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Surviving the water ‘war-zone’ that is Phuket duringthe Songkran celebrations.

Now inside every SaturdayApril 8 - 14, 2017 44 Pages / 20 BahtTHE NATION

‘OUR AIM IS ALWAYS TO MEET THE ‘ZERO DEATHS’ TARGET’ Phuket Gov‘transferred’out within sixmonthsPRIME Minister GenPrayuth Chan-o-cha has or-dered the ‘urgent transfer’of now ex-Phuket GovChokchai Dejamornthanand other ranking officialsfrom several provinces ef-fective immediately.

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Partygoers celebrate on Phuket’s notorious Bangla Road. Photo: Gazette file

Handy tips for online shop-ping for those looking tosave some money.

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Officials preparefor influx of visitorsto the island duringSongkran festivities

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By Sukawin Tanthavanich

THE island’s officials are preparing tomanage the influx of visitors, both localand foreign, who swarm into Phuket dur-ing Songkran, which is being celebratednationwide this week.

Phuket International Airport DirectorMonrudee Gettuphan has confirmed that anin-line screening system was recently addedto the airport, which will help ease passen-ger congestion, make processing times fasterand outline and alleviate any ‘suspicious cir-cumstances’ that might affect the island.

Phuket Vice Governor Sanit Sriwihokhas similarly revealed the safety measuresthat will be implemented during Songkran.

“Every year, the (central) governmentprovides us with additional support to pre-pare for Songkran. Safety measuresinclude stricter police patrol at checkpointsto force people to drive safely as well asstrict measures to prevent drunk driving.Most importantly, I ask people to be pa-tient, have discipline and cooperate withofficials,” Vice Gov Sanit told the Gazette.

He also spoke about the island’s semi-annual ‘Seven Days of Danger’ campaign.

“Our aim is always to meet the ‘zerodeaths’ target during Songkran, but some-times, even despite our best efforts, wecannot change people’s reckless behavior.If everyone follows the rules of the road,it will certainly help reduce the number ofaccidents and deaths on the road,” addedV/Gov Sanit.

Tourism Authority of Thailand PhuketDirector Anoma Wongyai said that at least5 billion baht will be added to Phuket’seconomy during the Songkran festivities.

“About 76 per cent of the hotel book-ings are from Chinese visitors, other Asiansand European tourists, as Songkran alsocoincides with the Easter holidays,” saidMs Anoma.

She added that several cultural shows

will also be held throughout Phuket forvisitors to enjoy, including food and art fes-tivals, games and parades.

“Visitor numbers are expected to be upthis year, especially at the beach areas,” WalBrown, founder and coordinator of the Re-gion 8 Police Volunteers, told the Gazette.

“Subsequently, there will be more offic-ers on duty than in previous years and theywill be focused on the safety of everyone –both locals and foreigners. From prior ex-perience, we know that there are far toomany accidents, especially on the roads.”

Mr Brown also requested partygoers notto throw water at law enforcement officersand volunteers in uniform.

“From previous years, we know that it’sreally problematic to patrol whendrenched,” he said.

Mr Brown also said that police wouldbe focusing on dangerous actions with theuse of water as well as unsafe driving andalcohol abuse.

“Everyone over the blood alcohol limitwill be arrested, charged and put throughthe courts – no exceptions. This can lead

to deportation and a ban to re-enter Thai-land,” Mr Brown told the Gazette.

When asked about a potential shortageof water during Songkran, SayanWareearoonroj, manager of Phuket Pro-vincial Water Supply, said that he was notexpecting water shortage to pose a seri-ous problem in Phuket.

“The only problematic area is Patong,but there is sufficient water in the Bang WadDam and we are also receiving support fromprivate entities such as the Loch Palm GolfClub and Manik Mining,” he said.

Despite precautions and reinforce-ments, officials and volunteers are urgingpeople to celebrate responsibly.

“For anyone planning to enjoy theevent, celebrate on your feet. Don’t playon bikes, as it’s very easy to get into seri-ous problems and accidents,” saidVincent Modell, a volunteer rescueworker at the Kusoldharm Foundation.

“Don’t drink and drive, be sensibleabout what you are doing and play safe.In case of accidents or emergencies, how-ever, we are always there to help.”

2 PHUKET GAZETTE April 8 - 14, 2017

Municipality office winsbig at fishing festival

Birthday boyescapes deadlycar crash

The Phuket Municipality Office hosted the 8th annual Fishing festival on April 2, raking in about 150,000baht for shrine renovation and supporting education. Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana chairedthe event, which took place at the Prince Chumphon Khet Udomsak Shrine in Saphan Hin. She alsohelped cook food to be distributed at the festival. She added that an event such as this supportsgovernment policy to preserve local fishing for the long run. About 100,000 baht is to be used to restorethe shrine, while the other 50,000 will go to support education in Cherng Talay. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

Swede womanfound dead inPatong hotel

A LOCAL man celebrating hisbirthday was severely injuredafter his car collided with aconstruction barrier earlymorning on April 4.

Police received reports ofthe incident in front of the‘Great Glove’ factory on SiSunthon road in Thalang.

“We arrived at the scene tofind a badly damaged pick-uptruck. The 37-year-old driver,Maysa Tongjub, was still inside,with a bone sticking out from awound on his right hand,” con-firmed Capt Kraisorn Boon-prasop of Thalang Police.

Mr Maysa had reportedlybeen celebrating his 37th birth-day that night.

“We believe he was drivingtoo fast and was unable to seethe construction barriers. Wehave sent him to VachiraPhuket Hospital for treatmentand will administer a drug andalcohol test,” said the captain.

Mr Maysa was charged withreckless driving and causingproperty damage.

– Winai Sarot

AO NANG Police on April 3visited a shelter in Phuket tosequester a disputed elephant.

Last month, Krabi residentSomsak Riangnguen claimedthat the elephant (named ‘Yo’)was stolen from him 14 yearsago, whereas the shelter claims

they purchased the animal fromTak Province.

The shelter, named ‘Amaz-ing Bukit Safari’, is located inChalong.

“We came here with the in-tention of bringing the elephantback to Krabi, but we foundthat the shelter has their owndocuments with the officialseal, stating that they purchasedYo. We are trying to ensure thattheir documents are legal andauthentic,” said Lt Col WinaiPoonsawas of Ao Nang Police.

He added that authorities inboth Surin – where Mr Somsaksays the elephant is from – andTak provinces will examine thedocuments before a final deci-sion is made.

Until then, the disputed ani-mal is to remain in Phuket.

– Kritsada Mueanhawong

Ao Nang copsinspect papersfor disputedelephant

A THAI celebrity on April 3made an appeal to avoid beingdrafted in the military this year.

The appeal was made at a re-cruitment drive that is set toreceive 3,000 young men formilitary service from the prov-ince. The two-day event startedon April 3.

Tanon Chamroen, Phuket-born winner of popular TVshow ‘The Voice Thailand’,sought his first deferment at thePiboon Sawasdee School inPhuket Town, citing the reasonthat he is currently pursuing aBachelor’s Degree at BangkokUniversity.

A total of 103,097 soldiersnationwide are to be selectedfor military service this year –Phuket’s provincial allotment is514. Thai men over 21 whomentally and physically meetthe criteria must serve in themilitary for two years.

“My only concern is that I amstudying at the moment. If I geta chance to join the force for mycountry in the future, I will hap-pily do it,” said Mr Tanon.

Mr Tanon then proceeded to

Thai celebdodges militarydraft call

A SWEDISH tourist suc-cumbed to unidentified healthissues in a Patong hotel roomon April 2.

“We arrived at the 4th floorroom at Patong Merlin hotel tofind the body of 27-year-oldEmma Katarina Grundstrom onthe bed. There were vomit stainson the bed and blanket,” said LtCol Somsak Thongleang ofPatong Police.

According to MsGrundstrom’s partner, namedby police as Owe ChristofferSjogren, 27, the two hadchecked in at the hotel onMarch 29, and were scheduledto check out on April 12.

“Mr Sjogren told us that she

encourage young Thai men todo their duty for their country.

In another incident relatedto military drafts, a fatherhanged himself with a tele-phone wire after he found outover the phone that his son hadbeen selected to serve in themilitary for two years.

– Kritsada Mueanhawong

had sustained an injury in hermouth on March 30, and wentto a clinic the same day to buymedicine. On the next morning,however, he noticed that shehad stopped breathing,” saidthe colonel.

At about 10am, Mr Sjogrencalled hotel staff for help.

“Ms Grundstrom passedaway before an ambulancefrom Patong Hospital arrived.Her body was taken to the hos-pital for further examination,”Col Somsak added.

Police confirmed that therewere no signs of a struggle orroom ransacking.

– Kritsada Mueanhawong

Man stabbedto death in barfight by stafferA MAN was stabbed to deathby a fellow staff member at aPhuket Town bar on April 2.

“We found the body ofSrichan Intaburi, 48 at a barnamed ‘Cowboy Pue Chiwit’on Surin Road, with knifewounds to his chest and stom-ach. He was lying face up onthe kitchen floor in a pool ofblood,” Lt Col Thaksin Pinyoof the Phuket City Police toldthe Gazette.

Other employees at the barnamed the suspect as AttapongChanasuek, 21.

“Witnesses told us that MrSrichan and Mr Attapong regu-larly argued at the work place.On this particular day, however,the two fought up until MrAttapong stabbed the victimand fled on his motorbike,”added the colonel.

The suspect was appre-hended within two hours at ahouse in Wichit, with a 20-cmknife.

“Mr Attapong told us that hehad felt a headache coming af-ter having a drink offered by acustomer. Soon after, he wentto the counter to put his headdown and fell asleep,” headded. “He confessed to theeventual stabbing, but said thatMr Srichan first hit him overthe head with an ice bucket,dragged him into the kitchenand punched and kicked himseveral times.”

The suspect then reportedlyran to take the knife out of hislocker to protect himself.

Mr Srichan’s body was takento Vachira Phuket Hospital forfurther examination. MrAttapong was charged withmurder with intent, and carry-ing a weapon in public withoutpermission.

– Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET GAZETTE 3April 8 - 14, 2017

Governor among other highranking officials transferred

British womankills ghost rider

The accident occurred on Thepkrasattri road (southbound) near theShell gas station in Thalang. Photo: Winai Sarot

PHUKET Governor ChokchaiDejamornthan has been trans-ferred out after just six monthson the job, with NorraphatPlodthong – previously theProvincial Management Ad-viser at the Office of the Per-manent Secretary of Interior –being named as his successor.

The National Council forPeace and Order (NCPO) onApril 4 issued a letter signed bythe Prime Minister, invoking ar-ticle 44 to ‘urgently’ transfer highranking officials nationwide.

Governor Chokchai is one ofthose transferred and will beworking in the PM’s office.

The letter does not mentionthe reason for the transfers,which are deemed effectiveimmediately.

– Phuket Gazette

A 62-YEAR-old motorcyclistwas killed in a collision with acar driven by a 31-year-oldBritish woman in Thalang onMarch 31.

“The accident occurred atabout 9:05pm on ThepkrasattriRoad (southbound) near theShell gas station in Thalang. Atthe scene, we found the bodyof Pongsak Sripuek lying facedown on the ground. His armsand legs were broken and hewas pronounced dead at thescene,” said Lt Sunan Petnhuof Thalang Police.

The driver, Jayne PaulineWatt, sustained minor injuries.

The deceased’s body was

taken to Thalang Hospital.“According to witnesses, Ms

Watt was heading back fromthe airport, driving south in theleft lane, when Mr Pongsak,who was ‘ghost riding’ (head-ing north against traffic in thatlane) suddenly appeared infront of her, having driven upfrom the opposite side of theroad. It seems that Ms Watt didnot have time to brake,” said LtSunan.

“At this stage, no chargeshave been made. We will ques-tion Ms Watt and the witnessesfurther before taking any fur-ther action,” he added.

– Winai Sarot

Aussie tourist killed incement truck collision

Norraphat Plodthong (above) has been as named the new Governor.

Two nabbed in B5mn drug bustTWO suspects from a major drug network were arrested on March 31 with a kilo of ya ice (crystalmethamphetamine) and nearly 8,000 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine) worth about 5 million baht.

The first suspect, Sompan Meemuangnork, was apprehended at Phuket Bus Terminal 2.“We got a report from one of our sources about a big drug delivery from Bangkok to Phuket,”

said Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teerapol Thipjaroen.“Our source informed us that Mr Sompan would be the one making the delivery. We tracked his

movements and learned that he would arrive in Phuket by bus, so our team waited for him at theterminal,” he added.

At about 9:30am, officers saw Mr Sompan getting off the bus with a box. They approached him,searched his belongings and found the stash.

He was charged with possession of a category 1 drug with intent to sell, then taken to PatongPolice Station for further questioning.

“Mr Sompan admitted that the drugs belonged to him and that he intended to sell them toteenagers in Patong. He also provided information about another dealer from the network, whichled to the arrest of Uraiporn Boonsawang,” said Maj Gen Teerapol.

Ms Uraiporn was found in possession of a .38 gun.Mr Sompan did not provide the name of his contact in Bangkok, but Phuket police are coordi-

nating with officials there to take further action. – Kritsada Mueanhawong

POLICE have yet to press anycharges in the death of a 49-year-old Australian touristwho was killed after his bikecrashed into a cement trucknear Tri Trang Beach onMarch 30.

“We found Paul AnthonyBradbury’s body partially stuckunder the wheel of the truckand covered in blood. A HondaClick motorbike, helmet andphone were lying nearby,” saidMaj Teerasak Boonsang of thePatong Police.

The truck driver, SakornSriprasit, 39, waited for policeat the scene.

“According to Mr Sakorn’sstatement, Mr Bradbury was

thrown off his bike after he lostcontrol of it. His helmet alsoflew off his head when he fell,”said Maj Teerasak.

“We learned that he wasstaying alone at Baan LaimaiHotel – he had checked in onMarch 27 and was due to checkout tomorrow. The motorbikewas a rental,” he added.

The Australian Embassy hasbeen apprised of the incident.

“At this stage, we have yetto press charges against thetruck driver. We will questionhim more thoroughly and alsotalk to other witnesses beforetaking any further action,” saidMaj Teerasak.

– Kritsada Mueanhawong

4 PHUKET GAZETTE April 8 - 14, 2017

Website toverify fakenews launched

Five warrantsissued for deadprivate case

Police arrestJapanese felonfor fraud

DIGITAL agencies and privateorganizations on April 4 joinedhands to launch a new websitewww.checkgornshare.com toact as a tool for the Thai onlinecommunity to check and verifyfacts before sharing informa-tion on social media.

The “Check Gorn Share”(Check before share) campaignis aimed at promoting analyti-cal and critical thinking in theonline community, as well asraising awareness of the soci-etal damage caused by rash,irresponsible sharing of ‘fakenews’ stories.

The campaign is a collabo-ration between Rabbit’s Tale,Moonshot Digital and Cre-ative Juice Bangkok, withsupport from various privateorganizations including PTT,SCG, Siam Commercial Bankand the Thai Webmaster As-sociation.

The move comes after thegroup realized that the spreadof false or twisted informationonline could mislead the gen-eral public and cause them toincorrectly perceive a certainsituation.

A 62-YEAR-old Japanesewoman was arrested by Thaiimmigration police for allegedlycheating many Japanese peoplein a 700-million-yen (218 mil-lion baht) pyramid scheme.

Police said Setsuko Yamabewas arrested on the morning ofApril 4.

She entered Thailand onJanuary 20 on a 60-day tourist

visa. She subsequently got an-other 30-day extension fromthe Immigration Police Divi-sion 1 until April 19.

Police later cross-checkedher background and found shewas wanted by the Japanesepolice.

Thai Immigration Bureauchief Lt Gen NatthathornPraosunthorn was warned bythe Japanese Embassy.

POLICE have issued arrestwarrants for five privates al-legedly involved in the deathof a conscript at VibhavadiRangsit Military Camp inSurat Thani Province, whilethe family of the dead privatewill receive 230,000 baht incompensation.

Maj Gen Apichart Buns-rirote, commander of SuratThani Provincial Police, saidthe investigation into the deathof Private Yuthkinan Boo-nniam, who was beaten to deathinside the military camp com-pound, was progressing welland nearly completed.

“Five suspects are con-firmed to be involved in thedeath of Private Yuthkinan ac-cording to the clear evidencefrom witnesses and surveil-lance camera records, thanks tothe enthusiastic assistance fromthe 45th Military Circle,”Apichart said. “We are sure thatwe can bring justice for PrivateYuthkinan’s family soon.”

It was reported that the fiveprivates on the arrest warrantswill be taken to Surat ThaniPolice Station.

PHUKET GAZETTE 5April 8 - 14, 2017

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What rate hikes mean for investors

The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates, but the market has largely ignored the move. Photo: pixabay

Millions of low-income peopleexpected to be on welfare

IN EARLY March, the USFederal Reserve raised interestrates, with the market largelyignoring the long-expectedmove. With at least a coupleof more rate increases ex-pected in the near future, Iwould still not expect the mar-ket to suddenly turn bearish.After all, if the Fed thought theUS economy was still tooweak, they would not be rais-ing interest rates.

When we had the 2008-09financial crisis, the market waslike a patient who just had a bigaccident and ended up on theoperating table with the under-lying economy being nearlydead. The market bottom wasthen followed by a small recov-ery rally, then some pullbackand then a bigger rally followedby sideways action.

During this period of time,the Fed had to cut rates and doall kinds of creative ‘quantita-tive easing’ just to get thepatient (that is, the market andunderlying economy) off theoperating table into the recov-ery room and back to a walkingposition with the patient nowable to run again.

I would expect the Fed toslowly want to raise interestrates back up to the 3 per cent

level, but this is going to taketime and the underlyingeconomy will need to be strongenough to absorb these ratehikes.

By mid-April, earnings re-ports will be back in the news.In the meantime, the marketwill be paying attention to anymacro-economic data – espe-cially any data coming out ofthe US. So far, US data is point-ing to wages having risen overthe past year and no serioussigns of inflation. The Fed isalso a bit behind when it comesto raising interest rates as theUS still has very low interestrates – especially for longerterm treasury bonds.

However, at some point

once again, the patient willstumble and fall (as in anotherrecession and bear market).This is actually perfectly nor-mal and something we shouldbe prepared for at some pointin the (hopefully distant) future.

Over the next several weeksinto April and May, I wouldexpect the market to take a restby consolidating sideways. Andwhile we have yet to see muchof a pullback, I wouldn’t ruleone out.

A look at overall market per-formance for this year showsnot much happening just yetwith small caps while mid-capshave performed better and thebigger winners have been largecap stocks – especially those in

the health care and technologysectors. In fact, if you have notbeen overweight in those twosectors, there’s a good chancethat your portfolio’s perfor-mance is lagging behind.

That’s because these twosectors offer investors growthat a reasonable price, as theirvaluations are not much higher(if at all) when compared to theoverall market. Keep in mindthat while US health care re-form (that is, repealing or fixingObamacare) is still being de-bated, the market seems to bebetting that not much willchange – at least not much forhealth care stocks themselves.

One interesting area towatch is the strong US dollar

(which has strengthened evenmore over the past few years asthe currency markets anticipateFed interest rate hikes) and howthat continues to impact inter-national stocks which havelargely underperformed overthe past 8 or 9 years. Right now,the iShares MSCI EmergingMarkets Index’s (NYSEARCA: EEM) chart is showingsigns of life as it comes out ofa two year bottoming formationwhile the SPDR STOXX Eu-rope 50 ETF (NYSEARCA:FEU) is also showing signs ofbreaking out of its bottomingformation. Depending on whathappens with the dollar, inter-national stocks may soonbecome attractive again.

For now though, my clientsand I will remain invested instrong stocks and ETFs as wellas remain overweight in healthcare and technology related in-vestments.

Don Freeman, BSME is presidentof Freeman Capital Management,a registered investment adviserwith the US Securities ExchangeCommission (SEC), based inPhuket. He has over 15 yearsexperience working withexpatriates, specializing in portfoliomanagement, US tax preparation,financial planning and UK pensiontransfers. Call for a free portfolioreview. Don can be reached at089-970-5795 or email:freemancapital@gmail.com.

A LARGE number of low-in-come people queued up to ap-ply for state welfare as the sec-ond round of registrationsopened nationwide on April 3.

Finance Minister ApisakTantivorawong said at least 10million people were expectedto register in this round, whichends on May 15.

He added that after the reg-istration, welfare cards wouldbe given to those who met thecriteria. The welfare cards will

be used to access privileges ex-tending from free tap water,electricity and fares on publicbuses and trains. The types ofwelfare provided will be differ-ent for urban and rural people.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, sev-eral people waited for a long timein front of a number of bankbranches, including KrungthaiBank’s (KTB’s) Hua Thalae andMittraphap branches, since earlyin the morning.

– The Nation

Officials expect at least 10 million people to register. Photo: pixabay

Volume 24 Issue 14

6 PHUKET GAZETTE April 8 - 14, 2017

Do you have an opinion to voice?Email Editor@PhuketGazette.net

Hope new Gov is good for Phuket

Gearing up forthe holidays

Re: Phuket Governor transferredout after just six months, Apr 4

Let’s see what the new guy’sinstructions are but if he is to endcorruption in Phuket and reallymake decisions and stick bythem, rather than changeeverytwo minutes so no one knowswhat’s going on, then its a stepin the right direction.

Simon LomasFacebook

The law is clear, butnot always enforced

Re: Ghost riding Phuket motor-cyclist killed in collision withBritish woman, Apr 1

So sad, the law is clear butnever enforced. Both bikes andcars legally have to have fullyfunctioning head lights, brakelights, rear lights and indica-tors, sadly many do not. Bothcars and bikes are meant todrive on the correct side of the

A deterrent to alldrivers in Phuket

Re: Angry German charged inPhuket for running red light,tossing car keys, Mar 28

Let it be a deterrent to alldrivers. I saw a bus carryingtourists driving very fast througha main intersection on Visetroad when the lights were red.

All the cars and bikes hadstopped, but this bus driver bar-

Illegal activitieswithin sight of police

Re: Chinese national andhilltribe man arrested for work-ing illegally in Phuket, Mar 30

What hypocrisy. Beacheslike Kamala and Bang Tao arepopulated with numerous wed-ding photo teams, obstructingentire stretches for themselves,shouting, screaming and justbeing a nuisance.

At Kamala Beach these (Isuspect) illegal photographersoperate within sight of the po-lice station.

Michael PohlFacebook

THE recent death of a ‘ghost riding’ Thai motorcyclist alongThepkrasattri Road in Thalang should serve as a soberingreminder to all motorists of the need to be on full alert dur-ing the upcoming Songkran holiday period.

As noted in this space numerous times in the past, Phuketseldom experiences the kind of spikes in road accidents, in-juries and fatalities that some other provinces suffer overthe Songkran period.

The reason for this is pretty obvious when one breaks downannual statistics, both for regular reporting of road accidentsas well as during the two annual ‘Seven Days of Danger’road safety campaigns that span the western New Year pe-riod as well as the Songkran period in mid-April.

Unlike other more rural provinces, which experience an-nual spikes during these periods, the numbers for Phuket differlittle from the rest of the year. This is likely due in large part tothe fact that much of Phuket’s huge migrant workforce re-turns to home provinces to celebrate the holidays – with someinevitably contributing to the statistics in those locales. Ofcourse, their absence is compensated for in part by an influxof tourists, both Thai and foreign, a percentage of whom arejust as inevitably involved in accidents here.

The operation of these road safety campaigns, which rakein huge amounts in fines paid at road checkpoints, probablyaccounts for a much smaller reduction in accidents than thefact that there are just fewer ‘local’ people on the roads hereduring these periods; let’s not forget that the vast majorityof serious accidents involve young males on motorbikes, manyof them drunk and without helmets.

Thai traffic laws are as well-thought-out and comprehen-sive as many western countries with far safer roads. Thedifference, as noted in this space ad nauseam, involves en-forcement. The sad fact is that ‘ghost riding’ (riding on thewrong side of the road, for newcomers) is common here andoften done in full view of law enforcement officers.

For these reasons, the Phuket Gazette advises all motoriststo be on full alert, not just during the designated ‘days ofdanger’, but all-day, every day. Your life could quite literallydepend on it.

road in the correct direction andflow of traffic.

In fact a huge proportion ofbikes have no rear lights, neverindicate and many I have per-sonally seen at night drivinghave no main head lamp on orworking.

Add to that the fact thatmany bikes drive on the wrongside of the road (driving on theright) driving directly towardsyou on your side of the road be-cause of the u-turns and centralroad barriers they choose to ig-nore or drive across/around itis amazing to me that there arenot more deaths.

The recent spate of newlyinstalled central road reserva-tion construction seen recentlyaround Chalong and alsoThalang, from monument to-wards Ao Po has seen a hugeincrease of this dangerous bikedriving recently.

Brent CoweyFacebook

reled straight on through, blast-ing his horn as if he owned theroad.

Most appalling driving lhave ever witnessed. Equaltreatment to all for bad driving?

HarryGazette forum

Must have free ac-cess to the beach

Re: Opinion: What’s next forLaem Singh Beach, Apr 2

I believe the precedent is thatall land owners must give freeaccess to public beaches, andthat all beaches in Thailand arepublic.

I don’t know why Channel7 has been allowed to take inup to 50,000 baht a day fromunsuspecting tourists.

I advocate boycotting thebeach and not giving thesepeople one more satang.

PinotGazette forum

Celebrities shouldbe treated the same

Re: Phuket celebrity tempo-rarily avoids Military draft,encourages others instead,Apr 3

One sometimes wonderswhat qualifies one as a ‘Thaicelebrity’.

‘I’m not going to join theArmy but you can in my place’– very gracious.

I somehow get the feelingthat ‘serving his country’ in thefuture might sort of fade awaywith time.

Mister ReeGazette forum

April 8 - 14, 2017 PHUKET GAZETTE 7

Handy tips for online shopping

Online shopping has become more convenient and easily accessible over the years. Photo: pixabay

IN THIS modern day and age,online shopping is so easily ac-cessible that even those resid-ing on islands can benefit fromits perks while enjoying thesun, sea and sand to the maxi-mum. While websites like eBayand Amazon are dominatingthe West, e-commerce is onlystarting to grow here in South-east Asia. According to Statista,the number of users in the Thai-land e-commerce market is ex-pected to increase from 12.1million in 2017 to 13.9mn by2021.

This means there’s plenty ofroom for more e-commerce re-tail websites to grow andexpand in Thailand. As onlineshopping develops into some-thing bigger, this opens agateway to other businesses aswell. Shopcoupons is onewhich has seized this opportu-nity to leverage on the growthof online shopping.

One of the reasons whypeople lean toward onlineshopping as compared to tradi-tional retail shopping in mallsis because of the heavy trafficone has to brave just to get tothe mall. Most would opt toplace orders in the comfort of

their own home or office tosave time and money. Addition-ally, shopping online costslesser for the consumer asgoods bought online are gen-erally cheaper as compared tobuying from brick-and-mortaroutlets. To maximize the onlineshopping advantage, here are afew tips on how to save evenmore on your online purchases.

First, wait for big sale sea-sons. Just like a traditional

shopping routine, the best timeto shop would be during big saleseasons like Thailand’s ‘Amaz-ing Grand Sale’ which occursfrom mid-June till mid-August.During this period, retail as wellas online stores have sales andis the best time to begin shop-ping, as consumers have moreoptions to compare to andchoose from. Well-known web-sites such as Lazada havemassive sales with games, huge

never-before-seen discounts,and flash sales. This is whenshoppers should fully take ad-vantage of the season and shop.

Next, use credit cards whichoffer cash rebates on onlinetransactions. There are a num-ber of banks offering creditcards which give you cash-backwhen you spend online. An-other alternative would be toget a credit card which givesyou extra discounts with mul-

tiple e-commerce stores. Somewebsites have special bank dis-counts on selected days of theweek. If you’re able to get acard which offers cash-backand extra discounts, you’ll beable to reap more in return.

Finally, make full use of cou-pon codes. As online shoppingis still fairly fresh in certain re-gions of Southeast Asia, manypeople are still new to the ideaof using virtual voucher codesto gain additional savings. In theWest, such websites providingnumerous deals and discountcodes are common. With hun-dreds of deals and codes forwell-known e-commerce giantssuch as Zalora, Lazada, Konvyand more, shopcoupons is atrusted provider of promo codesand deals in Thailand.

Some coupon codes are onlyapplicable for selected itemswhereas some are for store-wideuse. Sign up as a member for freeand save your favorite stores tobe alerted immediately when thelatest codes are updated.

There you have it – short butsweet tips for making the mostout of your online shoppingexperience.

– Phuket Gazette

8 PHUKET GAZETTE April 8 - 14, 2017

Large numbers of tourists come to Thailand to join in the festivities. Photo: Gazette file

Enjoy the holidays, but don’t break the law

SONGKRAN was originally aThai religious festival markingthe beginning of the BuddhistNew Year. Now it has morphedinto a week-long holiday, wa-ter fights and parties. Largenumbers of tourists come toThailand to join in the festivi-ties. There are music festivals,hotel pool parties and walkingstreet celebrations. It is a timewhere people let loose and ci-vility is secondary. In response,Thai police are present in largenumbers to ensure that thereare no disturbances.

Excessive drinking contrib-utes to the party atmosphere andthe police will be looking forpeople who have lost control.Public intoxication is defined asanyone who puts themselvesinto a state of drunkenness bythe consumption of alcoholicbeverages or other intoxicatingsubstances and exhibits them-selves in a troublesome orsenseless manner in a publicspace. Those found guilty canbe arrested and fined.

Some examples of unaccept-able behavior are defacingprivate and public property; uri-nating, defecating or vomiting onother people’s property; fighting;or joining in a public brawl.These individuals can also faceimprisonment and a fine.

Do not consume illegal nar-cotics. The police are every-where and looking for peopleunder the influence of narcotics.The potential penalty for publicintoxication or fighting does notcompare to the seriousness ofbeing arrested and charged withillegal narcotics. This openspeople up for extortion and longsentences in Thailand’s over-crowded prisons.

It is best to cooperate withthe Thai police. Normally, theyjust want to ask questions orobserve the behavior of an in-dividual. Under section 367 ofthe Thai Criminal Code, peopleare required to provide theirname and address to a public

officer if it is asked in the in-terest of legal enforcement.Failure to provide such infor-mation or to intentionally givefalse information makes theperson liable for a fine. In ad-dition, failure to cooperatemight raise increased suspi-cions from the police and theymay further interrogate you.

Any person who is given anorder by a public officer and failsto abide by it without reasonablegrounds, faces imprisonment anda fine. However, even if it is de-termined you have been given areasonable request by a legiti-mate police officer, it is importantto be wary.

If the police would like to

search your clothes or bags, en-sure that it is done in public andin the presence of others. If theywant to search your pockets,pull the items out by yourself toensure that something is not un-knowingly placed inside.

If the police determine that alaw was broken and the indi-vidual needs to be taken intocustody, they will arrest the sus-pect. They have a duty toimmediately inform the suspectof the charge and take them di-rectly to the closest police stationto be processed. They are not al-lowed to take them into anotherroom or to a private house, butdirectly to the police station.

After the arrest, the suspect

can contact a related person andan attorney. The police can onlyhold a person for 48 hours un-less they bring the suspect infront of a judge to request foran extension of the hold. Afterthe arrest, the suspect may beeligible for bail. For small caseslike public intoxication, the bailcan be paid immediately.

Another quirk in the law isthat Thailand has a good Sa-maritan law. When someonesees any person in danger, theyare required to render assistanceif the assistance does not put theindividual in danger. If the pub-lic officer requests assistance inthe performance of a publicduty, the person is required toassist the public officer. Failureto provide assistance in either ofthe above circumstances maylead to imprisonment and fine.

During this period of celebra-tion, keep a copy of your ID,phone number of a local friend,contact for your local embassy,and the phone number of a lo-cal English speaking attorney.Have fun in groups and be vigi-lant. Stay away from narcoticsand people who may attempt totake advantage of you.

Yutthachai Sangsirisap is alicenced Thai Attorney practicingin Bangkok. Robert R Virasin is alicenced US Attorney andmanaging director of Virasin &Partners. They can be reached atinfo@virasin.com or at www.virasin.com.

Vets find another turtlewith coins in its stomachNINE more sea turtles at theSea Turtle Conservation Cen-tre on Munnai Island in Rayonghave been examined to deter-mine whether they had coins intheir digestive system, with oneturtle confirmed to have fourcoins in its stomach.

Dr Nantarika Chansue fromChulalongkorn University’sVeterinary Medical Aquaticanimal Research Center(VMARC) led a team to per-form health check-ups for theturtles, which came from thesame pond as the green turtle‘Ormsin’ (or ‘piggy bank’).

Ormsin became famous aftersurgery was performed on theanimal to extract 915 coins fromits stomach. The turtle had swal-lowed the coins thrown into herpond by people who believed itwould bring longevity and goodluck. The turtle died soon afterthe procedure.

Dr Nantarika said theVMARC and the Marine andCoastal Resources Departmentveterinarian team had conductedX-rays and blood tests on thenine turtles.

“The DMCR team leader willcarry on with the treatment wediscussed and we will continuemonitoring them,” she said.

– The Nation

VMARC vets performed healthcheck-ups. Photo: The Nation

PHUKET GAZETTE 9April 8 - 14, 2017

A different style of celebration in Phuket

The young pour water over the palms of the elderly as a sign of reverence to ancestors . Photo: Gazette file

By Patrick Campbell

PHUKET has its own riotousversion of Songkran, Thai-land’s most important publicholiday. Primarily a water fes-tival, it celebrates the Thai lu-nar New Year and is held an-nually on April 13.

Mostly an occasion foryouthful exuberance, the wholeisland is turned into a war zone,as young people spend the daygetting into water fights withanything from pump actionwater pistols to garden hosesand buckets. The battle iswaged both on foot at the road-side and from pickups loadedwith tanks of H2O.

If you are foolhardy enoughto join the celebrations, youmay also be covered in a mixof water and white talc or chalk,a tradition begun by monks asa way of marking blessings.This use of powder seems tocome from the Indian festivalof Holi, which, like the Chris-tian Easter, is celebrated at the

same time.Mind you, Songkran does

have a serious side, as Thai fes-tivals usually do. It is an occasion– much like the local vegetarianfestival or Loy Krathong – formerit-making and purification.For devotees, the morning willbegin with a visit to their localtemple, to wash images and stat-

ues of Buddha, or to clean andredecorate their house shrines.All these gestures are intendedto initiate purification of the selfand washing away of personalsins and bad luck in the past year.

The young may pour waterover the palms of the elderly asa sign of reverence to one’s an-cestors. Other forms of merit-

making may include the usualoffering of food to monks or,less commonly, the release ofwild creatures such as birds orfish. In the south, people aimto observe three rules of con-duct for the day: don’t work,don’t spend money and don’ttell lies.

In Sanskrit, the word ‘Son-

gkran’ means ‘the passage ofthe sun from one sign of the zo-diac to another’.

There are 12 passages eachyear, but this one, celebratingboth the Thai New Year and the‘Vernal Equinox’ in western cul-ture, is the most important.Originally determined by astro-logical computation, it is nowobserved on a fixed date.Sankranti is also the name of aHindu harvest festival celebratedin India to mark the arrival ofspring. In Thailand it marks theconclusion of the dry season.

A few words of advice fornewcomers. If you do ventureout, be prepared for anythingfrom a snow-covered wind-screen to ice cold water downyour back. Wear old clothes andif you are driving, be preparedfor grid-lock, especially in partsof Phuket Town.

Also, look out for drunkenrevelers; they can be a dangerboth to themselves and others.Otherwise, embrace the occa-sion and enjoy being a kid again.

Break bread withfriends and family atAngsana this Easter

XANA beach Club is hostinga Sunday Easter Brunch onApril 16, with a 50 per cent dis-count for children aged 6-12,and complimentary dining forall kids under 6.

With the young ones free toenjoy the club’s kids’ corner,build sandcastles on the beachor take a swim in the pool,Xana is also offering free flowcocktails, wine, beer and livemusic for adults.

The brunch also includes anEaster-themed Kids Cornerwith activities such as eggpainting and an egg hunt.

Prices start from 1,650++ baht(food only) and 2,450++ baht(free flow).

Bodega & Grill at AngsanaLaguna Phuket will also hostEaster celebrations with a four-course dinner paired with wine,from April 14-17.

Prices start at 2,080++ baht(food only) and 3,880++ baht(wine pairing or one glass of se-lected wine).

For inquiries or reservations,email fbreservation-lagunaphuket@angsana.com or call076-358500.

– Phuket Gazette

Xana is offering complimentary dining for kids under 6. Photo: Supplied

10 PHUKET GAZETTE April 8 - 14, 2017

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12 PHUKET GAZETTE April 8 - 14, 2017

Dos and don’ts of celebrating SongkranBy Sahar Aftab Paliwala

SONGKRAN marks the begin-ning of the Buddhist New Yearin Thailand. It is also popularfor being a water-splashing fes-tival throughout Thailand.

Here is a look at some dosand don’ts to keep in mind.

DOs

1. Put your mobile phoneand wallet in a zip-lock bag toprevent them from getting wetand avoid getting frustrated byhaving expensive electronicsdestroyed mid-water-war.

2. Wear a swimsuit under-neath your clothing to preventindecent transparency. Thaiculture is conservative and see-through white shirts with pro-vocative underwear underneathisn’t acceptable.

3. Leave your valuables athome or in your hotel safe. Youmight need to have some extracash and your phone to con-tact your friends, but only bringthe essentials in a zip lock bag.

4. If you don’t plan to jointhe water festival that day, it’sprobably best to avoid walkingon roads as that’s where theparty will be.

5. Take care of yourself.Even though Songkran isn’t thetime to be dolled up, youshould still apply sunscreen toavoid nasty burns and keepyourself hydrated as it is thehottest time of the year.

6. Wish the locals a happynew year in Thai, Sawasdee PeeMai.

DON’Ts

1. Do not use banned equip-ment. Previously, there has

been rather hazardous equip-ment used to shoot water andaim from far distances thathave caused accidents in thepast.

Stick to the legal tools suchas small water buckets and

light water guns.2. Do not powder strangers.

Unless it’s a light tap on thecheek, we recommend that youavoid powdering a stranger’sbody as it is banned in order toavoid indecent touching.

3. Do not get too rowdy atthe festival. While a drink ortwo might make the experiencefun, it’s best not to get too tipsyto prevent aggressive splashingthat can be harmful.

4. Do not wear dressy shoeswhen walking down the street.As the floors are going to bewet, you should instead opt forsandals or flip-flops with a firmgrip to the ground rather thandressy shoes that can makeyou slip and fall.

5. Do not wear too muchmakeup (this one’s for the la-dies). Keep things minimal andwaterproof unless you want toparade the streets looking likea raccoon.

6. Never throw water atmotorcyclists. It may unbal-ance them and cause seriousaccidents and/or injuries.

Stay safe, enjoy yourself andcelebrate responsibly.

In case of an accident oremergency, contact the Tour-ist Police at 1155.

It is important to celebrate responisbly during Songkran. Photos: Gazette file