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ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE A historical tour de force Colin Mackay’s definitive book on our island’s unique history REVIEW INSIDE March 9 - 15, 2013 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht Parks chief rallies more support for DangerDanger lurkinglurking land probe THE Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation arrived on Phuket to help bolster support for the ongoing investigation into 14 plots of land allegedly encroach- inin ChalongChalong BayBay ing on national park land. Full story on Page 5 Turtle egg poachers to be targeted MAI Khao Marine Turtle Foundation launched an investigation this month after a Gazette reader reported the possibility of turtle egg poachers probing the sands of north- ern Phuket beaches for protected turtle eggs. Full story on Page 6 Cough syrup bust spreads, MANY MOORINGS REMAIN PERILOUSLY UNMARKED IN SHALLOW WATERS catches 25 They were dropped in the water 14 weeks ago – Theerakulpisut this week rejected accusations that POLICE pretending to be By Gazette Reporters 200 in Chalong Bay and 100 at Ao Por. the tethers were “cheap” and “ineffective”. In- pharmacists nabbed several Reports surfaced barely a month later that stead, he blamed the broken lines on sabotage. groups of youngsters after AFTER spending 5.8 million baht to install new many of the new moorings in Chalong were not “Some people have cut some of the moor- they attempted to illegally moorings in Chalong Bay and at Ao Por, on usable because the buoys that marked them had ings. I have no idea who they are. I am trying to buy cough syrup from a Phuket’s east coast, the chief of the local Ma- disappeared. They broke loose, experienced find out,” he said. pharmacy to use in the rine Office now says he needs more money to yachties explained, because the lines attaching “Some of the moorings broke because they popular drug cocktail fix the moorings, which have sunk one boat and them to the concrete blocks on the sea floor have been used for a while [since November 29]… known as “4x100”. damaged at least three others. frayed due to improper tethering. The moorings in nautical terms are brand-new. However, Phuket Marine Office chief Phuripat Continued on Page 3 Full story on Page 8 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS March 9 - 15, 2013 Driver confesses to assault, Business abduction – denies rape Phuket firm selected to By Kritsada Mueanhawong design Miss Thailand’s crown. Page 11 A PHUKET taxi driver this week confessed to beating and abduct- ing a karaoke hostess before steal- Thai Gallery ing her valuables and leaving her Putting a face to one tied up in a Phuket hotel room. However, he denied the rape of 90.5’s distinctive charge filed against him by the voices. Page 37 woman. Phuket City Police arrested Suksan Mornamrong, 28, at his Tech rented home in Koh Kaew on Woody recounts a few Tuesday for the alleged rape on recent problems living Monday night of a woman who worked at a karaoke bar in the Ras- in Phuket. Page 38 sada port area. Suksan, originally from Krabi, Environment was found in possession of stolen property belonging to the victim, Are sea turtles the including two mobile phones, 4,000 albatross around our baht, two necklaces, an ATM card necks? Page 39 and her ID card. The woman reported her ordeal to Thung Thong Police on Tues- Humor day morning, recounting how she was abducted, beaten, raped and Suksan Mornamrong admits to having taken a woman to a hotel room Explore how evolution and beaten her before tying her up and stealing her belongings. robbed by a taxi driver who drove and drinking beer are a white Toyota Altis. he said. Suksan explained. connected. Page 40 After the woman reported the “While I was driving the car [to After Suksan left the woman license plate number of Suksan’s Thung Thong], the woman started alone in the room, she screamed taxi, police quickly found his choking me, so I bit her hand. for help, alerting hotel staff to Sport home address and within hours After we arrived at the hotel, I was come to her assistance. Phuket United win hat had him under arrest. angry so I took her into the hotel “The suspect was charged with trick as the season Speaking in front of the press room and beat her again. sexual assault, robbery and abduc- on Tuesday, Suksan confessed to “After that, I tied her up with tion,” said Thung Thong Police winds down. Page 51 abducting and beating the woman, rope and took her belongings, and Deputy Superintendent Yodsaphat and to stealing her belongings. asked her for the PIN code to her Suwannakij. “I picked the woman up from ATM card before I went out to “We are now waiting for the a karaoke bar in Rassada and took work. I had to take a tourist from results of the medical tests to con- her to a hotel in Phuket Town to Patong to the airport. firm the woman was raped, then American embassy consular have sex, but I failed to climax so “After dropping the tourist off, we will transfer the case to the I beat her, then took her to I returned home [to Koh Kaew], Public Prosecutor for further services in Phuket this week another hotel in Thung Thong,” where police arrested me,” action,” he added. THE Consular Section of the – Social security, VA, or other American Embassy in Bangkok federal benefits questions: we will will hold an “Outreach Visit” at Le try to provide forms and answers. New moorings wreak havoc Meridien Phuket Beach Resort in Consular staff urge visitors to Karon on March 15. bring exact change for payment From page 1 Consular staff will be available of any services required. See the from 8am to midday to provide US Embassy website for informa- If we are going to fix them, we services on: tion and requirements for each need the budget – but I have yet – Passport renewal applications service. to draw up any budget proposal,” (US$110 or 3,520 baht for adult Consular Reports of Birth can- Mr Phuripat explained. passports, US$105 or 3,360 baht not be processed during consular Further, Mr Phuripat said he for a child’s passport). outreach trips. was not convinced that the situa- – Notarial Services and Certi- Appointments are not necessary tion required urgent action just fied Copies (US$50 or 1,600 for consular services during out- yet. “I am now thinking about it,” baht), includes income affidavits reach visits. For more information, he told the Gazette on Wednesday. for retirees in Thailand. email [email protected] or call the With no buoys to mark them, – Extra visa pages (US$82 or American Citizen Services Unit at many of the moorings remain 2,624 baht). 02-205-4049. unmarked in shallow waters in the bay, lurking beneath the waves for unsuspecting boat captains to inadvertently run into, explained several local yachties with over 10 years of experience in navigating Phuket’s waterways. One of the many marker bouys that have broken free. Photo: Gazette file The danger of unmarked moor- boat carrying tourists from Cha- marked buoys are located is ing blocks in shallow waters long Pier to a popular island resort anyone’s guess,” he added. became clear two weeks ago, on off Phuket struck an unmarked Yet Mr Phuripat remains un- February 26, when the tour boat mooring in the same location. moved by the growing list of “Booze Cruise” collided at low tide Local yachtsmen have con- calamities associated with the new with an unmarked block in the firmed to the Gazette that “about moorings. middle of the approach channel to a dozen” moorings were placed in “Boat accidents in Chalong Bay the Chalong Pier. the approach channel, the main are common,” he explained. The collision punched a hole in thoroughfare for boats arriving “As I told you before, what I the boat’s hull, causing it to sink and departing Chalong Pier. really do not like are reckless boat quickly. The daytrippers on board “About four of them are still drivers. They drive too fast and do jumped into the sea and were res- marked by [mooring] buoys,” one not drive along the approach chan- cued by onlookers. yachtsman said. nel. This is the main cause of boat Not two hours later, a speed- “Where the remaining un- accidents,” Mr Phuripat said. March 9 - 15, 2013 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Residents protest plans for new provincial hall OrBorJor ‘pink bus’ Photo: Gazette file By Kritsada Mueanhawong Governor Maitri is currently on duty abroad, and tried to convince MORE than 200 Phuket Town the protesters that their fears were Russian man residents gathered at Sanam Chai unwarranted. in Phuket Town on Monday to While Vice Governor Chamroen run over by protest the construction of the was talking to the protesters, some new provincial hall. of them showed their dissatisfac- The protesters gathered to ex- tion by shouting. a ‘pink bus’ press their concerns that the V/Gov Chamroen asked the A RUSSIAN tourist suffered proposed new hall will negatively protestors to send a representa- serious injuries when he was run affect the lifestyle of people in the tive to discuss the issue with him, over by a ‘pink bus’ in the middle local community. but they refused. of Phuket Town on Wednesday. Former Rassada Mayor Suratin The vice governor explained “The man was hit by an Lianudom and former Tambon that the present provincial hall has OrBorJor [Phuket Provincial Ad- Administration Organization been in use for 105 years.