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ANDAMAN Edition Volume 18 Issue 27 July 2 - 8, 2011 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht Kamala hills target FACE-OFF: But who will win? site for new reservoir ELECTION By Atchaa Khamlo end of 2009. It involves develop- and Somaporn Janyanon ing a water source for residents [in Kamala],” he said. SPECIAL THE local authority in Kamala is The TOR state that during wa- PHUKET voters go to the polls this taking steps to spend an estimated ter shortages, villages Moo 1 weekend for the general election 450 million baht on developing a through Moo 6 in Kamala have to on Sunday, July 3. 1,000-rai eco-tourist attraction in be supplied with water from out- A reminder to our readers that the Khao Ket Ni hills. side sources. election law requires that no “The project will cover more The project’s objectives are to alcohol be sold from 6pm on than 1,000 rai and the area is more remedy these shortages and re- Saturday through midnight Sunday night. Sorry, Patong. than 360 meters above sea level. turn a level of natural splendor to It’s chilly with 360-degree panora- the barren mine, redeveloping the IN THIS ISSUE: mas of Surin Beach in Cherng landscape to create an eco-tourist Talay and as far south as Patong attraction. Young voters speak out. News – page 5 Beach in Kathu,” said Santi Also among the long-term Atthasap, Vice-President of Ka- goals listed in the TOR being Who’s galloping for the polls in mala Tambon Administration drafted is that the natural rede- Phuket. Organization (OrBorTor). velopment plans will be modeled Election Special – pages 6-7 “There will also be a beautiful on the activities Plant Genetic waterfall and a huge dam on the Conservation Project, an initiative Time for some political maturity. The project site is expected to be a natural drawcard for tourists. Editorial – page 8 hill,” he added. of HRH Princess Maha Chakri First point of business for Ka- The new reservoir is being built Kamala OrBorTor civil engineer Sirindhorn. Why ‘Vote No’ won’t work. mala OrBorTor engineers on to serve the growing population assigned to the project, told the However, the top priority is First Person – page 9 Monday morning after the July 3 along Phuket’s northern west Gazette. completing the catchment, said Mr A breakdown of the economic election is to set out the terms of coast. “We received this assignment Somporn. policies proposed by the major reference (TOR) for developing The reservoir will be created by from the Phuket Provincial Irri- “That [landscape development] parties. 300 rai at the site into a nature re- combining three old tin mine quar- gation Office and the Department is a long-term plan that may hap- Business – page 10 serve and water catchment area. ries, said Somporn Onthong, a of Groundwater Resources at the pen far in the future,” he said. Aussie family doubt suicide claim By Atchaa Khamlo A hotel receptionist, who asked not to receptionist that he had seen a lot of blood be named, told the Gazette that she discov- on the sixth floor. THE family of Australian tourist Marc ered Mr Hoy sitting silently in the hotel Staff were said to have immediately called Gerard Hoy, 34, who fell to his death from reception in the early hours. Patong Police, who came to the hotel to- the sixth floor of a Patong hotel last week- “I tried talking to him, but he just stared gether with Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation end, have expressed doubts that he com- fixedly at our security guard,” she said. workers and officers from Patong mitted suicide. Eventually, Mr Hoy replied and asked to Municipality’s Department of Disaster Pro- “His relatives in Australia are finding it check in. As he filled in the guest form, the tection and Mitigation (DDPM). difficult to believe that he jumped off the hotel security guard, who also asked not to Mr Hoy, who was covered in blood, re- building, but I told them that I have CCTV be named, noticed the handle of a small knife portedly began throwing his bloody footage as evidence and invited them to poking out at his waist. possessions off the balcony, including his come and view it,” said Patong Police Duty Not long after Mr Hoy checked in, the passport and a key from another hotel where Officer Pattapee Srichay. security guard went to check on him as he he had checked in the previous day. The sixth-floor balcony from which Mr Hoy fell to his death. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo “I’m not sure when his relatives will come was afraid something bad might occur. He climbed over the railing and crept to see me. Right now I’m waiting for the “I saw him dancing on the balcony so I along the balcony to the corner of the build- cushion on the ground below. Australian Embassy to reply,” he said. asked him to go back into the room,” said ing while clinging to the bars. After about three minutes, Mr Hoy Mr Hoy had worried staff at the Bel Air the guard. Police attempted to persuade Mr Hoy to jumped. On the way down his body hit the Resort Phuket by behaving strangely when Around 5:30am, a Chinese tour guide climb back inside, but he refused. tin roof of a building below before hitting he checked in at 3am last Sunday morning. staying in the hotel came down to tell the DDPM officials placed a large inflatable the cement ground, missing the cushion. 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS July 2 - 8, 2011 Beagle or bust Young voters speak out By Yodsak Jarana Students voting in their first election identify PHUKET drug dealers passing through previously toothless po- their issues. Page 5 lice checkpoints now have some- thing to worry about, following the Eleconomics first confirmed drug bust made by The Gazette outlines a drug-sniffing dog. A police checkpoint set up on the parties’ economic Chao Fa East Road, at the entrance policies. Page 10 to Suan Luang Park, last Satur- day was intended to provide extra security over the weekend in the Day in the life run-up to advance voting in the Ride-along with the general election on Sunday. Kusoldharm Rescue In the late afternoon, while the park was crowded with city resi- Foundation.Page 14-15 dents who flock there to exercise, police visually inspected cars, Bebe the beagle took less than five minutes to sniff out the drug stash. Food motorbikes and other vehicles. Chef Flavio is stirring up One of the cars, a black sedan number of ya bah (methamphet- drug-taking paraphernalia. with a custom sound system, was amine) pills hidden under the “Bebe did a great job on Sun- a revolution of flavor at occupied by two men. cushion in the back seating area. day… the two suspects have been Le Meridien. Page 16 Thinking them suspicious, po- Police immediately arrested the charged with possession with in- lice first did a visual inspection – pair: Suwit Chaikhaothong, 30, tent to sell and are in custody in a History but to no avail. To human senses, from Krabi; and Suphachai Phuket Provincial Court jail cell,” the Phuket-registered car appeared Jumnongrit, 28, from Phuket. she told the Gazette on Monday. Read the epic tale that clean. The pair claimed the drugs were Bebe is one of two drug-sniff- may have been Phuket- Then the decision was made to for their own personal use, but ing dogs owned by Muang District let Bebe, a six-year-old beagle new officers were doubtful given the Chief Suphachai Pochnukul and inspired. Page 18 to the unit, give the car a sniff. amount of ya ice seized. trained at the Phuket International In her first-ever assignment, it Phuket City Police duty officer Dog School on Koh Sireh. Sport took Bebe just minutes to lead Nucharee Longkaew confirmed “Her first assignment was at Pride of Phuket: Lomas police to a stash of ya ice (crys- that 44 ya bah pills were seized, Suan Luang… it took her less than tal methamphetamine) and a along with .41 grams of ya ice and five minutes to find drugs,” he said. rugby team return from the UK. Page 42 Tourist Police volunteers branch out PHUKET’s newest Tourist Police Volunteer Center opened at Chalong Circle last week and is already helping foreigners in need in the south of the island. Within hours of opening their doors last Monday, officers at the center were called on to assist a Russian couple whose rented motorbike was involved in a mi- nor accident at Chalong Circle. The motorbike bumped into a pickup truck driven by Phuket expat Ossi Paldanius from Finland. Ironically, Mr Paldanius is a Tourist Police volunteer. The new center is located on DAY ONE: A Tourist Police volunteer at the new center helps sort out a the north side at the corner of collision between a pickup and a motorbike at Chalong Circle. Sunrise Road, which leads to arises,” said Tourist Police Assis- The on-call volunteers hail Chalong Pier. tant Garry Halpin. from countries including France, “We are open from 10am to Seven volunteers living in Israel, Norway, Belgium, Jordan, 3:30pm six days a week and Chalong are on the staffing ros- Russia, the UK and the US. closed on Sundays, but we are ter, but about 40 have signed up The volunteers also include a flexible on the hours if the need to assist.