Andaman News Tuesday 8 January

[NBT TV Phuket]

MiniVDO: Students and teachers of Phuket Technology School offered their condolences to HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana passing.

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Not only Thai teachers and students but also foreign teachers who are teaching at Phuket Technology school in Phuket joined in the national mourning and showed their condolences for the passing of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana. The Princess has been highly recognized for her dedication to education, especially teaching French language and literature in many universities.

MiniVDO: Phang-Nga medical volunteers performed Buddhist religious rites for the passing of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana while the Phuket Red Cross also paid tribute to the late princess.

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Buddhists, adults and students, led by Phang-Nga Vice governor Pititham Titimontri and Dr. Jessada Chaikhunnarat attended a Buddhist religious rite in tribute to the late Princess Galyani Vadhana. They included Wasana Sarakul, a student from Tessaban Ban Thaichang School who had been given an artificial leg from the princess. The new leg is like giving her a new life, she said. Meanwhile in Phuket, Mr. Nirund Kalayanamit, Phuket governor in his capacity as the chairperson of Red Cross Phuket Chapter, led officials and the Red Cross members to observe 1 minute silence in condolence for the passing of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana.

MiniVDO: The Phuket Irrigation Office confirms there is sufficient water supply for the up coming dry season.

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The Phuket Irrigation Office reports the water management for the year 2008 saying that it would manage and make sure that the island has sufficient water for the 5 month dry season or until the end of May. The report details the consumption stating that the provincial waterworks authority needs 1.10 million cubic metres per month with Loch Palm and so-called ‘Hitler’ water sources as reserves. Meanwhile the Office of Phuket City needs 0.70 million cubic metres. The office is confident to supply sufficient water for the island’s demand this dry season.

MiniVDO: PPAO discussed with the administrator of Ban Paew hospital in Samut Sakorn to operate the local Phuket hospital under its care.

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The management of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) held a meeting with the administrator of Ban Paew hospital from Samutsakorn to discuss ways to manage a local Phuket hospital under the care of the PPAO. The PPAO acquired the private hospital in Phuket and is renovating it to serve public health needs of local people in the Andaman region of Phuket, Phang-Nga and Krabi. The director of Ban Paew hospital Dr. Surapong Bunprasert said his office will support in term of medical doctors with efficient medical services to ensure that the hospital serves to the people’s utmost satisfaction. He also reaffirms that the medical or treatment fee will not be costly. On the PPAO side the CEO Anchalee Vanit Theppabutr stress that she wants the hospital to serve local people and should be a non-profit organization, but must be able to cover the operation costs.

MiniVDO: A Human Rights committee member visited the mangrove area at Bangcheelao - Thajeen in Phuket in response to public complaints of land encroachment.

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A Committee member for the National Human Rights Mr. Wasan led his team to inspect and listen to people about the mangrove land encroachment issue at Bang CheeLao-Thajeen canal in Rasada sub-district of Phuket. The visit is in response to villagers’ complaints that an investor has encroached on the piece of reserved forest. After the complaint to the provincial authority, a committee was set up to inspect and study the facts. It then concluded that the provincial land office sent a letter of objection against the Chanote title deed issuance. The existing Chanote was also proposed to be revoked. The letter was sent to the Land Department in mid December last year. After the visit, and information gathered from local villagers, Mr. Wasan said he would discuss with responsible agencies and study aerial photos to prove if the land has been utilized before or it was a mangrove forest.

MiniVDO: Students in Phang-Nga were given learning materials under the ‘Give Me One Thing’ project.

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Students from Rajaphat University in Phuket handed out learning material for primary school students at Ban Kuan in Thakua Thung district of Phang-Nga under their project called ‘Give Me One Thing’. The material given out to needy students were results from the students’ charity work asking the public to donate teaching material since December 16th, 2007. They also held other educational activities such as games, quizzes, improvement of libraries and classrooms for better learning environment.

MiniVDO: The Provincial Electricity Authority now gets a contractor to lay out electricity for 3 tourist islands in Krabi.

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The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has been allocated a budget of 750 million baht to lay out a network for power supply at 3 major tourist islands in Krabi, namely Phi Phi at 620 million baht, Lanta at 60 million baht and Railey at 70 million baht. The Krabi office manager Watcharin Nil-eak said the PEA has now got a contractor which is Italian Thai Company to carry out the work. The work is scheduled to complete in April 2009. At Phi Phi island, the undersea cable will be connected from the main land, passing through Sri Borya Island. For the Railey and Lanta islands a meeting with related agencies to conclude on environmental matters will take place as well as discussion on laying the cable via national parks may cause some delay. He also reaffirms that by the year 2009 local residents there will have cheaper electricity.

MiniVDO: Two projects related to safety were approved to be built on Phi Phi Island in Krabi.

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The meeting of a committee to consider funding for disaster victim assistance, chaired by Deputy Prime minister Kosit Panpiumrat, on January 3rd 2008 approved two projects for safety measures on Phi Phi Island of Krabi. Krabi Governor Siwa Sirisaowalak detailed the two projects as 15.982 million baht Tsunami evacuation shelter to be functioned as a command centre in case of any disaster as well as for higher ground or safe shelter for people. Another project is construction of a Phi Phi hospital building with 1.726 million baht budget donated by a revered monk Luang Tha Bua. Both are in preparedness to handle any disaster for residents, businesses and tourists to Phi Phi Island.

MiniVDO: A Convenient Store staff member was killed by her ex-husband.

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Phuket City police inspected the 7 Eleven

store at Koh Sireh on the east side after they were informed of a killing at the shop. Rushing to the scene, police found a body of a shop employee, Wipaporn Yim-im, aged 26, was knifed in the neck. Her colleague told police that while they were working, a man rushed in to knife her and fled the scene. The shop CCTV assisted police to identify the killer as Noochan Moonmeuna, aged 26 years old, the victim’s ex-husband. Noochan reportedly attempted to revive a relationship with the victim, but failed and this led to the murder. Phuket City police Supoerintendent Pol.Col. Nos Saweslek, instructed his officers to search for the man and give out photos to every police station.

Interview - Steve Arnold, a British resident, who built 4 hovercraft at Ban Bangsai, Cape Yamu

To see or download mini-video, go to http://news.prd.go.th/news_detail.php?newsid=215835

Our interview is with Steve Arnold, a British resident, who has just built 4 hovercraft at Ban Bangsai, Cape Yamu, in Phuket. They cost him only about 120,000 baht to build, have seating for 1/2 people, powered by a Front engine 5.5 HorsePower, back engine of 13 HP; He has just started up setting up tours around the east coast at low tide to hover over sand & shallow water up to 70 kph; He hopes to get partners & purchase a bigger ocean going hovercraft, as these cannot go over 1ft waves, but first he tells us more about these four self built hovercraft: ……. Contact: [email protected] Tel 086 2769556

from Andaman News TV11 (VHF dial) 8.30am + maybe FM90.5 Radio Thailand 6pm, both broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, FM108 Mazz Radio 7.30pm in Phuket & Phuket Cable TV Channel 1 at 7, 10.30 or 11pm, Tuesday 8th January 2008 & http://news.prd.go.th