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Land fees generate B935m
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Provincial Land Office (PPLO) has collected 935 million baht in taxes and fees this year, more than three times the amount collected last year.The money was generated from purchases and sales of land, subdivisions of plots, and issuance of permits for development projects during the financial year from October 1, 2003 to September 30, 2004.PPLO Chief Suphot Suwannachote told the…
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Three injured in “visa run’ smash
RANONG: One man had a leg amputated and two others required hospitalization after a minivan taking passengers from Phuket on a “visa run” collided with a water truck on November 12.Pol Sub Lt Chatchai Pongsingto, of Ranong Town Police Station, told the Gazette that the accident happened on Paknam-Ranong Rd at about 12:20 pm.The van, which is owned by Andaman…
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Pa Khlok still without OrBorTor president
PA KHLOK: More than three months after the election for the posts, Pa Khlok Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) is still without a president.Soonthorn Suebkhajorn, the lawyer for the Phuket Electoral Commission (PEC), yesterday told the Gazette that the PEC is still waiting for the Central Election Commission in Bangkok to order the PEC to uphold the results or to take…
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B1.5m damage in Patong blaze
PATONG: One man is seriously ill in Phuket International Hospital after being badly burned during a fire that destroyed two houses in Phisit Gorani Soi 1 late last night.After evacuating his family from the house, Chalermporn Jikpipaksit, 46, ran back into the blaze to remove a gas cylinder from his cooker so it would not explode. He suffered severe burns…
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Student pharmacist dies from overdose
PATONG: Police believe that a 19-year-old pharmacology student on holiday in Phuket committed suicide by overdosing on barbiturates in a hotel room in Patong.Alongkorn Pitaktrirat, of Nakhon Ratchasima, had been dead for around two days when his body was found on Wednesday at the Baan Bua Hotel, where he was staying.Pol Lt Padungpong Duksukaew, of Kathu Police Station, said that…
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Governor to appeal for homes to stay on state land
PHUKET CITY: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura will ask the Cabinet to allow residents in Soi Kingkaew, near Koh Sireh, to keep their homes, even though government offices have long claimed that the houses have been built on state land.The Governor visited the soi on Tuesday with Phuket Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment chief Thongchai Saowapong. The inspection came after…
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Thinner can be a blast
SAMUT SAKHON: As any drug-taker driven to extremes by the government’s War on Drugs Part III can tell you, taking a few deep breaths of paint thinner can give you a buzz. The downside of breathing in thinners is that it may also knock your judgment a teeny bit off kilter, to the point where you forget that it can…
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The final upshot
BANGKOK: Police arrested a 27-year-old man after he was caught taking photos up a girl’s skirt at a motor show at Central Plaza on Phra Ram III Rd last month. Worakarn Jaruphat was collared by security guards after “Amp”, a young woman taking part in the Miss Motorshow Contest, grabbed his wrist when she felt something touch her legs. When…
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Alleged jewel thief arrested in Koh Lanta
KOH LANTA: Anthony “Dirk” De Weirdt, wanted for questioning in connection with missing jewelry worth an estimated 18 million baht, was arrested on Koh Lanta on Friday following a tip-off.De Weirdt, a Belgian who was formerly the factory manager of Bangkok’s CB Fine Jewelry, disappeared shortly after precious stones and other items were found missing from the company’s safe on…
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WTO helps develop sustainable tourism
PHUKET CITY: Developing tourism as a sustainable industry for Phuket was the topic discussed by World Tourism Organisation (WTO) adviser Hans Carl Jacobsen and local officials at a meeting today at Phuket Provincial Hall.Joining Mr Jacobsen at the seminar were representatives of the Office of Tourism Development and the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, as well as Phuket Governor Udomsak…
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Thai AirAsia launches Phuket-Singapore service
PHUKET: Low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia, an associate carrier of Malaysian low-fare airline AirAsia, yesterday launched a daily, direct flight service between Phuket and Singapore, offering promotional fares as low as 1,200 baht for advanced ticket purchases made over the Internet.Flight FD 3028 departs Phuket at 9:30 am and arrives in Singapore at 12:10 pm local time. The return leg, Flight…
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Couple die in bike smash
CHALONG: An American visitor from Bangkok and her partner have died in a motorbike accident at Chalong.Mary Susan Crosland, 52, and Cha Paen Anukul, also 52, were killed around 10 am on Tuesday, when the motorbike K. Cha was driving, with Ms Crosland riding behind, failed to take a curve near Chao Fa Thani village.The couple lived in Bangkok and…
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Fast visas and work permits coming – Sipa
PHUKET CITY: The man charged with transforming Phuket into a “cyber paradise” says procedures for fast-track visa and work permit approvals for foreign IT workers will be operational next month.Dr Manoo Ordeedolchest, President of the Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa), has announced that applicants will be able to apply to the Sipa office, which will then coordinate with the Board of…
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Pa Khlock people back new pier
PHUKET: A small gathering of interested Pa Khlock residents today gave their backing to a proposal by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) to build a new pier at Ao Por.However, the exact location has yet to be decided, and the land around all the possible sites is in private hands.Staff from the Marine Department gave a presentation on the…
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Amlo land probe “still running’
BANGKOK: Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) Deputy Secretary Pol Col Yuthaboon Disamarn has said he will return to Phuket to continue his office’s investigation into fraudulent land titles.Col Yuthaboon told the Gazette that he felt it was important that his department crack down on illegal land holdings, so that innocent people are not duped into buying government land.He said, “There’s no…
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Paradorn to return to Phuket
PHUKET: Thai tennis superstar Paradorn Srichapan is due on Phuket later this month.Paradon, currently ranked 21 in the world, will be bringing the 2004 Paradorn Super Tour to the island’s Laguna Beach Resort on November 27 and 28.The tour, which features exhibition matches, tennis clinics and autograph signing sessions, starts in Bangkok on November 22 and moves to Nakhon Ratchassima…
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The hunt for Beer
NATHON PATHOM: A gang of teenage thugs picked the wrong guy to attack and rob in the early hours of October 21. Their intended victim turned out to be an off-duty police officer with a loaded pistol. At 3:30 am, the four gang members were riding their motorbikes slowly along Rajamankha Rd in Nakhon Pathom municipality, waiting for a victim…
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Police probe death of Briton
PATONG: Police are investigating the death of a Briton, Stephen Harris, 46, born in Birmingham, whose body was found in his room at the Monte Carlo Hotel on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd on October 29 at around 1 pm.Speaking to the Gazette today, Pol Lt Col Boonlert Onklang of Kathu Police Station said that, according to a doctor who made an…
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Third corpse found in “Burmese Cemetery’
RASSADA: The body of a murdered Burmese fisherman was found at the Rassada Port area on Friday, bringing the number of corpses discovered in what has been nicknamed the “Burmese Cemetery” to three in just two days.Pol Capt Kanuang Pitakkulthorn, of Phuket City Police Station, said he received a call from residents at the port informing him that a body…
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Crackdown on illegal guides launched
PHUKET: The authorities in Phuket have started the high season by launching a crackdown on illegal foreign tour guides, particularly Koreans.The province’s Chief Administrative Officer (Palad), Vichan Busapavanich, told the Gazette the crackdown was in response to “many complaints” about foreigners taking jobs reserved for Thai people, especially foreigners working as tour guides.In the past there has been a shortage…
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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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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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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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