ANDAMAN Edition PHUKET’S LEADING NEWSPAPER... SINCE 1993 Now NATIONWIDE Grand Opening March 28 Honda Big Bike Authorized Dealer On Thepkrasattri Road, Phuket SEE DETAILS INSIDE March 23 - 29, 2013 PhuketGazette.Net In partnership with The Nation 25 Baht ‘NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I WILL STAY HERE. I WILL DIE HERE.’ Shot Tourist Police officer faces murder charges Sea gypsies to A TOURIST police officer, still recovering from multiple gun wounds from a shooting on Wednesday, is now facing charges of murder. Sen Sgt Maj Pinchai Piyadilok was taken to hospi- tal before police arrived at the location he was shot. Police arrived to find two men dead stand ground and another alive, but shot three times in the chest. Full story on Page 3 Rawai sea gypsies Phuket to be face forced relocation role model for as court orders evictions title deed land probes By Orawin Narabal A DEPUTY Ministry of Inte- rior arrived on island this FEARING they will have nowhere to go if court-ordered week to immediately launch a evictions are carried out, villagers at the southern Phuket land title deed investigation sea gypsy community in Rawai have steadfastly resolved aimed at establishing Phuket to stay put. as Thailand’s role model for “Our people have been living here for more than 200 land probes. years. Our homes once lined the length of the beach, but Full story on Page 4 now we have only 19 rai to live on,” said village elder Ngeam Dumrongkaset, 68. Put Hadthong, 48, and his family refuse to move. Leatherback “We have nowhere to go. My family has been living here for more than 60 years. Although they say they turtle babies have documents to prove who owns the land, this is the land of our ancestors. No matter what happens, I will scramble to sea stay here. I will die here,” he said. HUNDREDS of leatherback Mr Put learned of his eviction notice after his nephew sea turtles, the most endan- handed him the court order when he returned from work gered species of turtle in the one day in 2009. Andaman region, have “It was on the afternoon of March 21. I had just… hatched in Phang Nga. Continued on Page 6 THEIR FUTURE, TODAY: Where the sea gypsy children in Rawai will play hangs in the balance. Full story on Page 6 2 PHUKET GAZETTE PHUKET NEWS March 23 - 29, 2013 Fear delays launch Business The Kingdom’s first of new airport bus rubberized asphalt road in Krabi. Page 12 By Chutharat Plerin THE long-awaited and much sup- Tech ported Phuket Airport Bus Express Find out how to retrieve – marking Phuket’s first “hop on- your lost or stolen hop off” bus service from the air- port to major tourist beaches along phone. Page 17 the west coast – will not be launched this month. Boats The news came at a provincial transport committee meeting at Andrew Scott learns the Phuket Land Transportation how to purchase a Office (PLTO) on Tuesday led by superyacht. Page 37 ardent supporter of the new ser- vice, PLTO chief Teerayut Presertpol. In Focus The committee agreed “in prin- Miss Thailand World ciple” to approve the new service, but vetoed the launch on the con- spices up Phuket with dition that tuk-tuk and taxi drivers bikini shoot. Page 39 be consulted first on whether or not they would accept it. A gravely disappointed Mr Ready to roll but no place to go. Photo: Chutharat Plerin Explore Teerayut told the Gazette, “Actu- Going the other way at ally, I expected the committee to ing the new service. Phuket would have the bus service, Phuket’s second cable approve the PLTO’s issuance of “I am worried that there will be V/Gov Chamroen dodged the ques- the needed permit to the bus op- attacks [on the bus drivers],” V/ tion, saying only that, “Phuket is ski park. Page 43 erator, OS Car Rent & Tour, but Gov Chamroen explained to the still moving forward, but we will they didn’t.” meeting. move forward cautiously.” Sport Instead, the committee sup- “I am especially worried about Dates and venues for the pub- ported the suggestion by its the tuk-tuk and taxi drivers in Kata- lic feedback meetings have yet to Phuket’s young archers chairman, Phuket Vice Governor Karon,” he added. be set, but it was agreed that such aim for international Chamroen Tipayapongtada, that Asked whether the provincial meetings were to be held before competition. Page 50 local tuk-tuk and taxi drivers be government would allow the local May 15, Mr Teerayut said. consulted first before approving tuk-tuk and taxi drivers, rather than The committee will not meet any official steps toward launch- the public, to decide whether or not again before that date, he added. Pharmacy selling abortion Bag snatcher accidentally Tourist bus driver pills raided in police sting arrested for DUI A PHARMACIST in central turns herself in to police POLICE arrested a drunk bus Phuket Town has been charged driver who hit a pickup truck on A WOMAN wanted as a bag- March 13 after dropping off tour- with illegally selling abortion pills snatcher was arrested by Phuket in an undercover operation carried ists at the airport. Police on March 17 after going to Sirisak Suksai, 48, was driving out by Ministry of Public Health the Thalang Police Station to re- officials. near the airport when a tour bus port an alleged beating by her boy- clipped his pickup and broke the A complaint filed directly to po- friend. lice in Bangkok resulted in the sting right rearview mirror. Rudeemas “Yaem” Sumeng, 22, Mr Sirisak chased the bus operation on the City Health Care walked into the police station ap- pharmacy, on Dibuk Road, near the until it stopped at the Thalang parently unaware that there was a Museum. junction with Soi Romanee, on the The pharmacy in Phuket Town that warrant out for her arrest as a was raided by Public Health officials. Ms Rudeemas got herself When police arrived, the driver, afternoon of March 12. member of a bag-snatching gang. “An officer who is three months Photo Kritsada Mueanhawong arrested. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar Ayan Noppawong Na Ayutthaya, Ms Rudeemas revealed that her 55, talked in a confused way. pregnant entered the store and The pharmacist was charged partner had an arrest warrant in find that Ms Rudeemas was also asked to buy abortion pills. The with selling illegal medication, sell- He registered 0.26 per cent on his name and police double- listed on the warrant. an alcohol test, which is above the pharmacist gave her the pills and ing unapproved medical equipment checked their case files, only to – Thawit Bilabdullar charged her 16,000 baht,” Minis- and for practicing as a pharma- legal limit of .05 per cent, and was try of Health legal officer Chatree cist without a license. charged with drunk driving and Pinyai explained. – Kritsada Mueanhawong driving without a license. From tourists to addicts Mr Ayan faces drunk driving pen- DRUG suppression officers ar- grams of ya ice, 29 tablets of Ec- alties of up to a year in prison, a rested a former Phuket tour busi- stasy and nine small glass bottles fine of 5,000 to 20,000 baht, and a ness operator who turned to sell- containing Ketamine,” the district six-month suspension of his license. ing drugs after his business closed chief added. – Orawin Narabal due to hard times. Officers also seized drug para- Siriwat Srisuriyachai, 43, was phernalia, including hypodermic arrested on Sakdidet Road in needles, and 49,990 baht in cash. Phuket Town at 11:30pm on “The drugs have an estimated March 14. street value of 299,230 baht,” Mr “An undercover officer pre- Supachai said. tended to buy 1,000 baht of ya ice “Mr Siriwat claims this was his [crystal methamphetamine] from first time selling drugs, and he said Mr Siriwat and agreed to receive the that all the drugs he had were de- drugs later,” Muang District Chief livered from Bangkok to Phuket Supachai Pochanukul explained. by bus,” the chief added. After the handover, officers Mr Siriwat was charged with moved in and made the arrest. possession, sale and distribution “We searched his car [a of class 1 and class 2 narcotics. Mercedes-Benz] and found 78.78 – Kritsada Mueanhawong Sirisak blows over the legal limit. March 23 - 29, 2013 PHUKET NEWS PHUKET GAZETTE 3 Two dead in shootout Tourist Police Officer seriously injured in gunfight, charged with murder By Kritsada Mueanhawong A PHUKET Tourist Police officer was charged with murder after he arrived at hospital, leaving two dead, gunned down in a housing The man claims to have been estate near Phuket Town. disciplining the child. Sen Sgt Maj Pinchai Piyadilok was taken to hospital for gunshot wounds to his leg and stomach Alleged child before police arrived at the scene, the Phuket Garden Ville housing estate. rapist denies Officers received reports of shots fired at the housing estate, all charges near Phuket Rajabhat University, A PHUKET shopkeeper accused at 2:30am. of raping a 9-year-old girl in They arrived to find the body of October has denied the charges Saran Chaithum, 26, leaning against him, claiming that he against the open door to the room. struck the child to discipline her. In the bed was the body of Police found two 26-year-old men dead in a room at a housing estate after neighbors heard gunfire. “The suspect claimed that he Chalermpol Tripuk, 26. just wanted to discipline the girl Both were dead from gunshot chief Col Sermphan Sirikong said.