ANDAMAN Edition Volume 18 Issue 26 June 25 - July 1, 2011 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht Racing against erosion By Atchaa Khamlo the Gazette this was the second and Chutharat Plerin time in a year that the wall had collapsed. RESTAURANT owners along “I requested help from Rawai Rawai beachfront are racing to Municipality to build a permanent repair a section of the seawall and wall before the first time it col- pavement that have collapsed be- lapsed, but they never responded. fore monsoon surf causes more I had to spend 50,000 baht mak- damage. ing temporary repairs in front of Local restaurant owners are moving ahead on their own to repair the eroded seawall on the Rawai beachfront. The damaged section of the sea my restaurant [that time],” Mr in the boardwalk, adding to a con- next to Nong Pim 1 are contest- he added. wall spreads over about 100 Natawat said flict that began before the coastal ing Rawai Municipality over rights Phuket Provincial Land Office meters of beachfront and includes “I have already spent 10,000 erosion sank its teeth into the to the land, Mr Natawat said. requested that Rawai Municipal- at least one privately owned res- baht this time and I think it will promenade. Mr Somsong said that the is- ity inspect the area and determine taurant. cost about 30,000 baht in total,” “We have been unable to fix the sue was raised before the wall’s who had rights over the land. Rawai Municipality has placed he added. wall because a private company initial collapse when the “private However, this was not possible rocks along 60m of the waterfront Mr Natawat and his landlord has complained that the area in company” sent a written request due to part of the area being un- to slow further erosion to the together are paying for the tem- question belongs to them,” said that the lights and boardwalk til- der the authority of the Highways boardwalk. porary repairs to Nong Pim 1’s Somsong Sae-tang, Rawai Mu- ing be removed from their land. Department Phuket office, Mr Natawat Suksamran, 51, has 40m of beachfront. nicipality ad-interim Engineering “There are ongoing negotiations Somsong explained. run the Nong Pim 1 restaurant on About 60m of wall extending Director, declining to give the regarding the area [in question] An officer from each depart- the southern Rawai beachfront north from the restaurant is also company’s name. and we have no right to fix the ment would have to be sent to for seven years. He explained to damaged, causing a large sinkhole The owners of the restaurant wall until the issue is resolved,” assist in the inspection, he added. Stranded tourists fly home Planking TOURISTS stranded in Phuket for nearly a week people with children or medical emergencies,” Steve following a series of cancellations and delays by Smith, 48, from Brisbane, said on Monday. in Phuket Australian carrier Strategic Airlines arrived home on The size of the stranded group reached about 300 NEW craze “planking” has made its way to Phuket, and youngsters Wednesday. after delays to Melbourne flights were announced, all over the island are getting The carrier’s flights between Brisbane and Phuket Mr Smith said. kicks from – well – lying down. were disrupted last week was after a plane suffered Despite the inconveniences and one failed trip to The fad involves people lying in-flight technical difficulties, forcing the crew to the airport, the group remained positive. They cited face-down in bizarre locations land in Kuala Lumpur. On Monday, the airline an- comfortable accommodations arranged by the car- while being photographed and nounced delays to their bi-weekly flights between rier at the Naithonburi Resort, near Phuket then uploading the images to the Internet. Despite being branded Melbourne and Phuket. International Airport, as a reason. a “waste of time” by people Although delayed in reacting, Strategic eventu- “It’s a nice resort at a nice location and staff are around the globe, planking made ally manged to secure accommodation and lovely. Everyone is a little more relaxed now that national headlines in Thailand transportation for its customers while working with we’ve got a bed to sleep in and some good food… this week. other airlines to organize flights back to Australia. I’m actually happy to stay another day,” said Chris See pages 14 and 15 for our “They did fly one lot of people out to Melbourne, O’Shea, a 43-year-old from Brisbane. full report. Photo: Thakesina Senkeaw 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS June 25 - July 1, 2011 Patong roadwork to MoU to end port blockades Taxi drivers and tour start after election operators ink landmark deal. Page 6 By Chutharat Plerin PLANS to resurface the the 2.9- Live Wire kilometer road behind Jungceylon Woody explains how in Patong are finally moving for- ward, with road work expected TOT have stepped up to be given a green light after the to the plate. Page 12 July 3 election. Unlike previous repairs, the Film semi-permanent fix planned for Phang Muang Sai Khor Road will Super 8 sees the return be covered by a budget of 250 of traditional cinematic million baht. The resurfacing completion tar- suspense. Page 16 get is set in 2013. “We will sign the contract People with the construction company The Gazette meets from Bangkok within a month Work on resurfacing the road behind Jungceylon to start after July 3. after the election. Construction of Patong Municipality Public bidding to choose a contractor Gill Dalley, Asia’s first will begin after that because we Works Division, has long been was completed on June 17, Mr Canine Hero. Page 18 already have the budget,” anticipating permanent repairs to Sompol explained. Teeraporn Jirarattanakorn, di- the road. “In the meantime, the munici- Education rector of the Department of “Previously, only temporary pality doesn’t want to spend Rural Roads Phuket office, told repairs were made to facilitate money on more temporary re- Eric Haeg talks shop the Gazette. traffic flow until construction was pairs,” he said. with ECC head teacher “The quality will be as same as ready to begin,” he said. As soon as the construction is Sirirat road [from Patong to The budget for the resurfacing complete, responsibility for the Michael Wall. Page 19 Karon],” he added. project will come from the De- road will be handed over to Patong Sompol Khwanyuen, director partment of Rural Roads. The Municipality, he added. Sport Pros and amateurs Luciano Butti killing club together for golf Swiss son discovers invitational. Page 42 mum’s suicide note Kavatassi ROMAN Balzan, 36, flew to denied bail Russian found hanged Phuket from Switzerland last Sun- THE Italian man who allegedly day after his mother was found hired a hit squad to assassinate a dead last Thursday floating off business partner in March has in solitary police cell Koh Maphrao, off Phuket’s east been denied bail by Phuket Pro- coast. vincial Court. POLICE are investigating the ap- ment followed a report earlier the He stayed overnight at the same Lt Col Weerayut Sittirattanakul parent suicide of 26-year-old Rus- same day by a motorbike rental bungalow where his mother lived, of the Thalang Police told the sian tourist Evgeny Otrubyan- operator on the beach road. only to find a handwritten suicide Gazette that a bail request lodged nikov while in a holding cell at “He walked up and poured the note under her computer monitor. by Denis Kavatassi was rejected Patong Police Station last Satur- gasoline onto my motorbikes and He verified the handwriting as and that the Italian remains in cus- day night. himself, while holding a lighter. I that of his mother, 61-year-old tody at Phuket Provincial Prison Mr Evgeny died at about 10pm pushed him away, and some tuk- Ursula Balzan. One the beaches on Koh Maphrao on charges of conspiracy to com- where Mrs Balzan liked to swim. after apparently hanging himself tuk drivers helped me grab him and The letter revealed that Ms mit murder. using his shirt tied to an iron bar seize the lighter. Balzan intended to commit suicide and bruises to her body were sus- Mr Kavatassi was arrested for in the cell where he was being held “He seemed quite drunk and at sea after taking sleeping pills, tained after she had already died. allegedly hiring six Thai men to kill in solitary confinement. smelled of alcohol. Meanwhile, he said Phuket City Police duty in- They were probably the result of 61-year-old resort owner resort “We do not yet know what said something about his passport spector Sien Keawthong. waves crashing the body into the owner Luciano Butti, 61, in Paklok caused him to commit suicide. We that I didn’t understand very well,” “Citing a cardiac disease, she rocky coastline, he said. on March 15. intended to question him the fol- said the operator. wrote that she didn’t want be a Mrs Balzan’s other son, Kevin, Also arrested and still in cus- lowing day, after he calmed He denied having rented a ve- burden on her sister and sons,” flew to Phuket from Taiwan on tody are three members of the down,” said Duty Officer Pattapee hicle to the Russian, who was in he added. Wednesday, he said. alleged hit squad: Prasong Yongkit, Srichay. possession of his passport when Considering the new evidence, Both sons asked for police to Ratchanon Sawaree and Somchai Mr Otrubyannikov’s detain- taken into custody by police.