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Volume 11 Issue 33 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 August 14 - 20, 2004 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 20 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Immigration No defections in goes online IN THIS ISSUE to boost NEWS: Planning consultants Phuket – Chuan security focus on Patong; Leaks waste 25% of city water; By Kamol Pirat By Dhirarat Boonkongsaen Queer News. Pages 2 & 3 INSIDE STORY: Why Phuket’s PHUKET: Former Prime Minis- PHUKET CITY: The Immigra- water transport safety record ter Chuan Leekpai has confirmed tion Police have launched a is so poor. Pages 4 & 5 that Phuket’s two members of project in Phuket that will even- parliament will stand as Demo- tually allow hotels and home- AROUND THE ISLAND: Robot crat candidates in the upcoming owners all over Thailand to re- kids make their mark in com- general election, quashing ru- port required data about their petition. Page 6 mors that one or both of them guests via the Internet. AROUND THE REGION: Con- were planning to defect to the The project is intended to struction and price boom in Thai Rak Thai party of Prime help combat terrorism and moni- Krabi. Page 8 Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. tor the movements of suspicious K. Chuan made his remarks foreigners visiting Thailand. PEOPLE: A father’s secret on August 9 while chairing the Following refinement of sends his son on a quest to closing ceremony of the Cherng the pilot project in Phuket, the Phuket. Pages 10 & 11 Talay Football League, at system will then be launched in LIFESTYLE: Pretty in pink; Cherng Talay School. Chiang Mai. It is expected to be Cure for battered hair. The league received prize implemented nationwide some Page 12 & 13 money and cups from the is- time next year. land’s two MPs, Chalermlak The underlying database FIRST PERSON: Checkpoints essential to stopping youth Kebsup and Suwit Sa-Ngiamkul, will also be linked to intelligence networks overseas. crime Page 19 along with former Democrat party-list MP Anchalee Vanich- Once the system is up and BUSINESS & MONEY: Central Thepabutr, who was recently running, hotel staff will log on Festival to open on Sept- elected President of the Phuket to the Immigration Police web- ember 1; Dangers of credit Provincial Administration Orga- site and enter 24 items of infor- cards in SE Asia. Page 21 nization. mation about each guest who DIVING: How the new CTDA K. Chuan told a crowd of checks in. will change the dive industry. some 1,000 people at the tour- During the initial trial pe- Page 22 nament that the defection reports riod, however, hotels and guest- “come from someone in Thai houses will have to submit the GOOD LIVING: Big and easy Rak Thai spreading rumors to data in a spreadsheet by email to: at The Evason. Page 25 confuse people.” These rumors [email protected] PROPERTY: Vive la difference had been spread far and wide by Immigration went public some TV stations, he added. Former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai receives a rose from a with the project at a training in Rawai; Forest living. Democrat supporter during his visit to Phuket. Pages 26 & 27 “I have asked both MPs seminar on August 4 at the Pearl about this and they have con- fers to buy MPs,” he said. “The opposition. If the other party Hotel, attended by about 170 PLUS firmed that they are still party purchase of MPs is a bad sign in thinks only about being in power, hotel staff. The training was or- members and will stand in the a democratic society.” I don’t think it will be able to ganized in cooperation with the He explained that the Dem- check a government [headed by Phuket Tourist Association QUEER NEWS 2; AROUND THE next election just as they did in the last one.” ocrats’ strategy for the next elec- another party]. (PTA). NATION 7; HAPPENINGS 9; THAI- He admitted, however, that tion is to be the party whose MP Chalermlak told the At the session, Pol Lt Gen LAND TRAVELER 12; HEARD & the Democrat Party has suffered members would not hesitate to crowd that she had received no Chanwut Watcharapook, Com- SCENE, HOROSCOPES 14; KIDS from MPs defecting to other par- check everything the govern- approach to join “the new party”. missioner of the Immigration 15; COMPUTERS, BOOKS 16; ties, particularly Thai Rak Thai. ment does, by keeping a very Her counterpart in Election Dis- Bureau, said “The Immigration LAW, HEALTH 17; EDITORIAL & “The [Democrat] party will close eye on government policy. trict 1, K. Suwit, did not indicate Bureau’s mission is to provide LETTERS 18; ISSUES & AN- bring in new blood as replace- However, he said, if the whether he had received an ap- both service and security, and SWERS 19; TOON TOWN, EDGE- ments [for the defectors]. The party wins the election, it will be proach from Thai Rak Thai but, these tasks should be accom- WISE 20; SPORT 22 & 23; MO- party’s growth comes from new perfectly capable of running the like K. Chalermlak, he con- plished side-by-side. TORING 24; WINE 25; GARDEN- members replacing the old. The country. firmed that he would stand in the “We need the public’s co- ING 28; CLASSIFIEDS 29-35. Democrat method is different “The Democrat Party can next election as a Democrat can- operation on this because we al- from the other party, which pre- function as either government or didate. Continued on page 3 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS August 14 - 20, 2004 Queer News IN BRIEF A bright idea TAH CHAT CHAI: Officers Crack from Tah Chat Chai Police Sta- tion will join forces with motor- cycle dealer Phuket Nam Saeng on August 14 and 15 to modify worship motorcycle headlights so that they come on automatically when SUKHOTHAI: Villagers who the bike’s engine is started. discovered a long crack in a wall The modifications will be surrounding Khong Pong temple provided free to anyone bringing in Sri Samrong District believe a bike to the Tah Chat Chai po- it was made by an angry naga, or lice checkpoint, just south of the serpent-god. Sarasin Bridge, between 9 am The crack was first noted and 5 pm on the two days. on July 22, when pupils came to Thai law requires motor- ask temple administrator Sawai cycle riders to have their head- Pradit why the 200-year-old lights on at all times when driv- temple had cracks resembling a ing. All motorcycles registered serpent’s track around its exterior from January 2005 onwards will wall. be required to have headlights Dumbfounded, K. Sawai It’s the final countdown that come on automatically when said the cracks hadn’t been there the bike’s engine is started. on the previous day, nor had there Congratulating finalists in the Miss Thailand World 2004 contest at the Tropical Garden Resort been any unusual activity in the in Kata are the 2003 winner, Janjira Keadprasop (wearing tiara) and Narumon Bunya (pale gray area that could account for them. suit), the 2003 runner-up. Paws fundraiser Many villagers therefore The 43 Miss Thailand World contestants who arrived on the island on July 30 were whittled down over the following week to a final 18. SURIN BEACH: The Phuket concluded that the cracks were Animal Welfare Society will hold the result of supernatural activ- The lucky 18 will appear at the BEC-Tero Hall in Bangkok on August 21 for the finals of the contest, culminating with the crowning of Miss Thailand World 2004. The event will be a fundraising dinner at Twin- ity. They prostrated themselves broadcast live on Channel 3, starting at 8 pm. palms Phuket resort on October before the crack, praying that it 2, at 7:30 pm, to raise funds to would somehow transmit to them buy a mobile veterinary clinic. the winning numbers in the up- Entertainment will include coming lottery draw. Surprises at Patong plan hearing live music and a dance show, and K. Sawai said that many there will be a raffle for quality people believed the tracks were prizes. made by an angry naga that had By Gategaeo Phetsawang and representatives of the De- these hotels, but I don’t mind partment of Public Works and selling the land back at actual Tickets are 1,400 baht a become enraged by the construc- person. For bookings or more in- Town & Country Planning. cost and demolishing the hotels tion of two new naga images in PATONG: A public hearing to formation contact the Twinpalms a pond in front of the temple. discuss a town plan for Patong Dr Supornchai Siriwoharn, if it is in the public interest,” he a member of the COT research said. resort at Tel: 076-316500, Athe- “People think the [real] took place at Patong City Hall on na at Tel: 01-5979416, or Karen team, told the meeting that the Patong resident Boonchuai naga may have become angry August 9. at Tel: 01-0889327. because the sculptures were built The meeting drew about 80 new town plan would affect fu- Ruanpetch agreed that planning in the wrong way, with their people, and an assortment of gov- ture generations and urged par- was needed, but added that poor Science site launched heads facing the earth rather than ernment officers, academics, lo- ticipants to think in the long term public relations had meant that the water. They think the naga cal businessmen and residents. – up to 30 years into the future – few residents knew about the BANGKOK (The Nation): The coiled himself around the temple Listening to the feedback when making their recommenda- hearing in advance, and it was National Science and Technolo- and squeezed, harming the wall were researchers from Consult- tions.