Volume 13 Issue 37 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555 September 16 - 22, 2006 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Married Clampdown on couple IN THIS ISSUE busted for NEWS: Hotels facing high-sea- son staff crunch; Bang Tao tourist visas sex show Beach vendors to be evicted? By Sompratch Saowakhon Pages 2 & 3 PATONG: Phuket Tourist Police INSIDE STORY: The TAT’s baf- on September 8 arrested six em- fling brands. Pages 4 & 5 ployees of the Hawaii Bar on Soi AROUND THE ISLAND: Tea for Royal Paradise for staging a live two – or more. Page 7 sex show between a man and AROUND THE REGION: Busi- woman. After the bust, police ness as usual. Page 8 learned the star performers in the lewd spectacle were husband GOOD LIVING: Café del Mar. Page 13 and wife. Pol Maj Jirabhop Bhuridej PEOPLE: A FantaSea come told the Gazette that officers in true. Pages 14 & 15 plainclothes had been watching MOTORING: Get your Milano the bar for a few months, follow- bangs and kicks with the 156. ing reports from tourists and Pages 17 guides that sex shows were be- LIFESTYLE: Ear Candy Now! ing staged there. and then; Hookas in Patong. “We sent in undercover of- Pages 18 & 19 ficers a few times, but were un- able to catch them in the act. But ALL AT SEA: Taking steps to find nautical novelty. Page 20 this time four doormen approach- ed the officers, asking for a 200- SPA MAGIC: Patong Medical baht cover charge [per person]. Spa. Page 21 “Once inside, our officers FIRST PERSON: Dive industry Will the Honey Bear Hotel in Kaw Thaung, Myanmar, just across from Ranong, reap windfall business saw a large stage, surrounded by worries over rules. Page 27 from tourists waiting 90 days to be allowed back into Thailand? – Photo by Chris Husted chairs. At about 10 pm, the sex BUSINESS & MONEY: Invest- show began. We quickly moved ment banks in Phuket; Money By Natcha Yuttaworawit points around the country will Immigration chiefs nationwide in and arrested the performers Talks. Pages 32 & 33 limit to three the number of con- have been ordered to attend a and the four doormen,” he said. PHUKET: Phuket’s Immigration secutive visas on arrival they will meeting at Immigration head- The couple performing on SPORT: Surf’s up for South Chief has confirmed that Thai- grant a single visitor. quarters on September 15, dur- stage were named as Chaiyuth African; Patong pugilism; land will crack down on foreign- After the third consecutive ing which the new stricter regu- Chutibundith, 25, and his wife Darts. Pages 34 & 35 ers working illegally in the coun- visa on arrival has expired, the lations will be explained to them Chayuda, 22. PROPERTY: Home of the try by ending its policy of issuing passport holder must leave the in detail. Before the sex show be- Week: Pa Khlok; Decor: Gar- an unlimited number of consecu- country and wait 90 days before “I will make a more de- gan, the entertainment consisted den furniture; Construction: tive “visas on arrival” – tourist being allowed back into Thailand tailed statement about the new of an erotic dance performance The Lantern; Gardening: Bert visas that allow the holder to stay on the same type of visa. situation within a week of return- by ladyboys, he said. gets weird. Pages 36-39 a maximum of 15 or 30 days. The move effectively lim- ing from the meeting,” he said. Most of the customers in The crackdown is intended its the length of stay for those Suwalai Pinpradab, Direc- the bar at the time were foreign- PLUS to stop foreigners – typically bar entering the country using this tor of Tourism Authority of ers, he added. owners and other small business- visa class to 45 or 90 days. Thailand’s South Region 4 Office Phuket Tourist Police have QUEER NEWS 6; AROUND THE men without work permits – from The 41 countries whose in Phuket, downplayed the poten- asked the provincial government SOUTH 9; AROUND THE NATION 10; using the visas to stay in the coun- citizens qualify for visas on ar- tial impact of the new rule on to close the venue permanently. HAPPENINGS 16; TAKE A B REAK 23 try indefinitely while working il- rival include Thailand’s top Phuket’s all-important tourism Maj Jirabhop said the bust & 24; BOOKS, PHUKET D IARY 25; sources of tourists, including al- industry. was important because a “boom” EDITORIAL, LETTERS 26; ISSUES & legally. “I don’t think it will affect ANSWERS 27; HOROSCOPES, Pol Col Bunphot Kongkra- most all Western European coun- in such sex shows could jeopar- tourism revenue in Phuket very YOUTH ’ N ASIA; MOMMA D UCK 28 chan, Acting Superintendent of tries, the United States, Canada, dize Phuket’s image among tour- & 29; COMPUTERS 30; ON THE Phuket Immigration Office, told Australia, Japan, Singapore and much because foreign business- ists. He called on business own- MOVE 32; CLASSIFIEDS 40-51. the Gazette that, from October many more. men holding work permits will still ers and the public to report any 1 onward, Immigration check- Col Bunphot said that all Continued on page 3 such shows to the police. 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS September 16 - 22, 2006 Hotels facing staff crunch in high season By Natcha Yuttaworawit K. Decha said the PPLO is now cooperating with schools and PHUKET: The island’s tourism colleges to send students to work industry faces a shortage of la- as trainees in local establish- bor in the coming high season and ments, both private and state. the Phuket Provincial Labor Of- The establishments pay the fice (PPLO) has warned that students, or at least cover fuel This month marked the first anniversary of the Royally Sponsored Wedding of Khun Niyom and Khun new hotels opening in Phang Nga costs and pay for lunch, along Natruethai ‘Amy’ Tassaneetipagorn. The ceremony was presided over by HRH Princess are likely to draw more workers with insurance for hazardous jobs. Soamsavali, on September 2, 2005, at the Suan Kularb Palace in Bangkok. Khun Niyom is Assistant away from Phuket. In return, the schools or col- Vice-President of Laguna Resorts & Hotels PCL, Phuket. PPLO Chief Decha Preuk- leges agree to send their students patanarak told the Gazette, “We during the high season – the time are chronically short of labor in the hotels need professional work- the high season, with hotel occu- ers the most. pancy so high that hotels have to The Phuket Provincial Em- Veg festival to go yellow manage with a few people to ployment Office – a related gov- serve many guests. ernment department – posts lists PHUKET CITY: Organizers of The request came during a Sirikit Park to Saphan Hin, start- “In Khao Lak, another 2,000 of job openings in its office at 38/ this year’s Vegetarian Festival meeting of the event’s organiz- ing at 1:29 pm on October 23, with hotel rooms will be opening [for 27 Rattanakosin 200 Phi Rd, have urged those taking part to ing committee at the Phuket vegetarian fare to be served along the high season].” This, he said, Phuket City, and on its website wear yellow shirts on the sec- Town Inn. much of the route. would place added strain on the at http://doe.go.th/phuket/ ond day of the festival, October Vice-Governor Pongsak K. Suwalai said she ex- ability of Phuket hotels to find, It also organizes monthly 23, to celebrate HM King Bhu- Praivet chaired the meeting, pected this year’s festival to the train and retain new staff. “Labor Markets” to bring poten- mibol Adulyadej’s Diamond Ju- which was also attended by biggest and best ever, as it falls In Phuket, he added, de- tial workers and employers to- bilee. Suwalai Pinpradab, Director of in the year of HM The King’s mand depends less on the level gether. Details may be obtained Participants traditionally the Tourism Authority of Thailand Diamond Jubilee. of employees’ qualifications than by calling the PPEO at Tel: 076- wear white throughout the festi- Southern Region 4 Office, and K. Prasert said the official on what they are trained in. 219660. val as a sign of purity. Prasert Fukthongphol, Chairman start of the festival would be at 5 of the Phuket Shrines Associa- am on October 22, at Saphan ‘Burmese tion. Hin. Long-time Kata bar owner dies This year’s festival, which Seventeen shrines are ex- will run from October 22 to 30, pected to join the festivities, which cemetery’ claims KATA: Barry Christopher Hin- will once again feature a stage will include a special ceremony son, well-known owner of the another victim set up at Saphan Hin, the tradi- for HM The King at 5:45 pm at European Bar in Kata, died tional center of Vegetarian Festi- Saphan Hin on October 23. around noon on September 5. Mr val activities. Those attending will be ex- KOH SIREH: The body of a Hinson was born in Salford, En- One of the largest street pected to kneel for one hour, he man, thought to be a Burmese gland, on June 19, 1945 and processions will be from Queen said. migrant boat worker, was found moved to Phuket some 16 years near the fishing pier on Koh Sireh ago, when he opened his bar. He at 9:45 pm on September 9. He was 61 when he died. had been stabbed multiple times Friend and regular custom- Poor get solar power in the neck, temple and thigh.