ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE Island’s suicide safety net An in-depth look at suicide and prevention in paradise INSIDE TODAY May 4 - 10, 2013 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht ‘THEY THREATENED OFFICERS WITH KNIVES, TAUNTING THEM TO FIGHT’ Russians working on Soi Bangla behind bars A NIGHT raid of four clubs in Phuket’s nightlife epicenter, Soi Bangla, saw Yacht pirates 35 illegally working Rus- sians arrested. Those arrested face a variety of charges ranging from public indecency to working without a work permit. hauled ashore Full story on Page 3 Shark fetus Audacious thieves on display slash police during in Kata Two scalloped hammer- head shark fetuses were daring daylight escape discovered on display at a Kata restaurant, inciting By Saran Mitrarat Gazette readers to demand something be done. A CAT-AND-MOUSE chase through Chalong Bay Full story on Page 8 marina ended with police firing into the air and appre- hending two armed yacht thieves last weekend. The suspects, not willing to surrender, made a brazen escape attempt in Phuket Town in broad day- DSI re-opens light the next day that ended with two police officers investigation being attacked with a broken bottle. Both officers suf- fered deep cuts in apprehending the escapees, with of killer cops one officer requiring 10 stitches to a cut on his face. Local yachtsman Capt Bruce Issell was notified Four years after a Buddha by a silent alarm that intruders had boarded the well- image thief was gunned known Phuket catamaran DaVinci at about 11:30pm down by police in broad last Friday night, prompting him to investigate. daylight, the Department of “I was alone on the DaVinci Sunseeker 50 towing Special Investigation be- a dinghy behind and my fellow captain, Phayon ‘Nhu’ gins an inquest into the yet- Phumthong, was in another dinghy. When the alarm to-be-explained circum- went off we went to see what was happening and stances surrounding the Capt Nhu saw people on the boat… 32-year-old man’s death. Continued on Page 2 Two police officers were injured as the pair of thieves attempted to escape in broad daylight. Full story on Page 6 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS May 4 - 10, 2013 Protest by illegal taxis Business Phuket’s positioning as gains airport reprieve Thailand’s second major By Kritsada Mueanhawong MICE hub. Page 11 DAYS of protests by taxi drivers operating under the Mook Business Andaman Cooperative has led Frank Gunn shares a officials at Phuket International shot of wheatgrass at his Airport to allow 25 of their driv- ers to serve passengers at the juice bar. Page 13 airport without further delay. Phuket Land Transport Office Diving Chief Terayout Prasertphol ex- plained, “Mook Andaman will Exploring the desert have 25 cars join Phuket Mai Khao under the sea invites Company on the condition that discoveries. Page 34 each driver pays a monthly fee of 2,600 baht plus 25 per cent of income earned from fares, and Mook Andaman drivers confront airport officials over access to passengers. Environment drives either a Toyota Altis or ation,” chief Terayout added. from further protests. The Asian openbill stork Camry with an engine capacity Also, Mook Andaman Secretary The 25 names to be provided over 1,600cc.” Ittipol Mektanee told reporters that must already be on the list of 50 and golden apple snail The point of contention report- his drivers had been waiting since drivers who were approved to on Phuket. Page 36 edly was that the vehicles used by last August for Airports of Thai- work at an airport-taxi meeting last Mook Andaman drivers did not land (AOT) to respond to their November. satisfy the requirements laid down request to serve the airport. Yet, Mook Andaman President LOS by law for taxi drivers serving the “We have been denied the right Songtham Mekmanee explained Ye Olde Curmudgeon airport. to work by the AOT staff and by that only 25 of the drivers named solves the world’s “If Mook Andaman does not the companies who have received on the list were from his co- have enough cars that satisfy the concessions at the airport. We operative. “The others are not our problems. Page 42 legal requirements, we will be want the AOT to clarify what our members,” he said. flexible and have them present a working rights are,” he said. “I will file a complaint about Sport list of drivers and their vehicles However, the deal to allow this problem to the AOT to recon- so we can pass that on to Phuket some drivers to serve the airport sider the names on the list,” Mr An interview with the Mai Khao Company for consider- may be only a temporary reprieve Songtham added. winner of the ITF tourney at TSLC. Page 51 Yacht thieves run aground Killer gold From page 1 robber still …and Capt Nhu saw people on the boat with a yellow dinghy tied up at the back,” Capt Issell said. on island “We called the police and I said to him just wait, stay away and PHUKET Police received a tip-off watch them,” he explained. last Friday that the armed robber On seeing the two boats maneu- of a Phuket gold shop who vering around them, the thieves The DaVinci catamaran is well gunned down attacked the Sunseeker and known for its competitive results a customer attempted to climb into the dinghy in the Phuket Raceweek and King’s on April 8 Cup regattas. trailing behind the luxury yacht to was still on board and capture Capt Issell. The next day, Niwat and the island. “They also tried to board the Theeraphol attempted an auda- “We are dinghy Capt Nhu was in, threat- cious escape in broad daylight continuing to ening him with knives,” he said. while being transported to Phuket gather infor- Police officers soon arrived in Provincial Court in Phuket Town. mation from force on board a dinghy offered “When the transport pickup witnesses. I Choti Chavalviwat by a local dive company. truck stopped at the Seng-Ho in- got another “They also threatened the tersection on Montri Road, they phone call this morning [April 26] officers with knives, taunting them kicked open the cage door and ran that confirmed our belief that the to come on board their dinghy to off into the nearby Bang Yai robber is still on the run in fight,” Capt Issell explained. Canal,” Capt Nucharee Longkaew Phuket,” Provincial Police Com- In response to the threats, po- of the Phuket City Police explained. mander Choti Chavalviwat told the lice fired two warning shots into Two Chalong Police officers, Gazette. the air. Sen Sgt Maj Boonpob Kingmala The Royal Thai Police, as well “The bad boys did not have and Sen Sgt Maj Chaloem as all police stations on Phuket, guns,” Capt Issell confirmed. Thanyapan, gave chase and cor- have been notified of the situation Realizing they had no way to nered the escapees in the canal. and an arrest warrant has been escape and that police were “The suspects, still handcuffed issued by the court, Gen Choti armed, the thieves surrendered and together, smashed a bottle they confirmed. were brought ashore. found in the water and attacked Gen Choti urged anyone with Niwat Duangmanee and the police,” Capt Nucharee said. information that might lead to the Theeraphol Malasan, both 21, The officers moved in and arrest of the killer to contact the were charged with using knives bravely arrested the men, but not nearest police station, the Phuket to commit armed robbery; using before Sgt Boonpob suffered a cut Provincial Police at 076-212046. a vehicle to evade police; and re- that required 10 stitches and Sgt He also offered informants to ceiving stolen property, Sub Lt Chaloem was slashed on the arm. call the Commander himself at Kraisorn Boonprasop of the For their efforts, Niwat and 081-8021011. Chalong Police confirmed. Theeraphol both had attempting to “We will find the culprit and we Looking for a place to stay? “They confessed to all charges escape custody and assaulting a will arrest him as soon as pos- See more classified ads at www.phuketgazette.net except receiving stolen property,” police officer added to their list of sible,” he added. he added. charges. – Namsai Wongsaeree May 4 - 10, 2013 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Russians nabbed in ‘topless’ raids By Kritsada Mueanhawong EMPLOYMENT officers arrested 35 Russians in four nightclubs on Monday night following reports of DSI Deputy Director-General Yanapol Yungyuen says he is considering using Facebook to catch foreigners working illegally. Photo: Saran Mitrarat topless dance shows in Phuket’s infamous nightlife destination, Soi Bangla in Patong. Kathu District Chief Veera Facebook to tag Kerdsirimongkol led the raids on the four clubs at about 10pm. “We received reports of topless illegal foreigners shows at nightclubs in the area and suspected there were also illegal THE Department of Special Inves- them a little money in return. I saw workers operating,” he said. tigation (DSI) is considering a woman who was the ‘owner’ Overall 35 Russians – 29 launching a Facebook page so that of a tourist company riding an old women and six men – were found people can report foreigners motorbike and living in a tiny in violation of labor laws, ex- working illegally in Thailand by rented room,” Mr Supachai said plained Mr Veera. uploading photos directly onto the to illustrate his point. Those arrested and brought in Internet. “Tourism can generate a great by the officers face a variety of The news came after DSI deal of income for Thailand, but charges ranging from public in- decency to working without a A dancer twirls on a chrome pole in the street-view window of the L’Amour Deputy Director-General Yanapol in fact, very little of that money club on Patong’s popular Soi Bangla.