Αποστολή από: halfway inn στις Αύγουστος 19, 2013, 06:59:45 πμ
Samui, nearby islands also vulnerable to oil leaks
BANGKOK: -- The oil-spill crisis on Koh Samet has scarred the Kingdom's tourism industry and operators, especially those in Koh Samui and neighbouring islands, are voicing concern that their investments will go down the drain if something like this happens to them.
In fact, some say that the islands nearby, such as Koh Pha-ngan and Koh Tao, also face the risk of oil washing up at their shores.
At present, four concessions have been granted for petrol exploration in the area, and the farthest oil drill is only 65 kilometres from Koh Tao, while another, operated by Coastal Energy Co, is about 40km away from the shores of Koh Samui and Nakhon Si Thammarat district of Khanom.
''Even at the exploration stage, islands face the risk of an oil leak. Let's look at the Koh Samet's Ao Phrao as an example.
The initial leak was 24km away, but the spill hit Ao Phrao overnight.
Here, Samui is 40km away, so it will only take two days to destroy its beautiful beaches," Tanongsak Somwong, president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, said.
Tanongsak was attending an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) working-group meeting on tourism last week.
At the meeting, he and other association members asked why the Energy Ministry had awarded such concessions, adding that the authorities should realise tourism is key to the Thai economy.
Last year, tourism contributed up to Bt200 billion in taxes to national coffers and Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Pha-ngan provided more than Bt1.5 billion combined.
For Samui, up to 75 per cent of its annual revenue comes from tourism, and if it is hit by a disaster such as an oil spill, many of its businesses could face the brink of bankruptcy.
Not to mention the harm that will be done to marine life and bio-diversity - things that cannot be given a monetary value.
No confidence in preventive moves
This issue was also raised with Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Pureesrisak, who was in Samui last week to meet with local operators after presiding over the opening of the APEC meeting on tourism.
Last Friday, he also spoke with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to look for ways to secure tourism in areas by the sea.
Tanongsak said the association was not confident about the oil-spill preventive measures taken by oil companies, adding that the local community had learned from the Samet tragedy that firms don't have effective tools to save the island.
Last week, a fact-finding committee tasked with investigating the oil leak said that according to preliminary findings "unknown factors" - not human error - were behind the spill.
The leak apparently happened while crude oil was being transferred from a PTT Global Chemical offshore pipeline to a tanker at 6.30am on July 27.
A gust of wind apparently destabilised the tanker receiving the oil, which lead the pipe to get disconnected, Khunying Thongtip Ratanarat, who is leading the investigation team, said.
The Nation 19-08-2013
Αποστολή από: halfway inn στις Μάρτιος 08, 2014, 06:46:50 πμ
Thai Interpol arrest wanted Russian drug lord
KOH SAMUI: -- A Russian national wanted for conspiracy in the drug trade has been arrested in Ko Samui.
Thailand Interpol branch head, Pol Col Apichart Suriboonya told a news conference Friday that the Russian suspect, Yuri Chemanov, was wanted for conspiracy in drug trade.
Pol Col Apichart said that Interpol had earlier contacted Thai Interpol to help trace the suspect after he fled Russian for an alleged synthetic marijuana conspiracy.
Synthetic marijuana is known as a fast-working drug that cannot be detected by sniffer dogs.
He said the tip led to the suspect’s arrest on Samui Island in Surat Thani.
thai pbs
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Μάρτιος 22, 2014, 13:49:21 μμ
(22 March) The authorities have launched inquiry to reports that oil slicks have been spotted near the popular tourist island of Koh Samui in southern Thailand.
Mr. Sermpong Poonsawat, a local businessman in Chaweng Beach on the island, said he has received complaints from many tourists they have encountered thick oil residue after they waded into the sea off Chaweng Beach.
Local business groups had to jointly mobilise their staff and clean the oil slick from the beach in order to prevent any damage to the beach, Mr. Sermpong said.
He insisted that the oil slick is different to the commonly found residue of petrol used by fishing boats in the Gulf of Thailand, and called for the authorities to investigate the matter. "If this kind of incident happens again, tourist businesses in Samui will be certainly affected", Mr. Sermpong warned.
Mr. Charoen To-Itae, a resident in Baan Nai Tung community, also told our correspondent the oil slick has been seen on the 2-3 kilometre stretch of beach in Nai Tung for days now, causing black dots along the sandy shore as the oil began to sink into the beach.
The news has reminded many anxious residents and business owners in Samui of the oil spill crisis in Ranong province late last year, in which tons of oil slick had blackened the sands of Koh Samet island - a famous tourist destination - and caused massive economic as well as environmental damages to the area.
The reports also coincides with discoveries of dead dolphins along the coast of the nearby Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
The latest case of dead dolphin - a full-grown, 2-metre long creature - was found yesterday at Son Sri Beach in Si Chon district. Mr. Santi Nilwat, director of the Maritime Resource Research Centre based in Songkhla province, said 4 dead dolphins were discovered in Nakhon Si Thammarat in the past week alone.
All the dolphins bore no visible injuries, Mr. Santi said, which may indicate that they had been killed by the suspected oil slick, but he stressed that further lab tests were needed to identify the clear cause of deaths.
Mr. Pitak Baripit, Si Chon district director, assured the public that scientists from Walailak University have already retrieved samples of the seawater and the oil slick for scientific investigation. He expected the team will take 1 week to determine the type of the oil, and whether the substance will cause any damage to the ecology in the sea.
"Officials have been arriving to investigate [the oil slick] every day," Mr. Pitak said, but expressed his concern that no state agency has yet volunteered to take responsibility for the budget of cleaning the oil residue along the shore.
Local residents, however, complained that their patience is running out. Mr. Abhichit Permpanit, a fisherman who makes the living off the coast in Nakhon Si Thammarat, said he is deeply concerned by the news of the dead dolphins, as it might be evidence of another case of serious oil spill.
In the incident of Koh Samet oill spill, the disaster was caused by an underwater faulty pipeline operated by the PTT Global Chemical Company, a state-owned petroleum giant. Many residents said they feared a similar accident might have occurred either on an oil rig or cargo ship in the sea around Koh Samui.
Some also voiced their exasperation at the authorities' alleged slow response. Mr. Charoen, the resident in Baan Nai Tung, officials did not respond to the reports until several days have passed, leading him to accuse the authorities of incompetence and carelessness.
"The state authorities and the private sector have been actively working to push for big projects like the oil drilling platform in the province," Mr. Charoen complained, "The people have always opposed these projects, because we don't believe there would be adequate measures of inspection and containment of any environmental effects".
He added, "This oil slick incident is another proof of the incompetence of the state authorities. Since small matters like this are not worth their attention, so how will they respond to big issues with big consequences?"
khaosod
Αποστολή από: thailandgr στις Απρίλιος 01, 2014, 17:31:48 μμ
The transport office and ministry for foreign relations have today unveiled a new scheme to encourage Russian tourists to visit Thailand. The pilot scheme that will be trialed in Koh Samui during April involves replacing many of the road signs currently in both Thai and English with signs that are in Thai and Russian. If the scheme is successful in encouraging Russian tourists to visit the island it will be extended to other popular tourist destinations such as Phuket, Pattaya and Hua Hin. So far there are no plans to extend the scheme to Bangkok.
The decision to replace English signs with Russian ones has met with mixed feelings from the locals. Russian Boris Beloglazw told our reporter through an interpreter “I think this is a great idea and it will be very good for visitors from Russia, many of whom do not speak English or Thai. Nearly everything is in English on this island and with more and more Russians coming here to live and for vacations every year I think this is a move that is long overdue”
Thai Khun Sittpan Sutthiport said “I think it is a good idea to help Russian people find their way around. Many of them do not speak Thai or English so when they get lost they can’t even ask for directions. We like Russians coming to Thailand because they spend a lot of money, the English people that come here and benefit from the signs don’t really spend anything.
Dennis Brewer from the UK told our reporters, “I think this a preposterous idea, I can understand there is a need to put some signs up in Russian but to take the English ones away is ridiculous. English is the international language. I think this will create havoc on the roads that are already dangerous. It’s bad enough as it is, the idea of a few Russians finding their way around and everybody else being lost it’s off the scale of crazy. I think this is one last nail in the Samui as a tourist destination coffin and the island will end up only attracting Russians” “there is even a Russian food outlet at the Central Festival Plaza!” he added.
In another surprising move the ministry for Russian tourism have asked that all company signs in Samui also be translated into Russian, as well displaying the company name in English and Thai and have invited all business owners on the island to add a Russian translation before it becomes mandatory mid next year.
Αποστολή από: diamantis στις Απρίλιος 02, 2014, 11:50:19 πμ
Αποστολή από: spyros007 στις Απρίλιος 02, 2014, 16:30:11 μμ
Αποστολή από: halfway inn στις Απρίλιος 29, 2014, 14:11:07 μμ
Foreigner Robs Koh Samui Convenience Store
(http://s10.postimg.org/lqm7or96x/KOH_SAMUI_ROBBERY.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)
SURAT THANI: 29-04-2014
Police say an armed foreigner robbed a convenience store on Koh Samui island yesterday and took off with more than 178,000 baht in cash.
The robbery took place at a Family Mart store at around 10:30 a.m., according to the police.
The cashier, Metta Laksanasuk, 28, said she and her coworker were counting approximately 200,000 baht in cash in preparation for a bank deposit when a man walked into the store and pretended to browse through goods.
Shortly afterwards, the suspect ran to the counter, took out a small handgun, and forced Ms. Metta and the other cashier to leave the counter before taking 178,350 baht from the pile of money, Ms. Metta said.
According to Ms. Metta, the suspect fled the scene in a Toyota Vios with a license plate that had been covered with white paper.
The police, upon being alerted by Ms. Metta, chased but failed to catch the suspect.
The suspect is described as an approximately 175 centimetre tall, dark-haired Caucasian in his 30s.
Pol.Col. Satit Prom-utai, the chief of Bo Put Police Station on Koh Samui island, said the police have a suspect in mind but are still in the process of investigating.
The immigration and tourist police have been contacted to provide the officers with additional details about the suspect, Pol.Col. Satit said.
Police have also released CCTV footage of the incident to seek the public’s help in identifying the perpetrator.
Khaosod (29-04-2014)
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Ιούνιος 23, 2014, 17:36:40 μμ
Noppadol Thiyajai, deputy secretary-general of the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) under the ministry, said that expanding tourism affected the environment of many islands in both island groups and severe impacts happened to catchment areas, swamp forests, mangrove forests, beaches and cliffs.
He said that the urbanization law could not be enforced effectively to protect the environment in the affected areas.
Section 45 of the Environmental Quality Preservation and Promotion Act BE 2535 was used to issue a ministerial regulation to protect the environment in seven sub-districts of Ko Samui district and three sub-districts of Ko Phangan district, he said.
The protection covers 52 islands including Koh Samui and the Koh Phangan islands. It took effect on May 31 and will be imposed for five years. The announcement is the eighth of its kind.
Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning Office staff will discuss the regulation with local authorities later this month.
The office prohibits any activities that will change local ecosystems including oil drilling and construction of high rises, hotels and residences on environmentally sensitive small islands. However, the regulation does not have a retroactive effect.
Mr Noppadol added that such protection would be extended to cover roads lined with large rubber trees in Chiang Mai and in Ranong provinces. (MCOT online news)
-- TNA 2014-06-23
Αποστολή από: halfway inn στις Ιούλιος 23, 2014, 07:38:37 πμ
Number of tourist arrivals in Koh Samui declines this year
SURAT THANI: According to Thanongsak Somwong, the chairman of the Koh Samui Tourist Promotion Association, as of July 2014 the number of tourists visiting the famous Samui Island has declined by 20% compared to the same period last year.
Mr. Thanongsak reasoned that even though the military curfew in Koh Samui has been lifted since June 13th, many tourists still can not make up their minds whether to revisit the island again due to safety concerns.
He stated that at least 1.5 million tourists visited Koh Samui for the entire year of 2013.
The number of tourists for this year so far, however, has only reached 900,000.
Therefore, it is unlikely that the number of tourist arrivals at the famous island for the remainder of 2014 would match that of last year.
NNT (22 -07 - 2014)
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Αύγουστος 20, 2014, 19:01:25 μμ
The name of the victim is being withheld until it has been confirmed that the family have been informed.
Samui Times
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Αύγουστος 21, 2014, 19:54:00 μμ
This morning, 20th of August the owner of a bar in Chaweng suffered a fatal knife attack. Reports have now confirmed that the victim was the 46 year old the owner of the 99 Bar in Chaweng. Early reports suggested that after leaving a popular Chaweng nightclub he had an altercation 99 Bar Chawengwith a Thai man who was sitting on his motorbike in the car park behind Sound Club. Witness have now told the police that the German and his Thai girlfriend left a nightclub and went to get their motorbike in a car park close to the club, where they came across three teenagers who were sitting on the German’s bike drinking alcohol. The German became very angry with the youths when one of the Thai’s became angry he punched the German in the face before beating him with a beer bottle and stabbing him with broken glass in the neck. The attackers then fled the scene. Medical workers reported that the man died of stab wounds and the police have said they are following CCTV footage to find the suspects.
The name of the victim is being withheld until it has been confirmed that the family have been informed.
Samui Times
Three Thai teenagers have been arrested for allegedly stabbing a German bar owner to death on Koh Samui island yesterday.
The three suspects are between 15 and 17 years old, said Pol.Col. Satit Prom-uthai, an officer at Bo Phut Police Station.
murder suspects 2According to Pol.Col. Satit, the suspects confessed to stabbing Schwartges Volker, 46, in Chaweng Beach’s entertainment yesterday morning following a heated argument. Pol.Col. Satit said a search of the suspects’ residences turned up a knife that was reportedly used in the attack; previous police reports indicated that Mr. Volker was stabbed by shards of glass from a broken beer bottle.
One of the suspects said Mr. Volker berated the group for sitting on his motorcycle in the parking lot of a nightclub, Pol.Col. Satit said. The suspects confessed to punching and stabbing him in the neck after the argument escalated, the officer said.
“They fled the crime scene without knowing that the victim was dead,” Pol.Col. Satit said.
The three suspects have been charged with premeditated murder.
Khaosod
http://www.samuitimes.com/three-suspects-chaweng-bar-owner-stabbing-now-custody/
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Αύγουστος 21, 2014, 19:55:32 μμ
stab victim in ChawengThe victim of the stabbing is said to be a Burmese shop assistant aged 30, the attacker a 48 year old Burmese man who is thought to work as an electrician in the Chaweng area. Witnesses told the police that the men had been arguing and as the argument heated up the older man pulled out a knife and stabbed the younger man in the area of his left nipple. After some struggle the younger man died.
The attacker then attempted run from the scene but on lookers including tourists apprehended the man who was later taken into police custody where he confessed to attacking his younger brother first with a bottle and then fatally with a knife over an argument about the younger man flirting.
samui times
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Αύγουστος 26, 2014, 16:09:36 μμ
The five-year-old French boy, who was on vacation with his parents. was rushed to Koh Pa Ngan Hospital but succumbed to the venom.
Phuketwan online reported that PhaNgan acting district chief Kasitdet Thongchu on Monday asked local administrative authorities and beachside hotels to post signs warning of poisonous jellyfish and prepare first aid measures in case of stings.
Dr Yongyos Thammawut of the provincial public health office in Surat Thani said the boy went into shock from stings from the poisonous tentacles of a box jellyfish while with his parents on Khuad beach on Saturday. He died as his parents and a guide were taking him to Pha Ngan hospital for treatment, he added.
The online news site said the boy became entangled in the box jellyfish's tentacles, which were 20 cm long.. Fully grown box jellyfish, some of the mostpoisonous animals on earth, can reach three metres.
They can be found seasonally off the beaches of Ko Lanta and Haad Nopparatthara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Marine Park of Krabi province, Nam Bor bay in Phuket province, Chaam beach in Phetchaburi province, and some beaches on Tao, Samui and PhaNgan islands.
Source: http://www.nationmul...g-30241795.html
-- The Nation 2014-08-26
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Σεπτέμβριος 22, 2014, 17:53:14 μμ
The police investigators and Samui Rescue rushed to the scene where they found two men who had been shot dead, Mr Nakron Tsaa, 29 and his brother Mr Narong who had been shot in the neck and head. Bullet casings were found at the scene.
Eye witness Mr. Paitoon,33, said that he was sleeping in the room when a single assailant arrived on the scene, he fled for his life.
It is thought the male suspect fled the scene and boarded a ferry to the mainland. The police are now tracking down their lead suspect in the investigation.
-- Samui Times 2014-09-22
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Οκτώβριος 05, 2014, 13:07:38 μμ
Police investigators are now trying to determine whether the man fell or was pushed and why he was not wearing a life jacket, as tourists are required by law to do.
The vessel, carrying about 30 passengers, was travelling to Koh Phangan from the smaller island of Koh Tao, where the vicious murder of British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller has captured international attention since September 15.
Police from Phangan are investigating the circumstances of the manner in which the crew of the vessel, the Seatran Discovery, turned around and pulled the man from the sea. Life jackets are compulsory.
Colonel Prachoom Rungtong, Superintendent of Phangan Police Station, said that the man, aged 26, was spotted leaning over the rear of the vessel, photographing the propeller, before he fell.
''It's unclear whether his mental state has any bearing on what happened,'' the colonel said. ''We will be asking the captain why there was no safety vest and why he wasn't pulled alive from the sea.''
The investigation into the Belgian man's death comes amid growing concern about the safety and security of tourists in Thailand, following the murders on Koh Tao.
A suggestion that tourists wear wristbands, made recently by the Tourism and Sports minister, probably would not have helped. A life vest, however, might have saved his life.
Phuketwan has been given the man's name but will not identify him until we can be sure his family has been notified.
His body was taken to Koh Phangan Hospital
http://phuketwan.com/tourism/drowning-belgian-tourist-koh-tao-adds-alarm-safety-thailands-tourists-21120/
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Οκτώβριος 26, 2014, 06:55:04 πμ
The Sunday Nation October 26, 2014 1:00 am
All public parties in the Koh Pha-ngan district in Surat Thani province - except the full-moon party at Haad Rin - have been banned to "prevent crime and vices".
The move follows the gruesome murder of two British tourists on Koh Tao, a nearby island, which are still under investigation.
Haad Rin is the original site on Pha-ngan Island where the world-renowned beach party has been held on full moon nights.
The province's Governor Chatpong Chatphuti consulted Surat Thani Army commander Maj-General Kleukul Inchan and related officials to find long-term crime-prevention measures. This lead to the district office cancelling all beach parties except the one event. With the country still under martial law, all sides - including business operators - reportedly agreed.
The governor's order also makes it mandatory to seek his approval via the district office for any event to be hosted on a beach or public space. The order cites prevention of crime and vices as the reason for banning parties, after the Koh Tao killings hammered the country's image and tourism.
Meanwhile, Koh Tao residents joined in a vegetarian festival for the second day yesterday and said they prayed for the good health of Their Majesties the King and Queen while also making merit for the two British tourists killed in September. The festival runs until November 1.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Metropolitan Police Area 5 yesterday held a meeting of nine police stations under its jurisdiction to beef up security for tourists.
Following the meeting, area deputy chief Pol Colonel Somneuk Noikhong told the press that the meeting followed instructions from the National Council for Peace and Order for additional measures to promote tourism by restoring visitors' confidence to visit Thailand during the upcoming high season.
The measures include a through checking of the car/motorbike rental businesses at tourist areas; checking ferry/boat businesses to strictly observe safety protocol; checking tour bus and taxi operators to ensure the drivers had a licence, they were sober and passengers were given insurance cover.
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Ιανουάριος 23, 2015, 06:00:51 πμ
A police officer, who asked not to be named, said there were no apparent wounds on the deceased’s body. There was also no sign of intrusion or theft in her bungalow, according to the officer. Her body has been sent to Surat Thani Hospital for autopsy, he said.
The officer added that the bungalow is owned by Montriwat Toowichian, the same man who managed the bar where Miller and Witheridge were last seen on the night of September 14, hours before their murders.
According to British media, a Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed the death of a British national in Thailand.
“We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Ms Annesley’s Facebook page shows that she had worked for Dow Jones media up until the time she came to Thailand on a “dream holiday”. She was also politically active, being involved with the right-wing UK Independence Party (Ukip).
After defecting from the Tory party’s youth wing, Conservative Future, in 2012, Ms Annesley joined Ukip’s Young Independence, rising to become vice-chair of its Yorkshire branch.
According to The Independent newspaper, her family were informed that her death was not suspicious.
Ms Annesley’s father, Boyne, told The Independent that the family had been informed by the Foreign Office that his daughter had died from natural causes.
The newspaper quoted him as saying, “She tweeted her boyfriend at midnight Thai time on Monday complaining that she had spent £60 [B3,000] on penicillin because she had a chest infection. We never heard from her again.
“She was due to check out of her bungalow soon, so staff there went round to check on her and found her dead.”
Two 21-year-old Burmese migrant workers are currently being held in prison for allegedly murdering Miller and raping and murdering Witheridge. The two suspects have denied the charges.
The grisly murder of Miller and Witheridge made headlines around the globe last year and damaged Koh Tao’s reputation as a popular diving destination for foreigners.
This is the second mysterious death of a young foreigner on Koh Tao since the murders. On January 1, the body of a 29-year-old Frenchman was found hanging from the ceiling of his rented bungalow.
Suspicions arose over what appeared to be a suicide when on further inspection it was discovered the man’s hands were tied behind his back.
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Φεβρουάριος 13, 2015, 12:00:58 μμ
A Turkish tourist was shot dead outside a Koh Samui pub early this morning (February 13), allegedly by a security guard who argued with him outside the Chaweng beach bar.
Bangkok Post
Friday 13 February 2015, 04:48PM
The unidentified 34-year-old Turk sustained gunshots to the head and abdomen in front of the Solo Bar in tambon Borpud of Surat Thani province. Two pistols - a .38 and a 9mm loaded with bullets - a knife, and about 100,000 baht cash, were found near the body, Thai media reported.
Kabin Srisa-ard, the security guard who allegedly shot him, waited for police to surrender.
According to police, the Turkish tourist went to the Solo Bar drunk about 2am today and asked staffers to open the venue to serve him. An employee told him the pub was closed, but the man insisted on entering and blustered before leaving.
Shortly later, he returned and made loud noise in front of the bar. He then got into an argument with Mr Kabin, during which the Turk pulled a gun on him, police said. Mr Kabin fired his own weapon in self-defence, investigators reported.
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Μάρτιος 07, 2015, 04:17:55 πμ
The shooting that happened at 7:40 pm caused panic to both Thai and foreign tourists who were shopping at the Borphud walking street.
Panas Khao-uthai, 49, alias Tag Borphud, was shot six times in his back and he died on the way to the Ban Don Inter Hospital, police said.
Panas was known to be an influential real estate developer. He also co-owned some restaurants on Koh Samui with some farang businessmen. He reportedly provided protection to farang businessmen who invested on the island.
Pol Lt Col Pongkhachorn Sukkasang, an investigator on duty of the Koh Samui police station, said Panas and his employees were having dinner at the Karma Restaurant on the soi leading to the Borphud pier where he organized the walking street fair when two gunmen opened fire at them.
Pongkhachorn said two employees of Panas were also injured. Chaiklom Kruaphakdee, 36, was shot in his left eye and Sunthorn Chumsai, 42, in his left arm.
Footage from a security camera showed that two men walked to the shop and opened fire at Panas, cutting him down. They then walked to shoot him at pointblank before they fled the scene.
An autopsy found that Panas was shot six times in his back.
The sound of gunfire terrified both Thai and foreign tourists, who ran for cover.
Police have stepped up checking at all piers on Koh Samui to try to prevent the gunmen from fleeing.
Αποστολή από: halfway inn στις Μάρτιος 19, 2015, 11:49:04 πμ
Tourists escape unhurt - Bus engulfed in flames
(http://s13.postimg.org/40fkztwjb/BUS_ON_FIRE.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)
Thursday, 19-03-2015
A double decker bus from Bangkok with about 30 European tourists caught fire while on the way to Surat Thani, but nobody was injured.
The incident happened at 3.00 am Thursday on Asian Highway 41 in Tambon Kron of Sawee district, Surat Thani province.
The bus which took the tourists from Khao Sarn road in Bangkok to the ferry pier in Surat Thani was entirely engulfed in flames and damaged in an hour fire before the first fire truck would arrive.
All the suitcases and belongings of the tourists which were kept inside the rear cargo space were also damaged.
According to the bus driver Pongoan Daengmuang, 40, of Choke Malidaeng tour bus, he left Bangkok at 7.30 pm on Wednesday night with 34 tourists mostly from Europe, to the ferry pier to Samui island.
But as the bus arrived at Sawee district, electronic system of the bus had trouble, causing the hydraulic system of the power brake to fail.
The braking system was overheating, forcing him to drive the bus to park on the shoulder of the highway.
He said he also noticed smoke coming out from the rear tyres, and he immediately awoke the sleeping tourists to leave the bus.
But as the normal front exit was locked due to the failed electronic system, he told all passengers to leave by the emergency exit.
He also said he tried to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher but couldn’t make it as the fire raged beyond control.
He ranged the police for help.
The police then called the nearest firefighting station at Kron local administration office for help but was told that there was no driver.
The police later sought help from Napho local administration office which is 10 kilometres away.
But before the first fire truck would arrive an hour later, the entire bus along with luggage of the tourists were all burnt out in flames under the eyes of disappointed and unsatisfied tourists of the late arrival.
Many tourists were seen taking pictures of the fire raging bus with their mobile phones, and some even shouting with dissatisfaction of the local administration office’s unpreparedness to deal with fire.
Αποστολή από: halfway inn στις Μάρτιος 20, 2015, 11:32:38 πμ
Dawn raids in Koh Samui by 700 police and soldiers
(http://s1.postimg.org/9uct7kp1r/SAMUI_RAID_1.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)
(http://s21.postimg.org/na6vr322v/SAMUI_RAID_2.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)
(http://s10.postimg.org/42s0j75p5/SAMUI_RAID_3.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)
(http://s21.postimg.org/9s9mpnlmv/SAMUI_RAID_4.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)
Friday, 20-03-2015
This morning at 6am 700 police and army officers carried out a dawn raid in Koh Samui.
During the raid 26 individuals were targeted.
Soldiers armed with machine guns were lowered onto the island from helicopters as homes around the island were raided.
Some homes were raided via the roof in scenes that looked like something out of an action movie.
Many of the homes owners came out looking bewildered still dressed in night attire.
According to Thai news reports the move came after the very public execution of a prominent local businessman, the 49 year old man was gunned down while having dinner in a restaurant in the popular Fishemen’s village.
The shooting took place around 7-20 pm during the village’s weekly walking street, hundreds of tourists were witness to the crime, authorities are gravely concerned that such acts will have a negative effect on tourism and are concerned about violent crimes on the island as a whole, specifically gun crime.
Ruengsri Travel in Bophut was among the targets this morning, however, little was recovered in the raid, only 2 bullets and a few training bullets.
However arrests have been made and an announcement is expected later today with regards to arrests made and hauls of drugs and weapons that were recovered in the raid.
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Μάρτιος 24, 2015, 13:54:13 μμ
At 5 a.m. on March 22, Pol.Lt. Yossakorn Thongnoon, the Samui District Police Station’s case officer, after being informed of a murder in the parking lot of a famous pub in Chaweng, went to investigate the crime scene with Pol.Col. Thavej Pleumsood, Pol.Col. Chaiyan Bandit, Pol.Lt.Col. Denduang Thongsrisook, Pol.Lt.Col. Apichat Chansamred, Samui Hospital medical team, and Samui Volunteer Rescue Unit.
On arrival police and rescue workers discovered fifteen year-old Mr. Piyapong Phromchan who had been stabbed several times in his chest and back. The boy died shortly after being rushed to the hospital.
At the same time, some of the officers were called to Laemdin Market after being informed of a shooting. On arrival there they discovered Mr. Manee Sooksri, 26, severely injured from a gunshot at his left hip and right leg he was also sent to the hospital. During their investigation, the officers found that Mr. Manee was the suspect who stabbed Mr. Piyapong to death, he was subsequently taken into custody.
During their inquiries police discovered that before the fight took place, the injured, the deceased, and five of their friends were drinking in a pub in Chaweng. They, then, got into a fight. During the altercation Mr. Piyapong was stabbed. After the stabbing the group of people who killed Mr. Piyapong attempted to escape, but Mr. Manee was shot by one of the deceased’s friends who pursued him. The investigation team examined the security cameras in the area, and identified those who committed the crime as teenagers local to the area, the police are confident they will soon apprehend all of the suspects involved in both the shooting and the stabbing.
National news reports suggest that local people feel that the dawn raid carried out by police and army soldiers last week was less than a success, and that the raid only resulted in the seizure of licensed firearms, leaving many illegal firearms in the hands of local young gangs. They said they had been promised an end to gun crime in Samui but only a few hours later one lay dead and another one wounded.
Αποστολή από: halfway inn στις Απρίλιος 11, 2015, 11:21:56 πμ
(http://s30.postimg.org/xhv46iuv5/BOMB_IN_SAMUI.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)
Thai officers examine the wreckage of a pickup truck after an explosion at Samui Island in Surat Thani province, Thailand
BANGKOK (AP) 11 April 2015
A car bomb explosion on the popular holiday island of Samui in Thailand that injured seven people may be linked to the country's political turmoil, a spokesman for the military government said Saturday.
Initial reports indicated the attack was carried out by the same group behind recent blasts in the capital, Bangkok, which caused no fatalities, said Maj.Gen. Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
He did not elaborate, but the leader of the junta that took power in a coup last May has blamed the Bangkok blasts on groups opposed to the military takeover.
The improvised bomb on Samui late Friday was hidden in a pickup truck and went off after a fashion show in the basement parking area of the Central Festival mall, the island's disaster prevention and mitigation chief Poonsak Sophonpathumrak told The Associated Press.
Thai media reported that an Italian was among seven injured.
Authorities believe the vehicle was stolen from one of the three southernmost Thai provinces plagued by Islamic insurgency.
More than 5,000 people have been killed in the three provinces since 2004.
Muslim militants generally do not operate beyond the three provinces, though a handful of bombings or attempted bombings in other areas have been tentatively attributed to rebels in the past.
The military linked the Samui blast to two small bombs that exploded outside a major shopping mall in Bangkok in early February, slightly injuring two people.
Junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said at the time that the blasts were aimed at discrediting the government.
In March, a series of arrests were made in connection with a grenade that was tossed at Bangkok's Criminal Court, and those detained were apparently sympathizers of the anti-government Red Shirt movement, which was formed by supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra after he was deposed in a 2006 coup.
Thailand has suffered from almost a decade of sometimes violent political unrest as supporters and opponents of Thaksin have jousted for power.
Thaksin's sister Yingluck Shinawatra was elected prime minister in 2011, but forced from office by a controversial court ruling in May last year, shortly before the latest coup ousted her government.
Government critics have suggested that some of the bombings may have been carried out by the military government to justify its continued suppression of basic rights and liberties.
The government denies it.
"Right now the authorities have found some connections that linked to the attacks in Bangkok, and they are now tracing the perpetrators from evidence at the scene," Sansern said.
At about the same time as Friday's Samui bombing, a huge fire ripped through a cooperative store on the mainland of the same Surat Thani province.
Thai media reported that two blasts were heard at the start of the fire, in which no one was hurt.
The cause of the fire was unclear.
Associated Press writer Grant Peck contributed to this report.
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Αύγουστος 02, 2015, 08:44:30 πμ
Ms Chaiyanun Surin, 31, died en route to Koh Phang Ngan Hospital on Friday evening after her unconscious body was retrieved from the waters off the famous Full Moon Party beach.
In the rescue attempt, two Candians and one Thai were also stung and subsequently hospitalized, but now in safe condition.
The victim had travelled to Koh Phang Ngan with three of herr friends from Bangkok, with the plan to partake in the famous Full Moon Party on Friday night, which was also an auspicious Blue Moon.
Ms Chayanun and her friends had only arrived on Koh Phang Ngan for about five hours when the victim decided to go out for a swim off of Had Rin Beach at aproximately 7.40pm.
Soon after getting in the water, the victim called out to her friends for help realizing she was burning after being stung by something, which later was found out to be deadly box jellyfish, abundant in the Gulf of Thailand during the Southwesterly monsoon winds period, between May to October.
It is understood that Ms Chayanun had just resigned from her job at a famous hotel in Bangkok on July 28 before deciding to go to the famous party island with her friends.
The victim's mother and sister have already retrieved her body.
http://www.thephuketnews.com/thai-woman-31-dies-of-jelly-fish-stings-on-full-moon-party-trip-to-koh-phang-ngan-53464.php#sthash.ov44e4Mr.dpuf
http://www.nationtv.tv/main/content/social/378466023/
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Αύγουστος 06, 2015, 19:59:11 μμ
At around 11-30 this morning an off road tour vehicle lost control in Namuang and rolled, landing on its roof. Reports suggest that six Chinese tourists were badly hurt in the accident and one lady believed to be German died of her injuries in Bangkok Samui Hospital. *Update, it has been confirmed that a 27 year old German woman has died as a result of this accident.
http://www.samuitimes.com/off-road-jeep-tour-accident-in-samui-kills-one-and-injures-six/
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Σεπτέμβριος 01, 2015, 17:27:34 μμ
Yesterday, Monday 31st August, a French tourist was killed at Namuang 2 waterfall in Koh Samui. Early reports suggest the tourist, in his 20’s, had stepped outside a safety barrier, after being asked to return to safety, the man slipped sixty meters sustaining fatal head injuries during his fall. A second French tourist, also in his 20’s, was transported to the local hospital with multiple broken bones. It took police and rescue workers two hours to reach the men.
In February this year an Australian died and one other was injured in a fall at the waterfall. Benjamin Thomas Kemp, 20 plunged 60 meters down the waterfall with Hugh Smith, 24. Hugh Smith was pronounced dead on arrival at the local hospital.
Despite the dangers of the waterfall, safety barriers, and signs pointing out the dangers visitors to the waterfall continue to risk life and limb climbing areas deemed unsafe.
http://www.samuitimes.com/french-tourist-killed-at-namuang-waterfall-koh-samui/
(http://s17.postimg.org/6xu34zv1r/timthumb_php_src_http_www_samuitimes_com_wp_content_uploads_2015_09_namuang_2_jpg_q_90_w_478_h_270_zc_1.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Σεπτέμβριος 11, 2015, 15:39:49 μμ
Koh Tao murder trial: DNA on weapon does not match accused
By Asian Correspondent Staff Sep 11, 2015 4:54PM UTC
(http://s22.postimg.org/hfrwij935/Witheridge_Miller_Front.jpg) (http://postimage.org/)
The trial of two Burmese migrants accused of murdering two British backpackers on the Thai island of Koh Tao last year heard Friday that DNA samples taken from a garden hoe believed to have been used in the killings does not belong to the accused.
The revelation is a major setback for the prosecution’s case, coming after a string of inconsistencies in the police investigation into the murders of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller.
Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand, head of the Thai forensics institute, told the court that DNA from two males was found on the weapon but there was no match with the defendants Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo.
The forensic scientist also told the trial, which is taking place on the Thai island of Koh Samui, that police treated the crime scene haphazardly in the hours after the bodies were discovered. Prosecutors say that other DNA, which was found on Witheridge’s body, matches that of the defendants.
Pornthip is a well-known figure in Thailand, known for her work on a number of high-profile cases and her flamboyant hair-dos. She has a wax statue at Madame Tussauds in Bangkok.
The high-profile case has brought the investigation and the conduct of the Thai police under the international spotlight.
The two Burmese, who confessed to the crime and were forced to publicly re-enact the murders on the beach where the bodies were found, later retracted their confessions saying they were tortured.
The trial is expected to continue until September 25, with a verdict expected about a month later.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/135517/koh-tao-trial-dna-on-weapon-does-not-match-accused/
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Σεπτέμβριος 25, 2015, 16:07:23 μμ
Lawyers for two Myanmar migrant workers accused of killing two British tourists in Thailand were on Friday granted more time to organise their defence, which could put back a verdict that had been expected next month, one of the lawyers said.
The battered bodies of backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, both in their 20s, were found on the southern holiday island of Koh Tao last year. Post-mortem examination showed Witheridge had been raped.
The killings raised questions about the safety of tourists in Thailand, the competence of its police and its treatment of migrant workers.
Lawyers for the accused Myanmar men, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 22, had appealed for more time to show the pair were scapegoats.
Chief defence lawyer Nakhon Chompuchat told reporters the court had decided to allow some extra time and would decide later on Friday how much to grant.
"There will be an extension," Nakhon said outside the court on the neighbouring island of Samui.
"It is just a question of for how long."
The trial of the two Myanmar men has been mired in controversy, with their lawyers complaining of a patchy police investigation marred by disputed forensics, a contaminated crime scene and selective use of surveillance video to implicate the accused.
The defendants accused police of torturing them into making confessions, which they later retracted. Zaw Lin told the court he was threatened with death if he did not confess to the crime.
On Thursday, an investigator from the National Human Rights Council, Janjira Kanpeang, testified how the commission found that torture had been used during their interrogation.
Police have denied mistreating the Myanmar men and have stood by their investigation. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has said "nobody would dare" go after the wrong suspects because the case was so high-profile.
Andy Hall, a Thailand-based activist for the rights of migrant workers who is helping with the defence, said a longer trial means the verdict could be postponed to 2016.
(Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Robert Birsel)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/09/25/uk-thailand-britain-murders-idUKKCN0RP0TX20150925
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Οκτώβριος 07, 2015, 19:02:57 μμ
The woman was pronounced dead late Tuesday at a private hospital on the island after the attack during a nightime swim at Lamai beach.
"Doctors said she died due to poison from a box jellyfish," Lieutenant Thanakorn Patnankaew, a tourist police officer on the island, said.
He added that local officials have since travelled to nearby beaches to warn tourists to be more cautious while swimming, though such stings are rare.
The German Consulate in Phuket confirmed that one of its citizens was killed due to a fatal jellyfish sting but could provide no further details.
In August a Thai woman died due to a box jellyfish sting off Koh Phangan, an island a short ferry ride away from Koh Samui that is especially popular with backpackers for its hedonistic full-moon beach parties.
And in August 2014, a five-year-old French boy was killed in an attack by the species in the same area.
The box jellyfish has trailing tentacles two to three metres (six to 10 feet) long that can pack a lethal sting for swimmers. It feeds on small fish and crustaceans.
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/german-tourist-killed-box-jellyfish-koh-samui#sthash.gtpCGKt2.dpuf
Αποστολή από: jazzy-j στις Νοέμβριος 16, 2015, 19:59:10 μμ
Russian arrested for smuggling 6.5kg cocaine to Samui
A Russian man has been arrested at the customs office in Koh Samui for allegedly smuggling into Thailand 6.5 kilogrammes of cocaine worth about 26 million baht.
Kulis Sombatsiri, director-general of the Customs Department at the Surat Thani island office, said in a news conference on Monday that Sunday's arrest of Sergei Lelekov was made by customs and Office of the Narcotic Control Board, and Narcotic Suppression Bureau officers.
According to Mr Kulis, Silk Air staff brought two suitcases to the Ko Samui customs office for officials to check before delivering them to a passenger at Samui Diving Resort.
The officers scanned the bags and found a strange object attached to the upper side of one suitcase. The airline was told to tell the passenger to pick up his luggage at the customs office.
Lelekov arrived and confirmed ownership of the bags, which he said Silk Air that he lost on his trip from Singapore to the resort island on Nov 14.
Customs had the Russian open the suitcases. Inside one was only three shirts, plus a flat package hidden under the lid. In that package were five packs of cocaine weighing altogether 6.5kg.
The Russian was charged with smuggling narcotics into the country with intent to sell.
Bangkok Post
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Δεκέμβριος 24, 2015, 06:39:22 πμ
The battered bodies of backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on a beach on the island of Koh Tao in September 2014.
Following weeks of pressure to solve the case, police arrested Myanmar migrant workers Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun and later said the two had confessed to the crimes.
The verdict and sentence follow an investigation and trial that triggered allegations of police incompetence, mishandling of evidence and torture of the suspects. Both later retracted their confessions saying they had been made under duress.
The long-awaited verdicts came after 21 days of witness hearings in a trial that began in July and ended in October. Allegations by defence lawyers of police incompetence and evidence mishandling dominated the trial.
As is customary in Thailand, where trials have no jury, a judge delivered the verdict and sentence and said the DNA tests by investigators were carried out to accepted standards.
The mother of one of the defendants broke down in tears as the judge delivered the death penalty in the court on Samui island, close to Koh Tao.
The judge said there was no weight to the two men's claims that they had been tortured during interrogation by police.
The defence said the two men would appeal.
The brutality of the murders dented Thailand's image as a happy-go-lucky holiday paradise and raised serious questions about its treatment of migrant workers.
Police were widely accused of bungling the investigation, including failing to close off the island quickly and allowing potential suspects to escape.
Police said Witheridge was found bludgeoned to death and had been raped. Miller also suffered blows to his head.
A debate over DNA samples that police say link the two suspects to Witheridge's body has been at the heart of the trial.
Defence lawyers had asked to retest crucial DNA samples taken from the bodies but authorities issued conflicting statements on DNA evidence and, at one point, said that it had been used up.
No independent re-testing of DNA evidence has been done in the case.
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/myanmar-men-sentenced-to-death-for-murder-of-british-backpackers-in-thailand/41858554
reuters_tickers
Αποστολή από: thailandgr στις Ιανουάριος 07, 2016, 16:14:33 μμ
The man was identified as Tomislav Laco, 32. Police said they entered Thailand with his wife Danie Magan on Dec. 30 for their honeymoon, and visited Khun Si waterfall on Samui island yesterday afternoon.
Magan, 26, told police via an interpreter that she and her husband were at the eighth stage of the waterfall, at a height of around 25 meters, when the man walked around to explore the area by himself.
Magan said that after a while she heard the sound of something falling and hitting the rocks. She spotted her husband’s body at the bottom so she sought help from nearby residents.
Police Capt. Sirachat Kamunee said police officers and rescue teams had to trek through thick jungles and abseil down to locate the body.
Laco was found dead at the scene. His death was due to a fatal head wound and injuries to his body, according to Sirachat. He added that the body has been sent for an examination at Koh Samui hospital, and the Croatian Embassy has been informed about the man’s death.
Tourism officials promised to have warning signs installed at several dangerous attractions soon, Sirachat said.
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Ιανουάριος 09, 2016, 04:33:12 πμ
SURAT THANI:-- An Island man has tragically died whilst on a ‘holiday of a lifetime’ in Thailand just days after celebrating the New Year.
Luke Miller, 27, flew out to Thailand from Heathrow Airport for 5 weeks with a friend on 22nd December, but sadly the Islander died whilst on the Island of Koh Tao with 3 friends – the same Island where British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered.
The full circumstances surrounding the death are currently unknown, however the Foreign Office have confirmed to Island Echo that local authorities are investigating the death.
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Φεβρουάριος 25, 2016, 13:39:32 μμ
SURAT THANI: -- A seven year old Swiss boy has died after being electrocuted by an exposed power cable as he played on a beach in Maenam, Koh Samui.
The boy, who had been staying on the island with his parents and younger sister, was playing in the sand when he came into contact with the buried power line.
Swiss news site 20min.ch reports the incident happened on February 14th.
Despite receiving CPR at the scene, the boy tragically died the next day in hospital. The family have since returned to Switzerland and have requested privacy.
Swiss media reports there have been a number of incidents on the island related to poorly laid power cables.
Source: 20min.ch
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Μάρτιος 15, 2016, 04:37:22 πμ
KOH SAMUI: -- On Tuesday 8th March at 5.20 am a 62 year old Thai lady was shot on her way back home from a market in Samui. Police found 8 9mm shell casings at the scene.
The shooting is believed to be part of a long running family dispute. The police are continuing with their investigations in her death and according to news reports the deaths of other members of her family.
Source: News Ch7
Αποστολή από: Oytopikos στις Μάρτιος 04, 2017, 17:27:54 μμ
Valentina Novozhyonova is 170cm tall, has light brown hair and tattoo in the shape of the letter V on her wrist. If you have any information as to her whereabouts please contact the local police 077-456098.
(http://image.ibb.co/jYNQWF/2236569.jpg) (http://imgbb.com/)
instant photo upload (http://imgbb.com/)
Αποστολή από: thailandgr στις Απρίλιος 17, 2019, 16:42:59 μμ