Search Results for: sor por kor
- Phuket News
Lucky numbers bring big bucks
PHUKET TOWN: Lucky car number-plate Kor Jor 9999 brought 1.2 million baht at an auction at Royal Phuket City in Phuket Town yesterday. The same bidder picked up 8888 for 560,000 baht. About 200 people, most of them businessmen or representatives of car dealers, attended to bid for four-of-a-kind and other quirky plates favored by drivers with money to splurge.…
- Phuket News
Bloop gun ammo found in trash
PHUKET TOWN: Municipal trash collectors on Thursday found two rounds for an M79 “bloop gun” wrapped in newspaper and dumped in trash. The 40mm rounds were discovered in front of the Phuket Bus Terminal. Sorn Damri, who found the two projectiles, said, “We stopped to pick up garbage in front of the bus terminal. That’s when I saw [the ammunition],…
- Phuket News
Speed up land probe, Gov urges
PHUKET TOWN: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura today urged officials looking into alleged land title abuses on the island to speed up their investigations and to work together in a more analytical way. After talking in detail to some 25 officers at the Provincial Hall, the Governor told media that the land issue needed to be resolved because delays could damage the…
- Phuket News
Three land officials “guilty’ – inquiry
BANGKOK: The SorPorKor 4-01 land investigation in Phuket reached a milestone yesterday when an official inquiry found that the former Chief of the Phuket Agricultural Land Reform Office, Surat Wasinwattana, had intended to destroy important evidence related to the issue of illegal SorPorKor papers, after investigators found documents in his house and car. The inquiry found two other officials, Ittichai…
- Phuket News
Land activist denies Apec protest rumors
PHUKET TOWN: Land rights activist Uthai Suksirisamphan has strongly denied rumors that he would lead farmers holding SorPorKor 4-01 land papers in an anti-government demonstration during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meetings currently being held in Phuket. Speaking at a press conference at his Phanthep Land and House Co offices on Mae Luan Rd yesterday morning, K. Uthai confirmed that…
- Phuket News
New bus station gets green light
PHUKET TOWN: A new terminus for long-haul buses will be built on 10 rai of land near the Tesco-Lotus supercenter, Samroeng Chaisorn, Vice-President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), told the Gazette today. “Phuket OrBorJor will provide the 38-million-baht budget,” K. Samroeng said, adding that construction is expected to start in October, when the funds come through, though a…
- Phuket News
Island’s tourism tide turns
PHUKET: Latest airport arrival figures and resort occupancy rates indicate that Phuket’s tourism trade is recovering rapidly from the Sars scare, with some hotels already planning to hang up “House Full” signs soon. Official statistics for the first 10 days in August show that 8.7% more international visitors flew to Bangkok compared with the same period last year, an increase…
- Phuket News
MP calls for commission into farmers’ rights
PATONG: Local Democrat MP Chalermlak Kebsup today called for a commission to be set up to determine local farmers’ rights to own land that they claim to have occupied before it was declared Forest Preserve or Zone C land – declarations that led to it being issued with SorPorKor 4-01 land occupation papers. K. Chalermlak said that people in Phuket…
- Phuket News
Farmers demand justice
PHUKET TOWN: More than 200 villagers gathered this morning to complain to Phuket Governer CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi about land problems. The Provincial Administration Organization building was jammed with villagers, including farmers, planters and representatives of many communities who complained that, following the SorPorKor investigation, their land had been declared as encroaching on forest preserve areas – the so-called Zone C…
- Phuket News
“Illegal’ restaurant to be demolished
KALIM: A top police general today said a well-known restaurant just north of Patong occupies SorPorKor 4-01 land, and will have to be knocked down. The commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, Pol Lt Gen Chatt Kuldiloke was in Phuket to check on the land investigation work done by his officers, and visited the restaurant, the Suangsawan (Sunset Point Restaurant…
- Phuket News
Fugitive land officials “in the South’
BANGKOK (Kom Chad Luek/The Nation): Pol Maj Gen Pansiri Prapawat, Deputy Commissioner for General Investigation, has revealed that police believe two fugitive former land officials are hiding somewhere in the South. The two wanted men are Bunchoo Limraksasin, formerly an officer in the Kathu District Land Office who was subsequently posted to Ubon Ratchathani, and Thawatchai Anukul, former chief registrar…
- Phuket News
Govt seizes land from 39 in Phuket
BANGKOK (The Nation): The Agriculture Land Reform Department yesterday revoked the land-right documents held by 39 people who were found to be unqualified to occupy SorPorKor land earmarked for farmers in Phuket. Agriculture Minister Sora-at Klinprathum said the revocation took immediate effect and that no prior warning letters were necessary to inform the holders. “We are also verifying other holders…
- Phuket News
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…
- Phuket News
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…
- Phuket News
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…
- Phuket News
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…
- Phuket News
Land paper probe begins
PHUKET: Thirty officers from the Agriculture Land Reform Deoartment (ALRD) in Bangkok started checking SorPorKor 4-01 land occupation papers this morning, and are expected to take about a week to compile a summary of their findings. Adisak Srisappakij, Permanent Secretary of the ALRD, told the Gazette after meeting with Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi that the 30 officers would check all…
- Phuket News
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…
- Phuket News
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…
- Phuket News
Murder suspect on the run
PHUKET TOWN: Police are hunting for a Cambodian fisherman known only as Yao after the body of his friend, workmate and fellow countryman was found stabbed to death on board a fishing boat in the Rassada Port area yesterday. Officers arrived at the fishing vessel Sor Chanachol 444 after receiving a call at 1 pm, said Pol Capt Passakorn Sontikul…
- Phuket News
Three nighttime venues raided
PHUKET TOWN: Three nighttime venues have been cited for violations after police officers, led by Vice Governor Niwat Wattanasen and Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, went on an inspection tour on Tuesday. The Sure Garden, in Soi Taling Chan, was ordered closed for 30 days because it was found to be serving customers under the…
- Phuket News
Patong Mayor forced to quit
PATONG: Members of the Patong Municipal Council have forced the resignation of the town’s Mayor, Pian Keesin, by rejecting his budget plan for the coming year. Pian lost by a vote of nine to two, the two being the mayor himself and Councillor Surasak Maneesri. Councillor Sakorn Cheua-yuan, who is secretary to local Member of Parliament Chalermlak Kebsab, said that…
- Phuket News
Boatman arrested for killing tourist in Krabi
KRABI: Police arrested a suspect this morning in connection with the murder of the 21-year-old German student, Cao Ghu, who disappeared Monday morning and was found floating face-down in the sea near Koh Gai two days later. Cao Ghu, who was Vietnamese by descent, was an Asian Culture major at Bonn University. She was visiting Thailand for the fourth time…
- Phuket News
Journalists slam government over press freedom
BANGKOK (AFP): Thai journalists and academics have attacked the government over what they say is an unprecedented attempt to control the press and curtail media freedom, a report said today. At a meeting organised by the Thai Journalists Association, participants accused Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s administration of using its business links and strong mandate to intimidate the media. “Unlike in…
- Phuket News
Chuan to open major seminar in Phuket
PHUKET: Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai will open the 18th National Chamber of Commerce Seminar, which will take place in Phuket on February 3 and 4, hosted jointly by the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC). The seminar, which is expected to draw about 150 participants representing chambers of commerce from across Thailand, will begin at 8:30…
- Phuket News
Corruption threatens elections
BANGKOK (AFP): Ambitious reforms launched to root out endemic corruption in Thai politics aim to ensure that the January 6 elections will be the cleanest in the kingdom’s history, observers say. But there are fears that with “cash democracy” and patronage politics still deeply entrenched in the country, Thailand is setting itself up for a chaotic aftermath to the ballot…
- Phuket News
General coy about new job as minister
PHUKET AIRPORT: Pol Gen Pracha Promnog was playing his cards close to his chest when he flew into Phuket today, just hours after resigning as Thailand’s Chief of Police amid announcements that he will be appointed Minister of Labor. Chart Pattana leader Korn Dabbarangsri, who is also a Deputy Prime Minister, announced on TV that Gen Pracha would be named…
- Phuket News
On-the-ball bellboy bags burglar
KATA-KARON: The alertness of a bellboy at the Marina Cottage Hotel, who heard a guest-room door close when he knew that the family staying in the room were all at dinner, resulted in the red-handed arrest of a burglar. Pol Lt Teerawat Leamsuwan of Chalong Police Station told the Gazette, “The guests staying in the room that was burgled [a…
- Phuket News
New Governor flies in tomorrow
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket’s new Governor, Charnchai Soontharamut, will arrive in Phuket tomorrow. He will be met at the airport by the province’s vice-governors and members of the local civil service before being whisked away on a tour of the island. But conspicuously absent from the airport greeting will be 60 of Phuket’s top movers and shakers. They leave tonight on…
- Phuket News
Taxi Driver Testifies In Murder Trial
Taxi Driver Testifies In Murder Trial PHUKET TOWN: A taxi driver testified in court today that he picked up murder suspect Kraisorn Kamnoun and another Thai male on the Patong-Karon Road one evening last December. Suwit Hemlek, a 34-year-old tuk tuk driver, was the first of two witnesses to testify this morning before Phuket Provincial Court Judge Amornpoj Kulwijit in…
