September 17-11 Pp02-03
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE Curfew lifted Phuket ready to party late into the night, coup or no coup INSIDE TODAY June 7 - 13, 2014 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht EXCLUSIVE Phuket yachtie: I thought I saw Flight MH370 A BRITISH sailor who crossed the Indian Ocean en route to Phuket in March has filed a report saying that Fight for she may have seen the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. After months of doubting what she saw, what seemed to be a plane on fire crossing the night sky with trail of smoke behind it, Katherine Tee has spoken out. Full Story Pages 4-5 Army declares Kamala war on island’s tuk-tuk mafia A COMPANY of 100 soldiers from V/Gov packing Southern Thailand reinforced more than 1,000 police officers in a west coast blitz this week that netted scores big guns for war on of illegal taxi and tuk-tuk drivers wanted for being violent, abusive, cheating or just outright corrupt. beach encroachers Full Story Page 3 By Saran Mitrarat Developer called BEACH vendors in Phuket could have their shops torn down out in B600mn and face hefty fines of up to 500,000 baht, several years in jail and payments of 10,000 baht per square meter of land if landgrab effort their buildings are found to be encroaching on the sands. A DEVELOPER has agreed to remove Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has set his land markers illegally staking out 600 sights on returning Phuket’s beaches to the public. He has million baht of school land overlook- formed a team of officers to re-zone the beachfront in ing the hills toward Patong. order to combat encroachment, starting with Kamala. The issue was written off as a mis- “Phuket beaches belong to the public. We want to clear understanding after land documents out at least one-third of the beachfront at Kamala… were examined. Continued on Page 6 Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada is ready for battle. Full Story Page 8 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS June 7 - 13, 2014 Patong re-ignites party Property Royal Phuket City Hotel post Army coup curfew set new standards in eco THE National Council for Peace management . Page 15 and Order on Tuesday lifted the curfew in Pattaya, Samui and Phuket. Business Phuket’s lack of history for Phuket’s biggest kids political violence and the province’s heavy reliance on the playground opens in tourism industry were cited as the Patong. Page 33 key reasons for the island’s spe- cial treatment in the lifting of the curfew. Food “It’s great that the curfew was Phuket Foodies give lifted in Phuket. There is no his- Suay restaurant’s menu tory of political violence here. Additionally, 70 per cent of the the nod. Page 36 province’s revenue is generated through tourism,” Capt Kritsada Cycling Rattanasupa of the Royal Thai Navy’s Phuket-based Third Area Cycling and Bond have Internal Security Operations Com- more in common than mand told the Gazette. The curfew, which has been in you think. Page 40 place for 10 days, was crippling the island’s tourism industry. Explore The Tourism and Sports Min- Phuket’s newest tourist istry reported that the number of tourist arrivals had dropped by as attraction swaps up with much as 20 per cent since martial down. Page 42 law was declared on May 20. TAT Phuket Director Anoma Tourists walk along Patong’s popular nightlife venue area, Soi Bangla, Wongyai on Friday told the Ga- after the curfew was lifted on Tuesday. Photo: Isaac Stone Simonelli Sport zette, “Booking cancellation rates It took 77 hours for a are up about 10 per cent compared million baht a night, he said. out at all times of the night to catch to the same period last year.” Mr Weerawit of the Patong their teams in action. Phuket sailor to beat a That dour report followed Entertainment Business Associa- “We have consistently been world record. Page 45 Weerawit Krueasombut, president tion praised the announcement. concerned about Thailand’s tour- of the Patong Entertainment Busi- “Patong nightlife venue opera- ism. We don’t want to cause it any ness Association, warning of tors are thrilled to have the curfew harm,” said Maj Gen Peerapol said. Patong’s ruin if the curfew con- lifted,” he said. “We would like to “Tourist will now be able to Woman fatally stabbed in garden tinued. credit the success of the curfew watch the World Cup. I also like A WOMAN who was stabbed in Mr Weerawit estimated that the being removed to Governor Maitri.” football; I like to see how they her garden died as her neighbors initial curfew hours cost the town Commanding General of the 41st practice and progress to become rushed her to Thalang Hospital on 10 million baht in trade each night. Military Circle Peerapol Wiriyakul world champion. May 29. The revised curfew hours from confirmed that the curfew was “I don’t have a specific team Nongluk Thavorn, 42, was midnight to 4am, repealed in Phuket lifted less than two weeks before I’m supporting right now. We’ll found screaming for help with a on Tuesday, still cost Patong the World Cup in Brazil gets started, just see how they play,” he said knife still lodged in her head. nightlife operators an estimated five which is expected to see tourists happily. – Phuket Gazette “I climbed over the wall into her garden. I saw her on the ground bleeding with the knife stuck in The knife found at the scene. her head, behind her ear,” said Irish teacher killed in motorbike crash Amnouy Limpanon, a neighbor. Thalang Police. AN IRISH teacher at Baan at 12:10pm. “I pulled the knife out of her “Ms Nongluk’s brother told us Maireab School in Phuket died on “He died of intracerebral hem- head and had other neighbors rush that the victim was fairly wealthy May 31 from head injuries sus- orrhaging,” confirmed a Vachira her to Thalang Hospital, but she and that her gold necklace and tained in a motorbike accident the Phuket Hospital staffer. died on the way.” bracelet had gone missing,” Lt night before. Mr Bates was brought from the Thalang Police were notified of Chatree said. “However, we aren’t Denis Bates, 30, was rushed to accident site on Muang Chao Fa the fatal attack at about 1:30pm. jumping to any conclusions about Vachira Phuket Hospital at about Road to the hospital by rescue “When we arrived at the house the motive for the fatal attack. At 11pm that night. workers. in Srisoonthorn, we found blood this point we are questioning resi- The Irishman, originally from No records of the accident and a knife on the ground,” said dents, as well as collecting Dublin, had been in a coma until were kept. Lt Chatree Chuwichian of the fingerprints and other evidence.” he succumbed to his head injury – Chutharat Plerin Denis Bates. Photo: Facebook June 7 - 13, 2014 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Army storms island in The baby suffered mild burn assault on taxi mafia wounds. Photo: Supplied By Saran Mitrarat Newborn baby A DEPLOYMENT of 100 soldiers from Southern Thailand on burned during Wednesday provided military sup- port to a huge task force of 1,110 police officers and 40 volunteers incinerator fire who swept along the west coast A NEWBORN Phuket baby suf- of Phuket to purge the island of fered burn wounds after a fire illegal, violent, abusive and cheat- started in its incubator, an acci- ing taxi, tuk-tuk and minivan dent dubbed “unpreventable” by drivers. the hospital director. The soldiers were acting under The baby was two days old orders from Maj Gen Peerapol when a short-circuit in the Wiriyakul, Commanding General incubator’s light bulb set fire to of the 41st Military Circle, which the newborn’s swaddling blanket, operates out of the Fourth Army explained Thana Bookahoot, di- Area Command in Nakhon Sri rector of the Phuket Provincial Thammarat. Administration Organization Over 70 drivers were taken into (OrBorJor) Hospital. custody in a single blitz led by Lt “Nurses immediately saved the Gen Panya Mamen, Commander baby. However, the baby did of the Royal Thai Police Region 8 suffer a mild burn,” explained Dr division. Thana. “I assigned a squad headed by “A nurse’s hand was burnt in Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin to start the accident as well.” tackling this problem on January Dr Thana told the Gazette that 30,” Gen Panya told the press. such accidents are unpreventable. “His team questioned the staff “We do regular checks on our and owners of 51 businesses, Lt Gen Panya Mamen led the blitz on the tangled web of Phuket’s unofficial transport network. incubators, but short-circuit fires totalling 150 witnesses, which led “Some of the suspects worked to police today [Wednesday] head of local politics in Kata- like this can happen even in prop- to 111 arrest warrants issued illegally as taxi or tuk-tuk drivers,” after an arrest warrant was Karon. He was elected Karon erly working machines,” he for 108 people,” Gen Panya Gen Panya said. “Others were le- issued,” said Gen Paween. Mayor for the third term running explained. explained. gal, but were wanted for specific During a months-long investi- in July 2012. Dr Thana declined to comment In the blitz on Wednesday, 32 incidents, such as abusive or vio- gation by Gen Paween’s team, “If any tourists or business on how often hospital staff run warrants were served in Kata- lent behavior, or for cheating officers discovered that an illegal operators want to let us know safety checks on the incubators.