Volume 11 Issue 5 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555January 31 - February 6, 2004 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 20 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Pian gets Doubt cast over green light IN THIS ISSUE for election NEWS: Five arrested for hor- By Gategaeo Phetsawang rific killing of 15-year-old boy. jet-ski ban plan Pages 2, 3 & 4 PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket INSIDE STORY: Floating past: By Dhirarat Boonkongsaen Election Committee (PEC) has the rehabilitation of Phuket’s dismissed a complaint against historical waterway. PHUKET TOWN: Following mayoral candidate Pian Keesin, Pages 4 & 5 Governor Udomsak Usawarang- allowing him to stand in the Pa- kura’s announcement in late De- tong mayoral poll on February 8. AROUND THE ISLAND: A slice cember that jet-skis will be Kittipong Thiengkunagrit, of Italy in Phuket. Page 6 phased out in Phuket over a Director of the PEC, told the AROUND THE REGION: In Krabi, seven-year period, the Phuket Gazette on January 23 that the it’s the Year of Living Stingily. Marine Office (PMO) set a Janu- PEC had carefully considered Page 8 ary 31 deadline for jet-ski own- the complaint, lodged four days ers to register their machines. earlier by rival candidate Song- PEOPLE: Bruce Stanley meets With the expiry of that dead- serm Kepsap. some Russians and takes all line, the PMO is to begin crack- K. Songserm presented the his clothes off. ing down on unregistered ma- PEC with a copy of a confiden- Pages 10 & 11 chines, underage riders and other tial letter from the Interior THAILAND TRAVELER: A swell violations. Ministry’s Local Administration time getting to Koh Raya. But the man responsible for Department, ordering K. Pian to Page 12 bringing order to the unregulated pay the government 51,869 baht industry, which has claimed the after K. Pian – who was mayor GOVERNOR’S L ETTER: Tackling the problems of Phuket’s lives of two foreign tourists in at the time – allegedly bought beaches. Page 17 recent months, seems daunted by garbage trucks for the municipal- the task. ity at above-market prices. FIRST PERSON: Gay leader Newly-appointed PMO The PEC has ruled that K. slams ‘white awards’. Chief Kritpetch Chaichuay told Pian can run in the election, how- Page 19 the Gazette that efforts so far ever, because he has not been BUSINESS & MONEY: Infant have focused only on registering found guilty of corruption while bodycare firm targets island; jet-skis and promoting their safe holding public office. more bondage. Page 21 use. He said that phasing them “K. Pian was never dis- out completely, as Gov Udomsak missed from his duties as mayor SPORT: Phang Nga Bay Re- has ordered, could harm tourism. because of corruption,” explained gatta; Ford Golf; soccer; Ten- He admitted that he felt it K. Kittipong. “He has also not nis tips. Pages 22 & 23 would be impractical to enforce been found guilty of benefiting GOOD LIVING: Wellness on long-ignored regulations requiring personally from the garbage the rocks at Mom Tri’s Kit- tourists who rent jet-skis to have truck contract.” chen. Wine jargon. Page 25 Thai Helmsman Level 2 licenses, K. Kittipong pointed out a qualification that requires two that the Office of the Auditor PROPERTY: Home of the years’ documented proof of ex- General may order local author- Week in Rawai; Construction perience aboard a Thai-flagged A small child heads for the ‘swimmers only’ zone at Patong Beach ity figures to reimburse the gov- update. Pages 26 & 27 ship. while a jet-ski awaits another customer. ernment in cases where they pay Although jet-skis are a ma- Photograph by Sangkhae Leelanapaporn. inflated prices, but that only the PLUS jor cause of complaints from for- should be liable to six months im- skis only as passengers would be National Counter Corruption eign tourists, he said that getting prisonment, a 5,000-baht fine, or strictly enforced. Committee (NCCC) may rule on AROUND THE NATION 7; HAPPEN- rid of them entirely could harm both. K. Kritpetch said that corruption allegations. INGS 9; HEARD & SCENE, HORO- tourism in Phuket. But he said it would be im- many jet-ski owners had been K. Pian’s case is still under SCOPES 14; KIDS 15; COMPUTERS, K. Kritpetch, assigned the practical to enforce such a law unable to produce the import and consideration by the NCCC, so BOOKS 16; HEALTH 17; EDITO- task of bringing order to an in- because it would mean the over- sales documents needed to allow the PEC must consider him in- RIAL & LETTERS 18; ISSUES & dustry that has defied similar at- night demise of the jet-ski rental them to register their craft. nocent of the charges until ANSWERS 19; MOTORING 24; tempts in the past, acknowledged business in Phuket. “The deadline is January proven guilty, K. Kittipong ex- GARDENING 28; CLASSIFIEDS 29- that, legally speaking, any tour- He said, however, that reg- 31,” he said. “[As of January 22] plained. “I don’t know if [the 35. ists caught operating a jet-ski ulations allowing customers un- we have registered about 30 to complaint] is a political game,” without a Helmsman’s 2 license der 17 years of age to ride jet- Continued on page 2 he added. 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS January 31 - February 6, 2004 Queer News Envoy seeks one-year visas Victims of fashion for Filipinos BANGKOK: Protection against Developed with a grant PHUKET TOWN: Filipinos who the elements for students was from the National Research work in Phuket should be able to once just a plastic rain poncho but Council of Thailand, the light- obtain one-year visas instead of recent brawling among scholars weight protective gear is reason- three-month or six-month visas, of rival vocational schools – ably priced at 600 baht for a bag. the new Philippines Ambassador which left some innocent by- A vest costs about 1,000 baht. to Thailand, Antonio V Rodri- standers dead – has caused par- Gen Songpol Iam-bunyarit, guez, said at the end of his first ents to take extra measures to head of Bang Rajan’s research official visit to the island on Janu- safeguard their children when team, said the reinforced cloth- ary 26. they step out to study. ing was a sign that Thai creativ- Making the plea in talks with The latest brainstorm – un- ity was not inferior to that of for- Vice Governor Niran Kalayana- At the launch of the Junior Impac Dublin Literary Awards for Thailand mit, he noted that many entertain- veiled earlier this month on eigners. are, from left, Irish Ambassador Daniel Mulhall, Phuket Gazette Children’s Day – is a range of The general encouraged ers and musicians were among Managing Director Rungtip Hongjakpet, Nation Editor Pana Janviroj the 300 to 400 Filipinos who work youngster’s protective clothing parents unable to afford the scho- and Dr James Irwin, Chairman of Impac University. and accessories from the Bang lastic combat gear to make sure on Phuket. Rajan Project vigilante group. their children carry thick books, The group is substantial Caps, vests, shoulder bags and which can also be effective at Student writing contest launched enough to have formed its own folders are lined with a bullet- minimizing the impact of the association, he added. proof material capable of with- weapons favored by warring stu- BANGKOK: Entrants in a new George Bernard Shaw and Sam- Another issue raised by standing just about all the slings dents. English-language essay competi- uel Becket.” Mr Rodriguez was the condi- and arrows a Bangkok student It was not reported if there tion for high-school students in The competition for Thai- tions under which Filipino fish- could expect on a school bus: was any plan to market the inno- Thailand could win a trip to the land-based students was being ermen were hired to work on knife thrusts, sharpened sticks, vative garments in Thailand’s Irish capital, Dublin, to attend the launched, he said, because, “we Taiwanese boats sailing out of projectiles from beun pakka (zip troubled southern provinces. annual International Impac Dublin hope ... to see more Thai authors Phuket. guns) and even shotgun blasts. Source: Kom Chad Luek Literary Award ceremony. nominated for this award.” “Some of the workers are Dr James Irwin, Chairman Two trips to Dublin are up not paid according to their con- of Impac University, which is or- for grabs. Five merit awards of tracts and their passports are held ganizing the Junior Impac Dublin 10,000 baht will also be made. by their employers,” he said. The buffalo skin hunter Literary Awards for Thailand, For details of how to enter The ambassador, appointed explained, “Ireland has been the the competition, turn to page 17. in September, also asked about BANGKOK: A man from Buri The doctor gave him a home of writers of the highest Results will be announced in the bird ’flu and was assured by V/ Ram province who went on a couple of injections but these did caliber, including James Joyce, Phuket Gazette and The Nation Gov Niran that Phuket is free of three-day drinking binge over not help. Now that conventional Seamus Heaney, WB Yeats, at the end of March. the disease. New Year returned to his job in medicine had failed him, K. Sa- the capital with a terrible pain in nan became convinced that the his abdomen – which he appar- cause of his gastrointestinal woes ently tried to cure by operating was sorcery. Doubt cast over jet-ski ban plan on himself. According to a local super- The man, identified as a 32- stition, it is possible to curse a From page 1 Patong would be the primary fo- that [aims to] put all jet-ski op- year-old Sanan Jodrum, did what person in such a way that an in- 40 jet-skis in Patong, but just as cus of the enforcement effort.