ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE Floating your cares away Appease the goddess of water at the Loy Krathong festival INSIDE TODAY November 24 - 30, 2012 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht MURDER FUGITIVE LEE ‘PITBULL’ ALDHOUSE WILL STAND TRIAL IN PHUKET Aldhouse faces Airport taxi touts try to persuade a tourist to use their services within seconds of her exiting the arrivals hall. Photo: Phuket Airport CCTV Airport touts told UK extradition to stop harassing tourists on arrival High Court dismisses appeal Full story on Page 2 against ‘inhumane’ living conditions in Thai prisons Sea gypsies win reprieve from By Gazette Reporters developer action THE British High Court has dismissed the appeal by POLICE intervention stemmed a former Phuket kickboxer Lee “the Pitbull” Aldhouse to rising tide of ire among a 200-strong stop his extradition to Thailand to face murder charges. protest by sea gypsies at Baan Laem A source at the British embassy in Bangkok told the Tukkae on Koh Sireh on November Gazette on Wednesday that formal notification of the 15, winning a temporary reprieve decision had yet to be received, but embassy staff could against a developer taking over 11 confirm that the High Court had dismissed the appeal. rai of the small beachfront village The news paves the way for the Office of the Attorney on the east side of Phuket Town. General [OAG] in Bangkok to begin the extradition The small sea gypsy community process. “We have yet to receive formal notification of has long been officially recognized, his extradition to Phuket,” Prosecutor Intranee Sumawong, but villagers found themselves OAG Executive Director of International Affairs, told the forced to stave off Land Office sur- Gazette on Wednesday. veyors from marking out the “We expect the [Thai] Ministry of Foreign Affairs to boundary of a plot being earmarked inform us by letter within the next few days… After we for beachfront development. receive the formal notice, I’m quite confident that within Traffic begins to build at the Darasamuth Intersection before rush hour begins. The village is home to the 5.4- a week we will know when Mr Aldhouse will be in Phuket million-baht Urak Lawoi cultural to stand trial,” she added. PLAN YOUR ESCAPE ROUTES center celebrating sea gypsy tradi- Mr Aldhouse successfully fled Thailand after allegedly tions and home to the Porn Sawan stabbing American Dashawn Longfellow to death in Au- Check the ‘alternative routes’ to take to work as rong ngeng dance troupe that has gust 2010. construction of Phuket’s first underpass at one of received an award from HRH Prin- He was later arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport on cess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn for an unrelated charge when he tried to re-enter the UK. the island’s busiest junctions begins this weekend. preserving cultural heritage. Continued on Page 3 Full story on Page 5 Full story on Page 8 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS November 24 - 30, 2012 Police hunt driver in Business Phuket to become tour bus ‘hit-and-run’ Emirates second Thai By Thawit Bilabdullar hub. Page 12 A TOUR bus driver fled the scene after the bus he was driving struck Finance two women riding a motorbike in Why Exchange Traded the northbound lane of the notorious Thepkrasattri Road on Funds are worth the November 14. investment. Pages 16 The two women who died in the accident were identified by Thalang Police as Jaroonrat Waree, 35, and History Nadlada Waree, 17. Early Phuketians were “The motorbike rider and pas- senger were dragged by the bus cool; despite having no at least 500 meters before it came air-con. Page 36 to a stop north of Mud Dok Khao junction [the main turnoff toward Technology Nai Yang Beach],” said Sub Lt Chatree Chuwichian. Khun Woody takes a Police contacted the driver’s close look at Phuket’s employer, allowing them to iden- land lines. Page 38 tify the suspect, Lt Chatree told the Gazette on November 17. Police believe the bus dragged the women and motorbike for at least 500 “We are waiting for them to meters before it came to a stop. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar Pets contact the driver, and have him Our favourite dog surrender to police,” he said. request that the Phuket Provincial the information to the public. However, by Wednesday the Court issue an arrest warrant. Police plan to charge the man whisperer is back in driver still had not surrendered Though police have identified with negligent driving resulting in Phuket. Page 39 himself to police, forcing them to the man, they have yet to release death, Lt Chatree said. Sport Futsal buzz: Phuket Officials: ‘Stop harassing tourists’ United to debut in the TAXI touts at Phuket International Airport have been told to stop elite league. Page 50 following and harassing tourists arriving at the airport, and to stay at their counters. The news came at a meeting at Aussie balcony fall survivor the airport administrative office on November 13, called by Phuket recovering in intensive care Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham. THE Australian man from Sydney Present to oversee the proceed- who fell from an 18th storey Phuket ings was Phuket Vice Governor hotel balcony last week was still Chamroen Tipayapongtada, who receiving treatment in the Inten- called for taxi touts to stop follow- sive Care Unit of Vachira Phuket ing tourists through the terminal. Hospital on November 16. “We don’t want them [tourists] John Hurley, 39, plunged from feeling uncomfortable and the hotel balcony of his room at annoyed,” he said. the Royal Paradise Hotel in Patong “Taxi operators already have on November 13. Police visited Mr Hurley before he their own counters both inside and A taxi tout at Phuket Airport approaches a pair of tourists at the exit of the Mr Hurley underwent surgery underwent surgery last week. outside the terminal, as per the arrivals hall. Image: Phuket Airport CCTV at Vachira Phuket Hospital in November 16 that Mr Hurley is agreement with the airport, so they not to do this, but some taxi repre- action is taken against them for Phuket Town later that afternoon conscious and is still responding do not need to walk around and sentatives just keep on doing it. We their tactics. for a ruptured spleen and to start to stimuli, but is now on breath- pick on passengers who have just will have to enforce the regulations There are currently four taxi a series of corrective measures for ing support. walked out of the arrivals hall,” in order to make them comply.” counters scattered throughout the his left leg, which was shattered “He is now getting better,” one added V/Gov Chamroen. V/Gov Chamroen suggested terminal and another five counters by the impact. hospital worker told the Gazette. Airport Director Prathuang that offenders first be issued a located next to the exit doors. Hospital staff confirmed on – Chutharat Plerin pointed out, “We keep asking them warning letter, before sterner – Atchaa Khamlo November 24 - 30, 2012 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 UK High Court dismisses Two dead, one survives in Aldhouse appeal local swimming incidents Atchaa Khamlo Tourist Police told the Gazette. Ms Yuan died en route to Phuket THREE separate swimming inci- International Hospital. dents left two dead and sent one The same afternoon a 44-year- to hospital this week. old Indian woman, Jyoti Chavhan, Early in the week 69-year-old was taken to hospital after Russian tourist Mikhail Bogdanov encountering problems while drowned off Patong Beach in the snorkeling off Koh Racha. Lee Aldhouse will be deported to same area where the where Ms Chavhan, who was on Phuket to face charges for the American student Joshua Shane holiday with her family on Koh killing of American Dashawn drowned while taking a night Racha, allegedly took in water Longfellow. Photo: James Goyder swim with friends in June. through her snorkel, causing a The body was recovered by a blockage of her airways. From page 1 jet-ski rider in the water just north A speedboat rushed her back Mr Aldhouse lost his initial ex- of Loma Park at about 10:30am to Phuket, where she was trans- tradition hearing. Facing a return on November 19, said Patong ferred to a Vachira Phuket to Phuket to answer for murder Police Capt Teerasak Boonsaeng. Hospital ambulance. “The tourist’s body showed A Vachira Hospital official told charges, he filed an appeal claim- An ambulance leaves Chalong pier with one of the victims. ing that conditions in Thai prisons no signs of violence,” said Po- the Gazette that Ms Chavhan was infringed on human rights. lice Superintendant Chiraphat back to the shore but did not Yuan Dingrong, 56, who was transferred to Patong Hospital British Home Secretary Pochanaphan. make the beach. spending a week in Patong with soon after arriving. Theresa May (UK equivalent to Col Chiraphat said that Mr The other two incidents took nine of her family members, Patong Hospital staff said that Interior Minister) publicly allowed Bogdanov left his hotel on place near Koh Racha and left a drowned after getting into diffi- Ms Chavhan is in a stable condi- his extradition but that decision Prabaramee Road alone to go Chinese woman dead and an Indian culties while swimming off Ao La tion and expected to be discharged was overturned by High Court swimming. He tried to swim woman in hospital on November 20. (La Bay), a member of the soon. judges who ruled that Mr Aldhouse’s claims were at least worthy of being heard. PAD rallies in Phuket to ‘reclaim Thai petrol’ That appeal has now been dis- KEY leaders of the People’s Alli- of supporters under the banner urged the public to “reclaim” the missed.