August 27, 2016
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PhuketGazette.net PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 PhuketGazette August 27 - September 2, 2016 Now inside THE NAT I ON every Saturday 56 Pages / 20 Baht ‘THEY WILL DARE TO DO ANYTHING TO GET WHAT THEY WANT’ Island tourist security call center promised IN THE wake of the Au- gust 12 Mother’s Day at- tacks, provincial officials have promised to establish an emergency call center for the island’s tourists. Officials, social Full story Page 3 workers struggle for BUSINESS answers to escalation of youth violence By Kongleaphy Keam THE director of the Phuket Juvenile Ob- servation and Protection Center (JOPC) said she believes teenagers across Phuket are becoming more aggressive. Business owners appeal to Rawee Kuhamooka told the Gazette that retain the current Phuket every year JOPC staff have to work harder governor. to control their detainees. Ms Rawee’s Page 11 comments come after a riot at the center earlier this month left the building’s PROPERTY grounds, cafeteria, therapy and treatment rooms in disarray. Thirty-five juvenile delinquents tore apart furniture and discharged fire extin- guishers in a riot that was only quelled after A detainee looks through the bars of the JOPC. Photo: Kongleaphy Keam provincial police were called in. “We can prove that [detainees] are more “Every day, we have around 30 to 40 Ms Rawee said she believes the empha- aggressive from how hard we have to work teens in the center, who are overseen by sis on treatment is not enough to deter those to control them,” Ms Rawee said. “Over the about 10 officers,” she said. “The teens detainees deemed a ‘higher-risk,’ from re- past several years we’ve worked harder than are divided into different correctional edu- cidivism. Supicha targets locals with ever, even though the number of juveniles cation classes based on the crimes they’ve “From my experience, I believe that sino-style architecture in coming in the center is the same. Teenag- family, society and our weak laws are the Koh Kaew. committed.” Page 19 ers’ behavior today is characteristic of older Ms Rawee said the detainees meet with three main reasons our detainees are be- criminals. Yet we still use the same soft laws a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, coming more and more troublesome,” Ms and the same out-of-date methods to deal doctors, social workers and specialists Rawee said. LIFE&STYLE with them. This is why they’re never afraid within the first week of their arrival. Af- of detention and are more likely to commit terward, each detainee is categorized into FAMILY crimes over and over again.” low, medium and high risk groups, follow- Every year, the Phuket juvenile center ing a mandatory drug test and physical JOPC staff psychologist Phetcharat processes between 400 and 500 cases in- examination. Each detainee may spend no Phromphet told the Gazette that teenagers volving 15-17 year-olds who were longer than 90 days at the facility. from divorced parents or troubled house- convicted of committing a crime. Ms “For teenagers, courts almost always holds are more likely to become aggressive, Rawee said the majority of the cases that give them the chance to come here first both at the center and out in society. are referred to the center involve posses- and almost never send them directly to “It’s called imitation theory,” Ms sion of the category 5 narcotic kratom, prison,” Ms Rawee said. “More than 80 Phetcharat explained. “If the kid is… The real cost of incarcera- followed by cases involving violent as- percent of our detainees are judged to be tion outweighs the benefits. saults and the illegal possession of a gun. able to return to society,” Continued on Page 5 Page 17 2 PHUKET GAZETTE August 27 - September 2, 2016 Mr Nantapol was not in- jured, but the car suffered damage to the engine, bat- Tractor topple kills tery and the front-left wing, which was melted by the heat of the flames. Earlier the same week, a Krabi school worker dentist in Krabi escaped Child finds serious injury when her car mysteriously burst into hanged father flames while she was driving home from town. A FOUR-year-old girl found – Kritsada Mueanhawong her dead father hanging by his neck from a tree in Koh Kaew on the morning of Au- Driver flees bus gust 19. The 43-year-old man, named crash after Wirot Jadsang, used to work as a hotel cook. He reportedly tourists injured died about two hours before his daughter found his body on her MORE than 30 Chinese tour- way to school. ists were injured when their Lt Col Sanich Nookon of tour bus crashed into the temple Thalang Police arrived at the wall at the bottom of Patong scene to find that Mr Wirot’s Hill on the night of August 22. body had been cut down and The driver fled after plough- moved to his house by his ing into the wall of Wat Suwan family. Kiriwong around 8:30pm. “After discovering her Police later confirmed that father’s body, the girl called out the drievr surrendered to police to her mother, Rassamee later that night. Jadsang, who called others for A total of 31 people suffered help to cut the rope to remove minor injuries. They were in a state of shock and taken to the body,” said Col Sanich. A man working to level a field behind a school in Krabi was crushed to death after his tractor toppled “Ms Rassamee said that her over on August 23. Police identified the 29-year-old’s body as that of Weerayut Raksakij. Mr Weerayut Patong Hospital, said Pattapee husband had been depressed was found pinned underneath the upside down tractor, which had to be righted with an excavator in Srichai of the Patong Police. and didn’t share any of his order to retrieve the body. Mr Weerayut’s body was examined at Krabi Hospital, where it was discovered “The bus was making its problems with her.” that he had broken his neck, skull, facial bones and several ribs. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong way downhill into Patong and – Winai Sarot was at the last bend in front stopped traffic near the Tesco the foundation. “Other rescuers it was too late to save her. She of the temple when the driver Lotus Express to make its way helped free him from the py- was pronounced dead-on-ar- lost control, hitting a car and Python slithers across Maharat Road in Krabi thon and controlled the rival at Thalang Hospital. a van before crashing into the Town and into Kunya Coffee situation in 10 minutes.” “It’s monsoon season and we wall,” said Maj Pattapee. into Krabi shop Shop. Mr Manit also explained that want to warn all tourists and The driver has been A THREE and a half meter Krabi Pitak Pracha Founda- the surrounding area used to be residents not to swim in the red- charged with reckless driving long python slithered into a tion received reports from locals a jungle before it was turned flag zones. causing injury and damage coffee shop in Krabi in search at about 10am and arrived at the into a building area, which is “ If you want to swim, please property. of sustenance on the morning scene to rope up the reptile. why snakes have no small ani- make sure you do so in the des- – Winai Sarot of August 18. “The python wrapped itself mals to hunt. “A few days ago, ignated safe zones where the Panrin Kongprom, a staff around a rescuer’s arm and re- three snakes were captured and lifeguards are on patrol,” he 4 bodies wash member at the eatery, said that fused to let go,” said Manit released into nature.” added. the 20-kilogram python had Salee, one of the rescuers from – Kritsada Mueanhawong – Winai Sarot ashore in Krabi French tourist POLICE suspect that four bod- ‘Random’ fires ies that washed ashore in Krabi drowns after last weekend could be those of gut third car crew members who went miss- swimming in ing when their fishing boat this month sank on August 15. “All of the bodies have been red flag zone THE driver of a Honda Accord transferred to Krabi Hospital A FRENCH woman drowned had to make an emergency stop for DNA testing,” said Krabi after swimming in a red-flag when his car burst into flames Marine Police chief Anurak zone at Nai Thon Beach on the on the night of August 18. Parinyasathiragul. “The miss- afternoon of August 20. The car’s owner, Nantapol ing crewmen’s relatives and Anne Sophie Marie Torrijos- Saelim, 34, said he was driv- employer arrived in Krabi, but Faisant, 23, reportedly drowned ing from his house in Koh were unable to identify the bod- as her friends looked on help- Kaew and heading into town ies, which were badly lessly. They were unable to help about 10pm, when he smelled disfigured after a long period as she was dragged out to sea burning and promptly pulled in of time in the water.” by a rip current. to the Merlin Hotel car park on Two bodies washed ashore “We were told that Ms Yaowarat Road, police told the at Jum and Phi Phi islands on Torrijos-Faisant was swimming Gazette on the morning of August 21. Two more bodies with her friends when she was August 19. were found on Koh Lanta and dragged 30 meters offshore,” Mr Nantapol parked his car Phi Phi the following day. said Sakoo Police Lt Thanakan and leaped out to call for help.