THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019 thephuketnews thephuketnews1 thephuketnews.com Friday, May 17 – Thursday, May 23, 2019 Since 2011 / Volume IX / No. 20 20 Baht CLASS ACT, IMAGE ASIA IN PUBLISHING POWERHOUSE MOVE > PAGE 9 NEWS PAGE 2 Bangla bar tout charged for fatal BABY street stabbing JUMBO LIFE PAGE 11 IS DEAD Taking steps for the ocean with Subs flip-flops Three-year-old Jumbo, pictured here at Phuket Zoo, where he was used to dance and perform tricks for tourists, has died. Photo: Moving Animals INFANT ELEPHANT AMID INTERNATIONAL PLEAS FOR PROTECTION DIES FROM INFECTION Tanyaluk Sakoot his health because he was becoming “He was not able to stand and Phuket News on Tuesday, said he [email protected] weak from an infection. The vets both his back legs showed swelling, was not aware that Jumbo had died. came to check on him and provided so we had a vet x-ray his legs and “I had been told that he was at the he Phuket Zoo baby elephant him medical treatment, but he was found that both legs were broken,” Elephant Hospital, and I thought that Jumbo, just three years old, not getting better. the staffer explained. I would have been informed if Jumbo SPORT PAGE 32 Thas died from a digestive tract “His condition kept deteriorat- Jumbo has now been buried on had died,” he said. infection despite an international ing, so he we had him taken to the hospital grounds, the staffer added. Zoo Manager Mr Pichai, speak- campaign calling for him to be taken Elephant Hospital in Krabi, where he Phuket DLD Chief Manas Thep- ing openly about Jumbo, countered Phuket Aussie into care for better protection. was admitted on April 17,” he said. paruk confirmed that Jumbo was the plainly, “I did inform the Phuket DLD Jumbo was so weak that he col- A staffer at the Elephant Hospital same elephant that had previously about Jumbo’s death.” to make history lapsed under his own weight and broke Southern Thailand in Krabi, operated been referred to as both ‘Dodo’ and Now informed, Mr Manas told at Lumpinee both his back legs while trying to lift by the National Elephant Institute, ‘Ping Pong’. He apologised for the The Phuket News on Tuesday that his himself free from mud in a special confirmed to The Phuket News this confusion. officers would investigate Jumbo’s area created for him where he could week that Jumbo died three days later. Suriya Tanthaweewong, the board death and take any legal action deemed recover, explained Zoo Manager The staffer, who declined to be director of Phuket Zoo Co Ltd in- necessary. Pichai Sakunsorn. named publicly, confirmed that Jumbo volved with zoo operations, emotional A veterinarian at the Elephant “Veterinarians from the Phuket was a legally registered elephant car- on the phone, also confirmed, “We Hospital involved in providing care for Provincial Office of the Department rying microchip number 122767173A, had only one baby elephant here at Jumbo explained that in her opinion of Livestock Development (DLD) born on Dec 8, 2015 and originally the zoo.” Jumbo did not die of abuse or neglect. advised us to keep a close eye on from Hua Hin. Mr Manas, when called by The The vet also discounted elephant... CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 @thephuketnews 2 PHUKET NEWS THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019 [email protected] Retiree expats face health insurance visa News malady > p5 Prisoners released Wastewater on beaches under royal pardon MORE THAN 200 PRIS- comes under fire, again oners were released from The Phuket News wastewater treatment plants Phuket Provincial Prison on [email protected] in the area brought online Wednesday (May 15) after under a project costing B355 receiving a royal pardon ollowing an outbreak million. from His Majesty in honour of criticism online in However, even Cherng of his Royal Coronation response to a video Talay OrBorTor Chief MaAnn Relatives wait expectantly F earlier this month. outside Phuket Prison showing wastewater pour- Samran admitted to The Relatives waited expect- on Wednesday morning ing onto Bang Tao Beach, Phuket News that the waste- antly outside the prison gate (May 15). Photo: Waranya officials last Sunday (May water plants will only be as to welcome their loved ones Prompinpiras 12) inspected the recently effective as the sewer network beyond the prison walls. installed wastewater system that delivers the untreated In total, 216 inmates, 177 Only one foreigner, a and collected water samples wastewater to them. men and 39 women, were Turkish citizen, was among to test for contaminants. Sewers installed in Cherng granted their freedom on the 216 inmates freed. The initial investigation Talay Moo 2 and Moo 5 will Wednesday morning, Phuket “He had been in prison into the complaints, which Officials are hoping to prevent more untreated wastewater feed the Bang Tao station, Prison Commissioner Soon- for many months. He was included the water spilling from pouring onto Bang Tao Beach. Photo: PR Dept while the waste pipes laid torn Dechraksa explained. jailed under the Immigra- onto the beach carrying a foul throughout Moo 3 will feed All 216 were serving tion Act because he lived smell, was carried out by of- phong Tavipatana arrived at lem to alleviate the suffering the Surin Beach plant. Other sentences for “small cases”, in Thailand long past his ficers from the Damrongtham 5:30pm to inspect the facilities of the people who are being areas where sewers are still he said. permitted time,” he added. Center (Ombudsman’s Of- in person, and ordered for affected by the pollution,” being installed will still result “They were all also serv- However, the Turkish fice), Thalang District Office urgent steps to be taken to he said. in untreated wastewater find- ing their first jail sentences. man on Wednesday was and Cherng Talay Tambon prevent any more foul water After decades of foul un- ing its way into the canal and None of the prisoners re- handed over to Phuket City Administration Organisation pouring onto the beach. treated wastewater pouring onto the beach, he said. leased were serving sen- Police to be processed for (OrBorTor) as well as local “This problem affects the onto Bang Tao and Surin Meanwhile, water samples tences for drugs or serious deportation, he added. village headmen and local beautiful image of our tourist beaches, Cherng Talay OrBor- collected from an outflow cases,” he added. Waranya Prompinpiras residents. city (sic). We need to urgently Tor made history in March pipe at Bang Tao Beach will Phuket Governor Phaka- find a way to solve this prob- this year with the first two be tested for contaminants. Baby Jumbo dies from infection Continued from page 1 ...endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), a type of herpesvirus that can cause a highly fatal hemorrhagic disease when transmitted to young Asian elephants. An associated National Elephant Institute Elephant Hospital in Lampang had a baby elephant die of EEHV only earlier this month. “Jumbo did not show any signs of EEHV. He had an infection in his digestive tract that Officers last month banned Jumbo from resulted in Jumbo suffering constant diarrhea, performing in shows at Phuket Zoo until his which caused other health complications, health had recovered. Photo: DLD Phuket including the fact that his body was not ab- sorbing nutrients as it should, which made dance shows and tricks for tourists. him very weak,” the vet explained. Phuket Zoo can even acquire a new baby “I believe that the cause of Jumbo’s condi- elephant if they choose to, he added. tion may have resulted from him being born “That is up to them. They have the right premature. Also, Jumbo liked bananas and to do so,” Mr Manas said. other sweet foods. He refused to eat enough Meanwhile, Zoo Manager Mr Pichai, like fiber-rich food to remain healthy,” she said. Mr Suriya, also appeared to be deeply sad- Regarding how Jumbo came to sustain dened by Jumbo’s passing. “Nobody wants to two broken legs, the vet told The Phuket lose something they love. We did the best we News that the debilitating injuries arose from could do to protect him,” he said. a “horrible accident”. Mr Pichai denied allegations that Jumbo “I talked with the mahout who looked was being treated inappropriately, Question- after Jumbo. The accident happened on April ing why even unscrupulous elephant owners 13. Jumbo’s front legs became stuck in some would abuse an elephant to the point of death, mud while he was holding himself up with Mr Pichai, still emotional, pointed out, “This his back legs on dry ground. elephant baby was worth more than B1 million.” “First, he tried to lift himself out with Jumbo became the focus of a media storm his back right leg, but the bone was too thin earlier this year when animal welfare group and too brittle, and the stress on it caused it Moving Animals launched an online cam- to break. paign to have Jumbo – who they nicknamed “So he tried to push himself out of the ‘Dumbo’ – removed from the zoo’s care for mud with his back left leg, and that broke, better protection. The campign gained inter- too,” she said. national recognition, with stories covered by Mr Manas confirmed that Phuket Zoo the UK’s Independent, Daily Mail, Mirror and under its permit has the right to keep the The Sun, as well as Afton Bladet of Sweden elephants it already has and uses to perform and la Repubblica in Italy. thephuketnews THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019 THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019 PHUKET NEWS 3 Bangla Rd bar tout Subtle withdrawal charged with murder A BAR TOUT WORKING Army scales back direct role in Phuket on Patong’s Bangla Rd died The Phuket News and Order (NCPO) having after being fatally stabbed by [email protected] no more authority to issue another tout after a fight broke orders sometime this month.