PHUKET: Phuket Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi has denied being too strict on work permits and new company registrations. In a statement made on April 26, he insisted that he was simply enforcing the law.

“I haven’t been too strict or done anything extraordinary. All I’ve done is ensured that procedures are followed according to Thai law.

“The problem before was that no one checked and no one followed the law. If someone applied to set up a company, the officers approved the application immediately and never checked if the company was bona fide or not,” he explained.

Gov Pongpayome told the Gazette that if foreign businessmen have problems and want more flexibility [in investing], then they should tell the government that made the law.

“I’m not against foreign business people, but they should do things by the book, and not bypass the law as they have done up to now,” he said.

He also said that businessmen who follow the law and operate legally will have no problems, and that the only people who should be worried are those who have lied to government officers.

“Which country in the world would approve a new company in only 10 minutes?” he asked. “I’d also like to know which country would approve a Thai setting up a new company in an hour.”

The crackdown has definitely had an effect, said Veerachai Tantiwathanavallop, chief of Phuket Commercial Register Office. “Because of the difficulties in applying for a work permit or setting up a new company, we have seen a drop in foreign investment,” he noted.

PHUKET TOWN: Thirty entertainment venue owners, led by Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, met with Provincial Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi at his home on May 1, to inquire about the results of last week’s petition asking for Patong to be given an exemption from the 2 am limit on opening hours.

The petition, signed by 300 business owners in Patong, was handed to the Governor on April 24 by Chairat Sukbal, owner of the Safari Disco & Fun Pub.

Gov Pongpayome told Mayor Pian, “Personally, I sympathize with the business owners, but this is government policy, which applies nationwide. Any exemption must come from above.”

He also told the delegation that a blanket exemption for the whole of Patong was unlikely. Before being allowed to stay open after 2 am, each business would probably have to be examined to see whether an exemption was appropriate, whether the business had cooperated with officials, and whether it had a record of criminal offenses.

PHUKET: Anupharp Thirarath, director of the Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), has rejected criticism leveled by a German movie producer that Phuket has priced itself out of the market as far as the making of movies is concerned.

The producer, Wolfgang Rademann, was quoted in the Bangkok Post on April 25 as saying that he had decided to shoot his made-for-TV movie, which has the working title The Fabulous Sisters, in Bali instead of Phuket.

He claimed that since the American movie, ‘The Beach’, was shot in Phuket and Phi Phi, the cost of making films in the area had soared.

“Since Hollywood shot the Leonardo DiCaprio film [in Phuket], prices have skyrocketed so much that we’ve been forced to choose Bali instead,” he was quoted as saying.

K. Anupharp told the Gazette, “If this were a high-quality production they wouldn’t worry about the budget.

“Equally, if they were sure that the movie would sell well, they wouldn’t worry about the money.

“They would worry about the quality of the film and of the location.”

While admitting that he knew nothing about Mr Rademann’s production, he added, “Maybe this production has a small budget.”

PATONG: A headless corpse was found floating in the sea near Freedom Beach on the afternoon of April 28.

Police have been unable to identify the decomposed body, but assume that the victim was male.

“It was impossible to determine whether he was a Thai or a foreigner because the body was so severely decomposed,” said Pol Maj Pisit Cheanpeth of Kathu Police Station.

“We believe that he must have died more than two weeks ago.

“It seems unlikely he died near the beach. He must have died somewhere else and floated here,” he added.

Anybody who believes the victim may have been a relative or acquaintance is asked to telephone Kathu Police Station (342719).

The police have had the body buried in the cemetery on Rang Hill, Phuket Town. It will remain there unless someone comes forward to claim it.

PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Marine Police raided a warehouse in Moo Bann Irawadee on the bypass road on the evening of May 1, after receiving a report that it contained smuggled cigarettes.

But instead of the illegal smokes, they found about two tons of illegally imported meat, worth about 200,000 baht.

Pol Lt Col Bunjerd Piriyavong of the Phuket Marine Police told the Gazette that officers had waited until Somchai Salika, 37, from Pa Khlok, arrived to open the door, then presented him with a search warrant.

Inside the store, they found the two tons of beef and buffalo meat with packaging indicating that the meat had originated from India and New Zealand.

Officers then demanded that Somchai show them his license to import meat. He admitted he did not have one.

“During the initial investigation, Somchai told us that the meat had been imported from Malaysia but declined to tell us anything more,” said Lt Col Bunjerd.

“We believe it was brought in by boat,” he added.

This is the second time that the Marine Police have seized illegal meat in Phuket. The first was last year, when 400 kilograms was confiscated.

“We have been asked by many people why the Marine Police are involved in investigating the illegal import of meat. Our main job is to prevent the smuggling of illegal gasoline. But the fact is, as we are police officers, we have a duty to prevent any breaking of the law,” Lt Col Bunjerd said.

PHUKET: The Provincial Public Health Office (PHO) has started a public information drive, urging people to update their house registration documents (tabien baan).

“This is important because the budget Phuket will get for the 30-baht scheme will depend on how many people are registered as living in the province,” said Dr Boonrieng Chuchaisaengrat, the chief of the PHO.

He made his remarks at a meeting of health and hospital officials on April 24, at which participants discussed how the government’s 30-baht medical treatment scheme could be made more effective by updating the tabien baan records.

The chairman of the meeting, Deputy Provincial Governor Sumeth Chailerdwanitkul, said, “People living in the Muang and Thalang Districts can easily update their records as these two districts can make the changes online.” The instant update costs 30 baht.

Representatives of both the Mission Hospital and the Bangkok Phuket Hospital gave the scheme their backing in principle but said they needed more details before they could decide whether to take part or not.

Those considering joining the 30-baht scheme may call 211330, 222913-4, Ext. 201 or 203, or 01-6065347 for more information.