watch. Phuket Resort & Spa General spotted a note attached to it that The team X-rayed the plas- Manager Craig Smith (right) read, “Please give the contents tic bag, but the results were in- and Room Attendant Somying of this bag to Mongkol Singha- conclusive. For safety’s sake they Johnvisett (center) take maw, aged 28, of 129 Moo 5.” had to assume that it was a bomb. delivery of 270 copies of the As the bag was tightly Thinking it would be too risky to Guide from John Magee of the Phuket Gazette wrapped in electrical wire and move, they decided the best . appeared to have a fuse, K. course of action was to detonate Boonchu suspected it wasn’t a the bag in a “controlled explo- birthday present. Rather than sion”. contact K. Mongkol – a hand- An explosive charge was some construction worker re- placed near the plastic bag and cently returned from Israel and set off. The bag’s contents – pu- due to be married in a few days trefied chicken parts and human – he called the police. excrement – went flying in ev- When Muang district police ery direction, splattering the arrived they were just as puzzled crowd of onlookers. Hopefully the by the bag. They learned from K. incident will teach them to stand Boonchu that K. Mongkol had a bit farther back the next time already been the victim of numer- the bomb squad pays a visit. ous threats by a jilted ex-lover, and Source: Thai Rath The height of stupidity Feathers, ruffles and sequins were the order of the day when the PATHUM THANI: Michael wrong’s case the demon drink gay community staged its annual Phuket Pride festival in Patong. Jackson may have dangled his caused him to pick up his buddy infant son over a hotel balcony – K. Sompong, cradle him in his but at least he didn’t drop him. arms like a big baby, and swing The same can’t be said for a him back and forth – all while Boys will be girls... drunken man in Pathum Thani standing just inches from the who plummeted four stories with knee-high metal railing that his drinking buddy in his arms marked the border between the during a rooftop drinking session. rooftop and thin air. The two friends, 24-year- Sensing danger, K. Som- old Dumbwrong Rattanajun (not pong screamed, “Put me down! the normal spelling, but phoneti- Put me down!” But his increas- cally correct and appropriate ingly panicked entreaties only enough in meaning for this tale) amused K. Dumbwrong, causing and his friend Sompong Chaow- him to swing ever faster and more mas, lived side by side in a pair wildly – until he lost his balance of flats built on the rooftop of a and both men plunged onto an alu- four-story apartment block. minum awning covering the The two, who worked as building’s entrance. delivery men for a local whisky The pair were critically in- supplier, were sitting together on jured from the impact and were the rooftop getting drunk on the reported as having blood running afternoon of January 8. from their mouths as neighbors Not everybody reacts to al- rushed them to hospital.