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FestivalNorth Phuket Culinary Arts 2011 2 - 4 December 2011 www.NorthPhuket.com ANDAMAN Edition Volume 18 Issue 47 November 19 - 25, 2011 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht Transport chief puts More blood is needed to help brakes on negligence flood victims in Bangkok. By Warisa Temram are no longer in service or they and Chutharat Plerin simply do not present buses for Call for blood their bi-annual inspection. PHUKET Provincial Land Trans- “The penalty for using a bus donors to help portation Office (PLTO) chief that has not been issued its annual Terayout Prasertphol has an- roadworthy certificate is a fine of flood victims nounced strict new measures that up to 50,000 baht. This is because THE Phuket Regional Blood will hold tour bus companies re- doing so could cause a serious Center (PRBC) is asking for more sponsible for the mechanical accident,” he said. people to donate blood to help safety of their vehicles. Companies found to repeatedly flood victims. Under the new measures, tour neglect having their buses un- “Due to the floods in Bangkok, bus companies stand to have their dergo the safety inspections will the National Blood Center had a commercial passenger permits have their commercial passenger shortage of blood at the beginning of the month. The revoked entirely, meaning the permits revoked. center normally receives about companies’ right to operate any Chief Terayout added that any 1,500 units of blood daily, but it commercial passenger vehicles bus companies found to be using went down to less than half that will be terminated, chief Terayout drivers who do not have the ap- – about 600 units per day,” said told the Gazette. propriate license – or that their PRBC Acting Director Pornthip The move comes after two se- drivers had been found to have Rattajak. “With the floods continuing, rious bus crashes in Phuket within been drunk driving and involved we still need blood and we hope the same week in late October. in an accident – also stood to have that the PRBC can collect more. Both accidents were attributed to their permits revoked. Many local schools and other brake failure. “The full responsibility for organizations that never did so “There was a tour bus crash keeping buses safe must be with before have asked for us to set [on the hill from] Karon [to GETTING OFF THE BUS: Terayout Prasertphol (inset) hopes to prevent the bus companies because they up our mobile clinics on their accidents like the one on Kata Hill in October (pictured). Photo: Dean Noble property. We’re very thankful for Chalong] on October 22 in which are the ones who maintain their that,” Ms Pornthip added. one Chinese tourist died and many “Official departments and or- Mr Terayout said his office vehicles. The PRBC is located at Saphan were injured. Then on October 26, ganizations in Phuket are seeing had discovered that many bus “This includes tour companies Hin in Phuket Town and is open a tour bus full of Russians crashed this as a very important issue. companies were using vehicles and independent operators hired by daily for walk-in donations. on Patong Hill, which injured a lot From now on, in the case a tour that had not been issued their an- tour companies to provide bus See PhuketGazette.net for the of tourists,” Chief Terayout told a bus crashes, the police will now nual road safety inspection services. center’s program of scheduled mobile clinics. group of more than 10 Phuket tour charge both the driver and the reg- certificates. “The PLTO and police have bus company representatives this istered owner of the bus,” he “Bus companies often report to started setting up checkpoints to See page 7 for our flood report week. warned. our office that some of their buses Continued on page 2 Brit swindler Paul Ridden free of Phuket charges By Atchaa Khamlo “After his arrest, some people come to Phuket Immigration after it was discovered the police station. They wanted their money that he had overstayed his permit-to-stay FORMER Phuket expat Paul Ridden, who back for the house and motorbike deposits in Thailand. earlier this week was sentenced to four they gave him, but Mr Ridden didn’t have According to reports in the UK, Mr Rid- years in jail for fraud and deception charges any money,” said Lt Col Boonlert. den pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud by in the UK, will not face any charges for “But they didn’t file any complaints with false representation and three of theft. any alleged fraud committed on Phuket. the police that ridden defrauded them… He was required to attended court to Lt Col Boonlert Onklang, Duty Officer Anyway, it’s not even a case [for the po- plead guilty on his 58th birthday. at Chalong Police Station, this week told lice]. It’s a civil case. It’s not for the police,” Mr Ridden was later sentenced at Lewes the Phuket Gazette that not a single com- he added. Crown Court to serve four years in jail for plaint in writing was received by Chalong Lt Col Boonlert confirmed that Mr Rid- each charge. The sentences are to be served Paul Ridden behind bars at Chalong Police Police. den was fined 5,000 baht and deported by concurrently. Station in September. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS November 19 - 25, 2011 Public safety boosted Special Report through CCTV rollout Surviving the struggle By Chutharat Plerin against the transgender stigma. Pages 4-5 THE Phuket Provincial Administra- tion Organization (OrBorJor) will Tech install 189 CCTV cameras throughout Koh Kaew and Rassada Woody’s Live Wire; at a cost of 29.8 million baht. Tiny Coffee serves up The roll-out is phase two of the OrBorJor’s “citizen safety” cam- free apps. Page 12 paign, which will coordinate with police in providing CCTV footage In Focus of traffic accidents and other in- Yaowawit School takes cidents, explained OrBorJor President Paiboon Upatising. education to the poor The cameras, some fixed-po- of Phang Nga. Page 16 sition and others with 360-degree views, will relay footage back to Film a control center at the OrBorJor’s The cameras in Phuket Town are often overlooked. Photo: Warisa Temram hospital in Rassada. In this phase, the cameras were zette that under the government DiCaprio bleeds red, Among the areas to be targeted installed by Advanced Information contract for phase two, CS white and Hoover in by the phase-two roll-out are the Technology Plc with a budget of LoxInfo Plc is to complete the in- Sapam local market and the area 16,893,160 baht. stallations by January 19, 2012. latest role. Page 20 around the Phuket Rajabhat Uni- “In phase three, we will install “The budget is 29,838,000 for versity campus. another 300 CCTV cameras that the entire project, including wire Property “Phase one of our CCTV cam- will also feed video to the control installation and the control room Bill Barnett reflects on paign involved installation of 53 center at the hospital. We have yet at the hospital. cameras throughout Phuket to decide where and when to in- “LoxInfo will install 142 CCTV that ‘snowbird’ time of Town, with the cameras feeding stall the cameras for that phase. We cameras at 38 locations in year. Page 28 a control center set up at the will see what the completed phase Rassada, plus nine cameras at six Phuket Provincial Police Station. two looks like and then decide on locales on Chumphon Road. In Sport This proved very successful and phase three later,” he added. Koh Kaew, 38 CCTV cameras will very useful for police investiga- OrBorJor Supplies Officer be installed at eight locations,” she NEW! International tions,” said Mr Paiboon. Chuthaporn Chantet told the Ga- said. Sport. Also ITF finals; cricket league opener. Pages 43-47 Student killed in truck crash A 16-year-old student has died and Vachira Phuket Hospital confirmed her classmate is in hospital after a that Panatta escaped with only Transport chief targets tour six-wheeled truck collided with scratches, but was admitted over- the motorcycle they were riding night for observation. in Phuket Town on Tuesday. “Wiparat was a first-year do- bus companies over safety Capt Thada Sodarak of Phuket mestic science student. The girls From page 1 roads. This might cause accidents, City Police said officers received had just finished morning class and especially on the Patong and Karon a report of the accident at assisting the school’s efforts in inspect buses. These checkpoints hills,” he said. 12:30pm. making meals to be sent to flood will be in operation twice a week,” Regarding the previous two bus The accident happened at the victims in Bangkok,” said the Mr Terayout said. crashes on the Patong and Karon junction from Phuket Road to teacher. By the end of this month the hills, Chief Teerayout confirmed Saphan Hin, near the Phuket Im- “Wiparat called her mom just a PLTO will start holding training to the Phuket Gazette, “These migration Office, said Capt few days ago and said she missed sessions to update bus companies accidents happened because the Thada. her, so her mum came to Phuket of their legal obligations in provid- drivers did not pay enough atten- “From our initial investigation, Police at the scene of the fatal to stay with her. Last night was crash. Photo: Warisa Temram ing safe transportation. tion to the road. They probably the ice truck was heading towards her first night staying with her The training will include warn- were driving too fast on the hills Saphan Hin when the accident College, which is about 250 daughter.