ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE Diving for the future Largest coral reef cleanup in the world this Sunday INSIDE TODAY September 29 - October 5, 2012 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht HUNDREDS OF OFFICIALS TO INVESTIGATE LAND ALONG WEST COAST Damrong orders Paiboon park land blitz denies fatal cancer rumors Officers to probe 3,000 rai, press charges and present their cases in Full story on page 3 court in a precursor to similar raids to be launched nationwide Patong police By Kritsada Mueanhawong defer action in Tiger Disco case DAMRONG Phidet, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Conservation (DNP), has PHUKET Police on Wednesday declined announced that he will assign hundreds officers to inves- to commit to pressing any charges against tigate 379 plots suspected of encroaching on more than the operators of the Tiger Discotheque 3,000 rai of land in Phuket’s Sirinath Marine National Park. over the fire that destroyed the venue and Speaking during an inspection visit in Phuket on Tues- killed four people, including two tourists. day, Mr Damrong said he would issue an order on Thursday Provincial Police Commander for 366 DNP officers, split into teams of six, to investi- Chonasit Wattanavrangkul chaired a meet- gate suspect plots along the border of the national park. ing with Patong Police to review the His officers will be tasked with investigating their forensics report into the cause of the fire assigned plots, coordinating with the Public Sector and to “discuss” the results. Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) investigation also “The cause of the fire was from an currently ongoing in Phuket, filing complaints with police electrical short under the ceiling at the and presenting their cases in court. front left of the building,” said Maj Gen “Any land document issued after 1964 will be consid- Chonasit… ered illegal. Landowners will have to fight in court if they Continued on Page 3 want to prove that they legally own the land in question,” said Mr Damrong. For the second time in two months, floodwaters on Wednesday inundated major roads, homes and businesses across the island. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong Sommai to take on top He added that the officers to be assigned the Phuket blitz job as Gov Tri retires will also be used in crackdowns elsewhere in Thailand. FLOODS TO FACE B100MN BARRIER “I will start with Sirinath National Park, which I believe VICE-Governor Sommai Prijasilpa will we can start investigating by mid-October. However, I will HEAVY rains doused Phuket on Wednesday, causing flooding in Phuket Town, Patong and many other residential areas on the island. Traffic ground to a standstill take on the mantle of Acting Governor of have to train those officers about investigation procedures Phuket on Monday as current governor Tri and educate them on the relevant aspects of the law,” he said. along many of the critical arteries feeding Phuket’s main tourist and commerical centers. The Thai Meteorological Department issued a heavy rain warning on Augkaradacha retires on Sunday, Septem- Directing his vision to after his impending retirement, Wednesday, and forecast the wet weather to continue to until at least Monday. ber 30, bringing to a close a career span- Mr Damrong said, “I hope the new DNP Director General The rains, and floods, came just days after Phuket City Council announced ning 36 years in the civil service. will continue my work, otherwise that person will have a they will spend 100 million baht on flood-defense measures. lot of explaining to do to the public.” FULL STORY ON PAGE 8 Full story on Page3 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS September 29 - October 5, 2012 Patong security guard Business arrested for terrorism A review of Phuket’s economy in the first half By Kritsada Mueanhawong of 2012. Page 13 POLICE have arrested a security guard in Patong wanted on an out- Technology standing warrant for charges re- lated to terrorist activities in Live wire investigates if Thailand’s restive Deep South. Phuket is ready for the The man had a bounty on his iPhone 5. Pages 14 head of more than one million baht for his capture, said police. Mahamasakree Mahama- Environment useng, 29, was arrested on All Change. What is September 21 at a rented house in the Soi Bang Thong area in Kathu with Phuket’s changing at 10:45pm on Friday in a raid led climate? Page 18 by Phuket Provincial Police chief investigator Wanchai Palawan and Thung Thong Police chief inves- Aviation tigator Teeradej Jiraraksa. Mahamasakree Mahama-useng (right), wanted on terrorism-related The concessionaires Mr Mahamasakree, who police charges dating back to 2004, has denied all charges. Photo: Police handout are making more that said also went by the name of Arhamah Mah-useng, was ar- of the public peace.” venue on Soi Bangla for more than the airlines. Page 20 rested on a warrant issued on “He was also wanted for pos- five years and that he had never February 2, 2004, by the Yala Pro- session of an illegal weapon and committed any crimes. Health vincial Court. carrying a gun in a public place “He also specifically said that he The warrant named Mr without a permit,” said Col had never shot a police officer or The new AIDS-like Mahamasakree as wanted for “be- Wanchai. been involved in making bombs in virus that is affecting ing involved with 10 or more Mr Mahamasakree denied all the Deep South,” said Col Wanchai. Asians. Page 21 persons assembled together to do charges. Mr Mahamasakree has been or threaten to do an act of vio- “He said he had been working handed over to Yala Provincial Po- lence that would cause a breach for the same night entertainment lice for further questioning. Sports Thanyapura’s Sports Academy boss, Craig Burmese decry gold shop bandits Johns. Page 46 A CROWD of onlookers at the re- enactment of the robbery of Yong Chuan gold shop in Rassada shouted disparaging remarks and Missing swimmer feared dead denounced the prime suspect last THE search continued last Saturday as he retraced his Wednesday for a 17-year-old getaway from the Karn Keha student who disappeared in strong Housing estate. waves at Nai Yang Beach late “You have shamed our commu- afternoon the previous day. nity” and “We’re glad you finally Royal Thai Navy officers from surrendered,” were shouted at the the Third Naval Area command in suspect, named by police only as Phuket together with Kusoldharm “Koson”. Foundation rescue workers Phuket Police guarded Mr resumed their search for Nithipol Rescue workers searched late into Koson from the angry crowd at Lorlaem at 8am Wednesday, after the night for Nithipol, 17. the housing estate, just north of The crowd shouted abuse at Mr Koson as showed police how he made it was deemed unsafe to continue Nithipol disappeared in strong Rassada Pier. his getaway from the low-income Karn Keha Housing Estate. the search late the previous night. waves in front of the police box Case investigator Lt Col Prawit Mr Koson surrendered voluntar- small curry shop in Rassada. Mr Nithipol’s parents, Thanti near the beach. Engchua of Phuket City Police ily to Phuket Police on September His other child is in Burma, as and Nittaya Lorlaem, told rescue Rescue workers in the area confirmed to the Gazette that the 21, saying that he wanted to see is Ms Mooza’s third child, from a workers that their son had just immediately launched a search, gold stolen from the Yong Chuan his wife again before she died from previous relationship. arrived back home in Phuket but have yet to find him. shop was insured. a heart condition. Mr Koson faces charges of from Chiang Mai, where he is a Rescue teams continued the “They are still conducting a full Mr Koson has had two children gang robbery and carrying a student at Attaqwa School. search in the hope that Mr Nithipol inventory check to determine ex- with Ms Mooza, one is his 13- weapon in a public place, as does One of the friends, Saimarn is still alive. actly which items are missing,” Lt year-old daughter who is now Mr Mek if he is captured. Manabutr raised the alarm after Mr – Thawit Bilabdullar Col Prawit said. staying with his sister who runs a – Kritsada Mueanhawong September 29 - October 5, 2012 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Phuket Vice Governor to ‘Ghost’ land titles take over on October 1 owned on Phuket PHUKET Vice Governor Sommai PUBLIC Sector Anti-Corruption Paiboon Upatising said he’ll be back Prijasilpa will take on the responsi- Commission (PACC) Secretary- in Phuket on October 3. Photo: PPAO bility of Acting Governor on General Col Dusadee Arayawuth October 1 following the Thai encountered an unusual experi- Cabinet failing to name a successor ence during his inspection of four Paiboon denies to Tri Augkardacha, who will retire plots in Phuket on Monday. this Sunday, September 30. The named landowner, for two cancer rumors The news follows a Cabinet plots along the coastal road north PAIBOON Upatising, the president meeting on Tuesday not including of Patong, denied any knowledge of the Phuket Provincial Adminis- the annual reshuffle of provincial of owning the land under investi- trative Organization (PPAO), governors on its agenda as Deputy gation and expressed no intention replied personally to the Gazette Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit of even wanting to claim owner- to deny rumors that he has last did not attend the meeting, an of- ship of the plots in question.