Medium's Dream Leads to Discovery of Ancient Artifact
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Volume 16 Issue 7 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555February 14 - 20, 2009 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Medium’s dream leads to discovery of ancient artifact INSIDE By Khunakorn Terdkiatkhachorn SRISOONTORN, PHUKET: Residents of the village of Baan Bangjo have found, buried in a field, the gnarled remains of what they claim is a 200-year-old boat made from Malabar ironwood. But in a supernatural twist that is sure to cause debate between sceptics and believers, the discov- ery came after a local medium was told about the location of the object in a dream – or so villag- ers claim. Issaraporn Summai, her DJ Nakadia husband Suchart Phromdan and Thailand’s first international another man, Thin Pungsorn, diva of the decks, DJ Nakadia, claim to have found the artifact talks to the Gazette’s Dan on February 4 after Mrs Issa- Ogunshakin. raporn had a dream the night be- See pages 10 & 11. fore in which a female spirit asked her to help lift a boat out NEWS: Plans to save of the ground. LEFT: The remains of an ancient boat made from Malabar ironwood were uncovered by Issaraporn Summai Thailand’s dugongs, Natu- A practising medium, Mrs (right) and her husband after she was visited in a dream by the vessel’s spirit. ral Wonders update, Sea Issaraporn claims the spirit was Villagers claim that there more to Mr Suchart. “When I get possessed by a spirit Gypsy festival. that of the tree from which the used to be canals in the area a “The spirit told me the boat I feel like I can’t move, and I Pages 2 & 3 boat was carved. Malabar iron- long time ago and that the boat contained the Malabar ironwood can’t feel anything either. My INSIDE STORY: The wood trees can live for 1,000 could be 200 years old. tree’s spirit as well as the spirits husband tells me that I start truth behind Phuket’s HIV years and the belief that they are Not everyone who has seen of 30 military guards. She did not speaking in an old-fashioned lan- figures. inhabited by female spirits is held the object is in agreement that it want to be kept in the Thalang guage that I never learned be- Page 4 by many Thais, particularly in ru- is, in fact, a boat. Capt Bunyarit museum as she did not like the fore. After the spirit leaves me, I ral areas. Chaisuwan, an archaeologist at dark. She would like to stay some- always feel tired. I trust the spir- LIFESTYLE: Looking After Mrs Issaraporn had the Fine Arts Region 15 Office where light where sunlight can its that possess me, they come to ahead to the 4th Phuket her dream, Mr Suchart got per- in Phuket, said the object was too get through,” Mr Suchart said. help us live longer.” Blues Rock Festival. mission from the owner of the narrow for people to sit inside and “She said that if they still Mr Suchart also claimed Pages 16 & 17 land to try and dig for the boat, was therefore probably just a bring the boat to the museum, the that some time after the discov- claiming that the landowner told hollowed-out tree trunk. museum will have no visitors and ery he was approached by a po- AROUND THE ISLAND 6; him they could keep whatever Capt Bunyarit did say, how- close,” he added. lice volunteer and questioned ag- AROUND THE NATION 7; they managed to find. ever, that if the object was a ves- Mr Suchart claimed that gressively about the remark- A ROUND THE SOUTH 8; Remarkably, the three claim sel it must have dated from the men could not touch the boat be- able find. AROUND THE R EGION 9; GOOD to have found a boat exactly Ayuttahaya period when the area cause the female spirit forbade it “He told me that I could not LIVING 12; HAPPENINGS where Mrs Issaraporn said it was more developed, suggesting and that the boat had to be re- bring the boat home. He said it 14; INSPIRATIONS 15; would be. Local people and offi- that the villagers’ estimation of the spected. belonged to the government and WHAT'S ON 19; BUSINESS cials from Srisoonthorn Tambon artifact’s age could be correct. Mrs Issaporn told the Ga- it was a part of Thai heritage. AND MONEY TALKS 20; zette she has been possessed TAKE A BREAK 21 & 22; Administration Organization soon But Mrs Issaraporn and Mr Actually, I think the boat should LOOKING BACK 23; EDITO- found out, with the discovery Suchart’s extraordinary tale does many times, and works as a me- belong to the landowner. And the RIAL, LETTERS 24; FIRST causing quite a stir in the village. not end with the discovery of the dium, helping local people using landowner already let us dig and PERSON, ISSUES AND A NSWERS The artifact was left in the object. herbal medicine and massage. “I keep the boat,” he said. 25; HOROSCOPES, MADAME ground until February 9, when it They claim that on the have been a shaman ever since I “If Srisoonthorn TAO and MALI 26; MOTORING 27; was finally lifted out of its hole. evening of February 9, after the was 20 years old. It started while Thalang Museum do not want it, SPORTS 28-29; PROPERTY The artifact is approximately 7 boat was lifted out of the ground, I was studying,” she said. we will keep it inside our house. 30-34; CLASSIFIED ADS meters long, 0.8 meters wide and she was possessed by the female Of her experiences of spirit Everyone can come to pay re- 35-48. 0.5 meters high. tree spirit, who then revealed possession, Mrs Issaraporn said, spect,” Mr. Suchart concluded. 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS February 14 - 20, 2009 Koh Phi Phi risks disqualification from New 7 Wonders vote KRABI: Koh Phi Phi may be sus- ity of Thailand Governor Phornsiri pended from the New 7 Wonders Manoharn, Tourism and Sports of Nature campaign if it does not Minister Chumphol Silpa-archa, assemble an “Official Supporting and Tourism and Sports Ministry Committee” (OSC) to represent Permanent Secretary Sasithara it, according to the campaign’s or- Pichaichannarong, asking them to ganizers. create or support the formation The New 7 Wonders of of an OSC. Nature campaign is searching for Tia B Viering, Head of seven natural “wonders of the Communications for New7 Won- world”, as voted by members of ders said, “It is important for the the public worldwide. fast-paced and powerful global Koh Phi Phi has already campaign that each nominee has made it to the second round of vot- an OSC to communicate and ing, which will select the top 77 work with New7Wonders. Only wonders, before the third and final thus can a country take advan- round chooses the winning seven. tage of the great opportunity of- The island is currently num- fered by this worldwide platform Koh Phi Phi faces disqualification if an “Official Supporting Committee” is not assembled soon. ber seven in its category, putting – best results are achieved when of voting – with the organizers campaign follows the New 7 Won- Colosseum in Rome, the Taj it within the 77 most popular New7Wonders can work closely expecting one billion votes to be ders of the World campaign, Mahal in Agra, the Great Wall of nominees. with a local representative for cast – before the New 7 Wonders which in 2007 saw Chichen Itza China, Petra in Jordan and Machu However, New7Wonders, each natural site. We hope to of Nature are announced in 2011. in Mexico, the statue of Christ the Picchu in Peru voted the “New 7 the non-profit foundation behind soon welcome Ko Phi Phi Island The New 7 Wonders of Nature Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the Wonders of the World”. the campaign, warned that with- as an Official Supported Nomi- out an OSC, Koh Phi Phi “risks nee in this extraordinary global rapid disqualification”, potentially campaign.” Six Senses to cut executive pay leaving Thailand without a nomi- Second-round voting will nee for the campaign. close on July 7 2009, with the re- PHUKET: Bangkok-based hotel duced an innovative, industry-first ciate, anywhere. However, Six New7Wonders said it sent letters sults announced on July 21. operator Six Senses Resorts and alternative. Senses will grow significantly over on February 2 to Tourism Author- There will then be two years Spas recently announced that it “The sophisticated traveller the next two years and we believe will cut its executive salaries 10 will be watching to see who in that the group looks quite robust. per cent as part of cost-reduc- the luxury-services industry - With the buy-back share price set tion measures. where highly trained people are at the opt-in price, participants CEO and chairman Sonu so key, to the point of being al- cannot loose, even if the share Shivdasani said the group wanted most sacred - will lower their price was to decline,” she added. to retain all of its staff during these standards,” he said. Asked to comment on how difficult economic times. It will cut Director of Public Relations have employees have reacted to salaries of those in the “inner & Communication, Six Senses the alternative to cutbacks, Ms sphere” and at the “core level” Resorts and Spas Ms Benjawan Benjawan said, “Quite frankly, we by 10 per cent while making up Sudhikam confirmed that the ini- have not made a big deal of it at the difference in company shares.