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Rise in seizures of illegal guns
PHUKET: Nineteen people were arrested in Phuket for illegal possession of firearms from May 1 to May 25, according to statistics from the Provincial Police, released soon after Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra launched a nationwide crackdown on organized crime on May 20. However, the figures for May revealed a similar number of drug-related raids and arrests as in the same…
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OrBorJor chief to run for Parliament
PHUKET TOWN: Dr Prasit Koeysiripong, President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), is expected to stand at the next parliamentary election as a Thai Rak Thai (TRT) government candidate in Phuket, a province traditionally regarded as a stronghold for the opposition Democrat Party. While his declaration at this stage is still not official, it was confirmed by Dr Yada…
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Police raid fakes warehouses
PATONG: Police raided two buildings in Rajpatanusorn Rd last night and seized imitation goods with a street value of about 5 million baht. One of the buildings was fitted with a closed-circuit security camera to check on visitors. Police from the Economic Crime Investigations Division in Bangkok, accompanied by representatives from Rolex, Gucci and Chanel, seized about 1,000 items, including…
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Policeman indicted over Phuket slaying
PHUKET: A Songkhla police officer has been charged with conspiracy to murder Phuket businessman Visanuwat Ngamjun, Pol Lt Col Paween Pongsirin, Superintendent of Phuket Police Station, said today. K. Visanuwat was shot dead with three bullets to the head by a motorcycle-riding assassin while he was driving out of the car park at the Big C supercenter on February 28.…
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Jobs go as hotel downturn bites
KARON: About 14,000 workers have been laid off from Phuket hotels in the wake of the tourism industry downturn, Yaowalak Yangyean, Chief of Phuket Social Security Office, told the Gazette today. Other workers have been told to take more days off each month. With tourist arrivals in Thailand reported to be 76% down this May on the same month last…
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Cabinet says “no’ to tourism cash boost
KARON: The central Government has refused to provide any direct financial assistance to Phuket tourism businesses suffering from the effects of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars). Speaking after the Cabinet meeting at the Phuket Arcadia Beach Resort today, government spokesman Maj Sitha Thiwaree said, “Instead of giving money to help Phuket tourism the Government will set up a tour package…
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Reporter’s “assassin’ nabbed
PATONG: Police have arrested a man in Bangkok who they say executed newspaper and TV reporter Surapong “Ord Patong” Rittee in a Patong convenience store for a fee of 60,000 baht. Officers say that the manager of a Patong go-go bar ordered the February 11 killing because K. Surapong reported on lewd entertainment at the venue that led to its…
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“Healthy’ Phuket for B400 million
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) is seeking 400 million baht from the Government to speed the island’s recovery after the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) scare led to a tourism downturn. Dr Narongsak Angkasuwapala, Director of the Department of Health Service Support, met with local officials and representatives from the private sector on Sunday morning as a prelude…
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Cabinet talks Phuket in Phuket
PHUKET TOWN: A Cabinet meeting in Phuket on Monday will discuss the effect of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) scare, the 100-billion-baht plan to develop the island, health tourism and the plan for a software park. Local Thai Rak Thai party leader Dr Yada Palimapan and Chawalit Na Nakhon, Vice-President of the Region 11 Community Relations Committee, listed the…
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Gov compiles “influential people’ list
PHUKET: Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi is to meet with officials to help him prepare a list of “people of influence” in Phuket to send to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The Prime Minister has given provincial governors 30 days from May 21 to supply lists of powerful people allegedly linked to illegal activities, including corruption, killings, vice, gambling and smuggling.…
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Cabinet to get a taste of Phuket
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi is preparing to lobby Cabinet ministers with a taste of Phuket culture in the form of batik shirts and a feast of Phuket food. Members of Cabinet will arrive on Sunday for the meeting at the Phuket Arcadia Resort in Karon, to be attended by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Phuket Governor CEO…
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Life no longer in the Patong night
PATONG: A number of Patong nightspots have closed down temporarily due to the sharp decrease in tourism in the resort town. Chairat Sukbal, owner of Safari Pub, told the Gazette that many entertainment venues were forced to shut down because the lack of trade meant they were no longer able to pay staff wages. He attributed the lack of tourists…
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Computer whiz wins spot in US Olympiad
PHUKET TOWN: A Phuket student has been chosen as one of the four computer science students to represent Thailand in the International Science Olympiad competition, to be held in Wisconsin, USA, in mid-August. Nawanol Theera’ampornpan, an 18-year-old student in Mattayom 6 at Phuket Wittayalai School, will join between 600 and 800 students from more than 100 countries in the event.…
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Last phone call traps man’s killers
TAH CHAT CHAI: Two men, caught at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint early today after stabbing a man to death, were apprehended because of the victim’s last mobile phone call. Soonthron Nabin, 33, and Adul Katesiri, 32, who identified himself to police as Thanapolpan Katesiri, were arrested at the checkpoint on Phuket’s border after officers had been warned to look out…
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Liberians held over “black money’ scam
PATONG: Two men are being held by police over a “black money” scam that cost three Thai victims a total of 330,000 baht. The arrested men, said to be from Liberia, in West Africa, were named as Anthony Brown, 27, and Christopher Alliston, 31. The classic scam involves promising a big pay-off in return for a “loan” to buy special…
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Charges in Tong murder case dismissed
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Court has dismissed all charges against the five men accused of participation in the murder six years ago of American businessman Danis Wayne Tong. The five accused – Belgian businessman Hugo Vandervelde along with Thais Manit Panme, Pratin Praktong, Prajuab Sukkong and Pairat Raksawong – were all freed by the court for lack of evidence, Pol…
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Rugby Tens draw announced
PHUKET: Organizers of the Phuket Rugby Tens Tournament have announced the draw for the opening round of play. The weekend competition will take place May 31-June 1 at the Karon Municipal Stadium. There will be five groups of four teams each: Group A: Melbourne Rams (Australia), Samui Simians (Thailand), Bucks (Singapore) and Penang All Blues (Malaysia). Group B: Wanderers (Singapore),…
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High-tech sprituality
UBON RATCHATHANI: It is well known that when you make a deal with the spirit world it’s best to hold up your end of the bargain – an act known in Thai as kae bon. Perhaps Thailand’s best-known acts of kae bon take place at Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine, famous for helping mortals pick winning lottery numbers. Those who hit it…
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Paranoia in the lobby
BANGKOK: When police arrived at the Louis Tavern, in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district, on April 18, they found fellow officer Pol Cpl Sathit Prasanpangsri, 33, being held under house arrest by the hotel owner, Asuwin Inghakul, and a security guard. K. Asuwin, 58, said that Cpl Sathit was acting suspiciously. He was wearing a safari suit and carrying a top-of-the-range…
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Far from enlightening
CHIANG RAI: For most Thai families, having a son train as a novice in the wat is a matter of pride and cultural significance. One can only imagine, then, the shock the father of one boy must have felt when his son returned home reporting that he had been repeatedly raped in the wat. On May 13, a 45-year-old man…
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That’s show business
CHON BURI: Some nude performers at a Pattaya go-go bar obviously didn’t realize certain members of the enthralled audience were actually members of the local vice squad. After watching the sex show for an unreported length of time, Pol Maj Col Vasu Seangsuksai and his team of undercover officers sprang into action and arrested the seven performers: six women and…
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Gazette Online back in action
PHUKET: Due to a software clash at the Gazette‘s Singapore-based web server, some data files became corrupted last night. Anyone who has placed a paid classified advertisement on the site is asked to check whether it is still there. If it is not, they should email classads@phuketgazette.net with details of the ad so that it can be restored as soon…
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American held on dope charge
PATONG: American Charles Elliott Rook, 55, was arrested on May 19 on charges of possession of cannabis with intent to sell. Pol Lt Col Sanguan Muangtham of Patong Police Station told the Gazette that Rook was arrested after a raid on his home in Nanai Rd turned up a kilogram of cannabis. Undercover police had originally tried to buy cannabis…
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Laguna land legitimate, says spokesman
CHERNG TALAY: The management of Laguna Phuket is confident that no part of the complex has been built on designated public land but will accept a ruling from the courts, a senior executive said today. The comments from Niyom Tassaneetipagorn, Assistant Vice President of Laguna Resorts & Hotels Public Co, were the first from the group since the legitimacy of…
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B150 million plaza for Chalong Circle
CHALONG: A 150-million baht retail complex incorporating 700 shops is to open on 40 rai close to Chalong Circle, on the Kata road, around the end of the year. It will be called the Phuket Legend Plaza Center. Atthawut Tangpradapkul, President of Eat and Art Management, told a media conference at the Royal Phuket City Hotel today that the company…
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Big C joins recycling program
PHUKET TOWN: A recycling scheme is to be introduced under an arrangement between Big C supercenter and the Governor’s Office. Dry recyclable waste, including sorted bottles cans and newspapers, can be deposited in the underground car park at Big C daily between noon and 7 pm from May 24. The island produces 300 tons of rubbish each day but Phuket’s…
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Top tourism forum set for Phuket
PHUKET: The 18-nation Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) is to hold a tourism business forum at the Laguna Beach Resort from May 22 to 24. The Ministry of Tourism and Sport, the Industry Council of Thailand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host the gathering. Two representatives from government and business in each country will discuss a number of issues…
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Governor closes “lewd act’ Bangla bar
PATONG: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has closed a bar in Patong’s Soi Bangla indefinitely over an allegedly indecent public performance. Police raided The Hi bar at 21/5-6 Soi Sea Dragon at 11:30 pm on May 3 and arrested Suparp Boonmark, who was naked and performing “a shameful act in public by indecently exposing her person”. Balloons and darts were believed…
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Good hair days for schoolgirls
PHUKET: At last, after almost a century of short cuts, the girls can let their hair down. Female students at Satree Phuket have been told that from the new school semester this week, they can grow their hair to eight inches in length. At Satree Phuket, Assistant Director Ajarn Duangkamol H said that fashions and rules today were different from…
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Warrant issued for Bang Tao murder suspect
CHERNG TALAY: An arrest warrant has been issued for a man named Suwat Kaewkong on a charge of murder following Saturday’s double killing at the Freeway restaurant on Bang Tao beach. Pol Lt Col Sirisak Wasasiri, Duputy Superintendent of Cherng Talay Police Station, alleged today that Suwat was one of the three men who shot dead Suwim Noodang, the owner…
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