Samui & nearby islands news & events

[halfway inn]

SAMUI

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

[halfway inn]

DRUG LORD ARRESTED

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

[Oytopikos]

Residents Concerned By Koh Samui 'Oil Slick'

(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

[thailandgr]

English road signs on Samui to be exchanged for Russian ones

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.

[diamantis]

Εκείνος ο Αινσταίν πόσο δίκιο είχε σχετικά με την ανθρώπινη βλακεία.. άντε να το κάνουνε παντού να πρέπει όλοι να μάθουμε ρώσικα η ταί  da da da....

[spyros007]

Σίγουρα όλο αυτό δεν έχει καμιά σχέση με το έθιμο της χθεσινής μέρας;

[halfway inn]

FAMILY MART STORE ROBBERY

Foreigner Robs Koh Samui Convenience Store



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)

[Oytopikos]

BANGKOK, June 23 -- Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued an announcement to protect the environment of 52 islands in the Ko Samui and Ko Pha-ngan islands in Surat Thani province after encroachment deteriorated their conditions.

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

[halfway inn]

TOURIST ARRIVALS

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)

[Oytopikos]

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

[Oytopikos]

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/

[Oytopikos]

On the 20th of August the police in Koh Samui received reports that a man armed with a knife had stabbed another man to death in a trinket shop in Chaweng. Tourists looked in horror as the attack played out in front of their eyes just a few doors down from the popular Nori Indian restaurant at around 8-30pm.

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

[Oytopikos]

BANGKOK: -- Koh Pha Ngan authorities have warned people to beware of box jellyfish after a French boy died on Saturday after being stung while swimming at a beach of this resort island off Surat Thani province.

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

[Oytopikos]

KOH SAMUI: -- On September 20th police from Bophut police station received reports of a shooting in a private room close to Samui Airport.

 

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

[Oytopikos]

PHUKET: Fresh tragedy struck the holiday islands of Thailand today when a tourist from Belgium plunged to his death from a boat.

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/