Phuket News & Events

[Oytopikos]

Metred taxi or set price?

[diamantis]

Μέχρι το tresco market πήρε 600, μέχρι κέντο Πατόνγκ είναι ακόμη 6 χλμ. αν θυμάμαι καλά.Εμάς μας πήρε 700 από κέντρο είναι περίθπου το ίδιο.Πάντως καλύτερα που έδιωξαν τα πειρατικά ταξί

[halfway inn]

19 MORE ILLEGAL STRUCTURES...

Another 19 Phuket beach shops and restaurants demolished



PHUKET: 25 -09-2014

D-Day for demolition of 19 illegal structures on Mai Khao Beach that encroached on Sirinat Marine National Park arrived yesterday (September 25).

OrBorTor Mai Khao President Sarawut Sisakookam and his staff teamed up with the Royal Thai Navy, the Royal Forestry Department and park officials, armed with crowbars and hammers and with an excavator to do the heavy lifting.

The owners of the 19 shops and restaurants had already been warned by the OrBorTor to remove their illegal structures.

Some had already removed their furniture and equipment. Others had not, and none had taken down their buildings.

Mr Sarawut said that officials will be able to clear the area in about a week, after which the land will be returned to public use.

The OrBorTor will find ways to help those whose businesses have been turned into rubble.


Phuket News

[Oytopikos]

Man offers Russian ride to Phuket hotel, then rapes her -


The 33-year-old woman, reporting the assault at about midday yesterday, admitted that she was drunk from being at a party until about 2am yesterday with boyfriend and other friends.

Lt Col Sophon Borrirak of Karon Police explained, “She decided to walk alone back to her hotel [the Duangjit Resort]. On the way she encountered a Thai man on a motorbike who stopped to talk with her.

“The man offered to take her to the hotel. But instead, he took her to his rented room in a soi opposite Krungthai optic in Karon,” he added.

“There, he tied her hands with and raped her. She was afraid that he might become violent, so she did not resist,” Col Sophon said. He raped her twice before taking her back to her hotel.

After she reported the rape to the police, they checked CCTV footage in Karon area and were able to indentify the rapist as Somdech Srisai, 33, from Nakhon Pathom.

“Police found CCTV footage of him bringing the woman from Karon circle to his rented room,” Col Sophon said. “ So we waited for him at the building and arrested him when he showed up at about 5:30pm.”

Police searched the room and seized four pieces of cloth ripped from a bed cover, a red polo shirt with white stripes, a pair of jeans, green underwear and the motorbike used to bring the victim to the rented room.

Somdech told the police, “At first I was just going to take her to the hotel. But I saw she was very drunk, so I decided to take her to my room first so she could rest.

“Once we were in the room, [I saw] she was very pretty and I could not control my emotions,” he added.

“I tore strips from the bed cover and tied hers hand I raped her,” he explained, adding that he climaxed twice without using a condom.

“Then I took her back to the hotel,” he said.

Police charged him with rape and he accepted the charge, Col Sophon said.

phuketnews

[thailandgr]

 Australian tourist stabbed in Patong street fight with Thai teens..!!

PHUKET: Police are looking to press charges against an Australian tourist and a Thai teenager after both used broken bottles as weapons in an early-morning fight on the Patong beach road yesterday.

Capt Thawatchai Srimai of the Patong Police arrived at the scene at 2 am with other officers to find Dwayne House, 23, on the ground in agony. He had been stabbed in the abdomen with a broken bottle.

“He had no shirt on and his friend was in a panic,” Capt Thawatchai said.

Police arrested three Thai teenagers who tried to flee, including a 15-year-old who later confessed to stabbing Mr House.

“The teenager confessed, but said that the Australians were drunk and said something that made him angry while he was sitting with his two friends,” Capt Thawatchai said.

The teenager also alleged that Mr House smashed a bottle and stabbed one of the teen’s two friends in the back first.

Both the stabbed Thai teenager and Mr House were taken to Patong Hospital for treatment, Capt Thawatchai confirmed.

“We will press charges against both of them,” he said. “But we will wait until the Australian recovers before we formally charge him.

[Oytopikos]

PHUKET: Meteorologists have issued a warning today (October 6) of a monsoon across southern provinces of Thailand and the Andaman sea and coastal area.





Heavy rain and powerful winds are expected across Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun. People are advised to proceed with caution and be aware of flash floods that may occur.

High waves of 2-3 metres are expected in the Andaman sea. Small ships are advised to stay away.

 
: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-meteorologists-issue-weather-warning-49009.php#sthash.wtUcHJzr.dpuf

[Oytopikos]

Former Patong Mayor and taxi mafia suspect Pian Keesin died at his home at the Rock Garden housing estate this morning, police confirmed to the Phuket Gazette.

The cause of death has yet to be released.

Mr Pian, along with his son Prab Keesin, was facing charges of extortion and criminal activity carried out by a criminal association after military personnel and Region 8 Police raided his home in August .

Mr Pian was suspended from his post as Mayor of Patong in September last year and found guilty of vote fraud in March this year. However, the court issued him a “yellow card”, allowing him to run for re-election

He ran for mayor again in April, but lost to current Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup -


 See more at: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Breaking-News-Party-town-kingpin-taxi-mafia/37117#sthash.GxG6qwQW.dpuf

[Oytopikos]

Police believe they have captured the robber responsible for a series of 7-11 hold-ups, after a shoot-out at one of the franchise's stores in Thalang last night. -


The suspect, who is believed to have committed at least six armed robberies of 7-11 stores around Phuket in the past week, was apprehended after being shot and wounded when he tried to flee from undercover officers stationed at a 7-11 in Baan Tha Rua on Thepkasattri Road near Heroines' Monument.

The gunfight took place when the suspect tried to rob the store at 23:40pm.

The store happened to be one of several stores across Phuket where undercover police were disguised as store employees in an island-wide sting operation to catch the culprit.

The suspect reportedly fired five shots at the undercover officers as he fled the store.

Officers returned fire, shooting the suspect in the right hip, which left a trail of blood down a side street, leading to a white Nissan March parked about 20 metres from the store.

Police were then able to overpower the suspect, who has been named as Mr Piriya Tungbanjerd, 41.

Inside the car police found items related to the robberies, including a helmet, a knife, a 0.38mm pistol, five bullet casings and a small portable safe, as well as a Territorial Defence Volunteer jacket.

After his arrest Piriya was taken to Vachira hospital under police escort to treat his gunshot wound.

Phuket Police Commissioner, Maj Gen Pachara Boonsit, said undercover police officers were placed in several 7-11 stores around Phuket yesterday (Oct in an attempt to catch the culprit suspected of a string of at least six robberies at 7-11 stores in Thalang, Phuket Town and Rawai; the latest (before the sting operation) being on Tuesday (Oct 7), in which the suspect escaped with B8,573 after forcing staff at gunpoint to empty the tills and a safe.

Commander Pachara said he was grateful to all the officers who put their lives at risk to catch the criminal.

A search of the Piriya's house in Soi Sansuk 1 in Phuket Town this afternoon revealed more evidence of the crimes, including several motorbike helmets and a large safe that the police are still trying to open.


 http://www.thephuketnews.com/shoot-out-at-7-11-stops-serial-convenience-store-robber-in-his-tracks-49056.php#sthash.5OgZkTo3.dpuf

[Oytopikos]

PHUKET: A desperate search is continuing in darkness tonight for two Korean tourists, missing after a collision off Phuket between a speedboat and a traditional longtail boat.

Many people sustained injuries, some serious, when the boats smashed together.

A total of 37 tourists were on the speedboat, 31 Chinese, four Koreans and two Britons, officials said just before 8pm.

Also on board were the captain, two crew members and two guides - one Chinese and one Thai - making a total of 42.

The speedboat - named as the Sea Star - was returning to the pier at Boat Lagoon, a popular departure spot, after a day-trip to Phi Phi island when the collision with the smaller vessel took place about 5.30pm.

Two people are missing. Those with serious injuries include one person with a serious smashed knee. Others suffered head injuries.

Those injured were listed as 27 tourists, two guides and three crew. Eight people escaped injury.

Phuket Marine Police and Phang Nga Rescue were scouring the waters, about four miles off Phuket, for the two missing Chinese tonight.

Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation paramedics were also called in.

A Chinese consular official told Phuketwan that tourists had notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the incident and that they were aware that at least two Chinese tourists had been admitted to hospital on Phuket.

There were no details as yet about precisely what had happened, the official said.

A large crowd gathered at the Rassada pier in Phuket City, with paramedics and ambulances treating and transferring injured speedboat passengers to hospitals.

As soon as injured began arriving, they were treated at the dock then taken swiftly to Phuket City facilities.

It's not known as yet whether the tourists were wearing flotation vests, which are compulsory.

Officials in Thailand's tourism industry have been anxious since the September 15 murders of British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on Koh Tao to project Thailand's islands as safe places.

Indian tourists Yash Agarwal, 26, and Pankhuri Mittal, 25, drowned when a longtail boat overturned on the short trip between Railey and Ao Nang in Krabi, Phuket's neighboring province, earlier this month.

They were not wearing life vests. A boatman who survived and swam to shore faces 10 years in jail.

Phuket's high season begins on November 1 and the Asian Beach Games are due to be held on the holiday island from November 14-23.


http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phuket-tourists-missing-sea-speedboat-longtail-collide-rescued-phuket-21213/

[Oytopikos]

 A group of foreign dive masters have found the bodies of two missing South Korean tourists trapped in the wreckage of the sunken speed boat.

The bodies of 31-year old  You Win-wo and his fiancée, 28-year old Ms An San-yong, were separately plucked from the sunken speed boat, Sea Star 29, at the depth of about 30 metres near an outcrop about six nautical miles from Phi Phii Island.

The bodies were then handed over to Kusolatham Phuket Foundation and then taken to VachiraPhuke hospital for an autopsy to determine the actual cause of death.  Initial findings showed that the two victims suffered head injuries.

Families of the two victims who have been in Phuket to follow up the search of the two missing tourists reportedly said that the two victims were lovers and planned to get married soon after their return home from a visit to Thailand.

Searches continue for the third missing Korean

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bodies-two-missing-south-korean-tourists-plucked-sea/

[Oytopikos]

PHUKET: An Australian tourist was mauled by a tiger at Phuket’s Tiger Kingdom yesterday afternoon, Kathu District Chief Sayan Chanachaiwong confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today.

The tiger attacked Paul Goudie, 49, after he climbed into the cage with the animal at about 1pm to have his photograph taken.

Mr Goudie was taken to Phuket International Hospital for treatment. He received 29 stitches in his leg.

Mr Goudie remains under observation.

“I visited Tiger Kingdom today and found that all the ownership documents for the tigers are in order. However, we will be reviewing their safety procedures,” Mr Sayan said. “This should not have happened. We must ensure that an incident like this does not occur again.” -


 http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Australian-tourist-mauled-Phuket-tiger/38222#ad-image-0

[halfway inn]

"GET OUT THERE & WORK"

New Phuket police chief tells traffic cops, 'Get out there and work'




PHUKET

The island’s new police commander, Maj Gen Patchara Boonyasit, has told his officers to get out of the traffic booths and into the weather when necessary and do some work, particularly when traffic gets jammed up.

“I want to present a new vision to you all,” he told assembled police superintendents this morning (October 27).

“Policemen are not made of brown sugar which doesn’t like to be outdoors. You are not going to melt in sunlight or when it’s raining. Get to work. If it is raining, just put on a rain coat to work and help people.”

He warned, “If officers don’t do their job, they are in for a hard time.

“All policemen must think of ways to solve traffic jams and set up [direction] signs. You must work on traffic jams as quickly as possible. If anyone sees there are no police doing their jobs at any intersection, tell me,” he said emphatically.

He even gave his phone number for the public to call him: 093-7670118.

The press were invited to the meeting as well.

After seeing coverage of the Koh Tao murder case and the recent Patong ebola scare, he said he had a message for reporters: that the media are an important way to spread information so, in order to get their news right, they should contact Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong before publishing stories about matters that may affect the image of Phuket.

Pol Maj Gen Patchara laid out other ways he plans to improve security on the island.

The first of these is to beef up CCTV coverage on the island. “According to our research we need cameras at an additional 378 points. The budget is about B20 million,” he said, a sum that Phuket Provincial Administration (OrBorJor) President Paiboon Upatising has confirmed his organisation will pay.

“The security cameras are a project that cannot wait. CCTV will be a good source of information for policemen to follow and make solving cases easier.

“I believe that the CCTV project will also deter crime. If robbers know about this they will not dare to rob people.”

Lighting along Phuket’s beaches will be improved, he said, again with funding from the OrBorJor.

Police officers will also patrol beaches, equipped with all-terrain vehicles. “I plan to launch the Phuket Police Beach Project this high season to support tourism. We will have officers on 19 ATVs spread around Phuket’s beaches.”

Another technological addition to the police crime-busting arsenal will be online criminal records, including copies of arrest warrants. Any officer will be able to access these from a smart phone.

He also praised the Karon Police initiative to allow people to report problems and crimes such as snatched bags to staff at their local 7-Eleven shop, who will then call the police.

“It is good project for tourists because the police station may be far from the scene of the crime.

“It will be good idea for other police to emulate this project, not only with 7-Elevens but also with other chains of 24-hour mini-marts.”


Phuket News 28-10-2014

[thailandgr]

‘Bomb’ found on Phuket beach

UPDATE: The 'bomb' found at Cape Panwa has now been identified as an M67 grenade, made in the United States. There is still no clue as to why or how it got onto the beach.



The spherical grenade had been stuffed into a plastic food container. Luckily, it had been taped around with black electrical tape, holding the spoon in place and rendering it safe unless the tape was removed and the pin pulled.

Pol Lt Col Ampol Janthakul, Deputy Superintendent of Wichit Police Station told The Phuket News this morning that the device was found on the shore and was believed to have floated there from the sea.



http://www.thephuketnews.com/breaking-%E2%80%98bomb%E2%80%99-found-on-phuket-beach-49371.php

[Oytopikos]

[Oytopikos]

PHUKET: Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut confirmed to the Phuket Gazette this week that his office has granted operators permission to continue to rent out jet-skis, despite widespread public furor over the industry's history of horrific accidents, extortion and violence against tourists.

His reasons for bowing yet again to the operators' wishes continue shrouded, his only concessions to the public interest this time being a promise of tighter controls, including the creation of dedicated, roped-off swimming zones.

“We held several meetings with local officials and jet-ski operators to come up with the new rules at Patong and other beaches,” Mr Phuripat said.

A key condition is that jet-skis may no longer be kept on the beach. Instead, they must remain in the water or otherwise be removed completely from the sand.

“The operators will have 12 areas in Patong where jet-skis may remain in the water near the beach. These areas will lie between 16 roped off swimming zones,” the Marine chief explained.

“Each swimming zone will be 150 meters wide at the beach and extend 50m into the water. Buoys will be attached to the ropes to mark the outer boundaries of the swimming zones, which will be 100m wide.”

The swimming zones will be in front of the following areas: Seaview Hotel, Ocean Hotel, Holiday Hotel, Soi Kebsub, Baan Thai Hotel, Patong Resort Hotel, Patong Beach Resort, Patong Inn Hotel, Patong Bay Hotel, Cabana Resort, the Loma Park intersection, opposite the football field near Loma Park, Graceland Resort, Swiss Bungalow and the Yee-teng project opposite the Novotel resort at the north end of the beach.

However, Patong Mayor Charlermluk Kebsup told the Gazette on Thursday that her officers would have to wait until the seas were calm enough to set up the swimming zones.

“Obviously, we can’t set them up while there is still strong surf, but we will put up the ropes as soon as practicable,” she said.

Parasail operators will also be allowed to keep working from the beaches, but not in areas where jet-skis come and go, Mr Phuripat explained

“There are 286 jet-ski operators and 36 parasail operators registered with us. They all have insurance.
There will be no more,” he assured.

Mr Phuripat warned that jet-ski operators were walking a tightrope on whether or not they will be permitted to continue renting out their machines to tourists.

“If they fail to comply with the new regulations or are involved in any major accidents, they 'may' lose their right to rent out jet-skis entirely,” he said.

But his "warning" was very quickly put to the test on Tuesday when he faced the incident at Kata in which a female tourist lying on a mat on the beach was run over by jeep towing a jet-ski trailer (story here).

“We do not have enough officers to check on the operators every day,” Mr Phuripat admitted. “We have set the rules and will check on them 'from time to time'.

“If there is a problem, the police will be brought in. If an operator causes a 'serious' issue, that would surely lead to us to revoking his permission to continue renting out jet-skis. We will review such instances case by case.”

Patong Jet-Ski Club President Nucha Petchvimol told the Gazette that his members were 'willing' to follow the new rules.

“We are not bad guys. We appreciate being granted permission to continue renting out jet-skis. We will do our best to impress tourists,” he said.

“We accept whatever the officials require and we are always willing to help by cleaning the beach or assisting as volunteer lifeguards.”

Watchara Koysakul, head of the Kamala Jet-Ski Club, also said that he had no reservations about complying with the new rules, but hoped for a relaxation of them next low season, after April.

“We have no problems with leaving the jet-skis in the water during the high season, when the sea is calm,” he said.

“However, when the low season comes, officials might want to review the new rules. I hope they will provide us a place to earn our living.


 http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Phuket-jetskis-face-new-rules-tourism-high/38329#sthash.pTr1Kieq.dpuf