Volume 12 Issue 44 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 October 29 - November 4, 2005 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 20 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Jungceylon could now open in IN THIS ISSUE April 2006 NEWS: Island gets two new vice-governors; Bird ’flu pre- cautions stepped up. By Anongnat Sartpsiut Pages 2 & 3 PHUKET CITY: The Jungcey- INSIDE STORY: Behind the Bur- lon complex in Patong could open mese massacre. by April next year, if negotiations Pages 4 & 5 between the two battling Man- aging Directors of Phuket Square AROUND THE REGION: Assur- Co Ltd – the project operating ance for OK coral. Page 8 company – continue at their cur- AROUND THE ISLAND: A posi- rent rate of progress. tive wrist action. Page 9 Phuket Provincial Court Chief Justice Samrarn Yothayai EOPLE Working toward a P : told the Gazette last week that better deal for women. Thanit Rattana-Kamchai and Pages 10 & 11 The B130-billion Umezawa proposal includes The Tower, with offices and hotel (foreground in this Manit Udomkunnatum have been LIFESTYLE: A flask affair; Mu- computer-generated image) and four other islands, each with a specific use. involved in mediation through the sic: Brit-rock hits the top. court since early last year. Pages 12 & 13 “The mediation process is about 90% complete,” he said, SPA MAGIC: Baray bar none. Page 15 though he added that the pair have yet to resolve all their dif- TAKE A BREAK: Crosswords, Ambitious Phuket ferences. quizzes and Sudoku. K. Thanit, the landowner of Pages 19 & 20 the Jungceylon site, and K. Man- FIRST PERSON: Bypass it, who owns 53% of Phuket construction gets a blast. Square Co Ltd, have refused to Bay plans revealed countersign each other’s checks Page 25 to pay Jungceylon contractor BUSINESS: Souvenir shops get By Alasdair Forbes tion specialist Umezawa Tadao, a marina, condominiums and a Powerline Co Ltd, which has set for high season.Page 27 & Anongnat Sartpisut with Thai partner Architect Co, golf course. consequently halted construction SPORT & LEISURE: Inaugural who have announced plans to Tongkah Harbour Pcl also on the site. marathon; ACYC Phi Phi PHUKET CITY (Gazette, Na- build what they are calling has plans for a project, mostly “The original projected cost Rally; Darts. Pages 28 & 29 tion): After a lull of 10 months, Phuket Bay International City. revolving around yachts and of the Jungceylon project blew the Ao Phuket development pro- The project’s backers en- cruising. Details and budget have out from 1.7 billion baht to 3 bil- PROPERTY: Gardening: Bert ject – a plan to build a mini-city visage five phases: a spaceship- yet to be revealed. lion baht, so K. Manit was look- takes the Mickey; Construc- on reclaimed land in the bay off shaped structure called Anaba- Gov Udomsak added that ing for new investors to join the tion: New digs at Nai Yang; Saphan Hin – is once again gath- sis, which will contain a 2,000- interest in joining in the Ao project, but K. Thanit disagreed, Home of the Week: Patong; ering momentum. Plans include room hotel and a convention cen- Phuket frenzy has been ex- saying that the new cost was Decor: A blinding idea. a convention and exhibition cen- ter; a lotus-shaped resort called pressed by companies in China. unacceptable and he did not Pages 30-33 ter, and a casino. Marina City; The Tower, which The positive point of all this, agree to changing Phuket At an October 20 meeting will include hotel rooms and of- he said, is that Phuket as a whole Square’s management commit- PLUS at Phuket Provincial Hall, chaired fice space; Sport World, featur- will reap the benefits but 95% to tee,” said Judge Samrarn. QUEER NEWS 6; AROUND THE N A- by the Interior Ministry Deputy ing international-level sports fa- 100% of the investment will “After Powerline stopped TION 7; HAPPENINGS 14; WINE, Chief Administrative Officer cilities; and Good Luck Island – come from the private sector. construction, Krung Thai Bank CHEAP EATS 16; MOTORING 17; Rajatin Syamananda, Governor the casino. All of these would be Asked whether he felt a declared its loan to K. Manit to THAILAND TRAVELER 18; BOOKS, Udomsak Uswarangkura said built with protection against tsu- casino would be of benefit, Gov be in default and filed a complaint Udomsak told the Gazette, “We OUTSIDE IN 21; HOROSCOPES, THE that three main investors are namis in mind. with the Bankruptcy Court in working on plans for large The second-largest plan, would need to wait for the gov- Bangkok, asking for him to be TIME MACHINE, DOVEN 22; projects in Ao Phuket. weighing in at 70 billion baht, has ernment policy to go through the declared bankrupt. TSOWNDINGS, PHUKET DIARY 23, At some 130 billion baht, come from Bangkok-based con- public hearing process, and for “Negotiations so far have EDITORIAL, LETTERS 24; ISSUES & the most spectacular proposal has glomerate Ital-Thai, which pro- laws to be revised before [this resulted in K. Manit wanting to ANSWERS 25; COMPUTERS 26; come from Japanese urban de- poses a 2,000-rai island develop- could be built].” sell his 53% share in Phuket CLASSIFIEDS 34-43. veloper and shoreline construc- ment designed as a village with Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS October 29 - November 4, 2005 Island gets two new Vice-Governors By Sangkhae Leelanapaporn Rajanuphab Institute of Research much about money. and Development as a specialist “Look at it this way: if you PHUKET: As Vice-Governor in policy and planning formation. sell your land then spend all your Supachai Yuvaboon prepared to He told the Gazette, “I’ve money, what will you do when move on to a new post in Bang- worked here [in Phuket] about 10 there’s no land left to cultivate kok, two new vice-governors months and I have to say that anymore? Phuket is growing fast were preparing to replace him I’ve had some memorable expe- and the property market is ex- and Winai Buapradit, who was riences, what with the tsunami, ploding. Areas that used to be promoted to Governor of Phang water shortages and maintaining rubber plantations are now prop- Nga on October 1. stability. erty developments. The two new Vice-Gover- “What worries me most “I think that in the next three nors are Vorapoj Rattasima, who about Phuket is the environmen- to five years we will see the death will arrive on November 15, and tal problems the island faces. It of agriculture in Phuket and I Pongsak Plaiwech, who is al- resembles Singapore in that it believe that, therefore, the island ready her. They were previously may be healthy enough economi- needs some serious town plan- Vice-Governors of Samut Song- cally speaking but all the money ning.” TEEN DREAMING kram and Samut Sakorn respec- in the world cannot buy back a Commenting on the new- Forty-two competitors in the annual Miss Teen Thailand pag- tively. natural, healthy environment. comers, K. Supachai added, eant were in Phuket from October 20 to 25 to make a video K. Supachai, who arrived in “We are facing water short- “Both of them have good experi- to be shown at the finals, due to take place October 28 in Phuket to start work on the day ages and the threat of landslides ence and they should be a posi- Bangkok. This group is pictured in Wat Chalong, one of the of the tsunami, on October 25 and I feel people are getting away tive influence on the development places the contenders visited during their stay. moved on to Prince Damrong from their roots and thinking too of the province.” Thugs assault, rob old lady Ambitious plans Jungceylon could open next April for Ao Phuket From page 1 court receiving the Mediation WICHIT: Police say they expect She said the boy riding pil- Square Co Ltd to K. Thanit, so Award 2005, awarded by the a quick arrest in the case of two lion, approached her brandishing From page 1 K. Thanit can take on new in- Supreme Court of Thailand. teenage thugs who assaulted a a knife. The feisty K. Aree re- He added, “A casino is the vestors and complete the pro- Another factor was the 73-year-old woman and stole her sisted his attempts to take her last priority of the Ao Phuket ject.” court boosting its number of vol- 3-bahtweight gold necklace. gold chain and amulet, punching project. My suggestion is that we Judge Samrarn added that unteer mediators from five in Pol Maj Yongyuth Krong- the youth in the face. build other entertainment venues the parties are due to continue April to its current number of 47. malai, an Inspector at the Phuket The thief struck back, before looking at the possibility of mediation at Phuket Provincial Judge Samrarn explained City Police Station, told the Ga- knocking her to the pavement. He a casino.” Court on November 14, and that the court resolved about 50 zette that he was notified of the then ripped the necklace from her In the past, proposals by the that this could result in con- cases a week during the two theft by the victim, Aree Piew- neck and sped away with his ac- central government for an inter- struction resuming as early as weeks from December 6 to 16 gnam, on October 22. complice. national convention and exhibition December. through mediation alone, and re- K. Aree, who lives in Soi Police told the Gazette they center (ICEC) in the Saphan Hin “About four months of con- solved about 7,000 disputes Paisarn, off Chao Fa West Rd, already know the identity of the or Ao Phuket areas have raised struction work are required to through mediation last year.