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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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Bilateral talks boost health tourism
MAI KHAO: Thailand and Malaysia have agreed in bilateral talks to cooperate in boosting health-based tourism and developing traditional medicines. The deal came today in the first of three days of talks between Thai Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan and her Malaysian counterpart, Dato Chua Jui Meng, at the JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa. Other topics that will be…
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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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Curbside garbage bins banned
PHUKET TOWN: In a bid to keep Phuket Town streets clean, from July 1 residents living along four main roads in town will no longer be allowed to leave their garbage bins on the street. Phuket Town Councilor Somjai Suwansupana announced today, “Thepkrasattri Rd [from the City Hotel to Wat Kosit], Rassada Rd, Phang Nga Rd and Thalang Rd will…
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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…
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Influential people “definitely in Phuket’ – Gov
PHUKET: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has slammed newspaper reports that Phuket has no “influential people” of the kind currently being targeted by the government of PM Thaksin Shinawatra. Several newspapers had reported that Phuket was among some 30 provinces that had stated they had no influential people. “I read these reports,” Gov Pongpayome said, “and I didn’t understand why they…
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Security fears as police nab aliens
THALANG: Phuket police have nabbed 37 men as they tried to enter the country on fake visas in a breach that has ramifications for national security and posts a question mark over the effectiveness of the Immigration Department. The men, in two large groups, had already passed through airport immigration counters by presenting Bangladeshi passports when police, acting on information…
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Scramble to find more water
PHUKET: If you don’t already have an auxiliary water storage tank for your home now might be a good time to buy one: visiting Royal Irrigation Department Director General Samart Chockkanapitak confirmed yesterday that Phuket’s water supplies are running dangerously low. K. Samart urged all Phuket residents connected to municipal supplies to strictly conserve water. He estimated that under current…
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Tour submarine arrives in Phuket
AO MAKHAM: Phuket’s first tourist submarine arrived at the Phuket Deep Sea Port last night after a one-month journey on a cargo ship from Florida. The DS-48 submarine, bought by Phuket Submarine Co Ltd, is the first tourist submarine in Thailand. It will be ready to carry passengers on underwater tours around Koh Dok Mai around the end of this…
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Traffic campaign aims to “end the pain’
PHUKET TOWN: Some 900 people attended a Traffic Accident Prevention Fair in Saphan Hin yesterday, marking the start of a province-wide effort to improve road safety through education and law enforcement. Vice-Governor Winai Buapradit, who is leading the campaign, said at the opening ceremony at the Phuket Provincial Transportation Office, “Phuket has the highest rate of death from traffic accidents…
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Land officials to be transferred
PHUKET: The Director-General of the Land Department, Banyat Jantasena, has ordered two senior Land Office officials in Phuket to be transferred to other provinces. Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi told the Gazette today that the orders have already been signed for the transfers of the Chief of the Phuket Provincial Land Office (PPLO), Boonsong Namnapol, and the Chief of the…
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Nai Yang vendors told to move
NAI YANG: Vendors on Nai Yang Beach have been ordered by Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi to move from public land. The 47 vendors have been offered alternative accommodation about 600 meters away but at least 22 are resisting the move and are fighting it through the courts. Tanapong Apaiso, Chief of Sirinat Marine National Park, said that 14 tricycle vendors…
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Goods worth B3m stolen in yacht break-ins
AO CHALONG: Electronic and other equipment valued at more than 3 million baht was stolen in a series of robberies from yachts moored in Ao Chalong on Friday, May 30. Australian Brian Ritchie told the Gazette that about noon he discovered that his yacht, Beyond Rotto, had been broken into and that equipment worth about 1 million baht was missing.…
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Boat driver caught for robbing HK tourists
PHUKET: Six Hong Kong tourists had over 32,000 baht stolen as they were snorkelling near Phi Phi Island yesterday, but police managed to arrest the thief yesterday morning and recover the money. The thief, 22-year-old Wachira Thongsarng, is an employee of PP Adventure, which runs speedboat day-trips out of the Boat Lagoon. Wachira was taken into custody by Phuket Tourist…
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Singapore Sars alert ends
PHUKET: Tourists from Singapore are now able to enter Phuket and Thailand generally without a Sars health check. The World Health Organization has removed the island nation from its list of Sars-alert countries. Weerasit Raden, Chief of Port Health, Phuket International Airport, told the Gazette that travelers arriving from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China still require a medical check at…
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Municipality appeals for water conservation
PHUKET TOWN: Acting Phuket Town Mayor Pairoj Kaykina today asked Phuket Town residents to use water sparingly in the hope of avoiding water supply rationing. The appeal comes after a Phuket Town Waterworks Authority (PTWA) report confirmed that water supply from dwindling tin mine reserves will need to be restricted unless there is a sharp increase in rainfall soon. “If…
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Poor turnout for SorPorKor meeting
PHUKET TOWN: Only 67 people of the 515 people in Phuket holding SorPorKor 4-01 land occupation papers registered at a meeting with Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi yesterday. With the central government about to send dozens of investigators to Phuket to check all SorPorKor papers, Gov Pongpayome had asked SorPorKor holders to a one-hour meeting at the Phuket Provincial Meeting…
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Man drowns at Nai Harn
NAI HARN: Beach vendors yesterday discovered the body of a 19-year-old man who was swept off the rocks by a large wave at Nai Harn Beach on Sunday. Suriya Lannoi, a gas station attendant in Rawai, was standing on rocks with five friends at about 4 pm when they were all knocked into the sea by a large wave, Pol…
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Missing man’s body found at beach
CHERNG TALAY: Staff from the Laguna Beach Resort found the body of a missing Hong Kong tourist on Bang Tao Beach at 7 pm yesterday. Law Chun Lung, 30, and three friends ignored red flags and warnings about the rough surf and the likelihood of an undertow to go swimming at the beach on Sunday. His body is now at…
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Tourist vanishes at Bang Tao Beach
CHERNG TALAY: A 30-year-old Hong Kong man is missing, believed drowned, after he and his friends ignored advice and went swimming at Bang Tao Beach yesterday. Police named the man as Law Chun Lung. He disappeared while swimming with three companions at about 6 pm. Pol Lt Prakob Boonsan of Cherng Talay Police Station said that staff at the Laguna…
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Spa industry to get serious
PHUKET: About 150 owners of Phuket businesses running spas or offering spa services will meet to set standards and to introduce self-regulation, Pakin Raktae-ngam, President of the new Phuket Spa Business Association, announced this morning. “This is the first time a serious attempt will be made to clarify the concepts and the standards of Phuket’s spas,” K. Pakin said, adding…
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Garbage power boost on the cards
PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Town Municipality and the Department of Alternative Energy are investigating ways to boost the amount of electricity produced by the Saphan Hin garbage incinerator. Energy Minister Dr Prommin Lertsuridej has asked for a report within two months on the possibilities. Dr Prommin and his team toured the incinerator when the Cabinet visited Phuket this week. The…
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Security tightened at Land Office
PHUKET TOWN: Security has been beefed up at the Phuket Provincial Land Office amid fears that those involved in the recent murder of a Land Office official may try to burn the building down or otherwise destroy land documents linking them to the killing. The security alert comes on the direct orders of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He instructed the…
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Cyber Paradise gets B30m boost
PHUKET: The central government will spend about 30 million baht to open an office to help give birth to “Cyber Paradise”, Dr Surapong Suebwonglee, Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), has announced. The office, which is expected to be open within three months, will be in a currently vacant building belonging to the Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus,…
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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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Market vendors protest forced move
PHUKET TOWN: More than 150 market traders of the popular downtown market on Ranong Rd gathered at Provincial Hall this morning to protest their forced relocation to a site on Bangkok Rd by Thursday. If they do not move by Thursday, they each face a fine of 2,000 baht a day. Of the 300 vendors at the market, 88 unlicensed…
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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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