New Limos Spark Strike at Airport
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Volume 15 Issue 5 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 February 2 - 8, 2008 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Glass waste New limos spark adding to trash crisis IN THIS ISSUE strike at airport – experts NEWS: Snatchers nabbed; Senate race heats up; Hospi- By Janyaporn Morel By Pathomporn Kaenkrachang tal deal struck; Internet given boost. Pages 2 & 3 MAI KHAO: While Phuket Mai PHUKET CITY: With the vol- Khao Company launched its air- ume of trash generated in Phuket INSIDE STORY: What price to port limousine and minibus ser- increasing almost 20% annually, pay for a thriving tourism in- vice at Phuket International Air- Phuket is facing a waste-disposal dustry? Pages 4 & 5 port (PIA) on the morning of crisis that needs immediate at- AROUND THE NATION: Kidnap- January 24, some 100 drivers and tention, experts told a seminar at ping cops collared in other staff of the Phuket Limou- the Phuket Provincial Office on Bangkok. Page 7 sine and Business Services Co- January 28. operative (PBC), which already Monthip Srirattana Tabu- AROUND THE SOUTH: Soldier operates limos and minibuses at ganon, deputy director-general of gunned down in Deep South. the airport, staged a five-hour Natural Resources and Environ- Page 9 strike in protest of the new con- ment Ministry’s Department of AROUND THE ISLAND: Sugar cession. Environmental Quality Promotion and spice and all things rice. However, few passengers led the meeting, much of which, Page 10 were inconvenienced as there focused on the large amount of were few incoming flights dur- glass that needs to be disposed GOOD LIVING: All hail the ing the strike, which lasted from Phuket Limousine and Business Services Cooperative (PBC) drivers of in Phuket. home of divine cocktails. 7 am until noon. Pirayut Wannapruek, of Page 12 rest easy in the shade during their five-hour strike at Phuket The PBC members de- International Airport on January 24. Development of Environment PEOPLE: Jack of all trades of- manded that Airports of Thailand and Energy Foundation (DEE), fers lessons in love. (AOT) allow the PBC to oper- high fares because the company baht a month for the concession. said that glass comprises at least Pages 14 & 15 ate more vehicles under a new is charging the same rates as The contract, signed on January 15% of the total waste stream concession. those offered by the PBC. 17, allowed us to start today by weight. AFTER DARK: Shake your On January 29, PBC Presi- Until January 24, the PBC [January 24],” K. Somboon said. However, unlike many maracas at La Salsa. dent Niphon Piromrit told the was the only transport operator Phuket Mai Khao Com- other provinces, prices for most Pages 20 Gazette that an agreement be- allowed to have a booth in the pany would not oppose any move grades of used glass are low in TRAWLIN’: Alas Swan ven- tween AOT and the PBC had not arrivals terminal. Now, both con- by the AOT to allow the PBC to Phuket, about 20 satang per kilo, tures to lands afar. Page 33 been reached. cessionaires are operating almost operate more than 90 vehicles, Phuket Governor Niran However, AOT had yet to side-by-side, separated only by a he added. Kalayanamit said. SPORTS: Patong Cup; enforce a previous ruling that the small kiosk. “If the PBC is allowed the Glass cannot be inciner- TriBallistic; Cricket. PBC could only operate 90 ve- Somboon Jumpathong, same number of vehicles [150] ated and any glass entering the Pages 38 & 39 hicles, all taxis, because the managing director of Phuket Air- they were formerly allowed to incineration stream at the PROPERTY: Gardening; De- PBC’s new contract had yet to port Group, which runs the new operate, it would not be a prob- Saphan Hin plant can damage sign; Construction; Property be signed and it was still operat- service under the name Phuket lem for us. Business means com- the furnace, he added. Watch. Pages 41-46 ing under a verbal agreement. Mai Khao Co, told the Gazette petition, so we will just do our One positive development As the Gazette went to that his company had won the best and play by the rules,” he is that the Bangkok Glass Indus- PLUS press, PBC was still operating right to operate 20 cars and 60 said. try Co Ltd and its southern re- 150 vehicles, 110 cars and 40 vans in a public bidding on De- The PBC’s former quota gion subsidiary plan to set up 90 QUEER N EWS, TRASHING PHUKET 6; vans, out of PIA. cember 30. was to be slashed to just 90 ve- glass-collection points around the AROUND THE REGION 8; HAPPEN- The new service operated The company launched hicles, all cars, when the new island and are looking for a four- INGS 16; LIFESTYLE 18 & 19; FIT by Phuket Mai Khao Co was able January 24 with 16 cars and 30 service went into operation – rai site to build a huge concrete FOR LIFE 21; SPA MAGIC 22; to handle most of the passenger vans and is awaiting delivery of January 24. collection basin, from which the WHAT’S O N 23; TAKE A BREAK 25 load during the strike, with the more new vehicles to fill its quota, AOT decided to reduce the glass will be sent to Bangkok for & 26; BOOKS, TSOWNDINGS 29; remainder gladly served by the he said. number of vehicles the PBC was recycling. EDITORIAL, LETTERS 30; FIRST PER- 42 metered taxis that maintain a “About 30% of our drivers allowed to operate following nu- The effort should increase SON, ISSUES & ANSWERS 31; YOUTH booth outside the main terminal. are employees. The remainder merous complaints that PBC lim- the value of used glass to 90 ’N ASIA, HOROSCOPES 32; COMPUT- However, the arrival of the are drivers who have joined us ousine drivers were speeding and satang per kilo, enough to en- ERS 34; BUSINESS AND M ONEY 36 new limo operator at the airport using their own cars,” he said. that its minivan operators had sure that most of it will no longer & 37; CLASSIFIEDS 47-59. offers passengers no relief from “We have to pay 830,000 Continued on page 2 need to be landfilled. 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS February 2 - 8, 2008 From page 1 Limos on strike Candidates ready for senatorial race erators had been stopping at a By Sompratch Saowakhon holds a law degree from Ramkhamhaeng After registering her candidacy, K. location on the bypass road University in Bangkok. On January 25, Thanyarat told reporters that she was sad and where passengers were routinely PHUKET CITY: Former senator-elect Cherdchai Wongseree, 47, registered his can- discouraged at not being able to take office forced to wait while being pes- Thanyarat “Gee” Achariyachai will stand didacy just before the deadline. in 2006, but that she was still determined to tered by touts pushing a variety against two local lawyers in the senatorial K. Cherdchai and K. Adirak were also represent the people of Phuket in the Upper of goods and services. election to take place in Phuket on March 2. candidates in the April 19, 2007 senatorial race House. The PBC claimed that the K. Thanyarat arrived at Phuket Com- that was won convincingly by K. Thanyarat, As Phuket generates enormous revenue latter practice ended in August munity Hall with her husband and supporters making her Phuket’s first female senator. for the state through its tourism industry, the last year with the launch of sepa- on the morning of January 21, the first day of However, political turmoil and the sub- government should consider establishing the rate minivan services for Phuket the five-day registration period. sequent crisis in the Election Commission island as a special administrative zone, she City and destinations along the K. Thanyarat was given candidate made it impossible for the new senate to con- said. southwest coast, along with a number “1” by the Phuket Election Commit- vene. K. Thanyarat also expressed concern promise by the PBC to punish any tee (PEC). Both the upper and lower houses were that increasing traffic and environmental prob- drivers who continued the prac- She was joined on January 24 by Adirak dissolved in the military coup that took place lems were a threat to Phuket’s attractiveness tice. Engchuan, a 46-year-old Phuket native who September 19, 2006. as a tourist destination. The strike was prompted by AOT’s refusal to give a clear answer as to whether the PBC’s quota would be returned to 150 Four arrested vehicles as requested, K. Niphon Desalination plant said. for Phuket “As for the complaints, we are now in the process of improv- ing our services, but it seems the City muggings AOT doesn’t care about that,” he at ‘near capacity’ added. PIA Director Sq Ldr Porn- PHUKET CITY: Police have chai was unavailable for com- By Sompratch Saowakhon announced the arrest of four sus- ment on the most recent devel- pects charged with being part of opments as he was on vacation. KARON: After months of recti- a gang believed to have mugged K. Niphon said that he felt fying problems related to unstable at least nine motorbike riders in sorry the AOT did not care about power supply, Thailand’s second- Phuket City. the welfare of the PBC drivers. largest desalination plant is finally In a press release, Phuket All PBC drivers own their ve- working near full capacity, the City Police Superintendent Col hicles and must pay high co-op Gazette has learned.