Doubt Lingers Over the Legionnaire's 'Outbreak' Claims
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Volume 14 Issue 3 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555January 20 - 26, 2007 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published Warning from in association with Doubt lingers over tsunami buoy would be ‘too late’ – Smith IN THIS ISSUE the Legionnaire’s NEWS: Desalination plant By Stephen Fein comes online; Patong one- PHUKET: Because of its loca- way, wrong way. tion, the lone tsunami direct de- Pages 2 & 3 ‘outbreak’ claims tection buoy deployed last month INSIDE STORY: Tsunami tow- in the middle of the Indian Ocean ers sure look nice, but do they By Gazette Staff would offer little advance warn- work? ing to Phuket in the event of a Pages 4 & 5 PATONG: Reports in the Finn- tsunami generated off the Indo- AROUND THE REGION: The ish press of Legionnaire’s Dis- nesian Coast, Dr Smith Dharma- streets of Samui suffer in high ease being contracted by a group saroja, head of the National Di- season. Page 8 of tourists staying at a hotel in saster Warning Center (NDWC) AROUND THE SOUTH: Teacher Patong have yet to be confirmed, in Nonthaburi, has confirmed to death toll keeps rising in the as tests are still being conducted the Gazette. South. Page 9 by the Phuket Provincial Health Dr Smith said the location Office (PPHO), Ministry of Pub- of the first buoy was chosen to PEOPLE: May we learn the lic Health and the World Health provide equal benefit to all Indian secrets of the Soi Bangla Organization. Ocean Rim countries, not just dancers. Pages 14 & 15 As of press time, no proof Thailand LIFESTYLE: Pint-size pups for of the bacteria Legionella has “I made the suggestion that your petting pleasure. been found at the Phuket Grand we put the first buoy there so that Pages 18 Tropicana Hotel, where a group we wouldn’t appear selfish by GOOD LIVING: Subterranean of Finish tourists stayed during a putting our own data needs be- supper. Page 20 November holiday. In its most fore those of other countries in common form, the disease pre- the region,” he said. TRAVEL: Explore easy-going UNDER FIRE: The Grand Tropicana Hotel is under investigation to Koh Lanta. Page 21 sents itself between two and 10 He added that the location days after exposure. determine whether four Finnish tourists contracted Legionnaire’s of the first buoy, halfway be- FIRST PERSON: Solving However, it is still unknown disease there. tween Thailand and Sri Lanka Patong’s problems. Page 27 if the tourists were staying at the wuthipong, Chief of the PPHO, ish tour operator Aurinkomatkat and about 1,000 kilometers from THE GRAY AREA: Steps to hotel at the time of their expo- told the Gazette that his agency has withdrawn all of its guests Phuket, would give little advance saving Phuket. sure. reported the matter to the Na- from the hotel. The Hong Kong warning to Phuket in the event Pages 28 & 29 The Gazette has also been tional Health Department government has also issued a of a tsunami generated along the COMPUTERS: The view of Vista unable to confirm in how many (NHD), which sent officers to travel advisory for Phuket. fault zone that runs along from here. Page 30 patients Legionella has been iso- the site on January 12 to take air K. Pamuke urges tourists Indonesia’s west coast. lated or who did the lab work. and water samples. The results and residents to remain calm. The buoy is located about SPORT: Best of boxing; Sharks to strike again; Darts; Cricket Despite repeated inquiries, have not yet been released, he “For tourists, please understand the same distance to the west of Pages 34 & 35 the management at the Phuket added. that this disease is very rare,” he the fault line as Phuket is to its Grand Tropicana remained un- Pamuke Atchariyachai, said, adding that he hopes the east. As a result, by the time a PROPERTY: Construction: Kan available for comment. On con- Honorary Consul-General for Tourism Authority of Thailand west-moving wave were de- Eang; Decor: For kids; Gar- dition of anonymity, however, a Phuket by the Republic of Fin- moves swiftly in taking steps to tected by the buoy, its east trav- dening. Pages 36-39 representative said, “It doesn’t land and Managing Director of set the record straight. eling counterpart would already mean that we have the disease the Kata Group of hotels and re- He added that he has heard be inundating Thailand’s Anda- PLUS here, only that some guests [who sorts, told the Gazette that he has no reports of tourists canceling man Coast. contracted it] stayed here. not received any other reports of vacations because of this scare. Dr Smith said the former QUEER N EWS 6; AROUND THE NA- “It happened in November. the disease in Phuket. Legionnaire’s Disease is a government had approved a bud- TION 7; AROUND THE ISLAND 10; Right now we still have guests The Finnish Public Health water-borne bacteria spread pri- get to buy more three more buoys MOTORING 13; HAPPENINGS 16 ; as normal. An officer from the institute reported January 9 that marily through air conditioning to be deployed between the fault LARGER THAN LIFE 17; Health Department in Bangkok four tourists – two Swedish, one units, fountains or humidifiers. line and Thailand, but he doubts CHILDREN'S DAY 19; TAKE A has already checked the prob- Finnish and one Norwegian – Once embedded in the fabric fi- the interim government would BREAK 23-24; EDITORIAL, LET- lem here, so please contact were hospitalized with pneumo- bers of a building, complete dis- move forward with the project as TERS 26; HOROSCOPES 28; MONEY them directly,” the representa- nia, a common presentation of the infection is required for its eradi- it has not supported the NDWC’s TALKS, ON THE M OVE, BUSINESS tive said. disease. cation. The disease does not, work. 32-33; CLASSIFIEDS 40-51. Dr Wanchai Sattaya- It also reported that Finn- Continued on page 2 See Inside Story, pages 4-5 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS January 20 - 26, 2007 Gambling still Former Sheriff robbed en route from Bangkok Phuket’s top By Dominic Earnshaw US$500 (18,000 baht), he said. is investigating the case and will & Janyaporn Morel Mr Morgan reported the send details to the airline’s head illegal pastime crime to the Orient Thai Airlines office in Bangkok, he assured. office at Phuket International Air- Although the airline does not PHUKET: With 62 cases result- MAI KHAO: A former Sheriff port (PIA) and later with the usually compensate passengers ing in 204 arrests from Decem- in San Bernadino County, Califor- Tourist Police in Patong. for the loss of valuables in hold ber 1 to 30, gambling remains the nia, had valuables stolen from his He was given a “Property baggage, it might consider mak- top vice in crim statistics released luggage while it was on an Ori- Irregularity Report” by the airline, ing an exception in this case, he by the Phuket Provincial Police. ent Thai Airlines One-Two-Go but told that Orient Thai Airlines said. Illegal lottery ticket sales counted flight from Bangkok to Phuket is not liable for losses of elec- “We will have to inform our for 44 of the arrests. January 10. tronic goods, among a list of many management board to consider Drug-related cases totaled Californian Larry Morgan, other valuable items. [compensating Mr Morgan] as 105 with 125 people arrested. Ya who is in Thailand on a month- The airline initially declined we are worried about damage to bah (methamphetamine) was in- long trip, said that he checked his any form of compensation, as our good image,” K. Adun said. volved in 35 cases, with 53 people bag in with One-Two-Go staff at according to their conditions of However, an angry Mr arrested and 938.5 pills seized. Suvarnabhumi Airport about 7 pm travel, despite the fact that Mr ANGRY AMERICAN: Former Morgan said, “I trusted that the There were 33 people ar- on January 10. His flight, OG261, Morgan had no other travel in- Sheriff Larry Morgan furious airline employees would be hon- rested for sniffing glue or paint was due to depart at 8:15 pm, surance. after valuables were stolen from est and professional. I guess I thinners, 27 for possession of arriving in Phuket at 9:35 pm. Two other passengers on his backpack while en route from was wrong. cannabis and two for possession When he collected his bag the flight also complained of hav- Bangkok. “I couldn’t believe that my for Ecstasy. in Phuket one of the zip tabs had ing their baggage tampered with, personal belongings could be in The number of cases involv- been cut, leaving the zip free to said Mr Morgan. damage to baggage, rather than jeopardy on a one-hour flight from ing krathom continues to rise, be opened. However, Adun Rattana- theft. Bangkok to Phuket. with nine people arrested for pos- His video and digital cam- palin, Orient Thai Airlines Phuket K. Adun said that this was “I now have to go up to session and 10,151 leaves seized. eras and mobile phone had been Airport Station Chief, said that the first such case Orient Thai Chiang Mai with only a dispos- Arrests for prostitution stolen, a loss of more than those two complaints were about has had in Phuket. Orient Thai able camera.” were also on the rise with 110 ar- rests, compared with 69 arrests in November. Twelve people were ar- rested for possession of unli- Karon desalination plant censed firearms.