Phuket News and Events

Shooting Murder In Phuket Flower Shop

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:57:58 +0700

Friday, November 6, 2009

Shooting murder in Phuket flower shop

CHALONG, PHUKET: A middle-aged man found shot to death in a Chalong flower shop early this morning is thought to be the victim of a jealousy-inspired murder.

Police identified the victim as 38-year-old Surat Thani resident Weerathep Kamchan.

Chalong Police received a report of the shooting at about 4:30am from the victim's alleged mistress, 36-year-old Boonruen Buasi.

Investigators including Chalong Police Superintendent Chinnarat Rittakananond rushed to the scene.

Mrs Buasri told police that while she was sleeping with the victim in a room at the Nong Ploy Flower shop on Chao Fa East Rd, a man entered the room and fired at Mr Weerathep five times.

She described Mr Weerathep's assailant as a masked man wearing a long-sleeved shirt and carrying a flashlight. After he escaped out the back door she immediately called police, she said.

Mrs Boonruen told police she was the victim's 'gig', a Thai word for casual lover or mistress.

The couple met in Chumphon, where Mrs Boonruen's husband still resides, she said.

The victim later moved to Phuket to open a motorbike repair shop, and after that the flower shop where Mrs Boonruen's sister worked.

The sister called her a few days ago to report a mysterious man lurking about the shop, so Mr Weerathep and Mrs Boonruen came to stay there, she told investigators.

However, Mrs Boonruen's husband had earlier learned about the affair and the two had argued about it.

Police recovered .22-caliber bullet casings at the scene.

There was no evidence of fighting and the back door was left unlocked, allowing the intruder easy access.

Chalong Police continue to investigate. � Gazette reporters

-- Phuket Gazette

2009-11-06

New Phuket Tat Office Chief To Sell Phuket's International Side

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:52:14 +0700

New Phuket TAT office chief to sell Phuket's international side

New TAT South Region 4 office director
Ms Bangornrat Shinaprayoon.

PHUKET: With the possible exception of Bangkok, Phuket is the most 'international' of Thailand's 76 provinces.
A ride past the bustling eateries that line Patong's Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road will confirm it: there are people from every corner of the globe living and working here.
It's this angle that new Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) South Region 4 Office chief Bangornrat Shinaprayoon wants to expose in her bid to woo more visitors to the island.
"Phuket is the first place in Thailand that Americans would like to visit, not just for the beaches, but for the variety of food and culture here," she said.

Ms Bangornrat, 54, took over from Sethaphan Buddhani as the Phuket tourism industry's number one proponent on Monday.
She started her career with the TAT 27 years ago, joining immediately after finishing a masters degree in Economics at Thammasat University.
Her own international perspective was nurtured during a four-and-a-half-year stint as a director at the TAT office in New York City.

That experience gave her an insight into how foreigners, and Americans in particular, view the island.
"Right now Phuket is very well known in America, especially for its spas," she said. "It has earned a reputation because of its people, beautiful scenery and because we have promoted it heavily on foreign internet sites and publications such as tripadvisor.com."

Ms Bangornrat said around 700,000 Americans visited Thailand every year. Of these, about 100,000 come to Phuket.
"Phuket is the most developed province in Thailand, with more than five million tourists bringing in more than 10 billion baht annually," she said.

"My policy would be to preserve the environment while at the same time further developing the province," she said.
"Phuket is already an international place, but I want to make it even more well-known abroad, for example as a marine center or venue for international sporting tournaments."

Ms Bangornrat said occupancy rate at Phuket hotels was currently around 60 percent, with at least 80 percent expected in December and January.
"Phuket is a world class destination, so I'm proud to be working here," she concluded. "I'm going to try to bring in as many tourists as I can, maybe 10 to 20 percent more than the present number visiting Phuket."

Meanwhile, former TAT Phuket director Sethaphan Buddhani has been transferred to Mumbai, India, where the TAT is about to open a new office.
He will be aiming to encourage more of India's burgeoning middle class to come and spend their hard-earned rupees in Thailand.
Mumbai, the commercial and entertainment center of India, is the second most populous city in the world.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009/11/06

Woman Arrested For Phuket Fantasea Jewel Heist

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:44:53 +0700

Woman arrested for Phuket FantaSea jewel heist

Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong (left)
announces the arrest at the press conference on Tuesday.

PHUKET CITY: -- After analyzing DNA evidence, police on Monday arrested a cashier at Phuket FantaSea for the theft of more than two million baht�s worth of diamond jewelry from the souvenir shop safe in May.

Police said a sample of 26-year-old Khuanrue-thai Chartnarong�s hair matched those found near the safe shortly after the robbery, which took place at Phuket FantaSea in Kamala on May 23.

Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong on Tuesday announced Ms Khuanrue-thai�s arrest at a press conference at Phuket City Police Station yesterday afternoon.

Investigators found fingerprints on the safe and hair nearby, he said.

Police collected hair samples from 940 people and used DNA analysis as part of the investigation, he said.

Ms Khuanrue-thai denied committing the robbery when police interrogated her after her arrest on Monday, Gen Pekad said.

Police were awaiting results of fingerprint tests for further evidence against Ms Khuanrue-thai, he said.

Staff at Phuket Fantasea rotate through different positions every month, Gen Pekad said.

�Last May it was Ms Khuanrue-thai�s shift as cashier,� he added.

Phuket Fantasea opened at Kamala Beach in 1998 and has won numerous tourism industry awards as a top attraction.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-11-05

Patong Nightspots Under Curfew Scrutiny

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:11:21 +0700

Patong nightspots under curfew scrutiny

PATONG, PHUKET: Following many reports that certain nightlife establishments in Patong are not closing by the mandatory 2am curfew, the Phuket's governor and the island's top police officer say the situation is being closely monitored.

This follows a report in a local Thai language newspaper that three unspecified nightclubs were habitually operating until 6am.
At a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday, Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop and Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong said they were aware of the report and that an investigation would be launched 'as soon as possible'.

Gov Wichai told the meeting that when he visited Patong's Soi Bangla Tuesday night to take part in Loy Kratong activities, he didn't see any signs of venues staying open past the 2am deadline.
"Maybe they recognized my face and were well-prepared. Anyway, we will continue to monitor the situation," he said.

Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukhabaan downplayed the problem of certain venues staying open late, saying it was less important than illegal drug use or tourist rip-offs.
Mr Chairat said it was time to re-think the 2am closing time that applies to most venues in Patong, as this would be good for tourism.

"It's normal for bars to stay open until late in major cities like New York or London. Tourists are here to travel and enjoy, and some can't adjust to the time difference," said Mr Chairat, himself a former nightclub operator.

"If we could just change the closing time it would be hugely beneficial to the Thai tourism industry. In history, this country earned most of its revenue from rice and rubber, but now we rely on tourism," he said.
Mr Chairat agrees that zoning should be used to keep nightlife venues away from schools and places of worship, but said that those in designated tourist areas should be allowed to remain open later than is now permissible.

This would help generate government revenue though increased tax collection, he said.
As for reports of a mysterious video disc being circulated among some nightlife business operators to show how their rivals are getting away with breaking the curfew, the head of the Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) said he was unaware of any such recording.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009/11/05

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New Swedish Honorary Consul For Phuket

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:05:16 +0700

New Swedish Honorary Consul for Phuket

Dr Sompoch Nipakanot(left) accepts the Royal Appointment
as Swedish Honorary Consul from Swedish Ambassador Lennard Linner.

PHUKET CITY: A doctor at Bangkok Hospital Phuket is the new go-to man in times of trouble for the Andaman region�s sizable Swedish community.

Dr Sompoch Nipakanot, assistant director of Bangkok Hospital Phuket, was formally appointed as the new Swedish honorary consul on Monday.

Swedish Ambassador to Thailand Lennard Linner presented a letter of appointment to Dr Sompoch from HM The King Carl Gustaf XVI.

The appointment ceremony was also attended by Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop, representatives from other foreign consulates in Phuket, and members of the island�s Swedish community.

The event took place in the hospital�s King Karl Gustaf Conference Hall, which was built after more than 540 Swedes lost their lives in the 2004 Asian tsunami disaster.

Bangkok Hospital Phuket treated many of the survivors, earning praise from the Swedish government and leading the Swedish Royal Family to grant permission to name the conference room in honor of the Swedish monarch.

Dr Sompoch was a member of the hospital�s executive board at the time.

�The Swedish government was extremely grateful to us. The Swedish Red Cross even invited us to their country to lecture them on how we coped with Swedish patients at that time,� Dr Sompoch said.

In February 2005, HM King Carl Gustaf XVI visited Thailand with HM Queen Silvia to view tsunami-affected areas.

Dr Sompoch served as the royal couple�s private physician for the duration of the visit.

On his appointment to the position of honorary consul, he said, �I am so proud�. My next task is to bring benefits to both Thai people and the Swedish community here.�

Dr Sompoch said he was �just an ordinary physician like other medical staff.�

He stressed how popular Phuket was with Swedes.

�Phuket is better known to the Swedish [people] than Thailand,� he said. �The total Swedish population is around 9 million, and 60% of them have visited Phuket.�

�Most of them consider Phuket to be a second [winter] home,� he added.

The island is also popular with Swedes seeking specialized treatments, including knee and eye surgery, he said.

�Then they spend at least a couple of weeks in Phuket recovering,� he said.

The previous Swedish honorary consul was Wichit Na Ranong, a Thai tourism industry pioneer and owner of the Pearl Group of hotels and resorts.

After the tsunami, the Swedish government appointed one of its own nationals to officially take charge of consular affairs in Phuket.

In mid-2008, the official position ended and Mr Wichit was again offered the honorary post. After Mr Vichit declined, the position was offered to Mr Sompoch.

The position of Honorary Consul is generally permanent, held until the appointee resigns.

Dr Sompoch can be contacted on 081-8933244 and 076-254425, or by email to: sompoch@bgh.co.th

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-11-05

Mv Doulos Back In Phuket In Mid-november

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:07:15 +0700

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

MV Doulos back in Phuket in mid-November

The MV Doulos. Photo courtesy Good Books For All.

PHUKET CITY: On the next leg of its mission to bring books to readers around the globe, the world’s oldest passenger liner will make its fifth port-of-call in Phuket later this month.

The MV Doulos, built in the US in 1914, will berth at the Phuket Deep Sea Port for a one-week stay starting on November 19.

Built just two years after the Titanic, the vessel, now named MV Doulos, is currently owned by the German charity Good Books for All, or GBA.

The 131-meter ship was rechristened in 1977 and was given the name Doulos, which translates to ‘servant’.

It currently has a crew of 330 people from 50 countries.

Since 1978, more than 20 million people have visited this ship at 500 port calls in 104 countries.

HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visited the vessel in Bangkok three months ago.

Described as ‘the world’s largest floating book fair’, the boat is at any given time stocked with 4,000 to 6,000 titles, most in English.

Purchase prices for the books are said to be very reasonable.

The MV Doulos has visited Phuket four times before, in 1990, 1992, 1996 and 2006.

Its stay in port in 2006 lasted four weeks as the crew worked to help victims of the 2004 tsunami disaster.

In addition to offering books, the crew will stage performances and activities for a wide audience, and have many international volunteers on board to converse with people wishing to practice their spoken English.

An opening ceremony will take place at 9:30 on the morning of November 19 and the ship will be open to the public from 2pm.

Tickets to board the massive ship cost just 10 baht.

After its arrival, the vessel will be open to the public at the following times:

Tuesday to Saturday: 10am to 9pm

Sunday and Monday: 2pm to 9pm

For more information contact Ms Doering at Phuket Shipping Services Co Ltd, 54/1 Montri Road, Phuket City, or call 086-0878440. – Sitthipong Nongkaew

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-11-04

British Tourist Reported Missing Possibly In Phuket

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:00:43 +0700

British tourist reported missing, possibly in Phuket

Mr Derry arrived in Thailand on July 28. His last known address was in
Central Road, Pattaya. However, he is known to be a keen fisherman and
frequent visitor to Phuket....

Click the link below for the full story:
http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.as...9&display=1

-- Phuket Gazette 2009/11/04

Phuket Gov And Consuls To Talk Through Problems

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:54:09 +0700

Phuket Gov and consuls to talk through problems

PHUKET CITY: -- Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop has agreed to meet with the island�s honorary consuls every three months to discuss problems concerning tourists and expat residents.

The move follows a proposal by the German ambassador to Thailand yesterday.

German Ambassador Dr Hanns H. Schumacher met with the governor at 2pm at Phuket Provincial Hall.

Dr Schumacher was accompanied by German Honorary Consul Dirk Naumann and Dr Gerhard Melcher, a German orthopedic surgeon at Vachira Phuket Hospital. Dr Gerhard acted as interpreter.

Dr Schumacher told Gov Wichai that 250,000 German tourists travel to Thailand every year.

More collaboration between the Thai police and the German Embassy and Honorary Consulate in cases involving German expats and tourists is required, he said.

�A meeting between international honorary consuls in Phuket and you, the governor, should be held every three months to discuss problems involving tourists and expats,� he said.

�The meeting would help co-operation run more smoothly,� he added.

The governor was receptive to the idea.

�From now on, I will order the police to report to me every case in which a foreigner is involved,� he said. �Regarding the honorary consul meeting, that�s such a good idea. I�ll definitely arrange it.�

Moving on, Dr Schumacher told the governor how pleased he was that Satree Phuket School, the only school on the island teaching German, would send two exchange students to Germany.

He would like to see the German program maintained and expanded into other high schools, he said.

Tourism was also on the agenda.

Phuket is the second most popular destination in Thailand for German tourists, after Pattaya, Dr Schumacher said.

Gov Wichai told the ambassador that while he knew Phuket was popular with Germans, he would not be attending ITB Berlin 2010, one of the world�s biggest travel trade shows, next year.

�I think Phuket must get three things in order before I show off the island to the world,� he said. �Those three issues are convenient transport, a clean environment and an end to political fighting.�

Dr Schumacher closed the meeting by presenting a coffee cup to Gov Wichai as a gift from the German diplomatic mission.

�Every time you drink coffee from this cup, it will remind you of our meeting,� he said.

This year is the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Germany.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-11-03

Phuket Gets Ready For Loy Kratong

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:14:59 +0700

Monday, November 2, 2009

Phuket gets ready for Loy Kratong

Staff at Hilton Phuket Arcadia's Kidz Paradise prepare a special kratong that resembles the Big Buddha in the Nakkerd Hills a few kilometers away.

Children enjoy some tropical trick or treating poolside at the Hilton yesterday.

PHUKET CITY: Scissors are busy clipping banana leaves at resorts and schools around the island as Phuket prepares for the Loy Kratong Festival that takes place at dusk today.

The Buddhist festival, held annually on the full moon of the twelfth month, is celebrated throughout Thailand.

In addition to venerating the teachings of the Buddha, the ritual act of floating away the candle raft symbolizes a release of negative emotions and defilements, allowing believers to start life afresh.

Many people add fingernail and hair clippings to the raft as a physical embodiment of this wish for renewal.

In Phuket, the festival follows hot on the heels of the Vegetarian Festival and Halloween, which was celebrated by many members of the expatriate community and is increasingly popular among Thais despite its pagan roots.

People taking part at places like Saphan Hin can also expect any unexploded ordinance left over from the Vegetarian Festival to be detonated, as the lighting of fireworks has also developed into part of an otherwise beautiful and sedate tradition.

Many people take great care in making their own kratong, but those with less time can also buy beautiful ready made kratong at locations where the festival takes place.

Skies are mostly clear over the majority of Phuket today, but the forecast from the Meteorological Department for the 24-hour period starting at 4am today calls for scattered showers over 30% of the island.

Some of the larger floating sites on the island will be as follows:

PHUKET CITY: Saphan Hin

WICHIT: Klong Mudong, the mangrove forest on the way to Khao Khad

CHALONG: Wat Tai

RAWAI: Nai Harn Lake

KARON: Nong Harn, at the beach circle

KARON: Hilton Arcadia Resort and Spa

KATHU: Bangwad Reservoir

PATONG: On the beach opposite Soi Bangla

CHERNG TALAY: Laguna Phuket Resorts

In addition to the floating of the kratong, there are also stage performances and contests for the most attractive kratong and beauty contests for children and young ladies. � Stephen Fein and Pimwara Choksakulpan

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-11-02

Developments In The Aviation Industry

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:05:49 +0700

Monday, November 2, 2009

OPINION: Good news at long last

With most of the good names already taken, what does the future hold for the aviation industry?

PHUKET CITY: Developments in the aviation industry bode well for Phuket and its tourism industry going into the high season.

The most important of these is Thai AirAsia’s decision to establish Phuket as a second ‘aviation hub’ for its growing operations in Southeast Asia.

Since entering the Phuket market in 2003, Thai AirAsia has been a consistent performer in an industry that has undergone some turbulent times: a tsunami, a major air crash disaster, a crippling takeover by anti-government protesters, health scares and a global economic downturn.

Through down cycles, most carriers serving the Phuket market have been quick to suspend flights as soon as load factors dip.

The problem is that most of them are slow to respond when demand increases. This leaves the island with a lack of direct flights from Bangkok, hardly a desirable situation for an island with almost 40,000 hotel rooms to keep full all year round.

Bangkok Airways new 'codesharing' agreement with Germany's second largest carrier Berlin Air will certainly help better tap into that country's lucrative market. And while Thai Airways recently announced more flights on the BKK-HKT route, AirAsia is going one better with its plan to permanently station as many as five aircraft in Phuket as part of its ‘second hub’ plan.

This will allow Phuket residents the chance to fly direct to destinations such as Jakarta, Bali, Ho Chi Minh City and Chiang Mai on scheduled flights for the first time.

This is the best news the local tourism industry has enjoyed for some time.

Another positive development is the entry of the newly established Happy Air, which launched direct services to Haad Yai and Langkawi over the weekend. This will be welcome news to visa runners, students, businesspeople and the considerable number of people from Songkhla and points further south who live and work in Phuket.

Some mystery remains about who is behind the fledgling carrier or how it was named, but the twice daily ‘reverse triangle route’ from Phuket-Haad Yai-Langkawi-Phuket seems a likely winner.

A number of airlines have tried and failed to operate the Haad Yai route using large jet aircraft, only to find load factors too low.

The only airline to successfully link Southern Thailand’s two large, international airports using turboprop planes was Phuket Air.

Unfortunately, a tarnished safety record seems to have forced the island’s namesake carrier out of the market for scheduled flights altogether.

At last report it was renting its aircraft out on charter flights for Muslim pilgrims going on the Hajj.

Let’s hope Happy Air focuses on offering consistent quality and safety, helping develop Phuket as a true air hub – and giving us all a reason to smile. – Stephen Fein

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-11-02

Snake Fever: Another Phuket Resident Attacked

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:03:03 +0700

Phuket resident Daniel Clark drags a 12-foot python from under his car
after a two-hour confrontation at Ao Chalong Country Home Village. Photo by Niel Skelton.

The reticulated python is a non-venomous native of Southeast Asia.
It can reach up to 25 feet long and weigh more than 300 lbs when fully grown.
It feeds on small- to medium-sized animals by crushing them to death. Photo by Mariluna.

PHUKET: A 12-foot python attacked a Phuket-based jewelry designer when he returned home to find the aggressive snake outside his front door on Wednesday night.

Expat resident Daniel Clark said he and a friend fought with the snake for about two hours, fending it off until they were able to wrestle it to a nearby clearing at Ao Chalong Country Home Village.

His account is the most recent in a series of email and text messages to the Gazette following our report of a python attack at Vachira Phuket Hospital on Wednesday morning.

“I came home from a late-night celebration at 3am on Thursday and the snake attacked me when I tried to enter my driveway,” said Mr Clark.

He said he managed to fend off the snake with a stick but it wouldn’t leave his car port so he called neighbor Niel Skelton to help.

The snake continued to coil and lunge at the pair, eventually taking refuge under Mr Clark’s car.

Not wanting to risk another encounter with the snake in the morning, Mr Clark dragged the python out from under the car.

“I didn’t want to harm the snake, and I have friends at home who handle their pet python. We eventually managed to drag it to a clearing at the end of my soi, where it disappeared into the undergrowth,” he said.

In addition to the reports from Vachira and Mr Clark, the Gazette has learned of two separate attacks, both on women in Rawai earlier this week; an attack on a Thai man in Chalong last night; and an encounter by PGTV producer Marc Mulloy at his home, also in Chalong, early this morning.

Mr Mulloy said that his dog had come under attack and was barking fiercely at about 2am today. He said he had to drive away, with a stick, a reticulated python of “at least 12 feet long,” and that after about 20 minutes the snake finally abandoned the contest by scaling up and over a two-meter-high wall.

Reticulated pythons, a native variety commonly found throughout Southeast Asia, are recognizable by the strikingly colorful geometric pattern along their backs.

They are known as one of the world’s longest snakes, measuring 25 feet or more and weighing about 300 lbs when fully grown.

Snake experts characterize them as docile, non-venomous reptiles which are not usually aggressive unless threatened. They are powerful and prey on small- to medium-sized animals such as cats, dogs and pigs, constricting and crushing them to death.

One snake expert, Phuket Ruamjai Rescue Foundation chief Saiyan Thamaphan, told the Gazette that he felt ongoing human encroachment on the natural habitat of snakes was the reason for the marked rise in reports of snake attacks and sightings in Phuket.

“When Phuket was less developed, snakes such as pythons and cobras used to appear only at the end of the dry season, normally in April, but that people are now encountering them throughout the year, especially near construction projects,” he said.

He added that the reptiles are very sensitive to noise and vibrations from construction work.

Anyone encountering a snake is advised not to confront or disturb the animal, but to contact the Ruamjai Foundation (076-283346/7) or the Kulsudorntum Foundation (076-246216 or 076-211706). They will have the reptile removed, often to the Phuket Zoo.

Residents are also encouraged to report snake encounters to the Gazette’s News Desk by emailing editor@phuketgazette.net or calling 076-236555. The newspaper is currently attempting to create a map of locations on the island where encounters are most likely.

-- Phuket Gazette 30/10/09

Great News! More Thai Nationalism!

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:32:31 +0700

QUOTE

Phuketians join for national anthem tonight

PHUKET CITY: Thousands of flag-waving Phuketians will gather at Phromthep Cape this evening to sing the Thai National Anthem together as part of a nationwide national unity campaign.

Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop will lead the ceremony, which will be broadcast live on national television.

A flotilla of yachts will be anchored off the cape and will sound their horns in a unified salute to end the anthem.

Tourists and local expatriate residents are also invited to take part in the event...

http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.as...1&display=1

Just what we need.

Iguana Starts Fight On Soi Crocodile, Tourist Stabbed

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:35:01 +0700

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Iguana starts fight on Soi Crocodile, tourist stabbed

An iguana handler tempts a tourist to have his picture taken on Soi Bangla. File photo

PHUKET: A Syrian tourist was stabbed in Patong on Tuesday night after an argument over an iguana turned ugly. Four Thai men were later arrested and charged for the stabbing and face charges of assault and grievous bodily harm.

According to Patong police, four iguana handlers ganged up on Mohammed Imed Arab, 20, after he got into an argument with one of the handlers on Soi Crocodile off Bangla Road.

Police said the Syrian refused to have his picture taken with an iguana when he was approached by one of the handlers. The situation quickly escalated into an argument, which was exacerbated by the language barrier and aggressive body language on both sides.

During the altercation, three other iguana handlers went to assist their friend and the Syrian was stabbed in the right side of his torso with a pocket knife.

The victim escaped his assailants by running into a nearby bar, where staff called police and paramedics.

Mohammed was taken to Patong Hospital and released earlier today.

The four male iguana handlers aged between 18 and 21 years old were arrested later that night in the Patong area. The four admitted to the attack and are due to appear in court to face charges. – Kittima Pornmongkhonwat

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-10-28

Snake Shock At Phuket Hospital, Man Bitten

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:28:12 +0700

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Snake shock at Phuket hospital, man bitten

Environmental Health officer Umnaj Paikong inspects the bite he received from the python captured at Vachira Phuket Hospital this morning.

PHUKET: A large python was captured at Vachira Phuket Hospital this morning, biting one of its captors during the struggle.

A staff member of the hospital’s X-Ray unit was shocked to discover the snake in an enclosed grassy area of the hospital at 9am and called in Phuket’s snake catchers.

A team of five snake men, including Environmental Health officer Umnaj Paikong, promptly arrived on the scene to bag the reptile.

The snake bit Mr Paikong’s leg during the capture, leaving puncture wounds on the man’s right shin. However, Mr Paikong said the bite was ‘just a small one’ and that he was not worried about it as the python was not venomous.

Despite being on the grounds he did not seek treatment at the hospital.

Mr Paikong said the snake was a young reticulated python male, measuring at least two meters in length, and will either be released into the wild or taken to a local zoo. – Atchaa Khamlo

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-10-28

Crackdown On Criminal Ladyboys

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:54:47 +0700

Sailor influx prompts Phuket ladyboy crackdown

About 3,000 US marines will be sailing into Phuket
this week aboard the USS Bonhomme.

PHUKET: -- In advance of the arrival of two more US Navy ships full of marines ready for R&R in Phuket this week, Kathu Police are cracking down on criminal gangs of ladyboys.

Kathu Police Commander Grissak Songmoonnark said last time a large contingent of US Navy sailors were in Phuket around 80 ladyboys were arrested for petty crime.

About half of them came to the island from Pattaya with the intention of robbing the Americans, Col Grissak said.

Police would be checking their ID and employment cards, he said. Those who didn�t have the right papers �would have problems�.

Tomorrow, 300 US Navy Marines will arrive aboard the USS Ingraham.

On Thursday they will be joined by around 3,000 more aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard.

The crew have been training in East Timor and have been on board their ship for the past month in advance of their Phuket visit.

Douglas H Robinson, chief of Naval Security Force Protection Detachment, met with Col Grissak and representatives from around 60 Patong businesses in Kathu Police Station to discuss the upcoming visit.

Only 2,500 marines would be allowed off the ships on any given day, Mr Robinson said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-10-27

Briton Killed In Phuket Bike Crash

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:16:53 +0700

Briton killed in Phuket bike crash

CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: -- A successful British advertising director was killed when his motorbike smashed into a six-wheel truck in Cherng Talay in Phuket this afternoon.

Wayne David Maule, 56, was riding a Honda Click down Srisoonthorn Road towards Surin when the tragedy happened at about 1.15pm.

The truck driver said Mr Maule veered into his truck from the opposite lane near the Surin Plaza shopping center.

�I�m not sure whether he was drunk or he fell asleep,� he said.

�As soon as he came towards my truck, I was terrified and broke immediately.�

The driver said when he got out of his truck, Mr Maule�s bike was caught in the back wheels.

Mr Maule�s body was lying on the road behind.

�I knew he was dead,� he said. �I couldn�t bring myself to look at the body, I was so scared.�

A police investigation into the cause of the accident continues.

Mr Maule is understood to have retired to Phuket, following a successful career directing advertising.

In the past few years Mr Maule, who had made his home in Australia, had produced commercials for brands including Lexus, Surf and Qantas.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-10-27

B100 Million In Assets Seized In Phuket Drug Bust

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:21:53 +0700

B100 million in assets seized in Phuket drug bust

The drugs and other items seized by police in a
sting operation yesterday.

PHUKET: The Narcotics Crime Suppression Bureau carried out a sting operation in Phuket at 2am yesterday, arresting a man and seizing 2,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills, 300,000 baht in cash, weapons, vehicles, gold and land.
The value of the items seized totals more than 100 million baht, according to the Narcotics Crime Suppression Bureau.

The suspect was arrested after a policeman pretended to be a buyer in a meeting at a luxury hotel in Phuket.
The suspect, a 44-year-old Chonburi native, is apparently well known to the police as a dealer in illicit goods, such as CDs and watches.
According to arresting officer Col Suttirat Tojamba,the suspect is now being held in Bangkok and faces a ten-year jail sentence. If, however, he confesses to the crime, that sentence may be reduced to five years.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009/10/26

New Sinkhole On Patong Hill Road

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:03:18 +0700

Friday, October 23, 2009

New sinkhole on Patong Hill road

The state of the repair work on Patong Hill road at noon today.

PHUKET CITY: Conditions on the already-treacherous Patong Hill road took another turn for the worse yesterday, when another sinkhole appeared just meters from a similar cavity that was hastily repaired in late August.

Patong Municipal official Sompong Jiumtau said municipal workers put traffic cones around the crevasse as soon as it was first noticed before dusk yesterday.

The hole had enlarged considerably by morning, he said.

Municipal workers under orders from Mayor Pian Keesin were busy today excavating and refilling the hole.

Workers from the Highways Department are expected to join the effort soon, he said.

Sources at the municipality told the Gazette after the first sinkhole appeared that two drainage pipes once channeled runoff under the low-lying stretch of road.

Installation of an electric power pylon in the area obstructed flow to one of the pipes, causing excess runoff to flow under the pavement, resulting in erosion, according to the source.

Drainage has long been a problem on the road, where sheets of water flow like a river across the surface during torrential monsoon-season rains.

Remarkably, a section of the road near where the sinkholes emerged would need to support a large concrete overpass if one option of the Patong Tunnel plan, now under study by Bangkok-based consultants, gets the go-ahead. – Atchaa Khamlo

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-10-23

Phuket's Happy Air Ready For Takeoff

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:01:10 +0700

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Phuket's Happy Air ready for takeoff

Service between Phuket and Haad Yai aboard this 34-seat Saab aircraft starts on October 31.

PHUKET CITY: New carrier Happy Air will launch its Phuket to Haad Yai route on October 31, following on November 1 with flights to Langkawi in Malaysia.

Happy Air Marketing Manager Phatcharapon Sontipun said the service will be aboard the carrier's Swedish-built SAAB 340 A, a 34-seat twin-engine turboprop.

The aircraft is expected to arrive in Phuket on Monday.

The daily flights will depart Phuket at 8am, with the return trip leaving Hat Yai International Airport at 4pm.

Happy Air is wholly-owned by a Phuket investor who has asked that his name not be released to the press, Mr Phatcharapon said.

The Langkawi flights will depart Phuket at 1pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and return at noon the following day, local time.

Panu Maswongsa, Vice President for Marketing at the Phuket Tourist Association, said the new Haad Yai service was good news for the Phuket tourism industry.

The service would make it easy for people in the northern parts of Malaysia to enjoy short holidays in Phuket.

Expat residents needing to go on 'visa runs' to comply with immigration rules will also take advantage of the new services, he said.

Mr Panu said he was told recently by Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijileveld that Thai AirAsia was considering offering Phuket-Haad Yai service next year as part of its plans to establish Phuket as a second regional air hub in Thailand.

At the moment the PTA is focusing on increasing inbound tourism on a short-haul basis, which he defined as under five hours of flying time.

Developments such as the launch of several new flights from Singapore to Haad Yai will also benefit Phuket, as passengers will be able to make connecting flights, he said.

Somchart Pimthanapoonporn, president of the Haad Yai Hotel Association, on Thursday said several regional carriers planned to operate into Haad Yai in this year's peak tourism months.

Singapore's Tiger Airways would inaugurate its thrice weekly Singapore-Haad Yai service on November 3, using Airbus 320 and Airbus 319 aircraft, he said.

An airline from Indonesia is negotiating with Haad Yai authorities to fly the Haad Yai-Medan route. � Stephen Fein

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-10-24

Safe Robbery Dangerous For Phuket Thieves

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:58:30 +0700

Monday, October 19, 2009

Safe robbery dangerous for Phuket thieves

Mr Kelleway tries to lift the 25-kg safe which two thieves managed to carry about 500 meters from his Phuket home on a Honda Wave motorbike, according to police.

KATHU, PHUKET: Two bungling robbers broke their legs in a motorcycle crash while trying to drive home with a 25-kilogram safe they stole from a British expat’s house, police said.

Jirawat Khongsuwan, 24, and Chanakarn Sukhumdecha, 22, deny taking the box from David Kelleway’s house at the Phuket Country Club in Kathu last Saturday.

But Inspector Kittipong Kaikaew of Tung Tong Police said the two men sneaked into the house through a window and stole the safe while the Kelleway family were asleep in the early morning.

Lt Col Kittipong said the pair drove about 500 meters east along Wichit Songkram Road on a Honda Wave motorbike – all the while holding their burdensome booty – and smashed into the back of a taxi.

Police found the two suspects sprawled on the road in front of the Krua Tung Tong restaurant in Kathu village at about 1:30am. Next to them was the overturned bike – and Mr Kelleway’s safe.

They claimed the safe was “nothing to do with them”, Lt Col Kittipong said.

Also recovered at the scene was a Nintendo Wii games console belonging to Mr Kelleway’s son Tiger, 7, and a Nintendo DS charger belonging to daughter Jessica, 6.

The police broke open the safe and found 176,000 baht in cash, six passports and some housing documents, which helped them find Mr Kelleway.

Lt Col Kittipong turned up at the house on Saturday morning to tell the Brit, who hadn’t even realized he’d been burgled, what had happened.

“I feel very lucky,” Mr Kelleway said. “It would probably have taken me two days to notice the safe was even gone.”

Mr Kelleway, a 45-year-old retired property developer, said nothing else was missing.

“They headed straight for the safe. They probably knew it was there somehow,” he said.

Still, that didn’t stop them using a 100cc motorbike as their getaway vehicle.

“When I found out they’d crashed, I thought ‘serves you right’,” Mr Kelleway said.

Lt Col Kittipong returned the money and console to the Kelleway family at Tung Tong Police Station on Tuesday.

“It’s not often you see your stuff again after a robbery,” said a grateful Mr Kelleway.

“I suppose the safe did its job in a way – although the police got into it pretty easily,” he added.

The two suspects, who were last week being treated in Vachira Phuket Hospital for broken legs, face up to seven years in jail.

“From now on, I’ll keep my money in a bank,” said Mr Kelleway.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-10-19