PSU Phuket closed for two-day cleaning after swine flu death
KATHU, PHUKET: The Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Phuket campus has closed for a 'big cleaning' following the death of a 19-year-old student from swine flu complications last week.
The cleanup effort will target 1,500 university dorm rooms as well as common areas.
Speaking at a press conference at the Phuket Public Health Office on Thursday afternoon, PSU Phuket Assistant Dean Prof Metee Sunpanich said the cleaning will be carried out over four days.
All classes were canceled on Thursday and Friday to accommodate the effort. The new school term started on Monday following a mid-semester break.
But many students are still arriving back from their home provinces this week.
Prof Metee said vacant dorm rooms for students still arriving back would remain locked, and cleaned at a later date.
Private operators of student dormitories off-campus are also being urged to conduct thorough cleaning of their premises.
Prof Metee said prior to the student’s death, the campus community had been slow to react to implementing preventative measures to control the spread of A(H1N1).
“With proper prevention, we will control the spread of swine flu,” he added.
Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) chief Dr Pongsawas Ratanasang said PPHO officers would be dispatched to the school to assist with the cleanup and public awareness campaign.
“We will send PPHO officers to give information to PSU students in order to stop panic at the University,” he said.
When classes resume, PSU staff will check students every morning for four common influenza symptoms; including coughing, a sore throat or nausea. Students with two or more of the symptoms will be separated and taken for treatment and testing, if necessary.
Daily student check-ups has been scheduled to run for two weeks, after which time it is hoped the campus can be declared free of the virus.
Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Dr Jessada Chungpaibulpatana told the Gazette his staff did everything possible to save the young victim last week, whose respiratory rate had reached as high as 60 breaths per minute just before his death.
Subsequent analysis of the victim’s lungs revealed the presence of a secondary infection by an unknown bacterial agent, he said.
Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop expressed his condolences to the family of Phuket’s first swine flu victim, but asked the press and public to keep the situation in perspective.
Despite the death, Gov Wichai said there was no reason to panic. “The mortality rate from the new flu strain is very low,” he said.
“The public has been focusing on the spread of swine flu with the same intensity given to the baby panda in Chiang Mai,” he said.
Gov Wichai said samples of the victim’s blood and lung fluid would be sent for further analysis in Bangkok because the Phuket Medical Science Center that confirmed the presence of A(H1N1) is only capable of basic analytical procedures, he said.
Thus far there have been 41 confirmed swine flu cases in Phuket, with one death and one patient still under treatment at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
REPTILIAN ROADKILL: The remains of the three-meter cobra. Photo by Ardo Kaljuvee.
PHUKET TOWN: A cobra trying to cross Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang got crushed by oncoming traffic late yesterday afternoon.
Estonian freelance photographer Ardo Kaljuvee, who happened to be driving past at the time, was among the many motorists who stopped to view the remains of the flattened serpent, which was at least three meters in length.
The snake’s final slither took place at about 5pm on the stretch of Thepkrasattri Rd near the Susco gas station in Muang Mai, Mai Khao.
“About fifty people gathered to look. It’s the biggest snake I have ever seen,” said Mr Kaljuvee.
Do you have any interesting photos? Send them with captioning information to editor@phuketgazette.net and share them with the world as a citizen reporter.
The condition of the vessel before it was towed away from other boats and sunk.
RASSADA, PHUKET: A wooden fishing boat that burst into flames during repair work this morning was deliberately sunk in the waters of Klong Tha Cheen.
After receiving a report of a boat fire at about 9:30am, Phuket City Police, Marine Police and four fire engines from Rassada Municipality and Phuket City Municipality rushed to the scene.
Arriving at the Pichai Fish Pier along Klong Tha Jeen in Rassada, they found the 17-meter vessel Pichaithavorn 6 engulfed in flames.
Strong winds and the location of the boat made it difficult for firefighters to put out the blaze, so after a two-hour battle and with the boat almost completely gutted the decision was made to scuttle the vessel.
Initial investigation revealed that the fire began as mechanics were performing maintenance on the vessel’s exhaust pipe.
Ungkoon Buraphakhunakorn, Maintenance Manager of P Pichainawa Company that owned the vessel, said the fire started accidentally as mechanics were working near the boat’s 700-liter fuel tanks.
He said it was too early to estimate the cost of the damage.
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop is reportedly lobbying the government in Bangkok to have the closing time for bars and nightclubs in Patong extended to 4am.
What do you think is the best closing time for nightlife venues in Patong?
Click on the icon on the top right of this screen or here to cast your vote in the latest Phuket Gazette Readers’ Poll.
RASSADA, PHUKET: A young man was killed last night when he drove his motorbike at high speed into the back of an 18-wheel truck parked on the bypass road.
Police believe 22-year-old Uthen Thepohol failed to notice the truck because its tail lights were switched off.
Mr Uthen, from Nakhon Phanom province, died instantly in the smash, which happened around 9pm in front of the Namsaeng Rice Trading Company on the southbound bypass road in Rassada.
When Phuket City Police and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers arrived at the scene they found Mr Uthen lying dead on the road, his crushed motorcycle beside him.
The dead man, who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision, suffered a very serious head injury.
Rescue workers took the body to Vachira Phuket hospital for examination.
Police are looking to question the truck driver, who was not present at the scene.
Phuket Gazette Readers Poll: Don’t enforce drugs law
PHUKET: Most Phuket Gazette readers think current Thai laws regarding the sale of prescription drugs like diazepam (Valium) should not be enforced, according to the results of our latest poll.
More than half of the respondents to the last survey thought over-the-counter sales of such drugs should either be legalized or tolerated, as they are now.
The poll followed the arrest in Patong late last year of a 17-year-old tourist for possessing nine diazepam pills without a prescription.
After receiving a small fine at Phuket Juvenile Court, the teenager is now reportedly back home in Australia.
Less than half (48.6%) of readers agreed with the statement, ‘The law should be more strictly enforced. Drugs like Valium require a prescription for a reason.’
Just over a third of readers (37.2%) agreed that strict enforcement of the law is impossible, so the Public Health Ministry should legalize over-the-counter sales of diazepam and other Category IV drugs.
While roughly a quarter of Thais and tourists were in agreement here, 46% of Phuket’s expat residents were.
Finally, just 14.2% of readers believed the status quo should be maintained because the availability of these drugs draws tourists to Thailand. This option was significantly more popular with Thai nationals and tourists than expats. Around one quarter of Thais and tourists were in agreement here, while just 7% of expats were.
PHUKET TOWN: Super Bowl XLIV (that's 44), the culmination of the NFL season and the biggest annual sporting event in the USA, will kick off early tomorrow morning, Thai time.
The New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts will meet in Miami to decide the destination of the next Vince Lombardi trophy.
It will be an historic occasion for the New Orleans Saints, who will be determined to ensure that their first Super Bowl appearance is a successful one. The Colts, by contrast, will be making their second Super Bowl appearance since 2007.
The Saints' first ever Super Bowl is particularly significant coming just five seasons after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and forced thousands of people to take shelter in the Louisiana Superdome, rendering the stadium unsuitable as a sporting venue for the entire 2005/2006 season. The New Orleans Saints were forced to play their home games in neighboring cities that year, failing to make the divisional playoffs and finishing with an overall record of 3-13.
Expats in Phuket have been known to make an early rise – or all-night plunge – to be awake for the 6am kickoff.
This year's game is especially important for local resident Karen Ellison, who is both owner of Duke's Big Board Bar in Kata and a native of New Orleans. Ellison will make sure her pub is up and running for football fans the morning of the game.
“Living in South East Asia redefines the concept of a traditional ‘tailgater’ and instead we serve breakfast to the foolhardy folks willing to catch an early hour kick-off. No matter, we still get to catch the game live and replace burgers & hot dogs with bacon and eggs. At Duke’s Big Board Bar in Kata, we’re just trying to make everyone feel a little bit at home…while away from home,” she said.
For Ellison and other natives of New Orleans, the Saints' first Super Bowl appearance is about more than just football.
“Like the tsunami which devastated Phuket in 2004, New Orleans was decimated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The spirit of New Orleans, affectionately called NOLA, has been experiencing a rebirth under the Fleur-de-lis so proudly worn by the Saints,” she said.
Things turned around in the seasons following Hurricane Katrina as the Saints worked their way towards winning records and discovered superstar talent in runningback Reggie Bush and quarterback Drew Brees. Their progressive success continued this year, finishing the regular season and booking a spot in the playoffs with a record of 13-3.
The Saints faced the Arizona Cardinals at the Louisiana Superdome in the conference semi-finals and were comfortable victors, winning 45-14 to take their place in the NFC Championship for the second time in the club's 53 year history.
It was there that the Saints took on veteran quarterback Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings for the rights to show in Super Bowl XLIV. With the clock ticking down and the scores tied at 28-28, the Vikings had one last drive from which to score what would surely have been the winning points. The script was written for the veteran Favre – who is the oldest quarterback to ever win an NFL payoff game – to lead the Vikings to the Super Bowl, but the Saints clearly hadn’t read it. They intercepted an errant Favre pass to send the game into overtime and kicked a game-winning field goal to claim a 31-28 victory.
The Colts route to the Super Bowl was more routine for the consistently successful team. They finished the regular season 14-2 and comfortably dispatched the Baltimore Ravens 20-3, and the New York Jets 30-17, to secure the AFC Championship. Colts QB Peyton Manning – who is arguably the best player in the NFL today – continues to claim his future spot in the NFL Hall of Fame with his precision passing and widely respected team leadership.
The Saints, who go into the game as slight underdogs, will be looking to dynamic running back Reggie Bush to find a way through the Colts defense. The Colts will, as always, be reliant upon Manning, who led them to their Super Bowl success in 2006. The Saints will be hoping his opposite number Drew Brees, who has enjoyed the best season of his career to date, can conjure up a match winning performance in Miami.
A TV audience of in excess of 90 million is expected in the US, with millions more likely to tune in around the world.
Kickoff is set for 6:25am Thai time and the match will be screened live on True TV and Astro Supersport.
Initial estimates put the damage at 8 million baht.
RAWAI, PHUKET: Police are investigating an arson attack that completely destroyed the popular Roxanne Bar on Wichit Rd in Rawai early yesterday morning.
Chalong Police were notified of the blaze at 3:30am.
It took two Rawai Municipality fire engines about 30 minutes to put out the flames, but not before they destroyed the bar and everything inside.
Located near the Sapphaya Spa, the Roxanne Bar was run by a Nakhon Sri Thammarat woman named Wanida and her Danish husband.
After the bar closed Saturday night, one staff member stayed on for security.
The staff member told police that a man wearing a hood suddenly appeared, dousing furniture at the front of the bar with gasoline and quickly setting it alight before fleeing.
Police are investigating a business rivalry as a possible motive, noting that patrons of the popular bar often park their cars in front of rival establishments.
Initial estimates put the damage from the fire at 8 million baht.
Investigators from the Forensic Police Region 44 Office in Phuket Town are also taking part in the investigation.
DOWN BUT NOT OUT: Cathay Pacific pilot Scott McDonald hopes a prosthetic foot will enable him to resume his career.
PHUKET TOWN: Cathay Pacific airline pilot Scott McDonald is trying to put his life back together after his lower calf and foot were sliced off by a speeding motorbike in a freak accident in Phuket late last month.
As the American lay bleeding on the pavement, a passerby who witnessed the accident used the victim’s cellphone to call for help – before pocketing the device and fleeing the scene.
Mr McDonald has undergone seven surgeries at Bangkok Hospital Phuket since the accident.
He is hoping a prosthetic calf and foot will allow him to resume his career and continue to indulge in his great love – golf.
The accident happened shortly after midnight on January 24.
Chicago-native McDonald, 43, was heading up Thepkrasattri Road towards his home at Yacht Haven when his cell phone rang.
He stopped his Harley Davidson Fatboy by the side of the road, just north of Blue Canyon Country Club.
Turning the parking light on and still straddling the bike, he answered the cellphone. As he suspected, it was his girlfriend Wan calling to ask him when he would return home.
He told Wan he would be home in ten minutes. “Just as I was saying that, wham. I got slammed from behind. I thought it was a car that hit me, it was so loud.”
What hit the American was a speeding Honda Dream ridden by two Thai men. “I think it was going at at least 100kmh,” Mr McDonald said.
His foot was sliced clean off above the ankle.
“I just remember being thrown and then crawling over as far left as I could on the road because I thought I was gonna get hit by a car now. And from there I don’t really remember a lot. I was in shock,” he said.
Wan was still listening, horrified, on the cellphone. “I heard screaming, ‘Ah! Ah! Ah!’. Then quiet.”
Mr McDonald’s memories of the accident are hazy, though he can remember asking someone who rushed to the scene to call Wan.
After telling Wan where the accident scene was, that person disappeared – with Mr McDonald’s cellphone in hand. It has not been returned.
By the time Wan arrived, Kusoldharm Foundation workers had already taken Mr McDonald to Bangkok Hospital Phuket, where he continues to receive treatment.
He immediately faced the difficult decision of whether to have his foot, now infected, sown back on or surgically amputated above the existing wound.
He decided to follow doctors’ recommendations, choosing amputation.
“The prosthetics they can make are very up to par these days,” he said.
Scott’s employers, Cathay Pacific, have been ‘very, very supportive’, he said.
“They told me just the first or second day afterwards, ‘Remember your career is not over with Cathay Pacific’.”
At the time of writing Mr McDonald, an eight year resident of Phuket, was due to have his leg sown up on February 4. Despite the loss of the foot, he said he still plans to go through with his plan to marry Wan.
The driver of the motorbike that hit Mr McDonald, and his passenger, are receiving treatment at Vachira Hospital Phuket.
Inspector Sarit Budnongsang of Tah Chat Chai Police said an investigation was underway to discover who was at fault.
PHUKET OPINION: Stop 'zero fare tours' before they start in Phuket
Endless commission-driven shopping sprees under 'zero fare tours' anger Chinese tourists.
PHUKET: Plans by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and three tourism business associations to stop ‘zero tour fare’ operators from setting up in Phuket are laudable, especially given the damage such outfits have already done to the inbound Chinese market in places like Chiang Mai and Pattaya. (See story here.)
Often run out of Bangkok, zero fare tour operators pay foreign travel agencies on a ‘per head’ basis – typically US$50 or US$100 – for each tourist they bring in.
The operators provide the tourists with free accommodation, but to recoup their expenses they take their 'guests' on ‘special’ sightseeing tours and shopping sprees, using coercion and reportedly even threats to get the tourists to spend money.
The tour operators make back their costs and exact their profits from (undisclosed) commissions, thus ensuring there is almost no let-up in the high-pressure tactics the captive tourists are forced to endure.
The net result is a holiday hell for the victims, who are held virtually hostage in a foreign land, not knowing where to turn for help and in some cases being abandoned.
Zero tour fare operators have been a major source of complaints to the Chinese government, which last year moved to stop the practice by making it illegal for travel agencies in that country to fly out tourists who have not seen their itinerary details in advance.
Unfortunately, some operators continue the practice – at the expense of Thailand’s reputation in what should be its fastest growing market. As a result, overall tourist arrival figures from China have been falling in recent years, despite China’s strong economy and a number of other positive factors that should be making China the next great tourism frontier for Thailand.
Fortunately, Phuket has largely been spared of zero fare tour operators, in large part because hotels here are generally too expensive for the operators to deal with. In fact, Phuket province has uniquely been enjoying steady growth in tourist arrivals from China, thanks to an increase in the number of direct flights to the island from Chinese cities.
In another positive development, relatively more Chinese visitors are coming here as independent tourists, freeing themselves of package tours altogether. More Chinese than ever came for last October's Phuket Vegetarian Festival, eager to catch a glimpse of authentic Chinese cultural traditions that were passed on from generation to generation, unaffected by the Cultural Revolution that destroyed so much of China’s own cultural heritage.
With China currently suffering a gender imbalance of 120 males for every 100 females, the TAT might also wish to consider the future impact of this ratio on tourism here….
PADDLE BATTLE: A team from the Six Senses Resort & Spa (white shirts) pull hard to catch up with rivals the Laban Soi team in yesterday's action.
PA KHLOK, PHUKET: One of the more colorful events taking place this weekend is the 6th Annual ‘Hua Tong’ Boat Paddling competition at Ao Por Pier in Pa Khlok.
Eighteen teams with ten paddlers each are taking part in the main competition, which began at 9am yesterday with an opening ceremony presided over by Phuket Vice Governor Smith Palawatwichai.
In the team event that ends this afternoon, the winners will receive 6,000 baht in cash and a championship trophy presented by Privy Councilor Gen Pichitr Kullavanijaya.
The second place team will get 4,000 baht in cash and a trophy presented by Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngob.
The third place team will get 3,000 and a trophy presented by Pa Khlok Tambon Chief Rorchad Tortip
There are also competitions with cash prizes for smaller boats with one or two paddlers.
Teams from nine coastal communities have entered the competition, which is intended to promote tourism and the use of the traditional hua tong vessels commonly used in the fishing and tourism industries along Thailand’s Andaman coastline.
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket residents at high risk of contracting swine flu are failing to get vaccinated due to fears of side effects.
Fewer than 7% of those identified as being at high risk have taken the vaccine, according to figures from the Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO).
The PPHO says there are around 10,000 people in Phuket listed as having conditions that put them at elevated risk. These include women over three months pregnant, people weighing over 100kg, people with autism, sufferers of chronic diseases as well as health care workers.
However, since the vaccination program began in mid-January, just 666 people have been inoculated.
PPHO director Pongsawas Ratanasang thinks public fear about side effects is largely responsible.
He insists the vaccine is safe and to prove this point was the first person on the island to be inoculated under the program.
“After the injection I felt perfectly normal,” he said. “There was no allergic reaction. Professors have guaranteed that the vaccine is very safe. It’s just as safe as the normal influenza vaccine, which has been used for many years,” he said.
The vaccine has the backing of the World Health Organization, he added.
Between January 11 and 29, a total of 83,615 people nationwide received the vaccine.
Of these, 52 experienced mild side effects that included fever, prickly heat, aches and swelling of the skin. In all cases the symptoms disappeared within three days.
Dr Pongsawas said the number of people seeking treatment for flu-like conditions has increased recently, but most were not infected with the A(H1N1) virus that causes swine flu.
Asked about rumors that there had been an outbreak of the disease at the Wichit Songkraam School near Central Festival Phuket, he said teachers there closed the school on a precautionary basis last week after many students got sick.
Subsequent testing revealed that all were suffering from normal flu, not the A(H1N1) strain.
Since the beginning of the year there have only been five new cases of A(H1N1) infection reported in Phuket, he said.
However, the number of people seeking treatment at Vachira Phuket Hospital for flu-like symptoms has risen markedly in recent weeks, he said.
At the start of the new year, about fifty people per week came to the hospital with flu-like conditions, compared to over a hundred currently.
Most are given the antiviral drug oseltamivir and sent home without testing for A(H1N1), which is expensive. If their symptoms persist or worsen, lab work is then ordered, he said.
Dr Weerawat Yorsaengrat, deputy director of Vachira Phuket Hospital, said there were fewer swine flu patients now than there were at the beginning of the outbreak last year.
“Nevertheless, I’d like people to keep taking care of themselves by washing their hands and keeping everything clean,” he said.
Anyone who starts to feel sick should stop any exercise routines until they return to full health, he added.
Donations sought for Phuket road project completion
The area behind Surakul Stadium where the municipality would like to build a modest new home for the Rungklin family.
The Rungklin family home, which is delaying completion of the new road, is located off the back parking lot at Darasamuth School.
PHUKET TOWN: Wichit Municipality is seeking donations to help build a new house for a family of squatters who are holding up completion of a new road running behind Darasamuth School.
Wichit Mayor Kreetar Saetan told the Gazette the municipality currently lacks the funds to build a new home for Chamnan Rungklin and his family, even though they already have a nearby plot of land earmarked for the project.
When he settled in the area over 20 years ago, Mr Chamnan signed a contract with Muang District Office agreeing to vacate the land without complaint if it were ever needed for the public good.
But now that the time has come, he and his family have no place to go and their continued presence near the school’s back parking lot is holding up completion of a 550-meter road that would allow direct access to the school from the bypass road.
Mayor Kreetar said Wichit Municipality is now accepting donations to help to build a new home for the family.
“We have requested a budget, but the approval process will take time and we would like to begin work right away. We would appreciate donations of concrete blocks and other building materials so we can get started,” he said.
The new house would be built on another plot of Wichit Municipality land just 20 meters away from the existing home. This would allow the family to remain in the same neighborhood, which is located off Ekwahnit Rd behind Surakul Stadium.
“The municipality found a site in the same area that is currently being used as a tool shed and storage area. The owner just stores his things there and doesn’t live in the area, so we negotiated with him to move his things out,” Mayor Kreetar said.
Kumron Lilern, a civil engineer with the Wichit Municipality construction division, said the town plans to build two small houses for the family on the 100-square-meter plot at a cost of about 200,000 baht. Each will comprise one main room and a bathroom, large enough for all five family members, he said.
Mr Chamnan, speaking from Bangkok where he is currently on vacation, told the Gazette he hadn’t spoken to municipal officials since December.
“If they can build a new house for me in a way that doesn’t create problems with other people, then I will have no problems with it," he said.
"But they should consider that I have a van too and I will need a place to park it,” he said.
Anyone wishing to donate money to help fund construction can contact Wichit Municipality at 076-525100.
Mr Johnson (center) with fellow Immigration Police volunteers Tim Gardener (left) and Alistair Why. Photo courtesy Tim Gardener.
PHUKET TOWN: Police are investigating whether an Immigration Police Volunteer found dead in his Rawai home committed suicide or was murdered.
American national Richard Johnson, 67, was found slumped against his bedroom door with electrical cord around his neck yesterday evening. There were wounds to his neck and forehead.
The death was discovered by an unidentified friend of the deceased, also a foreigner, who went to the home out of concern after Mr Johnson called him to say 'goodbye'.
When he arrived at the home, the friend found Mr Johnson dead and notified police.
Chalong Police and Phuket Ruamjai Kupai Foundation rescue workers arrived at the scene around 7:45pm. They estimated Mr Johnson died about three hours earlier.
There were no signs of struggle in the house, located on Soi Khok Makham in Rawai.
In the room police found Mr Johnson’s passport as well as a card identifying him as a Tourist Police volunteer.
What is puzzling investigators are the mechanics of Mr Johnson’s death.
The white cord around his neck was not attached to anything, leading them to wonder whether the American asphyxiated himself by tying the cable round his neck and pulling both ends.
While police believe suicide is the most likely scenario, they have yet to rule out murder.
Further investigation has revealed that Mr Johnson had been doing business in Phuket for several years.
He lived alone in the home, having separated from a Thai wife who since remarried.
Fellow Phuket Immigration Police Volunteer Tim Gardener said, "Richard was a friendly chap with a story to match all occasions. He will be missed."
"He would amaze listeners with his stories of his varied careers - from US Navy Seal, Karate Instructor to Hollywood stars, bodyguard to Presidents, working for Hawaii Police and Fire Departments and captaincy of various ships around the world as a senior mariner."
Mr Johnson’s body was sent to Vachira Phuket Hospital for examination.
Police are hoping the results of that work will show whether they can close the book on the case – or begin the hunt for a murderer.
COLOR SCHEME: Phuket red shirt leader Wisut ‘Ae Inside’ Tangwittayaporn (in red shirt) and fellow UDD leaders at yesterday's press conference.
PHUKET TOWN: Leaders of Phuket’s small red shirt movement yesterday declared the group will no longer back down against parties denying them their right to free speech – and say they are planning a large regional rally in Phuket.
Four leaders of the ‘Phuket Protect Democratic Group’ [sic], the local branch of the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), called a press conference at the Khrua Sa-art Coffee Shop at Nimit Circle at about 5pm yesterday.
The press conference came just hours after villagers living near the navy base at Cape Panwa blocked their entry to the facility, where they had intended to present navy commanders with a bouquet of flowers in a show of moral support.
Wisut ‘Ae Inside’ Tangwittayaporn, who leads the embattled group, read a prepared statement to reporters about the attack on six red-shirts earlier that day.
The UDD had informed the navy base in advance of the visit, which was scheduled for 3pm, he said.
“Six of the group’s members arrived early, and we have all seen what happened next,” said Mr Wisut, an investigative journalist who once ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization.
“We would first like to thank the navy personnel, who stepped in and kept our people from coming to harm,” he said.
“The purpose of the UDD’s visit to the navy was only to give them encouragement, as they always stand by the people. Sailors never lead coup movements,” he said.
Yesterday’s action was part of nationwide campaign by the UDD to encourage the military not to stage another coup, the group’s leaders claim.
Despite being vastly outnumbered in Phuket the local red shirts say they will no longer tolerate having their voices stifled, as they have a right to free speech.
“In keeping with our ideals every UDD gathering on the island so far has been peaceful, but every time we meet we face resistance from people identifying themselves as supporters of the People’s Alliance for Democracy. In the past we backed down, but from now on if there are unjustified actions causing harm to UDD members we will respond in kind, despite the impact on the economy,” he said.
In news that could send jitters down the spine of the local tourism industry, Mr Wisut confirmed that the Phuket UDD is planning a large regional rally on the island.
The date and time will be announced after the event is coordinated with UDD leaders in Bangkok and across the southern region, he said.
Norwegian sea captain Simen Sparre Knudsen (pictured above) had been coming to Thailand for 30 years before he was stabbed to death in Rawai in September, 2007. His killers remain at large. File photo.
PATONG, PHUKET: Patong’s most senior cop says perceived injustice, drunkenness and robbery attempts are the three factors that lead Thais to assault foreigners.
Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonnark says it is important to examine the underlying causes of Thai-on-farang violence.
The comments come just after the announcement of Col Grissak's transfer from the bright lights of Patong to Phang Nga’s sleepy Kuraburi district in the latest police reshuffle.
They also follow a number of attacks on tourists in Phuket and other parts of Thailand.
In early January, Canadian tourist Ivan Anwar got into a punch-up with a tuk-tuk driver following an argument over fares.
More recently, a 32-year-old Thai man confessed to stabbing elderly German expat Wolf-Dieter Kesselheim to death in an apparent case of road rage.
Two weeks earlier, another German man was shot dead after ‘giving the finger’ to a Thai motorist in Chiang Mai.
“We should look at why Thai people are doing this,” said Col Grissak, who doesn’t believe Thai people are predisposed to random acts of violence.
“It’s impossible that they’re stabbing or harming people they don’t know for no reason. Thai people are naturally nice.”
Col Grissak said Thais sometimes attack foreigners if they feel feel cheated or under attack.
“Lately there was the case of the tuk-tuk driver beating up the foreign tourist because of the fare,” he said.
“The tourist agreed to the fare before taking the tuk-tuk, but when he got to the destination he thought it was too nearby and didn’t want to pay so much. At the same time, the tuk-tuk driver was angry that he didn’t get the amount of money that had been agreed,” he said.
Col Grissak moved on to the murder of Wolf Kesselheim, whose funeral took place on Wednesday.
“The case in Chalong of the German being stabbed to death began when the German didn’t notice the Thais’ bike and nearly crashed into them,” he said.
“Then they chased him and honked at him, so the farang gave them the middle finger. The case was down to neither side showing any kindness to the other.”
A second common cause of such incidents are drunken tourists, Col Grissak said.
The third and least common cause was when tourists fight back during robbery attempts, he said.
“If foreigners think they haven’t been treated fairly, the best thing for them to do is inform the police or call related organizations like the Tourist Police on the1155 hotline number,” he said.
Chalong Police Superintendent Chinnarat Ritthakananon, who is also getting transferred off Phuket later this month, said tourists needed to follow the rules of the road and be kind to other drivers.
“They should educate themselves about the place they are visiting, especially dangerous places,” he added.
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