PHUKET: Officers from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) yesterday returned to the scene of the fatal shooting by police of a thief on the run in Phuket Town in 2009. Thaweewat Surasit, regional director of the DSI’s Bureau of Special Crime, led a team of officers to Rama IX Park, also known as Suan Luang, on Chao Fa Road to retrace the last steps of the slain man, Ongard Rordpradit, 32. Mr Ongard was shot dead by police after he resisted arrest by allegedly opening fire on police officers in pursuit of him.
PHUKET: Thalang and Phuket City Police have arrested a bag snatcher who reportedly committed 20 snatch thefts within two weeks, and three yesterday in the hours before his arrest. “We arrested Boonserm Chaluaysri, 22, yesterday after we received a report from Phuket City Police of a bag snatch in Rassada in the morning,” Thalang Police case investigator Chatree Chuwichian told the Phuket Gazette. “Phuket City Police were in pursuit of the thief and called for assistance as the thief had entered our jurisdiction,” he added.
PHUKET: Residents of the Baan Mon community yesterday continued their opposition to the proposed 6-billion-baht Patong Tunnel project, urging officials to choose a route that would not go right through their neighborhood. The opposition comes in the face of the announcement that the government would be looking to pay a total of about 1 billion baht to some 20 households that will be forced to relocate to make way for the project
PHUKET: Hotels and businesses located along the canal that empties onto Bang Tao Beach will be inspected and forced to conform to wastewater-treatment standards, Government Spokesman Prompong Nopparit has announced. The news follows the public exposure of dirty water in the canal that has caused a rash of health problems for tourists and local boatmen in the area, some of whom have even been hospitalized for blood infections (story
PHUKET: About 50 taxi drivers who previously operated illegal “black plate” taxis arrived at Phuket International Airport on Monday to request permission to open a counter inside the terminal. The drivers, all members of the newly-formed Mook Andaman Business & Travel Co-operative Ltd, asked to open a counter inside the main terminal while Airports of Thailand (AOT) chiefs decide on the terms of the concession the new co-operative will be offered.
PHUKET: A dead dugong was found floating just off the coast of Koh Pu in Krabi by a local crab fisherman yesterday morning, prompting villagers to take action. The young marine mammal was discovered with a long gash across its snout in front of the Baan Koh Pu village port and was dragged to shore by villagers before it was reported to the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC). This is the first report issued to the PMBC by the local residents, who were unaware that it was important and necessary to report such matters, explained the village Kamnan, Samran Raden.
PHUKET: The nationwide Seven Days of Danger road safety campaign ended at midnight last night, with the official tally of no deaths in Phuket to remain as the formal record forever, the chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket office (DDPM-Phuket) has confirmed.
PHUKET: Security at Phuket International Airport has been boosted in the wake of the tragic bombing of the Boston Marathon on Monday, which killed three people and injured at least 180 more. The move follows Pongsak Semsant, caretaker president of Airports of Thailand (AOT), announcing the security boost for all major AOT airports in Thailand, including Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports in Bangkok, and Chiang Mai International Airport.
PHUKET: A dive boat with 40 people on board sank today in the Similan National Park after being caught in a freak storm about four miles off Koh Ta Chai. All passengers and staff were immediately and safely evacuated from the boat after the captain and tour leader launched an emergency raft, Stefan Kaesweber of Khao Lak Scuba Adventures told the Phuket Gazette this evening. Fishing vessels in the area quickly rescued passengers and staff from the emergency raft, bringing them to one of the dive boat’s sister ships.
PHUKET: Hundreds of people gathered at Saphan Hin this morning to join a Songkran blessing ceremony to celebrate their Thai New Year. At 7am, Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut chaired the opening of the ceremony, joined by Vice Governors Sommai Prijasilpa, Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak and Chamroen Tipayapongtada.