Phuket will not sink into sea | Bangkok Post: learning

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Leaflets with rumor of Kuan Yin prophecy of earthquake part of scam to push real estate prices down but Phuket sits on solid rock 27 km deep.

Map above of Phuket island taken from outer space by a satellite (Source: Wikipedia).

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Phuket rumours a real estate racket
23/04/2012  
Online Reporters

The people who spread the rumours that Phuket will sink into the sea on April 28 are thought to be trying to make property prices on the tourist resort island fall for the sake of investment opportunities, the director of the Environmental Geology Bureau says.

Lertsin Raksasakulwong on Monday expressed confidence that any earthquakes that occur on Phuket in the future will not exceed magnitude 5 and that it was impossible for the island province to be sunk by quakes as claimed in leaflets distributed widely across the island.

The controversy followed the recent earthquakes and probably was the work of ill-intentioned people trying to create negative rumours to serve their purposes.

Mr Lertsin said he believed the rumours were intended to bring down land prices after which investors would buy property to turn a profit.

"Phuket island is on a large granite rock mass foundation which is as deep as 27 kilometres below the ground surface. Whether a big earthquake or an atomic bomb occurs, it will definitely not sink,” Mr Lertsin said.

Phuket governor Tree Akharadecha has filed a complaint with police against those behind the creation and distribution of the leaflets.

The leaflets warned Phuket residents to leave the tourist resort town before next Saturday because the island would be hit by such a severe natural disaster that it will sink into the sea.

The warning was claimed to be a prophecy of Kuan Yin (the Chinese goddess of mercy and compassion) and from Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Sisunthon (also known as Chan and Mook), the two legendary heroines who rallied the islanders to drive back an invading Burmese army in 1785.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Phuket rumours a real estate racket, 23/04/2012, Online Reporters, link) 

Real Estate Scam Vocabulary

rumours - news passed around that may or may not be true; a story that passes from person to person so that a lot of people are talking about it (See Wikipedia)
racket - an illegal activity that earns money การหาเงินโดยผิดกฎหมาย
real estate racket
scam - gaining money by lieing to people, getting them to believe something that is not true (deception), also called "confidence trick" (See Wikipedia)
real estate scam

Phuket rumours a real estate racket

spread - to (cause to) cover, reach or have an effect on a wider or increasing area or number of people กระจายไปทั่ว  แพร่กระจาย  แพร่หลาย, แพร่กระจาย
spread a rumour - when a rumour passes from person to person (so that a lot of people know about it)
sink - to (cause something or someone to) go down below the surface or to the bottom of a liquid or soft substance จม
sink into the sea
property - land and buildings on the land
property prices
investment - taking your money and putting it into projects to make a profit or earn interest (buying stock shares, bonds, real estate)
opportunities - a situation where it is possible to do something that you want to do
investment opportunities - investments that might be profitable

The people who spread the rumours that Phuket will sink into the sea on April 28 are thought to be trying to make property prices on the tourist resort island fall for the sake of investment opportunities, the director of the Environmental Geology Bureau says.

confidence - feel sure about something; trusting and believing in something ความมั่นใจ   ความเชื่อมั่น
express confidence - say that you are confident
magnitude - size, either great or small ขนาด,ความใหญ่,ความสำคัญ
earthquake - a sudden shaking movement of the ground แผ่นดินไหว (See Wikipedia)
magnitude 5 earthquake
exceed - to be more than something; to go beyond a limit เกินกว่าที่กำหนด  เกินปริมาณ
leaflet - a printed sheet of paper with an advertisement (giving information about something)
distributed - made available to customers through stores and middlemen
distribute leaflet - give a leaflet to many people (hand leaflet out to people on the street)

Lertsin Raksasakulwong on Monday expressed confidence that any earthquakes that occur on Phuket in the future will not exceed magnitude 5 and that it was impossible for the island province to be sunk by quakes as claimed in leaflets distributed widely across the island.

controversy - a lot of argument and disagreement over something; especially about a public policy or a moral issue that a lot of people have strong feelings about ความขัดแย้ง ประเด็นข้อขัดแย้ง
intention - something that a person wants to do (a goal they want to achieve)
ill-intentioned - wanting to do a bad thing
ill-intentioned people
negative - bad ที่เป็นด้านลบ
negative rumours - rumours about something bad happening in the future
serve their purposes - achieve some goal they want to achieve (do something they want to do)

The controversy followed the recent earthquakes and probably was the work of ill-intentioned people trying to create negative rumours to serve their purposes.

intended - planned; wanted to happen ที่ได้วางแผนไว้ ที่ตั้งใจให้เกิดขึ้น
intended to bring down land prices

profit - money that you make from selling goods and services after all your costs have been paid กำไร
turn a profit - make a profit; make money

Mr Lertsin said he believed the rumours were intended to bring down land prices after which investors would buy property to turn a profit.

foundation - supporting structure; a strong base on which a build a building or system; the part of a structure of a building that is below the ground and supports the rest of it รากฐาน
mass - a large object or amount of something (without definite shape)
rock mass - a very large piece of rock
granite - a very hard rock used for building something (See Wikipedia)
granite rock mass - a very large piece of granite rock
granite rock mass foundation
27 kilometres below the ground surface
atomic bomb - a very destructive bomb using nuclear energy (See Wikipedia)

"Phuket island is on a large granite rock mass foundation which is as deep as 27 kilometres below the ground surface. Whether a big earthquake or an atomic bomb occurs, it will definitely not sink,” Mr Lertsin said.

filed - to take official action, e.g., to make a formal complaint ยื่นฟ้องร้อง
complaint - when someone says that something is wrong or not satisfactory การร้องเรียน
filed a complaint with police
creation - the act of making something new การสร้าง
distribution - giving or delivering things to many people การจำหน่ายออกไป การแจกจ่าย, การกระจาย
creation and distribution of the leaflets

Phuket governor Tree Akharadecha has filed a complaint with police against those behind the creation and distribution of the leaflets.

residents - people who live in a particular place or area ชาวบ้านในบริเวณ ผู้อาศัยในบริเวณ
Phuket residents - people who live in Phuket
warned Phuket residents
natural - found in nature (not made in a factory by humans) ตามธรรมชาติ
disaster - something very bad that happens and causes a lot of damage or kills a lot of people ความหายนะ ภัยพิบัติ
natural disaster - some bad event such as an earthquake, tsunami, storm
severe - very serious and worrying ที่รุนแรง ที่น่าเป็นห่วง
severe natural disaster
hit by a severe natural disaster
hit by such a severe natural disaster that it will sink into the sea

The leaflets warned Phuket residents to leave the tourist resort town before next Saturday because the island would be hit by such a severe natural disaster that it will sink into the sea.

goddess - a female god ทพธิดา (Goddess of Mercy เจ้าแม่กวนอิม, เทพเจ้าแห่งความเมตตา) a female spirit with special powers that people in some religions believe in and worship
compassion - a strong feeling of sympathy and sadness for the suffering or bad luck of others and a wish to help them ความเห็นใจ, ความรู้สึกเศร้าใจไปกับความทุกข์ของผู้อื่น
prophecy - when someone with religious or magical powers tells people what will happen in the future  การทำนาย,  การพยากรณ์, คำทำนาย, คำพยากรณ์ (See Wikipedia)
Kuan Yin - the Chinese goddess of mercy and compassion  (See Wikipedia)
prophecy of Kuan Yin  
mercy -  ความเมตตา, ความกรุณา
compassion -  ความเห็นใจ
Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Sisunthon - titles "awarded to Than Phuying Chan (ท่านผู้หญิงจัน)... and her sister, Khun Muk (คุณมุก), who defended Phuket Province in the late eighteenth century. According to popular belief, they repelled a five-week invasion by Burmese in 1785, by dressing up as male soldiers and rallying Siamese troops. Chan and Muk were later honored by King Rama I with the Thai honorific Thao, as Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Sri Sunthon, respectively. The "Heroine's Monument" honouring them is situated on the main highway (402) between the Phuket International Airport and Phuket town"  ท้าวเทพกระษัตรี ท้าวศรีสุนทร (See Wikipedia)
legend (noun) - an old story about famous people and events in the past
legendary (adjective) -
hero - a person who acts bravely to help or save other people facing danger  วีรบุรุษ
heroine - a female hero  วีรสตรี
legendary heroines
rallied - bring together to fight a battle or war
invade - when a large army or group of people enter another country (or area) to gain control of it
invading army  
drive back invading army - preventing a large number of people entering an area or country to control it 
rallied the islanders to drive back an invading Burmese army in 1785

The warning was claimed to be a prophecy of Kuan Yin (the Chinese goddess of mercy and compassion) and from Thao Thep Kasattri and Thao Sisunthon (also known as Chan and Mook), the two legendary heroines who rallied the islanders to drive back an invading Burmese army in 1785.

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