Month: October 2004
- Phuket
US$50,000 reward offered over jewelry heist
BANGKOK: CB Fine Jewelry is offering a reward of US$50,000 for information that will lead to the arrest of Anthony “Dirk” De Weirdt, a Belgian national and the former factory manager of CB Fine Jewelry, in connection with the alleged theft of gems and jewelry said to total 18 million baht from the Bangkok jewelers. Bangrak District Police issued an…
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Two bodies found in “Burmese Cemetery’
RASSADA: The bodies of two unidentified men thought to be Burmese fishermen were discovered near the fishing docks in Tambon Rassada yesterday morning. Pol Lt Pattrawut Onchuay of the Phuket City Police told Gazette today that his department received a report of fighting involving several people just after midnight on October 28 and went to investigate. The combatants managed to…
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Road crackdown a boon for police
PHUKET: Statistics tallied from Phuket’s eight police districts between June 1, 2003 and September 30, 2004 recorded a total of 139,320 traffic violations.The central Government designated the 16-month reporting period as a crackdown on traffic violators, during which time police were charged with establishing checkpoints to inspect passing vehicles, the stated goal being to improve road safety. Chatchawan Munpolsri, Deputy…
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Server swamped
PHUKET: Following a bulletin on Wednesday afternoon announcing that the deadline for listings in the Gazette Guide (local yellow pages) for 2005 would be Sunday night, 31 October, the Gazette web server has been under heavy pressure and has suffered sporadic downtime. In what may be a reflection of the booming economy in the Andaman region, approximately 220 new listings…
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Gambling tops crime stats again
PHUKET: In October gambling once again topped the crime statistics in Phuket, with 166 people arrested for indulging in illegal games of chance during the October 1-25 reporting period. Twenty-two of the arrests were linked to the underground lottery.Other crime figures released by the Phuket Provincial Police included 42 arrests for illegal use or possession of narcotics, with 222 tablets…
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Night venues win “unofficial’ 2 am reprieve
PATONG: Entertainment venues in Patong and Kata-Karon this evening won an interim “unofficial” reprieve from the Governor, who has said they may stay open until 2 am.In return, they have agreed to call off their protest at the football field on Thaweewong Rd.After meeting with Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura early this evening, Sompetch Moosophon, President of the Patong Entertainment Business…
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Plague of bugs hits coconut trees
PHUKET: Phuket’s coconut trees have been attacked by an estimated one billion coconut hispine beetles this year.Songwat Tiwthao, of Phuket Provincial Agriculture Office, told the Gazette that the problem was a new phenomenon, with the beetles (scientific name brontispa longissima) being found in Phuket only during the past two years. They are particularly prevalent in Chalong and RawaiThe coconut hispine…
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Phuket 100pc safe – police chief
PHUKET: The island’s highest-ranking police officer gave his assurances today that there is no possibility of the recent violence in the Deep South spreading north to Phuket. The violence, said Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Suvith Othong, remains confined to the three troubled southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.He said it was “impossible” for an event similar to…
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“One tambon, one lawyer’ scheme launched
PHUKET: Each of Phuket’s 17 sub-districts, or tambon, should soon have its own lawyer, under a new “one tambon, one lawyer” initiative.The tambon lawyers, who will be paid 7,260 baht a month, will give basic legal advice and information about state laws to residents of the tambon where they work, as well as be responsible for trying to resolve disputes.The…
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Plans to solve landslide and flood problems
PHUKET: The Chief of the Phuket Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), Metha Mekarat, has outlined both short- and long-term plans that he hopes will reduce instances of flooding and landslides in Phuket. K. Metha told the Gazette that the recent flooding and landslides were caused both by nature and by human interference.“Some housing projects have caused watercourses to…
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New law aims to protect Phang Nga
PHANG NGA: The government is debating a new law to preserve and enhance the environment in Phang Nga. The Chief of the Phang Nga Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment, Jarin Inkeaw, said the law has been under consideration by the Office of the Council of State (OCS) since September. It will have to be presented to the Cabinet…
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PM to review 1 am closing – Gov
PHUKET: Following mass protests in Patong and Phuket City today, Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has informed representatives of the entertainment industry in Phuket that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will discuss closing times with the Cabinet next Tuesday (November 2).Packdee Ritthisaman, of the Phuket City Entertainment Association, told the Gazette that the Governor informed him that the Cabinet will discuss a proposal…
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Thief sparks investigation
BANGKOK : The remains of a would-be thief were found lying on the floor of a new home being constructed for Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and one Thailand’s wealthiest women. A construction worker arriving at the worksite on the morning of October 21 made the gruesome discovery near the back of the partly-constructed mansion, located on…
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Night venues set for mass protest
PHUKET: Less than one week before the official start of the high season for tourism on November 1, nighttime entertainment venue operators appear set to move forward with their planned work stoppage to protest the government’s early closing times.More than 200 bar owners, staff and others affected by the new regulations gathered at the Crocodile Pub on Soi Bangla last…
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One billion firecrackers, one billion baht
PHUKET CITY: Tonight marks the end of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2004, when believers will bid farewell to thousands of Chinese warrior gods as they return to their celestial realm.Sending them on their way at 10 pm will be the explosions of no fewer than a billion firecrackers, according to the official Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) guide to the…
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Patong Carnival to go ahead
PATONG: Despite the gloom brought on by the enforcement of early closing hours, sparking plans to stage a mass protest next Tuesday and possibly even close all entertainment venues indefinitely from that date, the 19th Patong Carnival is still on track to run from November 1 to 3, marking the beginning of the 2004-2005 high season for tourism.This year’s activities…
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Locals welcome first hotel on Koh Maphrao
PHUKET: Koh Keaw Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) has welcomed the news that a 600-million-baht hotel is to be built on Koh Maphrao, in Phang Nga Bay, east of Phuket City.Managing director Lily Udomkunnatum unveiled Burasari Resort’s plans for the development, the first hotel on Koh Maphrao, and the company’s third in Phuket, after the Burasari Resort, Patong, which opened in…
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Phuket works on stray dog problem
PHUKET CITY: Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura held a round-table discussion at the Provincial Hall Meeting room yesterday to outline his plan for solving Phuket’s chronic stray dog problem.About 30 people attended the meeting, including local and provincial officials and animal charity representatives.The Governor acknowledged that there were “management” problems at the Mid Road Dog Shelter in Thalang, which render the facility…
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German dies from knife wounds
RAWAI: Hans Jurgen Ottmar Bayer, 37, from Germany, died on Monday night from knife wounds sustained in a fight with his live-in partner, Nakorn Koipud, 25, at their home in the Happy Home housing estate.Pol Capt Chana Sutthimas, of Chalong Police Station, said that Nakorn told police she was slicing vegetables in the kitchen at about 9 pm, when Mr…
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TAT backs F1 powerboat race
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has agreed in principle to give the Phuket Chamber of Commerce the 30 million baht it requested to bring F1 powerboat racing to Phuket next March.The decision was made today at Kata Beach Resort after the Vice-Governor of the TAT, Santichai Euajongprasit, and the Director of the TAT office in Phuket, Suwalai Pinpradub,…
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Phuket Immigration “best in South’
PHUKET: Pol Col Witawat Buranasompop, Superintendent of the Phuket Provincial Immigration Office (PPIO), today announced that his office has been chosen as the best immigration office in the south for its level of service and the improvements it has made.The PPIO received the award from Immigration Division 3 on September 30, Col Witawat said, proudly adding that PPIO Deputy Superintendent…
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Myanmar upheaval “no cause for concern’
PHUKET CITY: The current political upheaval in Myanmar should not cause any material changes to the position of Burmese labourers in Phuket, the Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Office, Pol Col Witawat Buranasompop, said today.Col Witawat told the Gazette that his office had been advised by the national immigration office to monitor Burmese labourers on the island in the wake of…
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