Volume 15 Issue 48 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555November 29 - December 5, 2008 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Reef Squadron splashes down By Tipwarintron Tanaakarachod INSIDE BANG TAO: The Thai Dive As- sociation (TDA), For Sea Foun- dation, and the Royal Thai Air force joined forces on Novem- ber 24 to sink ten decomissioned cold-war aircraft in the Andaman sea, creating an artificial reef in Bang Tao Bay. The ten-plane “Coral Reef Squadron”, as it has been dubbed, is made up of four Douglas C-47 Dakota Skytrain planes and six Miss France Sikorsky S-58T helicopters. Exclusive The operation to sink the craft was carried out in co-op- French beauties, one of eration with Sang Charoen Ship- whom will be crowned Miss ping Industry Co Ltd. France 2009, turned heads Slated to start at 11 am, the in Phuket recently. procedure was postponed for Page 2. three hours owing to heavy rain and poor visibility. While sinking the first plane, the team encoun- NEWS: More buses and CCTV cameras for Patong; tered further difficulties when air The first of four Douglas C-47 Dakota Skytrains is gently lowered into the sea. It hit the ocean bed at Toilet-paper warehouse became trapped in the tail sec- a depth of 21 meters at around 2:30 pm on Monday, November 24. goes up in smoke. tion, causing it to float. Pages 2 & 3 The team managed to re- numbers of resort divers visiting would provide a better environ- solve the problem by punching the sites. ment for the formation of coral. CONSERVATION holes in the tail and wing sections Mr Vittayen Muttamara, Marshal Knogsak subse- REPORT: Award-winning of the plane, allowing the trapped secretary of the TDA, told the quently sanctioned the acquisition environmentalist John Gray air to escape. Gazette that a survey conducted of the Dakota planes and Sikorsky compares conservation Thereafter, the mission pro- by the For Sea Foundation had helicopters, which had long since cultures around the region. ceeded according to plan and the discovered widespread degrada- been decommissioned and sta- Pages 4 & 5 plane finally came to rest on a tion of the coral in the Andaman tioned in Lop Buri province. specially created concrete plat- sea. The decay was caused for In order to use the aircraft, LIFESTYLE: Tai Chi form 22 meters below the sur- the most part by tourist diving, he however, the For Sea Foundation Timeout Part II. Learn a face. This newly fashioned arti- said. needed to secure approval from new move for your well- ficial reef will become home to a World-renowned for the the US, which had earlier do- variety of fish and coral. beauty of its coral, the Andaman nated the craft to Thailand. This being with Tai Chi expert The aircraft used to build the Rick Attix. The aircraft used to build reef are arranged in a circular sea each year attracts thousands acquisition process took more Pages 16 & 17 the reef are arranged in a circle formation with two craft of divers keen to explore its than a year to complete. formation with two craft posi- positioned in the center. reefs. To service this demand, Having acquired the planes, tioned in the center. while at the same time protect- the For Sea Foundation then had AROUND THE NATION 6; Following the successful saw active service in the Viet- ing the beauty of the coral reefs, to decide upon a location for the RARE VINTAGE 11; PEOPLE sinking of the first aircraft on nam and Korean wars and were the For Sea Foundation came up new reef. 12 AND 13; HAPPENINGS Monday, the plan, at the time of later used as part of HM the with the idea of building a man- In opting for Bang Tao Bay, 14; END OF THE L INE 15; going to press, was to sink two King’s project to create artificial made reef using airplanes. the foundation calculated that by LIFESTYLE 16 & 17; craft per day, culminating with rain. This sinking of a squadron The For Sea Foundation locating the new reef near to YOUTH 'N ASIA 18; WHAT’S the final aircraft being lowered of military aircraft represents a first considered using a decom- popular Koh Wew, the area ON 19; BUSINESS & to the seabed today November world first for Phuket. missioned fighter plane that was would provide an attractive dive MONEY 20; TAKE A B REAK 29, which will mark the official The TDA is hoping that the stationed in Hat Yai. alternative to Phi Phi, Koh Racha 24; BOOKS, THAI 101 25; opening of the Sea Air Wreck. new man-made reef will provide However, Royal Thai Air Yai and Koh Racha Noi. GOVERNOR'S LETTER 27; Minister of Tourism and Sport, a boost to tourism, while helping Force chief Marshal Knogsak The total cost of the Sea Air HOROSCOPES 28; MOTOR- Veerasak Kosurat, will preside to protect Thailand’s other natu- Wattana cautioned against the Wreck project is around eight ING 29; SPORTS 30; PROP- million baht, with the government ERTY: 33 - 38; CLASSI- over the opening ceremony. ral coral reefs, which have suf- use of this craft, recommending FIEDS 39-48. All the aircraft used in the fered great damage over recent instead the use of a larger num- footing about half the bill and the Coral Reef Squadron project years as the result of the large ber of bigger aircraft, which rest put up by sponsors. 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS November 29 - December 5, 2008 Drunken villager “Au revoir” Miss France huket’s natural beauty confesses to brutal was further enhanced last week with the arrival slaying of neighbor Pof 36 Miss France con- testants who came here to film a special segment of the pageant to be broadcast in France next KATHU: A Kathu man has con- Liam Thepkaew. Still drunk and month. The choice of Phuket as fessed to the shooting and stab- covered with bloodstains, a destination was largely due to bing to death of a neighbor on the Wichian confessed to killing Mr a collaboration between the Tour- morning of November 23. Nitti in a fit of drunken rage. ism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Under questioning at Tung Under interrogation at Tung Paris office, XL Airways and Tong police station, Wichian Tong Police Station, he told of- BEST Tours. Choosri, 38, stated that he killed ficers, while still clearly drunk, Between November 16-21, What's your poisson? Beauty on parade at a local fish market. 39-year-old Nitti Limboot while that he had had a fight over poli- the Miss France contestants and the inaugural flight to take place For years, France has re- in a drunken rage earlier that tics with Mr Nitti a few weeks their entourage, totaling 85 people, on 21 December 2008. mained one of the most impor- morning. earlier. stayed at the Indigo Pearl Resort While in Phuket the contes- tant European markets for Mr Wichian reported the When he saw Mr Nitti driv- where they were based during tants were kept busy with photo Thailand’s travel industry, along murder to the police, who arrived ing down the soi on his salaeng their stay here. shoots and other pre-event cov- with the UK, Germany and Swe- at the scene off Wichit Songkram (motorbike with sidecar attached) The ladies were flown to erage as well as sightseeing or- den. Road, Soi 4, in Tambon Kathu to towards the main road, he stood Phuket on a special XL Airways ganized by the TAT and BEST Thailand welcomed around find onlookers crowded around in the middle of the soi to block chartered flight direct from Paris. tours. With the wide and varied 351,651 French visitors in 2007, Mr Nitti’s body. his path. XL Airways is due to start its media channels for the Miss an increase of 9.92% from Partially decapitated and He wanted to “clear the air” operation of regular Paris-Phuket France 2009 campaign in Phuket 319,910 the previous year. lying face-up, the victim had been and settle their differences, he charter flights in December 2008. and the inaugural flight, TAT The Miss France 2009 pag- shot in the head and had had his told police. The weekly one-flight service will hopes that more French people eant will be broadcast on De- throat slashed. However, when Mr Nitti continue until April 2010 using a will now choose Thailand as their cember 6 on TF1 to an estimated He had also suffered deep refused to talk to him he pulled 364-seat Airbus A330-200, with next holiday destination. 12 million French viewers. lacerations to his legs and arms out a .38 and fired, hitting the vic- inflicted by a rubber tapping tim in the head. sickle. Mr Wichian then went back Bottled water set to slake taste for luxury Around him were hundreds to his house to get a sickle, which of rubber saplings, some splat- he used to sever the victim’s neck n November 22 bever tered with blood. and slash his throat, arms and age importer CVS An investigation of the area legs. Syndicate held a party uncovered one .38 caliber bullet He then went to tell his Oat White Box, Kalim casing on the ground in front of a neighbor Mr Liam what he had Beach to celebrate the opening small, one-storey wooden house done, he said. of its new office in Phuket and to located about 20 meters from However, police noted dis- promote its new “super pre- where the body was found.