Volume 12 Issue 24 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 June 11 - 17, 2005 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 20 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Three proposals made IN THIS ISSUE NEWS: Woman dies as dive boat sinks; Immigration for Chalong marina counter for Chalong . Pages 2 & 3 By Athiga Jundee Phuket’s burgeoning marine in- INSIDE STORY: Property boom dustry. for Koh Sireh? Pages 4 & 5 PHUKET CITY: Three propos- In October last year, Vice- als have been received by Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit AROUND THE ISLAND: Where Governor Udomsak Uswarang- told the Gazette that Ian Davey, art and coffee meet. Page 6 kura for the construction of a Commercial Consultant for the AROUND THE REGION: Plain large marina in Chalong Bay, to Australian Embassy in Thailand, sailing off Samui. Page 8 be financed by a mixture of gov- had been brought in to assist the ernment and private sector OrBorJor in finding a profes- PEOPLE: A sporting chance money. sional consultant to develop the for Phuket. Pages 10 & 11 One proposal is from a con- master plan. LIFESTYLE: Oriental and origi- sortium headed locally by Commenting on the Life- nal on Dibuk Rd; Music: Moby Lifestyle Properties Co Ltd, and style Properties Co submission, checks in. Pages 12 & 13 the Gazette understands that two Gov Udomsak described the pro- other concepts have been submit- ject as “…a win-win situation SPA MAGIC: Start making ted, one by an Australian consor- [that will] benefit the govern- Sense in Kata. Page 14 tium and one by a French group. ment, the private sector and the TRAVEL: Back to Phi Phi. Lifestyle Properties Co public [in Phuket]”. Pages 15 Consultant Ken Abday was He speculated that the pro- close-lipped about his company’s ject would cost “ …more than 1 FIRST PERSON: Why now is a bad time for bar license fees. proposal. He told the Gazette, billion baht”, and that the OrBor- Page 21 “Until it gets further along, I Jor would contribute “between don’t want to comment. We ex- ‘A win-win situation’: Gov Udomsak with the Lifestyle Properties 30% and 40% of the total.” BUSINESS: Tafta times ahead; plained our concept to the Gov- proposal. He added that the public Money Talks; On The Move. ernor, and we’ll see where it would be given an opportunity Pages 22 & 23 takes us.” and the construction will involve a previous one, on July 22 last to comment on whichever pro- SPORT & LEISURE: Novice None of the plans has been huge dredging works and the re- year, that the Phuket Provincial posal is selected by both the golfer reaches climax; ASEM made public, but the Gazette un- claiming of some 30 rai of land Administration Organization OrBorJor and the central govern- soccer reaches fever pitch. derstands that the finished ma- from the sea. (OrBorJor) was keen to pursue ment, although he could not give Pages 24 & 25 rina will be larger than Phuket’s The announcement, made a joint public-private initiative to the time frame for a decision be- three existing marinas combined, at a meeting on May 31, follows develop a new marina to support ing made. PROPERTY: Doven; Constru- ction: Koh Maphrao; Home of the Week: Koh Kaew; Bloomin' Bert enjoys rubber. ‘Bad land’ back on ministerial agenda Pages 28 to 31 By Anongnat Sartpisut drugs, mafia, poverty and threats to public Most alarming, he reported, was that PLUS safety”, was attended by some 300 govern- many encroachment cases involved pro- PHUKET CITY: Revocation of improperly- ment officers from Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, tected mangrove forests. QUEER NEWS 4; AROUND THE issued land title deeds will remain a top gov- Chumphon, Ranong and Surat Thani, which Foreigners, too, were involved in en- NATION 7; HAPPENINGS 9; OUT- ernment priority in the upper southern prov- collectively form the “upper southern” re- croachment, many living in homes built SIDE IN, BOOKS, WORDLY WISE inces of Thailand, the Interior Minister an- gion. above the 80-meter limit on construction. 16; KIDS 17; STICKERS, TOON nounced at a meeting with provincial offi- In his report on problems facing More than 200 such homes were constructed TOWN 18; TSOWNDINGS, HORO- cials on May 31. Phuket, the island’s Governor, Udomsak on land for which Chanote titles had been SCOPES 19; EDITORIAL, LETTERS The meeting, held at the Royal Phuket Uswarangkura, said land encroachment is- issued, he reported. This necessitated a re- sues were at the forefront, largely because view of existing regulations, he said. 20; ISSUES & ANSWERS 21; City Hotel, was chaired by Interior Minister Pol Gen Chidchai Wannasatit who, in his dual the island’s migrant workforce had swelled In the fight against those involved in COMPUTERS 22; WINE, THE role as a Deputy Prime Minister, also serves the actual population to about 500,000, organized crime, referred to as “influential TIME MACHINE, PHUKET DIARY as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s nearly double the official population of people” in government parlance, the Gov- 26; MOTORING 27; CLASSIFIEDS right-hand man. about 290,000 [as counted by house regis- ernor said that people relying on public 32-39. The session, entitled “The fight against tration forms]. Continued on page 2 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS June 11 - 17, 2005 Punchline comedy returns PHUKET CITY: Another eve- also been a professional jazz One dies as dive boat ning of adults-only hilarity is set musician for 15 years. for June 22 when another three Tickets, at 1,700 baht for stand-up comedians from Lon- the show, are already selling well, don’s Punchline Comedy Club so those interested are advised to sinks near Similans take to the stage at Watermark book early. A limited number of Bar & Restaurant, at the Boat tickets are available from the By Ananya Hongsa-ngiam board at the time. One person on sent to Cape Panwa, where an- Lagoon Marina, in a show co- Gazette offices. board, a woman tourist named as other boat had sunk. sponsored by the Phuket Gazette. The Watermark is also lay- PHUKET: At least one person Sukonthapan Weerawan, is said He added that the Royal The three comics are ven- ing on a special three-course din- was reported dead after a dive- to have died. It was not known Thai Navy vessel Kamronsin was triloquist Paul Zerdin, whose ner for 850 baht – beginning at 7 boat capsized and sank 40 kilo- what other casualties there were. put on standby during the day puppets have a reputation for vi- pm – with the show starting at 9 meters off the coast of Phuket on A police boat and a navy between the Similan and Surin ciousness; London-born Richard pm sharp. the morning of June 7. boat were sent to the scene after Islands, but returned to Phuket Blackwood, known for his fre- Contact Stuart Bird at Wa- As the Gazette went to the alert was raised – at 12:50 pm just after 6 pm. netic delivery; and the “darkly termark on Tel: 01-7376184 for press, details were still sketchy – and Capt Kiatkul Suwan, Com- This was the second sink- humorous” Andy Askins, who is more details or visit www. but it was believed that the 20- manding Officer of the Naval Air ing of a dive boat in waters off not only a top comedian but has watermarkphuket.com meter boat, from Khao Lak-based Section, Third Area Command, the Andaman Coast of Thailand dive business Bubble Blue, was told the Gazette that a helicopter in two months. On April 11, six traveling from Phuket to the was also sent to the scene. passengers and seven crew were Scheduled blackouts for June Similan Islands when it sank dur- Capt Kiatkul said the heli- pulled from the sea at the end of ing a storm at around 8 am. copter had been kept on standby a seven-hour ordeal after the PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial June 22, Samkong: From It is thought that there were until 5:30 pm, but did not pick liveaboard dive boat MV Rhap- Electricity Authority (PPEA) has Samkong along Phra Phuket 13 passengers and five crew on anyone up, and it then had to be sody sank near the Surin Islands. announced its scheduled black- Kaew Rd, including Phuket Is- outs for June. The power outages land Ville, Moo Baan Kathu Tha- are needed for the agency to con- ni, Baan Kathu and Wat Kathu. tinue its on-going inspection, June 23, Rassada: From Pelé, Cantona to visit island ‘Bad land’ on maintenance and repair work on the three-way intersection at Moo the island’s high-voltage power Baan Rassada, along Rassada- PHUKET: The island will play (Asia Europe Meeting) Youth lines. nusorn Rd past Soi Ta Chine, Soi host on July 28 to a charity beach Games at Surakul Stadium. minister’s list All blackouts will be from King Kaew U-thit, Moo Baan soccer match, which will be at- The exact location of the From page 1 9 am to 4 pm. Suwannakarn, Moo Baan City tended by soccer greats Pelé and event was not known as the Ga- transport, particularly taxis, June 17, Rassada: Vanich Home and Trang Rd to the Phu Eric Cantona. zette went to press. needed a greater variety of trans- Rd from Karn Kheha Junction to Yai Baan Rd intersection. The announcement was Brazilian Pelé, 64, is feted port options [in order to break up Ploemsuk Beach, including Note: This information is made by Somsak Thepsuthin, as one of the greatest players of the various transport syndicates].