Volume 15 Issue 21 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 May 24 - 30, 2008 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Suspect in Intarat calls for 7-Eleven shooting IN THIS ISSUE SorPorKor probe NEWS: Three arrested in ya surrenders bah bust; Jintana Plaza By Pathomporn Kaenkrachang, ablaze – again; Police seize and Sompratch Saowakhon By Sompratch Saowakhon fake goods. Pages 2 & 3 PHUKET: Gen Intarat Yod- PATONG: After meeting Patong INSIDE STORY: National park bangtoey, in his capacity as spe- Mayor Pian Keesin, the prime in need of some TLC. cial adviser to Natural Resources suspect in the shooting murder of Pages 4 & 5 and Environment Minister Anon- a motorcycle-taxi driver in a 7- AROUND THE NATION: Mischie- gwan Thepsutin, on May 18 led Eleven store handed himself in vous monks cause strife in an inspection tour of properties to police on the night of May 18. believed to be illegally built on ag- The suspect, Chainart Yu- society. Page 7 ricultural reform (SorPorKor) yen, 31, has denied any involve- AROUND THE SOUTH: Deep land in the Kamala, Kalim and ment in the murder. South horrors have lasting Patong hillsides. About 2 am on May 16, impact. Page 9 The day before, Gen Inta- motorcycle-taxi driver Satien rat and his team inspected other Wongwai, 35, was shot twice in AROUND THE ISLAND: Local building sites in the area, includ- the back and once in the neck musicians try and save the ing some on Koh Yao Yai in Phang with a 9mm gun inside the 7- planet. Page 10 Nga, which Forest Department Eleven on Nanai Rd near the in- GOOD LIVING: Wilko finally surveys also show to be SorPor- Gen Intharat Yodbangtoey, advisor to Natural Resources and tersection with Sainamyen Rd. finds refinement. Page 12 Kor land (degraded public for- Environment Minister Anongwan Thepsutin, during his inspection By the time Kathu Police est land intended for agricultural tour of the Kamala Hills in tambon Kathu on May 18. and rescue workers from the PEOPLE: Floyd’s back for use by poor farmers). Kusoldharm Foundation arrived, good. Pages 14 & 15 The two-day inspection “Land that local people Phuket, 108,581 rai is state for- K. Satien was dead. AFTER D ARK: Rockin’ all over tour followed a meeting chaired have encroached on so that they est land. His body was taken to Patong. Page 17 by Gen Intarat at Phuket City can farm will be handed back to Some 41,200 rai in Phuket Patong Hospital for examination. Municipality offices on May 16. the Forestry Department and re- is titled as SorPorKor land. Of Witnesses described the SPORTS: KTO golf; Beneath At that meeting, Gen Inta- stored to natural forest, but other this, occupancy rights (Tor Por 4 shooter as a dark-skinned, short- the Surface returns; MMA rat proposed a two-prong attack encroachers could face mini- titles) have been issued for haired man wearing a white polo fighters win gold. to reclaim public land for the mum jail sentences of 10 years,” 21,182 rai, he said. shirt and black jeans. After shoot- Pages 34 & 35 state.“The are two main types of he warned. K. Aongart reported that so ing K. Satien, he ran out of the PROPERTY: Construction Up- encroachment: people squatting While ready to reclaim pub- far this year, the Phuket MNRE store and fled on a motorbike, date; Home of the Week; Gar- on public forest land to plant rub- lic land that people may have office had discovered 23 cases they said. dening: Bert talks politics; ber trees and cases where land government-issued titles on in of encroachment on state land: Kathu Police Inspector Lt Design: A lovely pair of lob- titles have been [improperly] is- order to restore it as natural for- 15 cases in state forest, six cases Col Chalermchai Hernsawas told bies. Pages 37-42 sued for public land,” he said. est, Gen Intarat left the door open in protected mangrove forests the Gazette that police had an Gen Intarat proposed that for some plots to be developed and two cases of illegal logging. arrest warrant issued for Chai- rubber plantation squatters could for tourism by government of- Phuket Vice-Governor nart on May 17. PLUS be charged rent and allowed to fices and the local administrative Worapoj Ratthasima proposed The suspect met Patong continue to farm the land. “They bodies where they are located. handling encroachment cases lo- Mayor Pian Keesin early evening QUEER NEWS 6; AROUND THE R E- could pay rent to the governor “For forestry land that can cally. “If any local [administra- on May 18 before turning him- GION 8; HAPPENINGS 16; LIFES- and continue to farm their exist- be used as a public park or a tion] organizations discover en- self over to Kathu Police Station TYLE 18 & 19; SPA MAGIC 20; ing plantation, but they would not tourist attraction, we are pleased croachment in their areas, they at about 8 pm. He was accom- WHAT’S ON 21; TAKE A BREAK be allowed to expand their plan- to support and protect our natu- can report these cases to the panied by relatives, who posted 23 & 24; LOOKING BACK, tations or cut down any more of ral resources to support tourism governor,” he said. bail for him. TSOWNDINGS 26; BOOKS, WORD the natural forest,” he said. in Phuket, ” he said. Also at the meeting was Friends of the victim con- COURT 27; EDITORIAL, LETTERS However, for public land on Aongart Chanachanmong- Monthon “Palad Rambo” Chart- firmed that both men had been 28; FIRST PERSON, ISSUES & AN- which titles have been issued, kol, chief of Phuket Provincial suwan, the MNRE official re- drinking at the same venue in SWERS 29; FIT FOR LIFE, HORO- Patong just before the killing. SCOPES 30; COMPUTERS 31; Gen Intarat proposed that the Office of the Ministry of Natu- sponsible for investigating law- BUSINESS AND M ONEY 32 & 33; government reclaim the land and ral Resources and Environment enforcement issues throughout The victim’s friends said CLASSIFIEDS 43-55. restore it to its natural state as (MNRE), reported that of the the South. they had no idea why K. Satien preserved forest. 339,396 rai that comprises Continued on page 2 was murdered. 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS May 24 - 30, 2008 From page 1 SorPorKor Sharp increase in drug arrests probe PHUKET: Crime statistics released by the A total of 21 people were arrested for of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine). Phuket Provincial Police show that the num- using cannabis, with 49 grams of the illegal herb There were five attempted murders, K. Monton last month filed ber of drug-related arrests was about 52% confiscated. with two related arrests made, as well as three a police complaint at the Phuket higher in April than the same period last There were 12 arrests for possession of reports of assault and three arrests. City Police Station charging Land year. krathom (an indigenous plant that acts as a There were 84 cases of theft reported, Department Director Chairerk There were 120 arrests for drug-re- mild stimulant), with 177 leaves of the plant including four motorcycles and two cars. Ar- Dissaya-amnaj for dereliction of lated offenses, 63 of which involved ya bah seized. rests were made in 42 of these cases. duty in failing to revoke an ille- (amphetamine) with a total of 3,761 pills Sixteen people were arrested for posses- Prostitution accounted for 78 arrests, gally issued land-ownership deed seized. However, arrests for gambling of- sion of solvents, with 16 bags and a can seized. while 23 were nabbed for possession of unli- on protected mangrove-forest fenses still topped the list with 202 arrests. Seven people were arrested for possession censed firearms. – Natcha Yuttaworawit land in Rassada. “There are many cases of encroachment from Kamala to Kalim and some in the outskirts Jintana of Patong,” he said. 1,267 ya bah tablets On May 20, Pongpayome Vasaputi, Permanent Secretary Plaza for the Ministry of Interior, met Phuket Governor Niran Kalaya- namit, Vice-Governor Tri Aug- seized in Mai Khao ablaze karadacha and local authorities to By Pathomporn Kaenkrachang discuss encroachment issues. “Around the nation, about 6 MAI KHAO: Following a ran- – again million rai of SorPorKor land has dom vehicle inspection, Tah Chat been encroached upon,” said K. Chai Police on May 11 arrested Pongpayome. three people for possession of ya PATONG: Jintana Plaza on “Since 1997, we have bah (methamphetamine) with in- Patong’s beach road caught fire taken legal action against 11 tent to sell and seized 1,267 pills. on May 15, causing an estimated people in Phuket who had The arrests were an- 1 million baht in damages. claimed 20 plots covering 500 nounced at a press conference It’s the third time this year rai. held May 12 at Phuket City Po- that fire has broken out at the By the end of 2006, the Su- lice Station. complex. preme Court had heard the Attending were Phuket Lt Naruwat Puthawiro said cases against five of those Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratta- that Kathu Police Station re- people – and had decided against sima, Phuket Provincial Police ceived a call about 3:15 am re- all of them, ordering 11 plots cov- Commander Maj Gen Decha porting that a fire had broken out ering 300 rai to be returned to Budnampetch, Phuket City Po- at the plaza. the state,” he said. lice Superintendent Col Paween “The fire [reportedly] Among those who lost Pongsirin, and Tah Chat Chai started about 3:15 am and spread SorPorKor land under the Su- Police Superintendent Col Sak- through tailors, souvenir shops and other vendor’s stalls.