Barkar Nash (Page 1,075)

Phuket hotel ‘disturbs’ sea turtles

Phuket: Local activists are calling on the government to take back sea-gypsy ancestral land being leased to a hotel on Mai Khao beach.

About 20 members of a network for Andaman coast sea gypsies and activists petitioned the provincial office and MPs from the Move Forward Party (MFP) to save the land from commercial development.

Local heritage and the natural habitat of sea turtles are under threat, they said.

The petition was handed to Phuket deputy governor Anuphap Rodkwan Yodrabam and MFP MPs Somchart Thechathaworncharoen, who represents Phuket’s Constituency 1, Poonsak Janjampee, and Julapong Yooket.

Orawan Hanthaleh, a network member, said the area have been sacred to sea gypsies for generations, she added, noting the local community has worked with the authorities in the Sirinat National Park to preserve the land.

Earlier this year, a barbed-wire fence was erected around the area, with the authorities announcing it was public land rented by a hotel.

Ms Orawan said that apart from the ritual site, the area is where the community makes a living from fishing and where sea turtles lay their eggs. The network has issued demands to state ministries to tackle the land problem.

First, the provincial governor must review the permit granted to the hotel, order the hotel to remove the fence around the area and stay off the land until the dispute is resolved, it said.

Second, the Finance Ministry, which oversees the use of the public land, must immediately suspend the lease of the land as hotel operations may threaten the sea turtles and the sea gypsies’ way of life, it said.

Third, the Culture Ministry must declare the area a protected area for the preservation of indigenous values, it said.

Fourth, the media and the general public must keep an eye on the area to prevent a land grab, it said.

Ms Orawan said all relevant miniastries must work together to resolve the issue within 15 days or the network will protest in Bangkok.

Mr Anuphap yesterday said the provincial office will ask the Thalang district chief and the local treasury office about the use of the land, how it was leased and its impact on the local community.

The network’s petition will be forwarded to the provincial governor, he added.

Meanwhile, Mr Somchart said the issue will be raised in parliament with the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment called in to explain.

Mr Poonsak said the land is culturally sensitive. Before any construction can be approved, it must pass an environmental impact assessment, he said.

A group of protestors, mostly on bicycles and motorcycles, rallied in front of Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai party headquarters on Sunday evening to denounce their efforts to form the next government with military-linked parties.

People using about 50 vehicles first gathered at the BTS Mo Chit station on Phahon Yothin Road at about 1.30pm. Rally leaders criticised both parties for potentially teaming up with political parties connected to the May 2014 coup d’etat.

About an hour later they moved to the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters on the same road.

The protesters arrived at the head office at about 3pm. It was closed and guarded by police.

Protesters there criticised Bhumjaithai’s policies related to Covid-19 and cannabis decriminalisation. They scattered leaftlets, splashed paint and attached glue traps normally used to trap mice. Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul is also known by his nickname “Noo” (mouse in Thai).

The demonstrators then moved to the Pheu Thai headquarters on Phetchaburi Road at about 4.45pm. The place was also closed.

There they dumped and destroyed Pheu Thai souvenirs including stickers, cups, calendars and shirts. They also demanded Pheu Thai restore its coalition partnership with the election-winning Move Forward Party.

Pheu Thai came second in the May 14 general election with 141 House seats and Bhumjaithai came third with 71 seats. Both announced their joint effort to form the next government after Pheu Thai withdrew from its previous coalition alliance with Move Forward which won 151 House seats.

Demonstrators move towards the headquarters of the Bhumjaithai Party on Phahon Yothin Road on Sunday evening. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

CHON BURI: A 32-year-old Russian woman naked from the waist down fell to her death from a seventh-floor condominium room in Sattahip district on Sunday morning.

Local police were informed of the death at about 7am on Sunday. It happened at a condominium building on Soi Na Jomtien 4 Road in tambon Na Jomtien.

The body of the Russian woman was found lying face down in a pool of blood on the ground in front of the condominium building. She was wearing a green T-shirt and a jean jacket, while the lower parts of her body were exposed.

Police assumed she fell from the room of her 30-year-old Russian boyfriend on the seventh floor of the building. In the room, a window next to a bed was found with its curtain open. The boyfriend said the woman had accidentally fallen.

When police arrived, the boyfriend was holding a glass of an alcoholic beverage and appeared uncontrollably drunk. He initially refused to cooperate with police under his state of intoxication.

Police said the room was untidy and strewn with leftover food and drinks, but there were no traces of a struggle. 

BURI RAM: Twelve wild elephants were seen roaming in a forest inside Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary in Non Din Daeng district of this northeastern province in video clips taken by automatic cameras installed by wildlife officials.

Somsuan Raksat, chief of the sanctuary, said the videos were captured by the network-centric anti-poaching system (NCAPS) cameras at 6.25pm on Aug 10.

He said the footage, which shows the elephants playing in water and walking past the cameras in the Dong Yai forest, indicates the sanctuary is rich with wildlife and other resources.

Based on the footage, forest rangers and volunteers would be assigned to patrol the area to prevent the elephants straying out of the sanctuary, Mr Somsuan said.

Two sons of His Majesty the King visited Siriraj Hospital on Sunday morning.

Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse and his younger brother Chakriwat visited the kingdom’s very first hospital,  135-year-old Siriraj Hospital, and paid their respects to the image of their late grandfather King Rama IX and their great-grandparents there.

Mr Vacharaesorn, 42, recently visited temples and other places after returning to Thailand for the first time in about three decades.

His younger brother Chakriwat, 40, arrived later and the two planned to leave for the United States together.

The younger brother’s arrival prompted Mr Vacharaesorn to postpone his planned earlier departure on Sunday.

The brothers visited Ayutthaya province on Saturday.

The siblings are among four sons of His Majesty the King and his former consort Sujarinee Vivacharawongse. Their younger sister is Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya.

SONGKHLA: About a hundred pub-goers ran for their lives out of a well-known entertainment venue in Hat Yai early on Sunday after a 9mm automatic pistol carried by a customer accidentally went off, sending a bullet into his left leg.

The incident occurred at about 1.30am inside Nectar Pub on Chuti-anusorn road in the Hat Yai municipal area.

Hat Yai police rushed to the pub to investigate.

Niran Suwan-in, 31, the pub-goer who accidentally triggered the shot, was injured in the left leg. He was admitted to Hat Yai Hospital for treatment.

A police investigation revealed that Mr Niran was among a large group of about 30 customers who made reservations online. Mr Niran was in a group of four men and three women at a table.

While Mr Niran was dancing to music, a 9mm automatic pistol he was carrying in his trouser pocket accidentally went off and the bullet hit him in the left leg.

The sudden blast caused all pub-goers to panic. They rushed outside the pub, which was abruptly closed for safety.

Police found the gun was properly registered. However, they were investigating how Mr Niran was able to enter the pub with the weapon.

Most people are of the opinion that Abhisit Vejjajiva, a former prime minister and former leader of the Democrat Party, should be re-elected as party chief, according to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.

The poll was conducted on Aug 9-10 by telephone interviews with 1,310 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the country to compile their opinions on who should be the next Democrat Party leader after the resignation of Jurin Laksanawisit.

Of the 1,310 respondents, 58.63% said they had never voted for a Democrat in past elections; 31.91% said they had, but not in the May 14, 2023 poll; 9.31% said they had, including in the most recent election, and 0.15% said they had never exercised their right to vote. 

Asked who they thought was suitable to be the next leader of the Democrat Party, the mutliple-choice answers varied as follows:

• 37.48% chose Abhisit Vejjajiva, the former party leader from March 2005 to March 2019
• 24.43% Chuan Leekpai, who stepped down the the party leadership in 2003
• 9.85% Suchatvee Suwansawat
• 4.27% Watanya Bunnag (Madam Dear)
• 3.05% Jurin Laksanawisit, a former party leader
• 2.90% Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich
• 2.67% Alongkorn Polabutr
• 1.76% Banyat Bantadtan, a former party leader
• 1.60% Narapat Kaewthong
• 1.46% combined for Chalermchai Sri-on, Det-it Khaothing, Mallika Boonmeetrakul and Sathit Pitutecha

The rest, 10.53%, had no answers or were not interested.

Mr Jurin resigned as leader of the Democrat Party on May 15 after the party’s poor showing in the May 14 election, when it won only 25 House seats, about half the number it obtained in the 2019 election. His resignation necessitated an election for the new party leader and new executive committee, matters which are still unresolved.

The party twice called a general assembly for this purpose, but failed to hold the vote on both occasions due to the lack of quorum, obviously as a result of internal rifts.

The Democrat Party was founded in April 1946, and is the country’s oldest political party. The South of Thailand and Bangkok used to be the party’s main support bases, but the party’s popularity in the two areas has sharply declined over the past two decades.

PHETCHABURI: A tourist died and another remained missing after a tour boat was hit by a waterspout and sank in the middle of Bang Ta Boon bay off Ban Laem district on Saturday afternoon.

The incident was reported to the 191 police emergency centre at about 5pm.

The boat was suddenly struck by a waterspout while it was taking seven passengers for a sightseeing excursion around the Ban Ta Boon bay.

After the vessel sank in sight of people on the shore nearby, a rescue unit from the Sawang Sanphet Thammasatan Foundation was despatched to search for those on board. The rescuers managed to pluck five from the water to safety, but two remained unaccounted for.

At about 10am on Sunday, the body of a man was found to have washed ashore and was later identified to be of Chanin Chompinthong, one of the missing boat passengers.

Before the body was found, Sampan Jinping, 63, the boat operator, said the two missing tourists were male, one wearing a Hawaiian shirt and the other a black T-shirt and jeans.

A video clip showing the tour boat being struck by the waterspout was taken by a man who was dining with his family at a restaurant on the shore.

The search for the missing man was continuing.

PHETCHABURI: One tourist died and another remained missing after a tour boat was hit by a waterspout and sank in the middle of Bang Ta Boon bay off Ban Laem district on Saturday afternoon.

The incident was reported to the 191 police emergency centre at about 5pm.

The boat was suddenly struck by a waterspout while it was taking seven passengers, all Thais, for a sightseeing excursion around the Ban Ta Boon bay.

After the vessel sank in sight of people on the shore nearby, a rescue unit from the Sawang Sanphet Thammasatan Foundation was despatched to search for those on board. The rescuers managed to pluck four women and a man from the water to safety with only minor injuries, but two remained unaccounted for.

At about 10am on Sunday, the body of a man in his early twenties was found to have washed ashore and was later identified to be of Chanin Chompinthong, one of the missing boat passengers.

A search and rescue team works near where the tour boat capsized, on Sunday. (Photo: Chaiwat Satyaem)

Before the body was found, Sampan Jinping, 63, the boat operator, said the two missing tourists were male, one wearing a Hawaiian shirt and the other a black T-shirt and jeans.

A video clip showing the tour boat being struck by the waterspout was taken by a man who was dining with his family at a restaurant on the shore.

The search for the missing man, also believed to be in his early twenties, was continuing.

Thailand has a poor health and safety track record on the water. Tourist hotspots have seen serious accidents, such as the deaths of almost 50 Chinese tourists in 2018 after their boat capsized off holiday island Phuket.