News
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48 SorPorKor papers to be rescinded
BANGKOK, The Nation: Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Newin Chidchob, said yesterday that he is preparing papers recommending the eviction of occupiers from 48 plots of SorPorKor land in Phuket, totaling some 300 rai. The papers will be presented next week to the Land Commission headed by Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. K. Newin told The Nation that the commission investigating…
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Concessions made to marine tourism
PHUKET TOWN: From July 1, foreign yachtsmen will be able to certify their foreign captains’ licenses for use in Thailand, in Phuket. Currently, foreign skippers need to travel to Bangkok or Kantang in Trang Province to certify their licenses before being allowed to sail their boats in Thai waters. Marine Department Director General Wanchai Sarathulthat said the license certification would…
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Top officials to discuss Phuket’s future
PHUKET: Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and three other ministers will be among a high-powered meeting of top government officials in Phuket on July 4 and 5 to discuss development of the island, it was announced yesterday. The 35-strong delegation will include Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan, Information and Communications Technology Minister Dr Surapong Suebwonglee, Tourism and Sports Minister Sontaya…
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Police nab more illegal immigrants
PHUKET: Between similar periods in May and June, the number of arrests of illegal immigrants rose from 61 to 133, statistics from the Phuket Provincial Police reveal. The latest figures, covering June 1 to June 24, also show that 26 people were arrested for glue-sniffing and three more were held for possession and sale of ya bah (methamphetamine) in that…
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Green bus service to be upgraded
PHUKET TOWN: In a revamp of its Phuket Town bus service, the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) is planning to buy 16 minibuses to replace its current fleet of 12 leased Mercedes Benz buses. The move is intended to increase the frequency of service in a bid to boost passenger numbers. The OrBorJor also plans to farm out the running…
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Land abuse report to be filed on Friday
BANGKOK, The Nation: A full report on the results of the investigation into abuses of SorPorKor 4-01 land usage papers will be handed on Friday to the Land Department in Bangkok, and then to the Crime Suppression Police (CSP). Announcing this today, Pol Lt Gen Chidchai Wannasathit, Chairman of the SorPorKor Investigation Committee, said that abuses that will be covered…
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Beijing taken off Sars list
PHUKET: Following the World Health Organization’s declaration that Beijing has been removed from its list of Sars-affected places, Thailand has dropped its requirement for people arriving from China’s capital to submit to medical checks or other restrictions while in Thailand. Weerasit Raden, Chief of the Port Health Office at Phuket International Airport today said, “After it was announced that Beijing…
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German couple mugged at Nai Harn
NAI HARN: German tourists Rainer and Susanne Siebert were beaten unconscious and robbed in broad daylight yesterday as they walked near Le Royal Méridien Phuket Yacht Club at about 3 pm. The couple spoke with the Gazette today at Phuket International Hospital, where Mr Siebert is recovering from a head injury and his wife is recovering from two fractures to…
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Mayor raps “irresponsible’ officials
PHUKET TOWN: The Mayor of Phuket Town, Phummisak Hongsyok, speaking to reporters today, slammed government officials for talking about the rights and wrongs of tin mine concessions without first understanding the facts. Pol Maj Gen Pansiri Prapawat, Deputy Commissioner for General Investigation, said on June 20 that 17 tin mines had been checked. “We have found only one that was…
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Stolen yacht booty dumped on Koh Lone
KOH LONE: Some of the equipment stolen from yachts moored in Ao Chalong late last month has been found dumped on a beach on Koh Lone. Pol Capt Sakol Bunditsak, of Chalong Police Station, today said that fishermen reported to police that they had found some boat equipment in a black plastic bag on a Koh Lone beach. He added…
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Samsara developers speak out
PHUKET: For the first time since the Samsara luxury property development was put in the public spotlight by the Phuket land probe, representatives of the owners and developers of the project have spoken out about what they see as the unfair treatment they have received from the government. Colin McKay, Managing Director of development company Asia Island Homes (AIH), told…
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New Vice-Governor arrives Monday
PHUKET: A new Vice-Governor has been named to replace Manit Wattanasen, who was transferred this week to Pattani (see also https://thethaiger.com/news/index.asp?Id=2811 .) He is Pongpow Ketthong, originally from Phrae province. Most recently he was Chief Inspector in the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation at the Ministry of Interior in Bangkok, but before that his government service took him to…
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Land probe targets influential people
PHUKET: Army surveyors have joined the land investigation headed by Pol Maj Gen Pansiri Prapawat, Deputy Commissioner for General Investigation. A team of surveyors arrived from Bangkok yesterday and began work this morning. Gen Pansiri, who is leading the task force examining land encroachment, and SorPorKor and tin mine concession abuses said this morning, “We have identified 22 pieces of…
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B2m bounty offered for CD pirates
PHUKET: The government has offered a 2-million-baht reward for information leading to the seizure of mass CD-copying machines in Phuket, Oratai Thanajaro, Secretary to the Deputy Minister of Commerce, announced yesterday. Speaking at Kathu Police Station, K. Oratai said, “The Department of Intellectual Property and officers from Bangkok Metropolitan Police have been told that there is a big illegal CD-copying…
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Thavorn closes resort until high season
KARON: The Thavorn Palm Beach Resort will close from June 28 until October 1 for renovations, the management has announced. In a statement issued today, Managing Director Charearn Thavornwongwongse said, “In view of the current situation, Thavorn Palm Beach Resort has decided to take this opportunity to further renovate and develop the resort over the coming months.” He noted that…
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Anchalee slams “political games’
PHUKET: Phuket Democrat MP Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr today emphatically denied that she has any SorPorKor 4-01 land and branded the current land abuse investigation as being motivated purely by politics. At a press conference at her office, K. Anchalee singled out Newin Chidchob, Deputy Agriculture Minister, as being directly responsible for creating problems by misleading the press and the public by…
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Relief loans for tourism businesses
PHUKET: The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank (SME Bank) of Thailand is offering members of the Phuket Eco-tourism Association (PEA) loans of up to 5 million baht, it was announced today. Speaking at a seminar held at the Royal Phuket City Hotel this afternoon, SME Bank Phuket branch manager Adisorn Kittipatanapaiboon said that loans of between 300,000 and 5…
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Manit slams corruption allegations
PHUKET: Vice-Governor Manit Wattanasen has blasted newspapers that alleged he has been moved to Pattani province because of involvement in the ongoing land scandals. V/Gov Manit will take up his new post on June 23. Speaking with the Gazette this morning, he stressed that his transfer had come about because the government needed an urgent replacement for Sanchai Yaisawang, one…
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Coral trafficker arrested
PHUKET TOWN: A local sorng taew driver was arrested at 7 am today when police officers caught him loading boxes of protected coral valued at 100,000 baht onto a van bound for Surat Thani. Acting on a tip-off, officers arrived at the Montri Rd terminus where vans bound for Surat Thani gather, as Phuket native Weerayuth Taodaeng, 41, was loading…
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Fast visas and permits for IT experts
PHUKET TOWN: In a bid to make Phuket more attractive as a Cyber Paradise, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is pushing for visas and work permits to be processed in one day for “knowledge workers”. Dr Surapong Suebwonglee, Minister for ICT, announced after a seminar in Phuket yesterday, “We will push for work permits and visas to…
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Jilted lover commits murder-suicide
WICHIT: A rubber plantation worker on Saturday shot dead his ex-fiancée after discovering that she had been living with a new boyfriend. He then turned the gun on himself, shooting himself in the head. Lt Col Chartchai Nicrodhanon, Deputy Superintendent (Suppression) of Phuket Town Police Station, today told the Gazette that he and other officers arrived at the scene of…
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Fake goods worth B1m seized in Patong
PATONG: Almost 3,000 fake items with a street value of 1 million baht were seized in raids on stalls in Soi Kebsab and Thaweewong Rd on Saturday afternoon. The items, mostly leather goods but also including fake brand-name perfumes, clothes and pirated CDs, were seized in raids on nine stalls. The haul, which filled five police pickup trucks, was taken…
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A very dry “wet’ season forecast
PHUKET TOWN: A meteorologist from the Southwestern Regional Meteorological Center has forecast that Phuket will continue to receive less rainfall than normal this rainy season and is urging Phuket residents to strictly conserve water and augment domestic supplies by collecting rainwater. Tawat Tantham-Nu, director of the Southwestern Regional Meteorological Center, told the Gazette, “Much of Bang Wad Reservoir is now…
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Phang Nga resorts slash room rates
PHANG NGA: In a bid to beat the low-season blight, 14 Phang Nga hotels and resorts are offering half-price rooms for Thai nationals until September 15. The promotion, called Unseen Price, aims to promote Phang Nga tourist attractions being touted in the Unseen in Thailand travel campaign launched recently by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). To claim the discount…
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Boost for Phuket’s environment
PATONG: Community environmental projects should get a boost following a three-day seminar at the Royal Paradise Hotel organized by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor). The seminar reviewed Phuket’s environmental plans, providing impetus for local officials and groups. Somchai Duangkae, Chairman of the Provincial Council, told the Gazette that Tambon Pa Khlok has been chosen as a pilot community because…
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Belgian found hanging from tree
CHALONG: A Belgian businessman was found hanging from a tamarind tree at his home in Chalong on Thursday. His younger brother told police that Georges (Jo) Billiet, 43, had recently broken up with his girlfriend and that this had coincided with a downturn in his business. Pol Maj Sanae Panmee, of Chalong Police Station, said Mr Billiet’s body was found…
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Investigators swoop on Land Reform Office
PHUKET TOWN: Crime Suppression officers and Forestry Police today descended on the Phuket Provincial Agriculture Land Reform Office (ALRO) as part of investigations into the SorPorKor land use scandal. During the afternoon investigators also visited five pieces of land that are among those pinpointed in the massive land probe launched by the government. During a tense two-hour visit in the…
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Gov targets influential people
PHUKET: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has fired a shot across the bows of “influential people” in Phuket, vowing to act against them and against local officials who help them. He told the Gazette that he plans to target two groups of influential people – those who infringe on government land, and those who run the sunbed and umbrella businesses that…
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Phuket to get B20 million facelift
PHUKET: Phuket will have a 20-million-baht facelift before the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in September. Seven central government organizations will provide the bulk of the funding for the makeover but the island’s 13 OrBorTors will also contribute 200,000 baht apiece. Vice-Governor Winai Buapradit, who heads the project, said work had been underway since last month. The budget covers…
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Second land probe launched
PHUKET: A senior police officer from Bangkok arrived in Phuket today to head up a second investigation into land registration abuses. Pol Maj Gen Pansiri Prapawat, Deputy Commissioner for General Investigation, has been ordered by Deputy Prime Minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to look into cases of encroachment onto government land in Phuket. Gen Pansiri said today, “I’ve come to Phuket…
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