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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) |
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Young Turks win Phuket City election
PHUKET CITY: Incumbent Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwannasuppana was re-elected by a comfortable margin on Sunday, garnering 10,657 votes (57.4%) vs just 7,910 (42.6%) votes for her rival Ayuth Tansiriroj, leader of the Chao Baan Sarng San (Creative Village People) party.
In a remarkable outcome in voting for regular council seats, it was a clean sweep for members of Somjai’s Khon Noom (Young Turks) party, who won all 24 seats – six in each of the four voting precincts.
The winners in each precinct were:
Precinct 1: Wutthichai Saekam (2,179 votes); Songwut Hongyok (2,151); Likit Thaneerat (2,063); Prathana Tahnthiwit (2,032); Kanoksiri Prachumpan (2,007); and Worapop Rattachothipong (1,981).
The top vote-getter among the six Creative Village People candidates was Pornyamon Khanlkaikul, with 1,905 votes.
Precinct 2: Visuth Promthong (2,542 votes); Phisut Suthichindawongse (2,495); Virunporn Saetan (2,444); Sommai Nathip (2,366); Prasit Jongjeamjai (2,354); and Wilai Sanguan-ngam (2,146).
The top vote-getter among the six Creative Village People candidates was Thawatchai Boonwit, with 1,540 votes. Anand Saekaew, the only independent candidate in the election, received 515 votes.
Precinct 3: Nivat Arunrat (3,051 votes); Ananthep Navee (2,841); Narongrit Thavornpaiboonbutr (2,837); Thiensak Santhikayawakul (2,804); Pongsingh Na Nakhrn (2,760); and Yuthachai Limchaisawadi (2,547).
The top vote-getter among the six Creative Village People candidates was Lt Somkiat Jiromrarat, with 1,966 votes.
Precinct 4: Niwat Aengchuan (2,771 votes); Amnuay Kumban (2,669); Nithakarn Keratichariyasopon (2,600); Thanin Charoenlap (2,570); Chalerm Chankol (2,522); and Niran Kongtanthikul (2,496).
The top vote-getter among the six Creative Village People candidates was Wittaya Tantisuthiwej, with 1,808 votes.
When the voting was completed and the results began to emerge, some female candidates of the Creative Village People party were in tears and had to be consoled by their party leader.
Campaigning was fierce in the final days leading up to the polls, with both mayoral candidates distributing thousands of multi-page newsletters attacking the other and defending themselves.
A source at the Phuket City Administration Office said overall turnout was lower than expected, with just 20,262 of 44,637 eligible voters (45%) casting ballots. Of these, there were 833 “no” votes and 862 were spoiled ballots.
Wet monsoon conditions are thought to have kept turnout low at the 69 polling units, most located in schools in the city’s two tambons: Talad Yai and Talad Neua.
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Phuket, Thailand
00:39
local time (GMT +7) |
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Phuket Senators not short of spare change
BANGKOK: Phuket Senator Thanyarat Atchariyachai and her husband K. Pamuke have combined assets totaling just under 1.7 billion baht, according to asset declaration statements posted by the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) on its website on May 8.
K. Thanyarat declared assets totaling more than 684 million baht, while her husband K. Pamuke, managing director of the Kata Group, declared assets of just over 1 billion baht.
The bulk of their combined total comprised landholding assets worth about 1.1 billion baht, much of it coastal property in Phuket and Phang Nga. Other landholdings include plots in Nakhon Sri Thammarat’s Pak Panang district and central Bangkok.
K. Thanyarat also had debts totaling 29 million baht.
The couple listed one dependent, 17-year-old Preeyawit Atchariyachai, a student at Cushing Academy in the US state of Massachusetts.
Former Phuket City Mayor Phummisak Hongsyok, one of 74 appointed senators, was listed as having 224 million baht in assets and 21 million baht in debts. His wife, K. Sasinee, executive secretary at Anuphas and Son Co Ltd, declared assets of 1.4 million baht.
K. Phummisak was appointed by the Senate Selection Committee to represent the private sector in his capacity as president of the Phuket Real Estate Club.
The biggest component of his assets was landholdings, with 137.6 million baht in land title deeds. Most of it, over 200 contiguous rai in Wichit and Kathu, is still undeveloped. K. Phummisak also listed 72.4 million baht in bank savings and 12.8 million baht in stocks.
According to Sections 259 and 260 of the new Constitution, all 150 members of the upper house are required to submit to the NCCC an account showing assets and liabilities and that of their spouses and children who have not yet reached legal age within 30 days of being sworn in.
Asset statements are also required of the Prime Minister, his Cabinet and all members of parliament.
When the asset declarations of Phuket’s three MPs were announced in March, Tossaporn Tephabutra was listed as the second-richest member of the Thai parliament, with combined family assets of more than 963 million baht.
Fellow Democrat MP Chalermlak Kepsap, who won a seat from the party list balloting, declared more than 140 million baht in assets while Rawat Areerob had some 60 million baht in declared holdings.
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Phuket, Thailand
00:33
local time (GMT +7) |
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