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Friday, May 16, 2008
Three arrested in ya Ice bust
PHUKET CITY: A Phuket Provincial Police undercover drug investigation unit yesterday arrested three people for possession and sale of ya Ice (crystal methamphetamine) and seized 19 grams of the drug.
Officers led by Capt Pongpun Sripattharakul had arranged to buy a small amount of the drug from Udon Thani native Palakorn “Waan” Kamsaen, 19, at an apartment off Phun Pol Rd.
When they arrived at 9:30 pm, they identified themselves as police and found Waan in possession of two grams of the drug and placed her under arrest. Also arrested at the apartment was Somnuek “Meaw” Lertna, 20, who was also found in possession of two grams of ya Ice.
The pair led police to their alleged supplier, Sumrit “Chai” Sanmeema, 31. He was arrested at his apartment in Phuket City, where policed seized 15 grams of the drug.
Police declined to name the apartment building.
Chai admitted that he bought all 19 grams of the stimulant in Bangkok at 3,000 baht a gram, police said.
All three have been charged with possession of a Class 1 narcotic with intent to sell and are being held at Phuket City Police Station.
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Phuket, Thailand
18:41
local time (GMT +7) |
Friday, May 16, 2008
Jintana Plaza catches fire – again
PATONG: Jintana Plaza on Patong’s beach road caught fire early yesterday morning, causing an estimated one million baht in damage.
It's the third time this year that fire has broken out at the complex.
Lt Naruwat Puthawiro said that Kathu Police Station received a call about 3:15 am reporting that a fire had broken out at the plaza.
“The fire [reportedly] started about 3:15 am and spread through tailors, souvenir shops and other vendor’s stalls. It spread through 10 shophouses in total. We still don’t know how many small stalls inside were damaged,” he told the Gazette today.
“We are waiting for forensics tests to determine the cause of the fire and we are still not sure how much damage was caused, but we believe it’s more than one million baht.” he said.
Lt Naruwat pointed out that this was the third time that Jintana Plaza had caught fire this year.
“We are investigating whether the fires were started by short-circuits or by arson. Also, this fire started at night, just like the previous two fires,” he said.
“Most of the shops are insured,” Lt Naruwat added.
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Phuket, Thailand
18:20
local time (GMT +7) |
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Violent muggings return to Rawai
RAWAI: A foreign man was shot in the leg and stabbed in the stomach in a motorbike mugging at about 4 am on Monday. His attackers made off with his wallet, containing 300 baht.
The attack was reminiscent of the spate of violent muggings that gripped the Rawai-Nai Harn area throughout the low season last year.
The man, who asked to be identified only as “Dave”, told the Gazette today that he was returning from a late night out at a Nai Harn bar when he was attacked.
“I had turned right [onto the road toward Rawai Beach] and rode about 50 meters when I came around the curve and was attacked,” he said.
“I had no time to react. I was shot in the [lower] right leg and stabbed in the side; then they robbed me,” he explained.
“I was lucky,” he added. “I got back on my bike and rode about 200 meters when I saw an ambulance already attending to another man who was also attacked, maybe just 10 minutes earlier,” he said.
Both men were taken to Bangkok Hospital Phuket, Dave said.
However, he explained that due to complications in confirming his insurance coverage, he was transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital about six hours later.
His insurance covered him for up to 500,000 baht in treatment costs for injuries sustained in an attack, he said.
“All the time I was waiting I was bleeding internally. So, by the time I was taken to Vachira they had to operate immediately,” he said.
“I am okay, now. We will have to see if there are complications. The knife ‘touched’ my liver and my intestines,” he said.
“This is stupid – crazy. Just for 300 baht,” he said.
Jikarat Wongtewan, a public relations officer at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, confirmed that “Dave” was sent to the hospital’s emergency ward by volunteers from the Phuket Ruamjai Rescue Foundation.
He was given initial emergency treatment including cleaning of his wounds, a tetanus vaccination and intravenous drip. He was also given an ultrasound and chest X-ray to determine the extent of his injuries, she said.
As David had eaten just before the attack and his condition was stable, doctors there decided to wait the standard 6 hours before surgery, she said.
He was transferred to another ward, where a supervising nurse followed standard hospital procedure by informing him of the estimated costs of the surgery and other treatment he needed.
When given the option of agreeing to pay or being transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital, he chose the latter, she said.
Dave still has an outstanding bill of about 18,953 baht at the hospital, she added.
Chalong Police Superintendent Col Samarn Chainarong told the Gazette today that, with the arrival of the low season about a month ago, he had ordered his 10 patrol officers to step up surveillance in known risk areas after midnight.
Muggers in Rawai like to use motorcycles to make a quick getaway and often commit more than one attack a night, he said.
To minimize the risk of falling victim, tourists should avoid traveling alone in known risk areas after dark, he said.
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Phuket, Thailand
18:44
local time (GMT +7) |
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Customs raids net B2.6m in fake goods
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LOST: The pile of goods seized by Customs officers during a week of raids.
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PHUKET: In a week of raids starting on May 7, Phuket Customs seized counterfeit and allegedly smuggled goods with a total estimated value of 2.6 million baht.
Many of the seized goods were sent to Phuket by parcel delivery services, arriving on the island by bus from Bangkok.
Pirated goods seized included music CDs, movie and game CDs and DVDs, D&G shoulder bags, Levi’s wallets, designer-label watches, hands-free sets for mobile phones, plastic air-powered handguns and rifles, and cheap copy Brembo “high-performance” car brake calipers.
Also seized was a Rover car, valued at about 400,000 baht.
Vichak Apirugnunchai, Director of the Customs Department’s Bangkok-based Investigation and Suppression Division, said, “We received an order to be on the lookout for pirated goods in Phuket, especially goods sent to Phuket by bus.
“We moved quickly to inspect many places, including offices of express delivery companies where parcels sent by bus are unloaded,” he said.
On May 7, Customs officers seized 250 watches and 148 sets of pirated high-performance brake calipers, with a total value of about 523,000 baht, at SP Express company on Thepkrasattri Rd Soi 7 in Rasada.
The next day, 25 fake plastic guns, valued at about 62,500 baht, were seized at the Central Tour company office on Dibuk Rd, in Phuket City.
On May 9, also in Phuket City, officers seized 5,350 pirated DVDs at Kaochareon Express Delivery Co Ltd on Ong Sim Pai Rd. The DVDs were valued at about 1,337,500 baht.
On May 12, officers seized 260 pirated shoulder bags valued at 390,000 baht at the Speed Express office located in Soi Sunthorn Uthit, off Chao Fa West Rd.
On Tuesday, Customs officers seized a Rover car parked on Komarapat Rd in Phuket City, just one street away from Phuket City Police Station.
“We don’t know whether the car originated from Malaysia or Singapore, but it was illegally imported into Thailand. It is possible that the car was smuggled in to be sold without paying import duty,” said Chief Inspector Tawal Rodjit, also of the Investigation and Suppression Division.
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Phuket, Thailand
18:40
local time (GMT +7) |
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
1,267 ya bah pills seized in Mai Khao
MAI KHAO: Following a random vehicle inspection, Tah Chat Chai Police on Sunday night arrested three people for possession of ya bah (methamphetamine) with intent to sell and seized 1,267 pills.
The arrests were announced at a press conference held Monday afternoon at Phuket City Police Station.
Attending were Phuket Vice-Governor Worapot Rattasima, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Decha Budnampetch, Phuket City Police Superintendent Col Paween Pongsirin, and Tah Chat Chai Police Superintendent Col Sakchai Limcharoen and his drug investigation unit.
Col Sakchai said that at about 9:30 pm on Sunday, officers at a checkpoint in Mai Khao Village 7 pulled over a motorcycle being ridden by 21-year-old Pongdanai Jinirat for a routine inspection.
Under the seat they found a stash of about 300 ya bah pills in six plastic bags.
Pongdanai confessed to possession of the drugs and agreed to call his dealer, 31-year-old Prapate Thayeng, to arrange a sale at the home of Prapate’s 18-year-old girlfriend, Saowanee Tonglahorm, in Mai Khao Village 2, Col Sakchai said.
At the home, police found almost 1,000 more pills and arrested Prapate and Saowanee.
A total of 1,267 pills were seized along with 40,000 baht in cash, a Honda Civic sedan, a Honda Click motorcycle, a gold necklace, three bank books, eight ATM cards, four mobile phones, two wallets, a designer handbag, a Giordano watch, a Sony Playstation and a digital camera.
Prapate and his relative Prajak Thayeng were arrested by Tah Chat Chai police last year. Prapate was acquitted, but Prajak was sentenced to prison for life, Col Sakchai said.
Following Sunday’s arrest, Prapate confessed to running drugs from Bangkok to Phuket in lots of 2,000 pills in return for payments ranging from 20,000 to 30,000 baht, he added.
Prapate normally sold in bulk. After his planned sale fell through, he was forced to keep the drugs at his girlfriend’s home and try to sell them wholesale, it was explained.
Despite the drugs being found in Pongdanai’s motorbike, Prapate denied that Pongdanai or Saowanee were involved.
Gen Decha said the case and other recent arrests indicate there is still a high demand for ya bah in Phuket.
There are currently about 40 outstanding warrants to arrest suspected dealers in Phuket, he added.
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Phuket, Thailand
19:57
local time (GMT +7) |
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Phuket goes on landslide alert
PHUKET CITY: As heavy rains continue to dowse the island, the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has issued a landslide warning, effective until at least tomorrow.
“We have received good feedback from all 18 local administration organizations in Phuket. We have officers on 24-hour standby, manning phones and radios, ready to deal with any problems,” said Chotenarin Kerdsom, chief of the DDPM – Phuket office.
“Because of the southwest monsoon wind, Southern Thailand can expect to have more hard rain, hard wind, and waves of up to two meters high in the Andaman Sea. Small boats should not leave the shore,” he added.
K. Chotenarin named 14 landslide risk areas: Baan Mai Reab, Baan Nua and Baan Kalim in Kathu; Baan Kanan, Baan Kuan, Baan Pak Cheed, Baan Lipornbangkok and Baan Tha Rua in Thalang; and Baan Kata, Baan Bangla, Baan Kokchang, Baan Watmai, Baan Laem Promthep and Baan Chidcheaw in Muang district.
“Luckily, we have not yet had any landslides in any of the risk areas, but we are worried about areas with construction sites because in the past many landslides have occurred near such sites,” he said.
To report a landslide or ask for help, call 076-218444 or 076-218409.
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Phuket, Thailand
10:56
local time (GMT +7) |
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Smart ID cards available again
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit yesterday morning announced that “Smart ID cards” for Thai citizens are now available at Muang District Office – again.
The new-style cards, which have a memory chip for storing personal data such as date of birth, physical description and even the holder’s house registration information, became unavailable in January last year when the local office of the Department of Local Administration ran out of them.
At the time, the office had to place an order with the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), which makes the cards. Phuket received just 1,000 of the new cards in the initial shipment nationwide.
Since then, some 26 million smart ID cards have been made and are now being distributed to District Offices around the country.
The Muang District Office is expecting more than 150 people a day to apply for the new cards.
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Phuket, Thailand
10:55
local time (GMT +7) |
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
DSI reaches out to scammed rubber investors
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Department of Special Investigation (DSI) officers settle in at Phuket City Police Station to receive complaints about the ‘rubber share’ scam.
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PHUKET: The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has set up a desk at Phuket City Police Station to accept complaints from victims of an “investment company” thought to have defrauded some 5,000 southerners of more than 150 million baht.
Thanin Prempri, head of the DSI Phuket investigation team, told the Gazette that Amorn-ake Petluechai and two associates of his Khon Kaen-based Thaninanan Co Ltd were in early March charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit fraud and sent to a Bangkok jail without possibility of parole.
The arrests followed a DSI investigation after numerous complaints that the company had promised 6% to 8% monthly interest payments to people investing in its “rubber share” fund.
A search of the company’s offices uncovered a list of 712 people who invested 217,540,500 baht in the scheme. Most were from Krabi, Phuket, Trang and Nakhon Sri Thammarat.
The DSI estimates that some 5,000 investors fell for the scheme nationwide, suffering total losses of more 150 million baht.
Fifty cases have already been filed against the company in Khon Kaen court and many more are expected.
A complaint desk set up in Krabi last month has already accepted complaints from 959 victims who invested a total of 166.8 million baht and reported losses of 94.5 million baht, he said.
“The Phuket complaint desk we set up on May 9 has already had more than 70 victims come forward to report losses of 13 million baht,” he said.
The desk will continue to accept complaints until May 22.
Next month, the DSI will set up complaint desks in Trang (June 7 to 20) and Nakhon Sri Thammarat (June 23 to 27).
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Phuket, Thailand
20:49
local time (GMT +7) |
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Navy accepting donations for cyclone relief
CAPE PANWA: The Royal Thai Navy Third Naval Command at Cape Panwa is accepting donations of food and equipment to provide emergency relief for victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.
Appropriate items for donation include florescent strip lights and fittings, corrugated iron, canvas and tarpaulin for tents, dried and canned food, rice and drinking water.
The donations will be taken to the Royal Thai Navy headquarters in Bangkok then handed over to the Royal Thai Air Force to be transported to Myanmar by air and handed over to the Myanmar Air Force.
Donations can be taken to the Royal Thai Navy Third Naval Command at Cape Panwa between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm. For more information call Capt Dej Sreecharoen: 085-7862682.
Alternatively, charitable organization Helpline Phuket, formally Thaitanics, run by Tony Pope is collecting donations in Rawai.
Mr Pope will in turn hand over donated items to the Third Naval Command. Contact Mr Pope at Tel: 089-8724450 or Email: helpline.phuket@gmail.com
After initially blocking international aid from arriving due to “security concerns”, Myanmar officials started letting foreign aid into the country yesterday, 11 days after Cyclone Nargis devastated the region.
However, the junta will not allow mass direct aid to be provided. So far, donated items must be handed over to Myanmar officials to distribute.
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Phuket, Thailand
10:29
local time (GMT +7) |
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