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Tsunami blame report to be buried
BANGKOK (The Nation): The public will not hear whether the Meteorological Department failed in its duty to warn people about December’s devastating tsunami, Smith Thammasaroj, the chief of the investigation into the disaster, said yesterday.K. Smith said a report into the incident might never be written.He said that he would conceal a tsunami report from the public out of patriotism…
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Govt slashes Patong, Kamala rebuilding funds
PHUKET CITY: The Cabinet yesterday approved a budget of 200 million baht to rebuild Patong Beach and a further 100 million baht to rebuild Kamala Beach, together totaling less than a third of the original budgets Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkul requested.At a meeting of district chiefs and other top-ranking provincial officials, chaired by Governor Udomsak today, Vice-Governor Winai Buapradit announced…
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Marine Chief defends agency after sinking
PHUKET: Surin Tirakulpisut, Head of the Phuket Marine Office, defended his agency in the face of scathing criticism, both in the media and by Government officials, after the disastrous sinking of the ferry Rungroj last Saturday.The last victim of the Rungroj was pulled from the sea yesterday evening, bringing the final death toll to 10. The victim was identified as…
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Target practice
PATTAYA: Though few people may know this, it’s actually against Thai law for three people to ride on the same motorbike. Three young men on a drinking spree in Pattaya learned the hard way that even if the police tend not to enforce the law rigorously, there are other perfectly good reasons not to pile so many on a single…
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Call to subsidize airlines’ costs
PHUKET: The Chairman of Orient Thai Airlines has called upon the government to subsidize airlines using Phuket International Airport as a way to boost tourism to the island.Udom Tantiprasongchai said yesterday that his airline would like to see the government waive the airport departure tax, offer free visas on arrival to passengers and excuse airlines from paying landing and navigation…
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Ferry death toll rises to nine
KOH YAO: Nine people drowned when the overloaded passenger ferry Rungroj capsized and sank in heavy seas off Naka Island Saturday afternoon. One person is still missing. Of the nine dead, five were children and three others were women. The 13-meter vessel had left Bang Rong pier in Thalang District and was bound for Koh Yao Noi at about 3…
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Fortune 500 firms step in to help
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura on Friday announced the top five mid- and long-term priorities that US Fortune 500 companies can help with, following the December 26 tsunami.Governor Udomsak met with James Lee Witt, former Director of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and fellow consultants from James Lee Witt Associates, which provides disaster recovery and mitigation management consultancy…
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Tsunami alarm test fails to convince public
PATONG: The resort town’s new early warning system encountered a few hiccups during its first test on Friday, with one witness describing it as sounding like “an announcement at a temple fair”.Two of the seven sirens installed throughout Patong Municipality failed to go off,and even when this had been rectified, the alarms were not audible to everyone, although the manufacturers…
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B2m aid theft probe extended
PHUKET: The deadline for completion of the vice-gubernatorial investigation into the theft of more than 2 million baht of tsunami aid money has been extended. It will now conclude on March 11, Governor Usdomsak Usawarangkura said.The original deadline for the investigation – led by Vice-Governor Supachai Yuwaboon and separate from the criminal investigation by the police – was March 2.However,…
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Three from PRU die in Chiang Mai bus crash
PHUKET: Two students and a teacher from Phuket Rajabhat University (PRU) were killed in a road accident near Chiang Mai on Thursday.The three were members of a 40-strong party from PRU on an educational trip to northern Thailand. They were on their way back to Phuket at the end of the trip when the accident happened.The dead students, both women…
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Quake worry sparks reservoir rethink
PHUKET: Plans to build a dam at Bang Niew Dum in Thalang District have been ditched and new plans are being drawn so that the dam will be more resistant to earthquake tremors.Wit Wonggamonchoon, Chief of the Surat Thani-based Irrigation Construction Region 5 office, told the Gazette, “The earthquake off Indonesia was 9.5 on the Richter scale.” Shocks from the…
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Beauties for Bangla
PHUKET: Some 44 contestants in the 2005 Miss Thailand Universe competition will arrive in Phuket on March 17 for a one-week stay on the island. The visit is intended to help bring tourists back to Phuket in the aftermath of the tsunami. When not out promoting tourism, the Thai beauties will be cloistered at the Kata Beach Resort.Resort owner Pamuke…
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Tsunami relief centre closes
PHUKET: Sixty-two days after the tsunami, the relief center for tsunami victims in Phuket has closed, following a Cabinet decision on Tuesday that there was no longer a need for emergency assistance of the kind the center had provided.Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura said that the focus now has shifted to long-term recovery and that he and the governors of the…
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Patong gets disaster warning system
PATONG: An emergency alarm system has been installed in Patong and will be handed over to Patong Municipality tomorrow. The system will also be tested.The system will feature seven alarms, outside Kalim School, at Loma Park, outside the Bank of Asia branch, at the Sai Nam Yen intersection, outside the Baan Yin Dee Hotel, outside Suwan Keree school, and at…
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Japan travel giant pushes Phuket
PATONG: Ways to attract more Japanese tourists back to post-tsunami Phuket were top of the agenda during the annual meeting of Japan’s oldest tour company, JTB Corp, at the Diamond Cliff Resort and Spa.JTB Group President Sano Kazuhisa said JTB was planning to increase its promotion of areas affected by the tsunami, including Phuket, the Maldives, Langkawi, Penang, Sri Lanka…
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Qantas offers special deal to Phuket
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Australian national carrier Qantas and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have launched a joint “Rediscover Thailand” marketing campaign, aimed at helping Phuket recover from the December 26 tsunami.“Rediscover Thailand” will offer tourists a range of specially-priced packages, including one to Phuket including eight nights’ accommodation and airport transfers from A$1,089 (32,760 baht) per person, excluding taxes.The first…
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Special air deals for MICE passengers
PHUKET: To help boost tourism to Phuket, Bangkok Airways will provide 43,920 free tickets for government officers traveling from Bangkok to Phuket or vice-versa for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) between April 1 and September 30.In the same period, private-sector MICE travelers will be able to buy one-way Bangkok-Phuket tickets for just 500 baht and round-trip tickets for 1,000…
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B5.25bn set aside to revive tourism
BANGKOK (The Nation): The Cabinet yesterday approved a 5.25-billion-baht budget to carrying out projects to revive tourism in the six Andaman-coast provinces hit by tsunami, after cutting the down the proposed figures by 4.11 billion baht.Government Spokesman Jakrapob Penkair said the Cabinet approved a budget of 2.651 billion baht from the normal budget for the 2005 fiscal year for projects…
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US seamen aid cleanup
PHUKET: The United States Ambassador to Thailand, Ralph Boyce, was in Phuket yesterday visiting sailors from the US Navy who were helping in the post-tsunami clean-up.Some of the 1,200 sailors, in Kamala for three days to clear wrecked buildings and other debris, joined Ambassador Boyce in delivering to Thai students food, clothes, books and cards made by American schoolchildren.Ambassador Boyce…
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Progress in tsunami fund theft case
PHUKET: Phuket City Police say they have promising leads relating to the apparent theft of more than 2 million baht in government tsunami relief funds, and expect to make an arrest soon.The funds were reported missing on February 15 by Metha Mekarat, Head of the Phuket Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), who said 2.05 million baht had gone…
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Businesses brace for impact of diesel hike
PHUKET: Businesspeople foresee price rises across the board due to the recent 4% rise in the price of diesel fuel, though they believe it will take some time before the impact is felt in the retail sector.The 60-satang-per-liter price hike, announced last Tuesday, reflects the Energy Ministry’s inability to continue subsidizing diesel at a rate of 3 baht per liter.…
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OrBorJor spends B8m on tsunami victims
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) spent 8.7 million baht between January 15 and February 21 on helping Phuket’s tsunami victims, OrBorJor president Anchalee Vanich Thepabutr disclosed.K. Anchalee said the OrBorJor had funded 89 cremations at 3,000 baht each, and given 5,000 baht apiece to 36 children who had lost parents.A total of 3,268,590 baht has been used to make…
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Patong “building site’ deters tour companies
PHUKET: Travel agents are still reluctant to send tourists to Phuket because property damaged by the tsunami has not yet been repaired, yesterday’s Patong renovation progress meeting heard.Pattanapong Aikvanich, the President of the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA), said discussions with tour companies and journalists from countries such as Germany, Australia and Sweden had revealed the feeling that tourists would not…
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Five “tigers’ to expedite Patong plan
PHUKET: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has appointed a committee of five “tigers” to speed up the implementation of the recovery plan for Patong Beach.The committee will be chaired by Vice-Governor Winai Buapradit, who will be joined by Patong Mayor Pian Keesin; Kathu District Chief Khantee Silapa; Kathu Police Station Superintendent Pol Lt Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen, and Phuket Tourist Association President Pattanapong…
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Sponsors sought for NZ triathlon bid
PHUKET: Island resident Les Bird, a former police commander in Hong Kong, will take part in the gruelling New Zealand Ironman Triathlon and is seeking sponsors to help raise money for Laguna Phuket’s Tsunami Recovery Fund. The race takes place March 5 and comprises a 3.8-km swim, 180-km cycle race and full-length marathon. Mr Bird hopes to complete the course…
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Authorities prepare to move Yan Yao bodies
PHANG NGA: The stench from the 1,000-plus corpses of tsunami victims being held at Wat Yan Yao now permeates the temple and the area around it, and local people are too scared to enter the wat to make merit.Authorities are therefore planning to move the bodies to the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification Center (TTVI), in Mai Khao, Phuket.However, Phang Nga…
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Anzac invasion
PATONG: Almost 60 days after the tsunami hit, the first large group of Australian and New Zealand tourists arrived in Phuket this morning aboard a Star Cruise ship.Among those on hand to greet the 1,800 visitors were Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Region 4 Director Suwalai Pinpradab, Phuket Tourist Authority President Pattanapong Aikwanich and a contingent of students from Patong…
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Festival to give Andaman coast a boost
PATONG (The Nation): Music, sports, a swimwear fashion show and even a bodybuilding contest will be among the highlights of a project to help restore international tourists’ confidence in the Andaman coast provinces.The “Loving Andaman” campaign, organized jointly by Thai Airways International (THAI), the Office of the Supreme Commander and the UBC Group, will also include a damage survey, and…
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Mob blocks road in rent protest
SAPAM: More than 200 people blocked Thepkrasattri Rd for half an hour yesterday evening as they protested against plans to make them pay rent on the land where they have lived for 15 years.The rally was sparked by a February 17 visit to Moo 3, Tambon Koh Keaw by city officers, who told the residents they must now pay rent…
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Deal struck for Kamala homeless
KAMALA: More than 70 families in Kamala have agreed to rent state land near the beach from the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization for minimal rents ranging from 20 baht to 1,000 baht per rai per year, figures fixed by Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura.The families – all of whom had been encroaching on state land before the disaster of December 26…
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