ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE KungKung HeiHei FatFat ChoiChoi Wishing one and all an auspicious Year of the Snake INSIDE TODAY February 9 - 15, 2013 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THIS DECISION WAS MADE: OFFICIAL PACC IT UP Public sector Anti-Corruption Gazette Commission drops investigation Guide into government officials illegally issuing land titles across Phuket is out! The Gazette Guide for 2013, Phuket’s only By Gazette Reporters hard-copy telephone book, is now on sale THE investigation by the Public sector Anti-Corruption throughout the island Commission (PACC) into allegedly illegally issued land and across the region. titles covering more than 500 rai of land in Phuket has Contact details of silently been dropped. thousands of local busi- The PACC, set up specifically to fight corruption nesses are packed into among government officials, quietly dropped the probe this 356-page book. into hundreds of Phuket land titles just days after Col This year’s Guide Dusadee Arayawuth, who had initiated the investigation, contains even more ex- was transferred to the Ministry of Justice on October 1 tensive information on: last year, the Gazette recently discovered. • The Thai Units of Among the land titles being investigated were land Weight & Measures ownership documents for prime beachfront real estate • Local Calendars; north of Patong Beach and choice plots along a golf Embassy and consulate course in Kathu. details, opening hours One plot under investigation is said to be located in a • Postal Codes; Area protected forest. The title for the plot was approved by and International Dial- a former Phuket vice governor and seven officers from ing Codes for the world related agencies. A hillside resort is now operating on the • Emergency con- site. tact numbers In the investigation into the hillside resort, Col Dusadee • Daily Tide Tables issued a press release naming 16 officers from a variety • Other information of government agencies deemed responsible for abusing that’s indispensable for their positions in the case. Among those listed were of- hotels, businesses and ficers of the Phuket Land Office, Kathu District Office foreigners living in, or and Forestry Department. visiting, Phuket. With the PACC now dropping the inquest, not a single To find a retailer of government officer allegedly involved in the illegal issu- the book near you, visit ance of land titles in Phuket… www.phuketgazette.net/ The Public sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) was ordered to drop the probe into guide/vendors. Continued on Page 3 hundreds of Phuket land title deeds after Col Dusadee was transferred. Photo: Atchaa Khamlo 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS February 9 - 15, 2013 Fugitive ‘Denny’ Knudsen Business arrested on breach of bail Inflation rises ahead By Chutharat Plerin of Chinese New Year WANTED Danish national Dennis celebrations. Page 11 Mark Knudsen, 24, has been arrested by Phuket Police. Culture Mr Knudsen was wanted for breaking bail conditions after he Chinese New Year and failed to appear at Phuket Provin- St Valentine’s Day are cial Court on January 22. on the way. Page 36 The court hearing was to resolve a dispute between Mr Knudsen and Australians John Charity Cohen and Adam Shea about a “big In its third year, the family bike” worth about 300,000 baht. Mr Knudsen’s failure to appear car rally scavenger hunt in court prompted Mr Cohen and is back. Page 40 Mr Shea to make a “pre-emptive strike” and hunt down the Danish national. That day, the Australians Humor opened fire on Mr Knudsen on Soi Sansabai, near Patong’s renowned Australian John Cohen confessed to police that Dennis Knudsen was the Learning about sex intended target of the street shooting. Photo: Chaichana Keowkaew before the age of the nightlife district on Soi Bangla, accidentally wounding two Ger- After police brought Mr after the attempted assassination, internet. Page 42 man tourists in the process. Knudsen in to face unconfirmed that police were not interested in However, Mr Cohen and Mr charges, the officers realized he questioning Mr Knudsen about Arts Shea failed to hit their target: was wanted for why he would be Denny Knudsen. breaking bail condi- targeted on the The Global Battle of “Mr Knudsen was arrested in tions and handed streets of Phuket. the Bands is ready to another part of the island yester- him over to the “Our investiga- rock Phuket. Page 43 day [Sunday, February 3],” court, the Gazette tion focuses only Patong Police Superintendent was told. on the shooting in- Chiraphat Pochanaphan confirmed However, Cha- cident,” Lt Col Sport to the Gazette on Monday. long Police Akanit said. “We Excellent weather and “He has broken bail conditions Superintendent have arrested the set by the court and is now back Krittapad Dej- two suspects [Mr smooth sailing at the in the court’s custody,” he added. intorrasorn denied Cohen and Mr Bay Regatta. Page 50 The Gazette received uncon- his officers were in- Shea] and we have firmed reports that Mr Knudsen volved at all in the Arrested: Dennis Knudsen their statements. was arrested in Phuket after he arrest, while Col We are now ready trashed a hotel room in the Cha- Chiraphat in Patong declined to to transfer the case to the public German tourist dies after long area. Before going on the reveal where Mr Knudsen was prosecutor. run last month, he reportedly taken into custody. “The dispute over the [alleged] trashed another hotel room in Patong Police Deputy Superin- embezzlement is a separate case fall on rocks at Khao Lak Patong to the tune of about tendent Akanit Danpitaksat to be resolved as a civil matter in A GERMAN tourist with a heart 80,000 baht. confirmed to the Gazette, shortly the court,” he added. condition fell on some rocks and drowned at Khao Lak last week. Mr Oberle Ovegov, 57, had spent the morning of January 31 Kata jet-ski operator denies taking playing in the water with his wife. At about 2:30pm, as he was walk- ing on some flat rocks that extend ‘anchor swing’ at tourist’s head into the sea at Khukkhak, he be- A JET-SKI operator who crushed everyone on the beach was star- came dizzy and fell, said Khao Lak a tourist’s motorcycle helmet and, ing at him, he turned and walked Police Inspector Anan Police and medical personnel at the witnesses say, swung a boat away,” the witness said. Kuaboonkaew. scene, with the rock from which anchor at him has been found and Police at first appealed for the Mr Ovegov apparently suffered Mr Ovegov fell in the background. agreed to pay for the helmet. public’s help in identifying the from a heart condition that may rock,” he added. However, the jet-ski operator de- operator, but after the German have prompted his dizziness and A group of Thais and foreign- nied that he tried to attack the tourist described him, were able fall, Lt Col Anan explained. ers worked to free him for 30 tourist. to locate him and bring him in to “He landed between the rocks minutes, but by the time they got Karon Police are calling for the the station. and the sea, and waves repeatedly him out he had drowned, Col Arun tourist to present himself to “The boy was born and raised in hit him and slammed him into the said. – Kritsada Mueanhawong receive compensation for his ANYONE SEEN A GERMAN TOURIST? Phuket,” said Col Werawat damaged helmet. Police urge the German tourist who Juntharavijit, the newly installed A witness to the incident that was reportedly attacked to present Superintendent of the Karon Police. took place on Monday explained himself at Karon Police Station. The jet-ski operator admitted to the Gazette that the jet-ski started walking away, but the boy that he had pulled his trailer over operator had mounted his jet-skis picked up a small anchor from the the German’s belongings, and that onto a trailer and was towing them trailer and ran after him,” he added. they had argued, but he denied off the beach just before sundown “It wasn’t until a woman saw trying to attack him, Col Werawat when the wheels of the trailer ran what was happening and said. over the German man’s belongings screamed that the German man “He agreed to compensate the on the sand. looked back and saw the boy com- tourist for the helmet,” he added. “The German man had his ing at him with the anchor. The Although the German tourist sunglasses and a few other things German started running at the reported the incident at the Karon damaged, but all he wanted was same time the boy swung the Police station, police say they do for the jet-ski operator to pay for anchor at him. The anchor missed not have his name because he left the broken motorbike helmet, his head by about half a meter,” in a rush. which belonged to a rental shop,” said the witness. Col Werawat asked anyone the witness said. The German ran down onto the with information about the Ger- “The beach boy refused and they beach, and the jet-ski operator man man to contact Karon Police had an argument… After a while, gave chase. Station at 076 396393. the German man gave up and “When the boy realized that – Orawin Narabal February 9 - 15, 2013 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Fight for Racha goes on After eight months, villagers hope island beauty can be saved By Kritsada Mueanhawong Narongsak Dang-ngam landed in THE ongoing struggle to protect the hands of police during a routine the beauty and environmental stop.