Volume 15 Issue 37 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 September 13 - 19, 2008 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Memorial PAD protests to service for One-Two-Go INSIDE continue in Phuket victims By Akbar Khan MAI KHAO: To mark the one- PHUKET CITY: Despite the year anniversary of the One- Constitution Court on September Two-Go flight OG 269 tragedy 9 ordering Samak Sundaravej to and to honor its victims, there will resign his post as prime minister, be a memorial service on Mai the People’s Alliance for Democ- Khao Beach, near the end of the racy (PAD) in Phuket will con- runway, at 3 pm on Tuesday, Sep- tinue its protest at Saphan Hin to tember 16. add pressure for the coalition Some spirit houses have government to step down. already been installed at the ser- PAD Phuket leader Nat- vice site, and Christy Sweet will jarong Ekpermsup told the Ga- be putting one more spirit house zette, “The PAD will not leave there on the day. WHO ARE YOU? Saphan Hin. Although Samak There will be a Buddhist and his Cabinet must go, the gov- service during the placement of Immigration officers from ernment is a coalition with many throughout Southern Thailand the spirit house and a reading of corrupt members. We cannot the names of those who perished descend on Phuket for intensive accept a caretaker Prime Minis- courses in spotting fake and in the disaster. forged passports. ter from Samak’s coalition. Our Christy Sweet is organizing country needs a neutral person the activity on behalf of Bonnie Full story on page 6. to be PM, someone who can Rind, sister to one of those who punish all those who have done Thousands of students staged a peaceful anti-government died in the accident and publisher NEWS: Floods prompt land- wrong. demonstration through the streets of Phuket City on September 9. slide warning; AirAsia CEO of InvestigateUdom.com, a “We will be watching the Many of them went home after the Constitution Court ‘disqualified’ website that aims to have One- targets Phuket as a base. five PAD leaders on ASTV at Samak Sundaravej as prime minister later that day. Pages 2 & 3 Two-Go and Orient Thai Airlines Saphan Hin every night for di- slowly around Surin Circle and The students were polite, owner Udom Tatiprosongchai INSIDE STORY: Coral rection. If the rest of the Cabi- down Phuket Rd to Saphan Hin, drove slowly and rejoiced cheer- brought to trial over the air crash. Reef Squadron misses deliv- net must be put under pressure where the PAD protesters had fully as they expressed their dis- “One-Two-Go staff will be ery-payment target. [to resign], then we will help add returned and set up a stage after like for Samak, observers noted. arranging the monks for the cer- Pages 4 & 5 to that pressure,” he said. their occupation of the grounds After arriving at the PAD emony,” Ms Sweet said. “Banharn Silpa-archa of Phuket Provincial Hall a week protest area at Saphan Hin, However, One-Two-Go LIFESTYLE: SenSes would not be acceptable to us as earlier. some of the students took to the will not be holding a memorial working overtime; Wannabe prime minister because he does The group was led by about stage, marched around with service of their own this year. a Thai Supermodel? not know how to keep his word. 200 students on motorcycles, megaphones or made phone calls, Somjai Krongsuksan, secretary Pages 16 & 17 He made a lot of promises be- most of whom opted not to wear successfully urging some 4,000 to Mr Udom, said: “Last year, we fore joining the coalition, after- QUEER NEWS 6; AROUND THE crash helmets. students from Satree Phuket invited the families of all the vic- wards he did not do anything,” NATION 7; AROUND THE SOUTH Unlike many of the older School to join the protest. tims to a ceremony, but this year he added. 8; AROUND THE ISLAND 10; DIN- PAD supporters, many of the Students from two voca- we are not arranging anything.” ING OUT 11; PEOPLE 12-13; The local PAD protest had Phuket Wittayalai School stu- tional schools in the city were Phuket International Airport HAPPENINGS 14; END OF THE gained support from students on dents were able to express their also mobilized to join the protest. Director Vicha Nernlop said, LINE 15; TRAVEL 18; WHAT’S Phuket, with some 3,000 second- displeasure at the current admin- However, after national “We’ve heard nothing about the ON 19; BUSINESS AND M ONEY ary students from Phuket Witta- istration in English. media announced the Constitu- ceremony and we had no inten- 20-21; MOTORING 22; TAKE A yalai School marching from “We are protesting because tion Court’s decision that after- tion of organizing one ourselves, BREAK 23 & 24; BOOKS, WORD Phuket Provincial Hall to Saphan Samak is selling our country to noon, most of the students dis- because not everyone likes to be COURT 25; EDITORIAL, LETTERS Hin on September 9 to show their foreigners,” one schoolgirl said. banded and headed home. reminded about tragedies like that. 26; FIRST PERSON, ISSUES & support for the anti-government Phuket City Police Super- “The students at Saphan “Of course, if there are ANSWERS 27; TSOWNDINGS, PAD protest. intendent Nos Svettalekha was Hin were so delighted with the people who would like to orga- HOROSCOPES 28; COMPUTERS Nationwide, some 80 uni- among the very few uniformed news that the court had made a nize such a ceremony, then they 29; SPORTS 30 & 31; PROP- versities staged similar anti-gov- police officers monitoring the pro- unanimous 9-0 decision, they de- could contact us and we would ERTY 33-38; CLASSIFIED ADS ernment protests the same day. cession as it rounded Surin cided to home,” Mr Natjarong help out to ensure that it runs 39-51. The marchers proceeded Circle. said. smoothly.” 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS September 13 - 19, 2008 1,453 pills of seized in ya bah busts By Sompratch Saowakhon Rd in Phuket City at 1 pm the same day. A search of Saran and his car uncovered 90 more ya bah PHUKET CITY: Police arrested five men and pills and a loaded .38 pistol, police said. seized 1,453 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and He confessed to drug and firearms charges, two firearms in a series of arrests starting early on said police, and told officers there was a stash of September 4. drugs in Room 202 of The Royal Residence Hotel, Seeing two men busy repairing motorcycles where police a few hours later arrested Phuket in front of their home in Srisuchart Grandview Vil- native Anan “Nok” Kaewprasert, 35, and seized lage in Rassada at 3:30 am, police searched Theera- 52,000 baht in cash and 1,340 more ya bah pills. wat Toh-Mad, 26, and Surasak Anantakan, 25. Anan in turn identified his supplier as Jarin After finding them in possession of 22 ya bah “Rarin” Pongmak, 36, but a search of Jarin’s room pills and 13,800 baht in cash, they searched the house at Suksomboon Apartments in Poonphol Night Plaza and uncovered an unregistered semi-automatic 9mm uncovered a single ya bah pill. pistol with ammunition, police said. All five were charged with possession of ya The pair named as their supplier Saran “Bung- bah with intent to sell, while three of the suspects Od” Pu-Nguen, 43, who was arrested in a sting were also charged with offenses related to illegal All five were charged with possession of ya bah with intent to sell. operation at the Phuket Garden Hotel on Bangkok possession of firearms. Major Island flooding prompts 7-Eleven blackouts robbers make announced landslide warning clean getaway By Pathomporn Kaenkrachang PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial By Sompratch Saowakhon Electricity Authority (PPEA) has PHUKET: Heavy rains all day on announced scheduled blackouts September 5 caused flooding at PHUKET CITY: Police are still in order to continue its work on many locales around the island, searching for leads that may re- high-voltage power lines. causing long tailbacks along ma- sult in the arrest of two men who The blackouts, which will jor roads and damage to shops held up the 7-Eleven store oppo- occur from 9 am to 5 pm, will inundated with water. site Prompan shopping center on affect the following populated Patong suffered minor Chao Fa West Rd at gunpoint on areas: floods in the morning before the September 7. September 17, Rawai: rain stopped to give the resort Phuket City Police received east side of Wiset Rd, from op- town a midday reprieve, but only a call reporting the robbery posite Muang Phuket School to for the skies to open yet again in around 2 am. The caller told po- Saiyuan Rd, including Soi Muang the afternoon and cause more lice that two armed men in full- Phuket, Fisherman Way housing flooding. face helmets had stolen just over estate, Soi Baan Bang Kontee Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd saw 1,000 baht from the store before and Soi Ruamjai. long tailbacks from Soi Bangla fleeing on a motorcycle. September 24, Phuket back to Baan Sai Nam Yen “This will be a hard case to City: south side of Yaowarat Rd, School. On Sirirat Rd, at the crack. Both the girls who work from Soi Panieng to Songkhla Rd, southern end of Patong, one shop Water carries run-off to a flooded Sirirat Rd in Patong.