Ad-Phuket dot com K. Anna Volume 13 Issue 34 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555August 26 - September 1, 2006 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Okay. Now Hotels warned will you IN THIS ISSUE marry me? NEWS: Rise in teenage glue abuse; Underwater sculpture over rooms tax By Janyaporn Morel park ready for divers. Pages 2 & 3 By Sangkhae Leelanapaporn PHUKET: People can once again get married in Muang and INSIDE STORY: Phrabaramee PHUKET CITY (Gazette, Kom Thalang Districts after fresh sup- 8: Hard road for the poor. Chad Luek): The Phuket Pro- plies of marriage certificates Pages 4 & 5 vincial Administration Organiza- were received from Bangkok on AROUND THE REGION: Year- tion (OrBorJor) has issued offi- August 21. round tourism for Khao Lak? cial warning notices to some 250 Both districts ran out of Page 8 hotels that have failed to pay certificates and Kathu District AROUND THE ISLAND: Keep it hotel room tax for 2006. was down to very limited supplies quiet with an electric bike. OrBorJor President An- after government printers in Page 9 chalee Vanich-Thepabutr said Bangkok received orders late and about half of the island’s 500 PEOPLE: A little of Andrew were unable to fill them in the Biggs. Pages 14 & 15 hotels had failed to pay the tax, time required, citing the difficulty calculated as 1% of all revenue of printing each certificate with CAPITAL LETTER: How Stiffy from rooms. a unique number. got his name. Page 17 After the tsunami at the This resulted in a nation- LIFESTYLE: Music: Sarah Jane end of 2004, the OrBorJor de- wide shortage of certificates. the diva; Hot hats and Turk- cided not to levy the tax in 2005 In addition there is some ish delights. Pages 18 & 19 as a way of helping hotels re- good news for Thais who want cover from the disaster, which to apply for the new “smart” ID AMBROSIA’S SECRETS: Living without The List. Page 21 saw occupancy rates plummet cards – which had also run out. and wiped out what was left of An official from the Phuket FIRST PERSON: Adding punch the 2004-2005 high season for Provincial Registration Manage- to Phuket tourism. Page 27 tourism. ment Center, speaking on condi- BUSINESS & MONEY: Interna- With tourist arrivals back to tion of anonymity, said that fresh near-normal in 2006, the OrBor- tional chains vs local hotels; Half the island’s hotels owe room tax: Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr. supplies of the cards would be Solid bricks or high-wire acts. Jor has decided to resume col- distributed to all three District Of- Pages 32 & 33 lecting the tax, including some 40 The OrBorJor chose to is- beach guards to ensure tourist fices – Muang, Thalang and million baht in taxes that were SPORT: Federer, Nadal for sue a warning first to give dead- safety at popular beaches, said Kathu – from August 23. Phuket? Duncanson storms owed before the tsunami struck. beat hotels a final chance to pay K. Maitree, who is also Owner’s “We were informed yester- Pattaya regatta. K. Anchalee said that, so up before being taken to court, Representative of the Hilton day [August 21] by the Southern Pages 34 & 35 far this year, only about half of she said. Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa in Registration Management Of- the island’s 500 hotels paid the “Those 250 hotels should Karon, the island’s largest hotel. fice, Region 8, in Surat Thani, that PROPERTY: Decor: Decorative tax, pouring some 40 million baht realize that we use the room When asked why so many they have just received the smart mirrors; Home of the Week: to the provincial coffers. taxes we collect to fund provin- hotels are evading the tax, he said cards from Bangkok. Rawai; Construction: Hokkien Anticipating continued cial tourism development projects there was feeling among some “One of our officers is on hall; Gardening. growth in the number of tourists that directly benefit their busi- owners that there is a “lack of the way to pick them up now, and Pages 36-39 visiting the island, the OrBorJor nesses,” she said. standards” in the way the tax is we will distribute them to the has also set a tax collection tar- Maitree Narukatpichai, assessed, with some hotels over- three Districts in Phuket tomor- PLUS get of 50 million baht from the President of Phuket Tourist As- charged and other paying less row [August 23],” she said. room tax for 2007, K. Anchalee sociation (PTA), agreed, noting than they should. She added that she did not QUEER NEWS 6; AROUND THE NA- said. that the OrBorJor had provided “I think that the OrBorJor know how many of the new cards TION 7; AROUND THE S OUTH 10; This amount of revenue 3 million baht in funding to sup- should compromise and decrease Phuket would receive, but that TRAVEL 13; HAPPENINGS 16; should be easy to attain, provided port PTA’s trip to the ITB travel the rate. If they do, hotels will be supplies are still limited. CHEAP EATS 20; TAKE A BREAK that the province is not hit by 23 & 24; BOOKS, DIARY 25; EDI- trade exhibition in Germany ear- more likely to pay and they will “People holding [old-style] TORIAL, LETTERS 26; TSOWN- another untoward event that lier this year. probably be able to collect more,” ID cards that are still valid should DINGS, HOROSCOPES 28, THE causes a downturn in tourist ar- The OrBorJor also funds he said, adding that it was within wait. We will be giving priority GRAY AREA 29; COMPUTERS 30; rival figures, such as an outbreak other useful projects that benefit the OrBorJor authority to adjust to people who need new ID CLASSIFIEDS 40-51. of a contagious disease or war, the tourism industry, including the rate. cards, such as those who have she said. spending millions of baht to hire Continued on page 2 lost their cards,” she explained. 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS August 26 - September 1, 2006 Brit tourist Tax take missing after Inhalant abuse rife B6m above raft accident among Phuket teens target PHANG NGA: (Gazette, Kom PHUKET CITY: Revenue col- Chad Luek) A 22-year-old Scot- By Sompratch Saowakhon cycle racing. Twenty-four youths mon among youths from broken lected from excise tax in Phuket tish tourist has been missing in were charged with crimes of vio- homes and those whose parents so far this fiscal year, from Oc- PHUKET: Phuket’s Juvenile Phang Nga and is presumed to lence, such as fighting, while don’t have time to take care of tober 1, 2005 to July 31, 2006, is and Child Protection Office has have drowned after an accident three were charged with disturb- them, he said. about 145 million baht, some 6 released statistics showing that while white-water rafting on Au- ing the peace. Other charges in- Such neglect led to youths million baht above projections, the 270 youths under the age of 18 gust 15. cluded two cases of sex-related being swayed to peer pressure. Phuket Excise Office has re- were charged with criminal of- Shenaz Kapoor was in a crimes, such as child prostitution, Reports of youths huffing glue in ported. fenses during the first six months rubber raft with three other for- and two cases of illegal posses- dormitories and even in public Phuket Excise Office chief of 2006. The office said that the eign tourists and two Thai guides sion of a weapon. places had become almost a Supatra Horsrisamphan said the figure indicates an increase in in the area of the Song Phraek Phuket Juvenile and Child nightly occurrence, he added. revenue included fees collected youth crime, as they had a total waterfall when the raft capsized. Protection Office Director Sang- Of particular concern is the for permission to sell alcohol, to- of 488 youth crimes reported in The other five people were prateeb Komonlabutra told the habit, popular among some bacco and playing cards as well 2005. rescued by local villagers but at Gazette that use of inhalants by youths, of huffing thinner before as taxes on the sale of fuel, cars, Of the 270 cases, 243 cases the time of going to press there youths is a particularly difficult taking to the roads on motor- alcoholic beverages and electric- involved boys compared with just had been no sign of Ms Kapoor problem to solve, given that thin- bikes. “This is very dangerous,” ity. 27 cases lodged against girls. Al- since the accident. ner is readily available, inexpen- he said. K. Supatra noted an in- most half of the total, 133 cases, Rescuers, including the po- sive, and easy to conceal. Phuket Governor Udomsak crease in taxes collected from involved drugs. Ninety-four of lice, Border Patrol Police, offic- His agency’s “Child Protec- Uswarangkura urged owners and spas, as more new spas had these involved the use of inhal- ers from Phang Nga Provincial tion Office Meets the People” staff in retail outlets where inhal- opened in the province and were ants, such as paint thinner rubber Office of Disaster Prevention and public awareness and education ants are sold to monitor the be- taking advantage of the post-tsu- cement. Mitigation, the tour company that campaign, launched last Decem- havior of any youths thought to nami economic recovery. Seventy-five cases of theft arranged the trip, and local villag- ber, had done little to solve the be buying inhalants for personal – Janyaporn Morel ers, have searched in vain for the were also reported, as well as 31 problem, he admitted.