PhuketGazette.net PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 PhuketGazette June 25 - July 1, 2016 Now inside THE NAT I ON every Saturday 56 Pages / 20 Baht ‘THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST COMPANY. WE HAVE MANY MORE TO GO’ Gov suggests zoning laws for island’s migrant labor PHUKET officials are con- sidering implementing regu- lations that would restrict migrant workers from travel- ling outside specific zones Major Phuket tour across the province. company’s director Story on Page 3 arrested as ministries launch investigations BUSINESS By Kongleaphy Keam ONE of the largest tour companies on the island is under investigation over financial irregularities, after two of its shareholders and directors were caught with fake Thai ID cards on June 15. Other companies are The luxury car market in expected to face similar legal scrutiny and Phuket is on the rise, says enforcement action. Millennium Auto GM. Tranlee Travel Co Ltd is a well estab- lished, full-function tour service provider, offering all-inclusive packages. The com- PROPERTY pany owns boats, buses, restaurants, souvenir shops and other assets attached to its enterprise in a total of 17 subsidiary companies. Phuket police arrested a senior share- holder and director of the company on June 15. The other director indicted in the case is suspected to have fled the country. Po- lice have yet to confirm the nationalities of either suspect, stating only that neither Phuket to cater to a new is a Thai national. breed of travellers with Under Thai law, foreigners are prohib- next-gen hostel. ited from owning more than 49 per cent of shares in companies registered in Thailand. “This is quite a serious crime,” said LIFE&STYLE Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Com- mander Saman Chainarong. “They did not Tranlee Travel Co Ltd, a major tour company responsible for lining up multiple Chinese tour even hire Thai nationals to hold their shares groups for Phuket, is under investigation. Photo: Gazette file for them, but instead procured fake ID cards in Chiang Rai.” used on their allegedly falsified docu- Following the arrest, officials from the “We believe that the two directors hold ments, as officers are still investigating the Phuket Provincial Police, the Revenue more than 51 per cent of the company’s pair’s true identities. Department and the Phuket Business De- shares, and we are working on proving At this stage, police are only pressing velopment Office (BDO) are investigating that,” Col Saman told the Gazette. falsified document charges against the two Tranlee’s financial records. The Anti- Smart Life explores intelli- Authorities named the men as men, but said they expect to expand the Money Laundering Office (AMLO) in… gent buildings using cloud Kritchakorn Roongmongkolnam and charges as they continue to investigate sharing. Weerachai Kampaiprapankul – the names Tranlee. Continued on Page 4 2 PHUKET GAZETTE June 25 - July 1, 2016 Chinese biker Motorists irate crashes through over bypass Kamala wall Police searching traffic gridlock A CHINESE motorcyclist was ENGINEERS working at the killed on the night of June 20 Bang Khu underpass project when he lost control of his bike said the traffic gridlock at the on Kamala Hill and collided for ‘farang’ thief bypass intersection with with the concrete wall of an Thepkrasattri road would be abandoned house. His female resolved as of press time. pillion passenger suffered se- The construction company vere head injuries in the crash. blamed the heavy traffic jams The crash left a gaping hole on a longer-than-expected lane in the side wall of the house. closure, which was reportedly Police named the rider as Dai delayed by heavy rains. Tao, 27, and his passenger as The Departent of Highways Chen Yufan, 22. estimates that the Bang Khu “The pair were riding to underpass is now about half- Patong from Kamala when way complete, and is ahead of their bike skidded into the schedule. The department esti- house, crashing through one of mates that the Samkong its walls and landing in a ditch. underpass project, near the Both sustained head injuries,” Tesco Extra is about 80 percent said Lt Col Somnuek Dam- complete, running behind kaew of Kamala Police. schedule, while the construc- Police are waiting for Ms tion near Chalong Circle has Yufan’s recovery to question only just begun. her about the incident. – Kongleaphy Keam – Kritsada Mueanhawong Police are hunting for a 'farang-looking’ man who stole 1,400 baht from a donation box outside a mosque in Kamala. The thief was captured on CCTV using tools to break into the metal and glass box attached to a wall at the Boot Ror mosque on the night of June 16. Kamala Police said the thief appears to be a PIA takes gold Thefts of water westerner, aged 30 - 35, and about 160-170cm tall. After he took out the money, the thief reportedly used his clothes to wipe off his finger prints. Police said that the thief fit the description of a man who stole at inter-school meters concern money from a donation box in Patong on June 20. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong swim meet Phuket officials YOUNG swimmers from across THE Provincial Waterworks Kiwi stabbed Officials warn the country met to compete in a Authority (PWA) is warning friendly inter-school contest at islanders of a growing rash of on Kata Beach beachgoers of Thanyapura on June 11. thefts of water meters across A THAI surf board renter is on The swim meet was the fourth the province. the run after allegedly stabbing rip currents session of the Thanyapura Open The thieves are most likely a New Zealander in the back KARON Municipality issued a Swim League at the Olympic- stealing the meters to sell them, with a knife on the evening of knife and stabbed Mr Smith in rip current warning to all swim- sized swimming pool. or to exchange them with other June 20.The incident occurred the back. mers at Kata and Karon Six teams of students aged meters and defraud the water at Kata Beach. Police are checking CCTV beaches on June 16. 5-20 years old competed, in- authority, PWA Manager Pisak The victim, Christopher footage for clues as to Mr Officials said that strong cluding students from St Chonlayut said. Smith, 52, is recuperating at Kittichai’s whereabouts. monsoon winds were causing Gabriel's College in Bangkok, “We’ve been receiving an Phuket International Hospital. – Kritsada Mueanhawong increasingly large waves to the ISS Samui Sharks, the BISP increasing number of reports of Mr Smith’s Thai wife owns wash onto the beaches. They Flying Fish, the Kajonkiet Bar- meters disappearing since last a surf shop near the site of the cautioned beachgoers to be racudas, the Aqua Panthers, month,” Mr Pisak said. incident. particularly careful when vis- and the PIA swim team. The PWA is encouraging lo- Witnesses said Mr Smith Phuket Town iting the beaches, and asked The PIA Swim Team cals to stay vigilant in order to and the suspect, Kittichai visitors to avoid swimming. grabbed first place, followed by deter thefts. Junkaew, 29,i were arguing be- driver shocked Rip tide warnings were pre- the ISS Samui sharks. The – Sukawin Tanthavanich fore Mr Kittichai picked up a viously issued in May following Aqua Panthers came in third. by cat snake 35 rescues in April. – Phuket Gazette SNAKE catchers were called – Kongleaphy Keam out on June 19 to bag a venom- ous two-meter-long snake that had become lodged inside the Doc proposes engine of a car in Phuket Town. Patong knock- Experts said the mangrove smart-access to snake, also called a gold-ringed off shops raided cat snake, had become en- SEVEN shop owners were ar- health records tangled in the engine of a rested in Patong on the morn- A VACHIRA Phuket Hospital Toyota on Luang Phor Road. ing of June 16, and have been doctor wants to incorporate The snake catchers said they charged with selling pirated medical information into the believed the animal had es- goods, estimated at 2 million province’s implementation of a caped from a snake breeder, as baht in value, police confirmed. ‘smart city’ program. the species usually does not A joint team raided busi- The Phuket Smart Health wander out of the mangroves. nesses along Patong’s beach 2020 program would allow The snake was later released road and the OTOP market, re- emergency responders and hos- into a forest near Kathu water- portedly seizing a total of 2,072 pital facilities instant access to fall. pirated items. medical records. – Kongleaphy Keam – Kritsada Mueanhawong – Sukawin Tanthavanich June 25 - July 1, 2016 PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Officials mull putting migrant Gov dines with Rawai workers into segregated zones Muslims THE province is considering implementing regulations that would restrict migrant workers across the province to specific zones. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada announced on June 17 that authorities are chalking out plans to manage Gov Chamroen (second from left) unskilled migrant laborers joins Rawai’s fasting Muslims. ‘more effectively’. Photo: Saiyuan City “Each local authority should designate specific areas for for- GOVERNOR Chamroen eign workers to live in,” Tipayapongtada, accompa- Governor Chamroen said. nied by other government of- “Those areas should be sepa- ficials visited a mosque in the rate from the main residential Rawai village of Saiyuan on areas where locals live. More- the evening of June 14. over, these areas must have “We’re here to encourage separate master plans for build- and support local Muslims ings, security systems, water during Ramadan, the ninth and electricity.” Migrant workers’ camps are often located near construction sites. Photo: Gazette file month of the Islamic calendar, Gov Chamroen’s statements which commemorates the first would most likely apply prin- that allegedly occured more Westin Siray.