AV Eye front Volume 15 Issue 39 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555September 27 - October 3, 2008 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Fire attacker Kamala INSIDE hillside back in Patong projects By Sompratch Saowakhon halted By Pathomporn Kaenkrachang PATONG: The man who set alight a beach masseuse at Loma KAMALA: A special adviser to Park last year returned to the the Minister for Natural Re- scene of his crime on Septem- sources and Environment ber 23, where he was immedi- (MNRE) on September 16 in- ately assaulted by the victim’s spected sites in Kamala for en- father and brother. The attack croachment and other building was quickly stopped by Kathu violations, and two hillside pro- Police, who released the pair af- jects in the area that had already ter fining them 500 baht each. been ordered halted pending fur- PAWS Few Gazette readers will ther investigation. Adopt a dog and give him a new forget the horrific tale of young Maj Gen Intarat Yodbang- leash on life. Page 10 Saijai Phromdaen, whose life was toey toured the sites with a team forever changed in mid-February including Monthon “Palad NEWS: Patong construction last year. Saijai was doused with Rambo” Chartsuwan, Phuket collapses, Army General paint thinner and set alight by 53- Forestry Department Office chief probes land encroachment, year-old Somwan Kaewkhaaw Phobpol Sirilaksanapong and lo- Thalang murder, Crime stats, (originally reported as Sombun, Somwan Kaewkhaaw sits with head bowed outside Kathu Police cal authorities, including members Station while young schoolchildren are taken on an educational tour. Brits busted in cocaine deal. 43), a glue-addicted vagrant from of the Kamala Tambon Adminis- Pages 2 & 3 In February last year, he set masseuse Saijai Phromdaen on fire Chumphon. some 400 meters away at Loma Park. tration Organization (OrBorTor). Inside Story: The war on Ms Saijai, 21 at the time of The tour follows an aerial fake goods. P. 4 & 5 the attack, underwent a series of around Loma Park earlier that her a job. She can no longer live inspection by Gen Intarat in July skin grafts and spent many morning and told police that it was like a normal person,” he said. and a complaint by the MNRE VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL: Maps months in hospital. Despite best not safe to let a madman like No longer able to work as Phuket office head, Aongart and schedules - you too can efforts by doctors and funds Somwan walk about in a public a masseuse, Ms Saijai now helps Chanachanmongkol, who alleged witness one of the most bi- raised from Gazette readers, she area. her mother selling drinks to tour- that two private projects were zarre festivals on earth. P. 6 was left with permanent disfig- Loma Park, with its dolphin ists in the same area where she being built above 80 meters uring to her face and arms. sculptures and children’s play- was burned. She now has to be above sea level. SPECIAL EVENT 6 ; AROUND THE On September 23, the Ga- ground, is probably the most fa- careful to keep her skin covered Construction of permanent NATION 7; AROUND THE R EGION zette was contacted by Saijai’s mous tourist attraction in Patong at all times, to protect against structures above 80m has been SOUTH 9; AROUND THE ISLAND mother Pennee, who was at after Soi Bangla, home of the both solar radiation and curious forbidden in Phuket since 1996, 10; GUEST C HEF 11; PEOPLE 12 Kathu Police Station with her island’s nightlife entertainment stares. when the MNRE put the mea- & 13; HAPPENINGS 14; MOTOR- husband Damnern Phromdaen scene. “I need the police or some sure in place to prevent defores- ING 15; FRINGE FESTIVAL 17; and their son Anurak, Ms Saijai’s Mr Anurak said the assault other kind of government officer tation, flooding and landslides. NIGHTLIFE 18; WHAT’S O N 19; older brother. was motivated out of sheer an- to keep people like this from pub- Work on 15 structures of BUSINESS & MONEY 20 & 21; The pair had assaulted ger and frustration that the po- lic areas, where their inability to the “Parisa” project on Nakalay YOUTH ’N ASIA 22; TAKE A Somwan with punches and lice allowed him to stroll around control themselves poses a dan- Rd in Kamala was ordered BREAK 23 & 24; BOOKS, strikes with a beach umbrella at the area freely. ger to others,” Mr Anurak said. halted, along with 11 more at the WORD COURT 25; EDITORIAL, about 8 am. The incident was “I could never forgive that Kathu Police Duty Inspec- Cape Sol project, also in Kamala, LETTERS 26; FIRST PERSON, recorded in the Kathu Police daily madman for the rest of my life tor Lt Col Sophon Borrirak, who said Gen Intarat. I SSUES & ANSWERS 27; log, but no criminal charges were after what he did to my sister; I was in charge of the criminal case An investigation of the sites CURRANT AFFAIRS, HORO- filed. couldn’t control my emotions. It against Somwan, had earlier in- will determine whether they SCOPES 28; COMPUTERS 29; Somwan, this time the vic- tortures me every time I think formed him that Somwan was violate the 80m restriction. The SPORTS 30 & 31; PHUKET tim, was struck in the head, right about what he did to my sister. It found guilty by the Phuket Pro- investigation will also check PROPERTY 33; CONSTRUCTION arm and right leg before police is like a bad dream that never vincial Court of attempted mur- whether the sites occupy a slope 35; DESIGN 37; PROPERTY broke up the fracas. ends. Her husband has left her der and was sentenced to 18 exceeding 35%, which is also WATCH 38; CLASSIFIEDS 39- 51. Mr Anurak told the Gazette because she isn’t attractive any- months in prison for the attack illegal, he said. he had noticed Somwan walking more and now nobody will give Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS September 27 - October 3, 2008 From page 1 Saijai attacker back on the streets Two injured as floor collapses on his sister, Mr Anurak said. He added that he could not at Patong construction site understand how Somwan was now allowed to walk freely in By Sompratch Saowakhon public areas where many children are out playing. Lt Col Sophon told the Ga- PATONG: Two construction zette that it was likely that workers escaped with their lives Somwan had already served his when the floor of a building they sentence and been released as a were working on collapsed just free man, but that fact could only after midday on September 18. be confirmed by the court and The site of the floor collapse prison system. was a building under construction The Gazette has yet to con- near the entrance of “Soi Tun” firm the exact date of his release (literally, “Soi Dead End”), which with either Phuket Provincial will one day serve as the south- Court or Phuket Prison. ern end of the still-under-con- Saijai’s mother Pennee said struction Phang Muang Rd. police had earlier shown her the According to a fellow results of a psychiatric evalua- SCARRED FOR LIFE: Saijai worker at the site, the workmen were laying down a floor on the The site of the floor collapse is a 6-story building project near the tion that concluded her Phromdaen cannot hold back her busy intersection near the south end of Nanai Rd. daughter’s attacker was mentally tears at Kathu Police Station second level when the weight of sound to stand trial. after seeing Somwan Kaew- the concrete they were adding pital. Four days after the accident foreman of the Thavornkul “But we are not happy to khaaw, who set her on fire last caused the steel support to col- no police complaints had been Karnyotha Company and in see him back in the same area year. lapse, said Kathu Police Duty field in relation to the accident, charge of work at the project where he lit my daughter on fire,” Ms Saijai said she never Officer Patak Khwunna. Capt Patak said. site, said vibrations from a “road she said. received any support money from He identified the workers as However, Kathu Police will roller” used to compact soil at After Ms Saijai’s father and any government agency after she Daeng Kanyaprasit, 54, from investigate whether a building the project site might have been brother paid their fines and were was discharged, but said she did Petchaboon, and Nakhon Phanom permit was issued, he added. partially responsible for causing released, Somwan stayed behind receive about 5,000 baht in do- native Uthit Chamnanlert, 23. Suppakorn Meetaew of the collapse. at the station. He was later re- nations from people who donated Both men, covered with Patong City Planning on Septem- One of the workers suffered leased, as police had no legal to the Saijai Aid fund set up by wood and metal construction ma- ber 22 said that he would look into only a wound to his hand, while means of detaining him. Gazette reader Dr Jerry Hoss, terials when rescue workers ar- the matter as soon as possible. the other is still in hospital for Police initially told the Ga- who also contributed medicine rived, were taken to Patong Hos- Jamrong Petchprasert, treatment of a broken rib, he said. zette they would call “a unit of a and financial aid to assist in her From page 1 government agency” to come recovery. and take care of him, but did not “I would love to say thank specify which one.