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Small Phuket port ‘a drug entry point’ Drug dealers are becoming increasingly creative about the way they bring drugs into Phuket, the Governor’s Office has reported, including using a local pier on the east coast as an entry point for drugs. In an analysis presented to a meeting today (August 17) at the Provincial Hall arrest figures showed that the amount of drugs being brought in through the airport has been steadily increasing. The road access through Tah Chat Chai, too, has seen a steady increase. However, with authorities aware of these entry points and scoring some notable successes, drugs are being brought in through other entry points. One of these, the report said, was Bang Rong Pier in Pa Khlok, in Thalang District. This is the main pier for boats going out to Koh Yao Noi and other islands in the centre of Phang Nga Bay, but is also accessible from other points around the bay, in Phang Nga and Krabi provinces. The report did not mention how officials came to the conclusion that Bang Rong Pier was an access point for drugs. However, in July there were 20 arrests for drugrelated offences in Thalang District. On July 10 the superintendent of Thalang Police Station, Pol Col Witroon Kongsudjai, said it was becoming clear Baan Liporn and Pa Khlok had become hotspots for drug dealing. The report also highlighted the role of inmates in Phuket Prison, some of whom were controlling drug networks through cellphones, despite the best efforts of the prison staff.
www.thephuketnews.com
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From left, Autumn Breeze, Sharon Biddell, Joshua Biddell, Jantima Deesombat, Waroon Deesombat and Sompop Deesombat are joining forces in the aim of building a skate park for Phuket.
Skate dream a step closer E
leven-year-old skater Waroon Deesombat’s dream of a skate park in Phuket may come true after a non-profit group put their hand up to support the idea, and is now looking for sponsors to help fund the project. Last month 11-year-old Phuket student and passionate skater Waroon Deesombat was featured in The Phuket News appealling for a skate park to entertain youth and keep them out of trouble. His pleas to several local authorities fell on deaf ears, but his story prompted Sharon Biddell from the Self Help
and Empowerment charity (SHE) to want to help. SHE is a non profit group which helps women and children at risk in Phuket and Thailand, including many involved in the sex trade. “When we read Waroon’s story, my 20-year-old son said he also believed Phuket was in desperate need of a skate park,” Mrs Biddell said. Her husband and organisation co-founder Mark agreed, and said the project would be great to ensure children had people around who cared for them, and for parents to know where their children were. It
The proposed skate park plan.
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P42 may also help prevent children turning to drugs. “Phuket is a beautiful tourist attraction that is being developed quickly and is internationally known as a place of beauty and relaxation. The increase in industry and wealth coming in to the area brings with it an increase in crime, drugs, and illegal activity,’’ he said. The couple said they were now exploring options of a
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site for the proposed skate park (somewhere in the wider Phuket Town area) with the help of Waroon’s family. All the group needed now was a cash injection from keen sponsors – around B600,000 to be exact. Continued page 2
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www.thephuketnews.com