Thanyarat Wins Race for Senate
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Volume 13 Issue 17 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 April 29 - May 5, 2006 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with It’s back to the IN THIS ISSUE NEWS: Phang Nga tsunami victims ‘have all been helped’; polls – again Anchalee raps Gov over Phya Thai deal. Pages 2 & 3 By Janyaporn Morel (70.05%) choosing the “No INSIDE STORY: Saving all that Vote” option. There were free rainwater. Pages 4 & 5 PHUKET: Dr Sriyada 3,288 spoiled ballots. AROUND THE REGION: Samui Palimapan on April 23 be- Five voters publicly tore readies for regatta. Page 8 came Phuket’s first Thai Rak up their ballot papers in AROUND THE ISLAND: Mining Thai (TRT) member of par- Phuket, in protest at the elec- Thanyarat museum in Kathu. Page 11 liament, despite amassing tion and at the current state only 7,893 votes – equivalent of Thai politics. PEOPLE: Time for Chico – No to just 8.18% of the elector- Krit Thepbamrung, wins race 1 pop star in the UK. ate in Phuket District 1. Sommart Mankid, Wikrom Pages 12 & 13 But in District 2, her Issarangkura Na Ayudhaya, for Senate LIFESTYLE: It’s all about the TRT partner, Wisut Santikul, Boonchai Jarasratsami, and bikes – almost. running unopposed, again Sonchai Rittichai were ar- By Sangkhae Leelanapaporn Pages 14 & 15 failed to meet the require- rested and charged with vio- SPA MAGIC: Moved at Montra. ment of getting the votes of lating Article 108 of the Elec- PHUKET: Thanyarat “Gee” Page 18 20% of the electorate. tions Act. Achariyachai is Phuket’s first DINING OUT: Baba at Cape As a result, a third The maximum penalties woman Senator, after winning the Panwa. Page 19 round of voting is to be held for this offense are two years April 19 Senatorial election by a today (April 29) in an at- imprisonment or a 20,000- convincing margin. MOTORING: Gumball Rally pre- tempt to elect an MP for the baht fine. Offenders may also She polled 34,142 votes view. Page 20 district. be deprived for five years of compared with 28,539 for sec- FIRST PERSON: Driving home Dr Sriyada told the Ga- their right to vote. ond-placed Prawat Suwanna- the lessons. Page 25 zette after her victory, “I All five were released dithakul and 14,198 for Dr Prasit MONEY TALKS: Massaging a would like to thank for all the after posting 20,000 baht bail Koeysiripong. Chinese bust. Page 30 voters who voted and sup- apiece. K. Thanyarat, owner of the ported me. I will do my work K. Wikrom, 42, said, “I Kata Group of Hotels and of BUSINESS & MONEY: Good as Phuket MP for District 1 am angry with this govern- Phuket Central Tour Co, is a deeds from BCCC. Page 31 as best I can.” Phuket’s first Thai Rak Thai MP: Dr Sriyada ment and with the Election former Juvenile Court Judge and SPORT: ‘Cricket Heaven’ in Her opponent, making Palimapan was elected by just 8.18% of Commission [EC] for trying wife of former Phuket Chamber Phuket; Veterans’ golf and his national political debut, the electorate. to help the government form of Commerce President Pamuke soccer on the island. was Thongchai Kaewthong a parliament as quickly as Achariyachai. Pages 32 & 33 of the Siam Party. He received His opponent, Prayoon possible. Vote counts for the other PROPERTY: Home of the 2,456 votes. Poonchan of the Pattana Chart “I tore up the ballot paper candidates in the race were: Week: Kamala; Construction: K. Thongchai explained Thai Party, was barred from run- in a temper to protest the gov- Uthai Suksirisamphan 6,431 Leelavadee Resort & Spa; that he did not run in the April 2 ning in the April 23 election by ernment and EC. At first I in- votes; Cherdchai Wongseree Decor: Potter works magic. general election because at that the Supreme Court because he tended to burn it but it that might 6,419 votes; Banlue Aiyara 2,531 Pages 34-37 time he had not been a member had run for Parliament in Nakhon have been considered too dras- votes; Akkrawat Jitharn 2,005 of the Siam Party for at least 90 Sri Thammarat in the April 2 poll, tic. votes; Kanit Vinijpairoj 1,338 PLUS days, as required by electoral but failed to win a seat. “This government sucks, votes; Adirek Engchuan 752 law. As in the April 2 general and so does the EC. I have never votes; and Maliwan Jindawong QUEER N EWS 6; AROUND THE NA- In District 2, TRT candidate election, “no votes” heavily out- seen anything like it in all my 405 votes. TION 7; HAPPENINGS 16; DOVEN, Wisut Santikul failed to win a seat numbered votes for candidates. years. I’m sure that if they hold A total of 20,566 voters – PHUKET D IARY 17; TAKE A B REAK in Parliament because he ran In District 1, 42,991 people voted, another election, more people 17% of all those eligible – ticked 21 & 22; OUTSIDE IN, BOOKS unopposed and did not receive with 30,517 people – 70.98% – will tear up their ballot papers,” the “No vote” box on the ballot. 23; EDITORIAL, LETTERS 24 & votes equivalent to 20% of the choosing the “No Vote” box on he added. There were also 3,391 spoiled 25; YOUTH ’N ASIA, HOROSCOPES, total electorate in the district, as the ballot sheet. There were 2,025 His prediction will be put to ballots. LAW 26 & 27; COMPUTERS 28; required by electoral law. He re- spoiled ballots. the test today in District 2. Of 203,983 eligible voters, ON THE MOVE 31; GARDENING ceived 8,920 votes, equivalent to In the District 2 poll, 47,053 Editorial: page 24 120,914, or 59%, turned out for 36; CLASSIFIEDS 38-47. 8.56% of the electorate. people cast votes, with 34,845 the poll. Ad-HLB Footer K. Jeab 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS April 29 - May 5, 2006 Phang Nga wave BIG BOY RETURNS victims ‘have all been helped’ By Sangkhae Leelanapaporn The number of such cases was small, he said, and most re- KHAO LAK: All Phang Nga sulted from bad credit histories residents who were in need of dating back to before the tsu- financial aid after the tsunami nami. have received it, either through Some major resorts, par- government assistance or in the ticularly in Khao Lak, have al- form of private-sector donations, ready reopened. Of the remain- a senior provincial official has told der, V/Gov Opas said, “Many the Gazette. [small] hotel own- “We can say ers have started that 100% of the rebuilding, with the people who lost goal of being back homes and fishing in business by the boats have had start of the next Big Boy swims in the waters off Phang Nga. – Photo by Milton Lister, West Coast Divers them replaced,” high season [in PHANG NGA: A popular whale shark nicknamed oceans with water temperatures, between 21ºC Vice-Governor November].” “Big Boy” has been spotted off Koh Surin, and and 26ºC. Big Boy migrates from Alaska every Opas Svetamani Total tourist around Richelieu Rock, Hin Daeng and Hin year to escape the cold temperatures there,” she told the Gazette arrivals in the Muang, Pakdee Khruthanang of the Phuket Eco- said. when asked about province were Tourism Association told the Gazette on April 18. “Now is the best time of the year to see the province’s tsu- down about 40% “Big Boy has been spotted off Koh Surin al- him. He is rarely spotted here after April,” she nami recovery ef- compared with the most daily since the beginning of last month,” she added. fort. same period in said. K. Pakdee said that another, smaller whale However, V/ years before the “He is about eight meters long and weighs shark has been spotted in the same areas. “It is Gov Opas admitted tsunami, he added. Christian relief organizations more than a ton. Whale sharks average about five five meters long and has been nicknamed ‘Son of that there were still The govern- being checked: Vice-Gov- meters in length, but can grow to as large as 12 Big Boy’ by local divers,” she said. some problems ment was trying to ernor Opas Svetamani. meters,” K. Pakdee explained. Dive companies frequently complain that with post-tsunami coordinate some She recommended that tourists and divers whale shark sightings have become increasingly recovery in Phang Nga, the Thai 40 private-sector organizations alike take the opportunity to see this prime example rare due to the activities of fishing boats in the province hit hardest by the killer working in the province in order of the world’s largest fish. “Whale sharks live in Andaman Sea. – Saranya Leardpoonvasin waves. to prevent unnecessary duplica- Among those problems, he tion of relief efforts, he said. said, were people using low- The province is also inves- quality donated boats to go out tigating claims that some Chris- to sea. tian foundations had been offer- ‘Live with it,’ TAT tells “Some of the donated boats ing tsunami relief aid only to were not built of hardwood and people who agreed to convert to were intended only for use on Christianity, he said. klongs [canals], but people have He added that one private- complaining hoteliers been taking them out on the open sector group wanted to set up a ocean in order to make a living,” special school for Burmese chil- KAMALA: The losses hotels high season, when there are few- us because the website showed he noted.