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Govt dedicates 238 rai for B1.4bn sports complex
MAI KHAO: The Treasury Department has signed an agreement with the Phuket Sports and Recreation Development (SRD) Office allowing 238 rai of government land in Mai Khao to be used for a sports training complex costing 1.4 billion baht.The agreement was signed February 23 by Tamrong Tongtan, Head of the Phuket Provincial Treasury Office, and Promchote Traivate, Head of the…
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Arrests for illegal firearms rise
PHUKET: Twenty-five people were arrested for possession of unlicensed firearms from February 1 to 28, compared with 10 arrests during the same period in January, according to the latest crime statistics released by Phuket Provincial Police.Gambling again saw the most arrests with 260 people charged, and 57 people were arrested for drug-related cases.Cases involving ya bah (methamphetamine) totaled 31, with…
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“Red tide’ blooms cause murky conditions
PHUKET: Many of the island’s beaches are experiencing algal blooms that are causing murky conditions commonly called “red tides”, but marine biologists say the situation is not dangerous and sea conditions are expected to return to normal soon.Suree Satapoomin, a researcher at the Phuket Marine Biological Center, told the Gazette that the blooms were first detected on west coast beaches,…
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Kamala school gets freshwater supply
KAMALA: Some 500 students and 30 teachers at Rajaprachanukroh 36 School in Kamala now have fresh water piped in from a groundwater well some two kilometers inland.The water is piped to the school, where it undergoes treatment with iron oxide filtration and reverse-osmosis (RO) technology installed by the Department of Groundwater Resources (DGR) at the cost of 400,000 baht, explained…
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Island gears up for Heroines’ Festival
PHUKET: This year’s festival honoring the heroine sisters of Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Sri Soontorn will include traditional dances, games and a mountain bike race during the three-day celebration. The festival, a commemoration of Phuket’s victory over the Burmese incursion of 1785, will be held at Baan Riang in Thalang, near the heroines’ monument from March 11 to 13. The…
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Teen murder suspect arrested
RASSADA: Police on Saturday arrested another member of the glue-sniffing youth gang wanted in connection with the murder of Keittirat Longnawa, a 31-year-old transsexual and glue addict who was beaten and had his throat slashed January 31.Police identified the suspect as 18-year-old Thitinun “Wung” Vongnayat, arrested in his Rassada home at about 1 am.Phuket City Police Investigations Inspector Lt Col…
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License plate auction to top 10 million baht
PHUKET: A total of 301 “lucky” numbers will be up for bid at Phuket’s third two-day auction of auto license plates, starting at 8:30 am on March 17 and 18 at the Thavorn Grand Plaza Hotel.Suraphon Tanrungruangthawee, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Transport Office (PPLTO), told the Gazette that there will be a variety of categories of numbers up for…
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Anton Haig wins Johnnie Walker Classic
By Oliver BatesPHUKET: The final day of the Johnnie Walker Classic lived up to all expectations as South African Anton Haig won his first Johnnie Walker Classic in a dramatic playoff.Twenty-year-old Haig joined the elite of Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Nick Faldo to become a Johnnie Walker Champion.Haig’s sudden-death playoff victory over Oliver Wilson and Richard Sterne…
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Khun Sao murder suspect still at large
KATHU: The suspected accomplice in the stabbing murder of 40-year old Nongyin “Sao” Sengton is still at large.Khun Sao was murdered in her home near the Tung Tong Market on November 27 last year. She was a long-term companion of property owner Tavorn Kajkla, also known as Pae Lian.She was found with 15 deep stab wounds, and her gold necklace…
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Johnnie Walker Classic: Haig matches course record, Wilson leads
By Oliver Bates PHUKET: The second day of the Johnnie Walker Classic saw a reversal of fortunes for the top players as Englishman Oliver Wilson took the lead at -10, while South African Anton Haig equaled Greg Norman’s course record with a 8-under round of 64, leaving him in second place going into the playoffs.Today’s play saw some wild shots and…
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Bars urged to close over Buddhist holiday
PHUKET: The Makha Bucha holiday will again be marked by closed bars this year as police request all establishments that serve alcohol to shut down for the Buddhist celebration tomorrow.Makha Bucha commemorates the day when 1,250 of Buddha’s disciples convened to hear the Buddha’s preachings. It also marks the day when Buddha announced that he would enter nirvana in three…
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Three arrested in Patong ya bah bust
PATONG: Kathu Police arrested three young men for possession of almost 200 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills in the early hours of yesterday morning.At 1:30 am, an investigation team from Kathu District Police Station led by Maj Serm Kwannimit arrested the men in a rented room at 26/3 Soi King Fashion, off Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd.The trio were identified as Jamorn…
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Patong hotel owner shot
PHUKET CITY: Suppakon “Ko Yin” Ektaweechot, owner of the Hyton Leelavadee Resort in Patong, was shot in the back with a shotgun on Sunday evening as he was eating dinner at Ban Panun Restaurant on Rassada Anusorn Rd in Phuket City.He is now recovering at Vachira Phuket Hospital and reported to be in a stable condition.Lt Col Ampolwat Seangraung, Investigating…
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More people register as living in Phuket
PHUKET: Between January 31 and February 20, 3,203 people registered with the government as living in Phuket, bringing the island’s official population to 312,074.Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Piya Bharatasilpin reported the increase to Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit on Tuesday.The registrations are in response to the Governor calling for island residents to register as living in Phuket so that the…
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Traffic safety spurs Central Festival access restriction
PHUKET CITY: From March 15 access to and egress from Central Festival Phuket from Wichit Songkhram Rd will be restricted.In an effort to reduce traffic tailbacks and the high number of accidents at the location, Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Decha Budnampetch has ordered that the center line along Wichit Songkhram Rd where traffic stops to enter Central Festival Phuket…
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Favorites struggle in Johnny Walker Classic opener
By Oliver BatesTHALANG: The first day of play at the 2007 Johnnie Walker Classic produced some surprised leaders as the favorites coming into the event struggled with challenging fairways at the Blue Canyon Country Club.The morning produced a string of early birdies as Australian Brad Kennedy carded eight on his way to the lead with 65, which was closely matched…
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Gov gets tough on bars, violence and encroachment
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit has ordered police to continue their crackdown on bars in Patong opening after hours, saying that there were no exceptions in the law for “tourist provinces”.At the Phuket Provincial Security Committee’s monthly meeting at the Thavorn Grand Plaza Hotel on Tuesday, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth asked the Governor to clarify…
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Killer of Phang Nga politician arrested
PHANG NGA: Police in Surat Thani on February 15 arrested one of the killers of Phang Nga Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President Anan “Ko Daeng” Boonrak, who was shot dead in December 2004.The suspect, 38-year-old Chusak “Muek Chumporn” Numluemkid, was #2 on the Royal Thai Police Crime Suppression Division’s Top 50 Most Wanted Gunmen for 2005. His three accomplices in…
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Four arrested for Nongnuch murder
KAMALA: Police have arrested four suspects for the shooting murder of Nongnuch Kongpleum, who was gunned down in front of the The Club restaurant on the main road through Kamala around 7:30 pm Friday.Lt Col Monsak Suebsuwan, Duty Inspector at Kamala Police Station, told the Gazette that the victim, 42, was the partner of Dutch property developer Harry Tawando, 72,…
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Governor relaxes jet-ski ban
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit has backed down from the province’s policy to gradually phase out jet-skis at Phuket beaches and is now allowing owners of registered jet-skis to replace old or inoperable vessels with new ones.Karon Municipality filed a complaint with the Governor following the arrest of 36 people found to be operating unregistered jet-skis in Karon in…
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Taking Phuket on the road
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit announced on Friday that to promote Phuket to foreign tourist markets the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) and hotels and hospitals yet to be selected will be going on a 14-country roadshow.The TAT, OrBorJor, Gov Niran and selected hotels will begin their tour in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and…
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Father murdered in Chalong
CHALONG: Four men were arrested this morning after gunning down 44-year-old construction contractor Phichai Wanlayapetch in broad daylight after he dropped his young child off at a day care center in Chalong.The men arrested are Sangkom “Kom” Anukul, 46, Watcharin “Kai” Janya, 35, and Somkanay “Lek” Sriphan, 36, all from Surat Thani; and Suchart “Neung” or “Bao” Sornsang, 33, from…
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Leatherback turtle eggs hatch
KARON: Seventy-six leatherback turtles have hatched so far out of the 103 eggs laid on Karon Beach in December.Before December, leatherbacks had not laid eggs on Karon Beach for more than 10 years. If the turtles are lucky at least 1% of the hatchlings will survive to adulthood and return to lay eggs.Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) Veterinarian Sontaya Manawattana…
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Woman gunned down in Kamala
KAMALA: The long-term partner of a well-known local businessman was gunned down in front of The Club restaurant, on the main road through Kamala, around 7:30 pm on Saturday.Lt Col Monsak Suebsuwan, Duty Inspector at Kamala Police Station, told the Gazette that the victim was Nongnuch Kongprueb, 42, partner of Harry Tawando, 72.Col Monsak, the leading investigator in the case,…
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Man dies after mid-flight heart attack
THALANG: An Indian businessman on a private flight from India to Singapore died early this morning after suffering breathing difficulties mid-flight, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing at Phuket International Airport (PIA).Lt Col Somkid Khaosang, Duty Inspector at Tah Chat Chai Police Station, named the man as Ram Calani Kusiram, 67.“The man’s 27-year-old son, Calani Nares Kusiram, told…
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81 Burmese arrested at Wat Chalong Fair
PHUKET: Immigration officers arrested 81 Burmese workers who broke the 8 pm curfew so they could attend the Wat Chalong Fair between February 16 and 22.In December a provincial order was issued banning Burmese workers from leaving their homes after 8 pm without their employer. They are also not allowed to drive vehicles or possess mobile phones.Pol Col Ittipon Atchariyapradit,…
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Asian invasion overwhelms airport immigration
PHUKET: The Phuket holidays of about 2,200 East Asian tourists got off to a slow start early this morning, when they were forced to wait hours to clear Immigration at Phuket International Airport (PIA).Twelve flights landed in little over an hour, overwhelming the Immigration officers on duty. It took officials until past 4 am, some three-and-a half hours after the…
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17 more bars caught in late-trading crackdown
PATONG: Seventeen more bar operators have been charged with trading outside permitted hours following the raids on late-night Valentine’s Day parties last week.The second round of raids came about 4:30 am February 16 on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd, with the operators of the Jonas Tree Guest Bar, The Sunday Bar, Paris Bar, The Nineteen St Bar and a bar named…
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Couple attacked on bypass road
RASSADA: A Phuket man was beaten and blasted by a shotgun when he and his wife were attacked by a motorbike gang on the bypass road early on Monday morning. K. Chatchai Chuenjitsoonthorn, 26, was taken to Vachira Hospital where he is still recovering from his injuries. His condition is reported as not life threatening.Lt Theeradet Jiraksa, Duty Officer at Phuket City Police…
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A self-made man
SONGKHLA: No one would claim the life of a laborer in Thailand is easy; having to toil in the midday sun while others make all the money is sure to rankle. This is presumably the reason why casual-laborer-for-hire Thanongsak Rakngam, 31, a native of Songkhla province, decided to turn to a more easeful occupation. Thinking that police work looked like…
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