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ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE Petrol-heads fuel dream F1 bid speeds away from Bangkok, Phuket back on drawing board SEE INSIDE June 15 - 21, 2013 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht Island beach ‘star system’ Masked feels the heat BANGKOK budget slashes have left the Beach Star Rat- ing project floundering with- out a single government agency tasked with tasked with conducting regular wa- faces of ter quality tests at Phuket’s major tourist beaches. Honorary Consuls and Am- bassadors tackle the issue. Full story on Pages 8-9 dissent DSI supercar probe whizzes Deputy PM incites unrest, by Phuket NO PHUKET registered ve- thousands protest ‘corrupt’ hicles were on first list of 488 supercars being investigated Pheu Thai Party policies by the Department of Special Investigations under suspicion of tax fraud. However, Phuket hasn’t al- By Chutharat Plerin ways had a clean record, said Phuket Land Transport Office THOUSANDS of anti-government protesters are to converge at chief Terayout Prasertphol. Saphan Hin at 5pm this Sunday to rally against the Pheu Thai Full story on Pages 3 and 10 Party administration. Protesters will again don white Guy Fawkes masks, obscuring their identity and marking them as supporters of the national anti- Airport Bus government movement “V for Thailand”. “It doesn’t matter which particular political point of view you plan grinds support, everyone who stands against [ousted and exiled former prime minister] Thaksin and [Prime Minister] Yingluck Shinawatra’s government are called to join the protest,” Apharat back into gear Chartchutikumjorn, Pitak Siam coordinator for Phuket, said. PHUKET transport authorities Although the main rally will be at Saphan Hin in Phuket Town, verbally agreed this week to some of the group’s members plan to set up smaller rally points launch the new Phuket Airport across the island, Ms Apharat said. Bus service. “We will not be alone. Other white mask rallies will be held in The service is now Bangkok at the same time,” she added. expected to only offer “hop Boonsupaa Tanthai, president of the We Preserve Phuket Club… on, hop off” transportation from the airport to Patong. Continued on Page 5 Masked protesters show up to denounce Pheu Thai Party. Photo: Saran Mitrarat Full story on Page 2 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS June 15 - 21, 2013 Airport public bus Property Self storage firm solves space issues in urban put back into gear Phuket. Page 14 Irfarn Jamdukor Business THE Phuket transport authorities on Tuesday verbally agreed to Roughly 25 million launch the new Phuket Airport Bus tourists to earn 1 trillion service on July 1. baht in 2013. Page 17 The bus service – to start with Page 17 six buses departing the airport to provide a “hop on, hop off” ser- Pets vice to the major tourist beaches Discover which breeds down the west coast – was ex- pected to clear its final hurdle and of dogs are proven the be up and running in March. How- most vicious. Page 36 ever, final approval by the provincial transportation commit- tee was delayed. History The committee will meet again Learn about early next Tuesday to ratify their deci- Portuguese influences sion in writing, Phuket Vice Governor and committee chair- in Siam. Page 41 man Chamroen Tipayapongtada confirmed. Events Of the 29 government officers, airport officials and tourism and Grand airshow and hotel industry representatives Buses for the airport service are ready to roll. Photo: Chutharat Plerin family picnic only two present at the meeting this week, weeks away. Page 42 not one person represented taxi or the project was launched. ter the new service has launched, Page 41 tuk-tuk associations on the island. “You launch the bus, we will we will invite every affected party “After much discussion today, definitely block the road,” to join a discussion to resolve any Sport we have agreed to launch the new Sommart Homwan, president of conflicts,” he added. Find out who won last bus service in two steps,” V/Gov the Kata-Karon Taxi and Tuk-tuk The decision to launch the new Chamroen explained. Driver’s “Co-operative”, said on service was unanimous, Phuket weekend’s Laguna “First, on Tuesday next week, April 5. Land Transport Office chief Marathon. Page Page 4750 we will officially approve the new Local police, however, said Terayout Prasertphol explained. service from the airport to Patong plainly that road blockades would “Every committee member only,” he said. not be tolerated. agreed the bus service should go By stopping the service at Pa- “The 24-seat buses will run ahead… The new service will ben- tong instead of running it to Kata, every hour from about 6am, when efit the people of Phuket and as originally planned, officials the first flight arrives at the air- tourists. They will have more avoid direct conflict with the Kata- port, to about 9pm,” V/Gov choices in road transport at af- Karon taxis and tuk-tuks, who Chamroen said. fordable prices,” Mr Terayout threatened a blockade in April if “Then, as our second step af- said. Brit busted Hotel manager, truck for dealing take 50-meter plunge A HOTEL manager lost control of his truck at the Khao Khad View- heroin point, plummeting 50 meters A PHUKET Marine Police sting down the treacherous hillside operation on June 7 busted a Brit- on June 7. ish national with 6.1 grams of Police received a report of the heroin smuggled onto Phuket incident at about 4:50pm and from Koh Samui. rushed to the scene with John Cawley, 22, was caught Kusoldharm Rescue workers to in a Rassada rental room at about find Korean national Don Yeol Seo 11:30pm in possession of the cat- alive, but trapped in the overturned egory 1 drug stuffed into seven vehicle. plastic bottles, said Phuket Marine “Mr Yeol Seo, 56, was bleed- Police Inspector Chatchai Sakdee. ing from his head and suffering The sting operation involved an what appeared to be internal inju- undercover officer entering the ries,” said Anurak Klangnarong of residence as a potential buyer. the Wichit Police. “As Mr Cawley began to negoti- “Rescue workers had to use a ate with our officer, our team rushed rope to reach Mr Yeol Seo, but it The truck hit a decorative rail the room,” Col Chatchai said. was very difficult due to the dense before rolling down the hillside. Officers collected a bag of forest on the steep hill,” Lt Anurak heroin, as well as seven bottles said. The man added the Mr Yeal Seo that also contained heroin. A man identifying himself as a worked for one of the hotels in “Mr Cawley confessed that the friend of the 56-year-old Korean Wichit, but police did not reveal drugs belonged to him, and we told police that the victim had been the name of the business. made our arrest,” Col Chatchai said. driving from Bor Rae District to Rescue workers transported the Mr Cawly was charged with Ao Yon. victim to Vachira Phuket Hospital Looking for a place to stay? the possession of a category 1 “He worked very hard that day for treatment. Police plan on ques- See more classified ads at www.phuketgazette.net drug with intent to sell. and didn’t have much time for rest,” tioning him once he is released. – Irfarn Jamdukor the man reportedly told police. – Kritsada Mueanhawong June 15 - 21, 2013 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 No Phuket cars discovered on DSI supercar tax evasion list, yet NO PHUKET luxury cars are on the list of lists will be compiled and investigated. Davidson motorcycles to be registered 488 supercars whose owners are being Phuket Land Transport Office chief here,” he said. investigated for tax evasion, the Depart- Terayout Prasertphol said that his office has “At that time I was the PLTO adminis- ment of Special Investigation (DSI) has only registered legal vehicles and that all tration chief, and five owners of Ferrari and confirmed to the Gazette. taxes are fully paid on all vehicles regis- Mercedes-Benz cars and Harley-Davidson The DSI on Monday revealed the names tered in Phuket. motorcycles were arrested. of the owners of 488 luxury cars who will However, he admitted that was not “It took about six years for the case to be called in for questioning in a nation- always the case. be finally heard in court, but one PLTO of- Phuket supercars clean. Photo: Gazette file wide crackdown on supercar tax evasion “In 1998, Phuket was a target for illegal ficer was fired and another government (see page 10). vehicles, mainly stolen cars, to be regis- officer was sentenced to one year in jail,” ing to illegally register cars, but I turn them However, the officer added that the list tered. Back then, it was popular for Ferrari Mr Terayout said. down,” he said. was only the first list to be drawn up. Other and Mercedes-Benz cars and Harley- “I have received calls from people ask- – Orawin Narabal Loan leads to murder-suicide By Kritsada Mueanhawong in his hand and stabbed Mr Piboon,” said Col Sermphan. A REAL estate loan gone sour “The women saw the whole ended in the borrower stabbing the thing,” said Phuket City Police lender to death and then killing Inspector Yongyuth Kongmalai. himself with the same knife in the “They said there was no fight conference room of a Phuket between the two men. Mr Town bank on June 6. Phonthakorn stabbed Mr Piboon Phonthakorn Teerabenjakul, 51, several times, then stabbed him- a local real estate investor, had self,” he added.