ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE Hope floats for Rohingya rights Special in-depth report on their plight and Thailand’s response INSIDE TODAY January 26 - February 1, 2013 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht ‘YOU WILL ALWAYS BE WITH US… I LOVE YOU’ Family mourns executed mum Exclusive Police suspect Mrs Jintana interview DUTCH Ambassador to was a victim of a revenge Thailand Joan Boer sits down with the Gazette to killing for firing an employee review his concerns for from a well-known resort tourists on the island. Full story on Pages 4-5 By Chutharat Plerin Police release THE family of hotel executive Jintana Mahattanapak, executed last Friday night by a single gunshot to the head, are still coming to terms with their loss. sketch of resort Mrs Jintana, 42, was slain while waiting at the traffic lights at the intersection of Chao Fa West Road and safe box robber Kwang Road at about 8:10pm. She was driving home POLICE continue their search for from work at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa in two men who allegedly drugged Karon, where she was the human resources director. a front desk guard at a popular Husband, now widower, Winyoo Mahattanapak on resort before making off with over Monday posted on his Facebook in Thai, “Sleep well 3 million baht worth of guests’ my only love. You are now in the embrace of the Father. valuables. You will always be with us… One day I will be with Based on CCTV images and the you in the afterlife. I love you. I miss you so much.” description provided by the Mrs Jintana’s shocking murder left her two daugh- guard, police have created a ters – one a teenager, the other under 10 years old – composite drawing of one of the motherless. two criminals. At last report, police were investigating the likelihood Anyone with information that that Mrs Jintana was murdered for revenge after she may lead to arrest is urged to con- sacked several employees who were… tact the Phuket Provincial Police. Continued on page 3 Jintana Mahattanapak, 42, was followed from work and then assassinated. Photo: Hilton PR Full story on page 2 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS January 26 - February 1, 2013 Police release sketch Business Government’s first-car of safe box heist thief buyer scheme increases traffic, debt. Page 11 By Kritsada Mueanhawong POLICE released a composite Finance image last Friday of one of the two suspects involved in allegedly Drilling down on the theory drugging a front desk officer at of Peak Oil and the global Karon Place Hotel and then rob- economy. Page 16 bing the guests’ safe boxes of nearly 3 million baht worth of valuables on January 14. Health An arrest warrant has been Diving into a new brand issued for the man, Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Com- of holistic fitness with mander Arun Kleawwatee told a AQUAZEN. Page 39 press conference on Friday, add- ing that the suspect goes by many aliases, including Robert, Michael, History Tony and “Mr Pheilpes” (sic). Discover the forgotten “The image is of the man who past of Phuket’s ‘Sea was seen breaking into the lock- People’. Page 41 ers. We are still working on the composite image of the other Based on CCTV images stored in a separate system than the one stolen, man,” Col Arun said. police were able to create a composite image of one of the suspects. Charity The sketch was derived from CCTV images captured during the order to carry out the robbery, re- James Mason’s weight robbery, and on the description gained consciousness to see the loss takes him to Bangkok given by Siam Kamya, the front wanted man breaking into the by bike. Page 42 desk guard on duty when the rob- lockers while the other one kept bery took place. lookout, he added. “The image is of the man seen “After seeing Mr Kamya had Sport breaking into the resort’s safe woken, the man breaking into the Dutch and Italian Olympic boxes,” Col Arun said. boxes went into the manager’s of- Police were no- fice and stole the swimmers training at tified of the robbery CCTV Thanyapura. Page 49 by hotel manager ‘The suspect goes by recording Keerati Prugsa- many aliases, including machine. thammamowit at The CCTV 5:30am on January Robert, Michael, Tony images we have 14. were stored The burglars allegedly drugged the and Mr Pheilpes (sic)’ guard before breaking into guests’ “Mr Keerati said – Col Arun on another the robbery took machine,” Col safe boxes. place between 3am Arun explained. may help lead to the arrest of ei- and 5am,” Col Arun explained. “We are also continuing the ther man is urged to contact Mr Kamya, the staffer allegedly search for the other robber,” he said. Phuket Provincial Police at 076- drugged by the two foreigners in “Anyone with information that 369140,” he added. French chef arrested Taxi driver dies in speed-driven for alleged 2004 rape car accident A TAXI driver speeding from JW of disabled woman Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa at A FRENCH chef working in Mai Khao Beach to pick up a Phuket’s premier party town, Pa- passenger at the airport died after tong, was arrested on January 16 losing control of his car on for the alleged rape of a disabled Thepkrasattri Road last Friday. woman in his home country in Witnesses reported that 2004. Warongsak Rungsawang, 29, Christopher Pierre Verdino, 28, entered one of the sharp curves slipped into Thailand in 2007, in Baan Mak Prok at high speed, three years after French authori- lost control and hit a power pole. ties issued an arrest warrant. His Capt Santi Prakobpran of the whereabouts became known to Tah Chat Chai Police was called the French Embassy in Bangkok to the scene at 12:45pm and found after he made a request for a name Mr Warongsak, bloodied and change on his passport. unconscious, pinned behind the The Embassy then notified steering wheel of the taxi he was Phuket Immigration, who made Christopher Pierre Verdino lived in driving. the arrest at about 9:30am. Thailand for over five years before The car was registered with the “He told us that he planned to French police caught up with him. authorities as belonging to change his name in his passport been charged with overstaying. Sasiprapa Kitroongrot. first, and after that use his new He will be handed over to Im- “Mai Khao and Kusoldharm res- name to get a new visa,” Phuket migration officials in Bangkok, cue workers spent an hour cutting Immigration Superintendent who will in turn hand him over to him out of the car, but he died Looking for a place to stay? Sunchai Chokkajaykij said. officials at the French Embassy before he could be freed,” Capt See more classified ads at www.phuketgazette.net Mr Pierre’s visa expired on to be deported, Col Sunchai ex- Santi said. December 31, 2012 and he has plained. – Orawin Narabal – Thawit Bilabdullar January 26 - February 1, 2013 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Police pursuing revenge as motive for Jintana murder From page 1 Swedish tax fugitive Eriksson was caught stealing from the hotel. arrested on Patong Beach. One of the staffers whose employ- ment was terminated was in a Cigarette tax “senior position”, police said. “She was a strict person at cheat caught work. She was straight, and so some employees at the hotel lost their jobs. In a previous incident, The assassin fired through the over B100mn she had to fire some employees driver’s side window. SWEDISH Police ended a two- because they were found cheat- year hunt for a tax exile on Janu- ing their employer. This probably ary 14 when they arrested Bernt was the motive for her murder,” Olov Inge Eriksson at Patong Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Beach. Mr Eriksson was wanted Commander Col Arun Kleawwatee in Sweden on a 100-million-baht explained. tax evasion charge. After reviewing CCTV footage A task force of Swedish offic- from 11 cameras and question- ers began their hunt in Thailand ing witnesses, police believe they after learning Mr Eriksson, 67, now have descriptions of the gun- Police CCTV footage shows Jintana Mahattanapak’s white Chevrolet Gen Choti says police are closing was in the country. man and his driver accomplice, Captiva (left) at the intersection where she was murdered. in on the killers. After scouring Pattaya and as well as the motorbike the kill- then Chiang Mai for their suspect, ers were riding. we have enough evidence for the have been killed because of a con- police, and we will cooperate fully the Swedes arrived in Phuket with “We now believe the gunman courts to issue arrest warrants,” flict with people not related to her with them. As the investigation is the Swedish Ambassador Janu- was a passenger on a motorcycle Gen Choti said. work,” he added. ongoing, we are unable to com- ary 12 to seek help from Phuket following Mrs Jintana home Mrs Jintana was killed at close- In a statement issued to the ment further.” Immigration officials. from work,” Phuket Provincial range by a shotgun blast through Gazette, Hilton Phuket Arcadia Mrs Jintana’s body was at the Mr Eriksson had allegedly Police Commander Choti the driver’s side window, Gen General Manager Andre Gomez Christian Church Thakreng imported and sold cigarettes in Chavalviwat said. Choti added, noting that police had said, “We are deeply saddened by Phuket in Phuket Town from last Sweden, but failed to pay excise “The suspects followed her collected a shotgun cartridge at the death of Jintana Mahattana- Sunday through Tuesday for taxes on them, they said.