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![Move to regulate diving industry [video] | Thaiger](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0naHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmcnIHZpZXdCb3g9JzAgMCAzMjggMjIwJz48L3N2Zz4=)
Move to regulate diving industry [video]
PHUKET: Independent diving excursions have been banned in Phuket and Phang Nga following a government move to tighten regulations and increase accountability in the previously self-regulated industry. The move comes in the wake of a number of dive-related deaths and serious accidents in the region. “Though the diving industry does have its own regulations, we need to take greater responsibility…
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Calling all HOGs for record Harley convoy in Phuket
PHUKET: Hundreds of Harley-Davidson bikers from across the country are roaring in to Phuket on April 10 to set the record for the longest Harley-Davidson convoy in Thailand. Phuket’s HOGs (Harley Owner’s Group members) are calling on all Thailand chapters to join the attempt to set the record for the longest Harley parade with about 500 bikes and riders. The…
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Phuket etiquette course in wake of Chinese tourist prawn gorging [video]
PHUKET: Following Chinese tourists’ chaotic stampede and subsequent gluttonous gorging of piles of prawns at a buffet in Thailand, Phuket will be holding an etiquette course for guides working with Chinese tour companies. The internet was ablaze with vehement criticism of Chinese tourists this weekend after Chinese media company Shanghaiist published a 33 second video clip showing tourists in a…
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‘Suicide bomber’ admission angers Paris suspect’s lawyer
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘Suicide bomber’ admission angers Paris suspect’s lawyer Phuket Gazette / Reuters BRUSSELS: The prime surviving suspect in the Paris attacks may have been plotting more operations with the help of a weapons cache and a network of associates, Belgium’s foreign minister said on Sunday. Didier Reynders,…
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Russia mourns plane crash victims as investigation begins
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Russia mourns plane crash victims as investigation begins Phuket Gazette / Reuters ROSTOV-ON-DON: Relatives gathered to mourn the 62 victims of a passenger jet crash in southern Russia on Sunday and officials warned an investigation could take weeks to determine the cause of the downing. At…
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Suicide bomber kills four, wounds 36 in Istanbul shopping district
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Suicide bomber kills four, wounds 36 in Istanbul shopping district Phuket Gazette / Reuters ISTANBUL: A suicide bomber killed four people on Saturday in a busy shopping district in the heart of Istanbul, pushing the death toll from four separate suicide attacks in Turkey this year…
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Opinion: Putting up with golf prices
Terayout Prasertphol is the recently appointed chief of the Phuket Golf Association and former chief of the Phuket Land Transportation Office. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Ramkhamhaeng University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). Here he talks about how Phuket’s expensive golf industry thrives with high-end tourists.PHUKET:…
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Fisherman killed in knife fight near Phuket port
PHUKET: A 19-year-old Myanmar national was killed in a knife fight on a fishing boat pulling into a Phuket port yesterday afternoon. The altercation between two Myanmar crew members on the fishing vessel Kiang Chai 11 resulted in the death of Yae Tui. The surviving crew member, Van Chana, 34, was sent to Vachira Phuket Hospital to be treated for…
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Manhunt launched for Mai Khao murderer
PHUKET: Police have launched a manhunt after the lacerated body of a 25-year-old man was found lying in a pool of blood in front of a shack at a rubber plantation in Mai Khao yesterday morning. The body of Myanmar worker, known only as Mr Sor, was discovered in the plantation near Phuket International Airport at about 10:50am on Sunday…
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Island View: Banning climbing and scuba diving will not prevent stupidity [video]
PHUKET: We are all capable of stupidity; for some it is easy, for others – myself included – the stupidity starts when the dawn breaks. Whether it’s walking into doors, tripping over cats, sticking the car in reverse instead of drive, or falling off mountains, none of us intends to do these obviously stupid things… but they still happen. Which…
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Moscow-bound flight grounded at Phuket airport after passenger voices fears
PHUKET: A flight from Phuket to Moscow was evacuated yesterday after a passenger said he felt threatened. The captain of Russia’s Nordwind Airlines called the airport office to request an emergency inspection after Alexander Nozof, 25, said he felt threatened for reasons that were unspecified. Monrudee Gettuphan, director of Phuket International Airport, denied rumors that the plane had been hijacked.…
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Checkpoint police nab 21 taxi drivers, most for poor dress sense
PHUKET: Police have arrested a total of 21 taxi drives at a checkpoint in Patong in the past two days, 19 of whom were fined for being inappropriately dressed. Patong traffic policeman Ekkarat Plaiduang and Tourist Police Chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit led the checkpoint in front of the Patong Police Station in order to crack down on fixed-price taxi services and…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Speeding Taxi Drivers
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Fans requested at high-ranking Krabi official’s funeral
KRABI: The family of a high-ranking officer in Krabi has requested that fans be brought to the late lieutenant colonel’s funeral in lieu of wreaths. The funeral of Lt Col Kliang Maneechote, 50, of the Krabi Provincial Police was held at a temple in Krabi Town after he passed away on March 13 after suffering a stroke. Col Kliang’s wife,…
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Visa overstayers get a watery warning from Immigration
PHUKET: Water bottles with labels displaying the newly implemented overstay rules will be handed out to attendees at a public meeting with Immigration Commissioner Natthorn Phrosunthorn next week. The meeting, to be held at Boat Lagoon on March 25, is aimed at clarifying the new rules as part of the Immigration Bureau’s national campaign on reinforcing rules on foreigners who…
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![Opinion: Time to rethink Thailand’s wildlife protection laws [video] | Thaiger](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0naHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmcnIHZpZXdCb3g9JzAgMCAxNDQgMjIwJz48L3N2Zz4=)
Opinion: Time to rethink Thailand’s wildlife protection laws [video]
PHUKET: The online petition by the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) calling for an end to the illegal use of protected animal species as photo props by touts working in tourist destinations in Thailand deserves the full support of locals, expats and tourists. The petition statement summarizes just how damaging this illegal trade is to the many affected species. These…
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Demolition day announced for buildings on Phuket beaches
PHUKET: Local authorities have today announced a final deadline for businesses encroaching on public land at Surin, Lay Pang and Layan beaches, informing business owners that they have to demolish all illegal buildings by next month. “We have decided, once and for all, to demolish the premises of private businesses encroaching on public land at all three ot these Phuket…
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Phuket van man disappears owing B10mn to his drivers
PHUKET: A contingent of minivan drivers gathered at Thalang Police Station yesterday morning to demand help tracking down their employer, who has disappeared owing more than 10 million baht (approx US$ 285,000) to about 115 Phuket-based drivers. “We are here because we did not get paid by our employer, Puripatara Weerawatara, the owner of World Express Co Ltd,” said Thammarat…
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SeaWorld to end controversial killer whale breeding program
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community SeaWorld to end controversial killer whale breeding program Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: SeaWorld said on Thursday it will stop breeding killer whales in captivity, bowing to years of pressure from animal rights activists, but the orcas already at its three parks will continue performing as…
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S. Korea suspects second projectile launched by N. Korea
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community S.Korea says suspects second projectile launched by N.Korea Phuket Gazette / Reuters SEOUL: South Korea’s military said it suspects North Korea fired a second missile this morning, after the North earlier launched a projectile that flew about 800 km (500 miles) and into the sea off…
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Dutchman dies in three-vehicle smash
PHUKET: A 45-year-old Dutch man died in a three-vehicle crash in Phuket last night, which also left an unidentified Thai woman severely injured. Witnesses told police that a collision between the Dutchman and a Thai woman riding a motorcycle near Chalong Circle caused the man’s bike to cross over the road into oncoming traffic and collide with a bus. Witnesses’…
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Deputy PM dives into Phi Phi’s wastewater woes
PHUKET: Phi Phi officials are looking to secure a multi-million-baht budget to plug the free flow of untreated wastewater into the sea. Deputy Prime Minister Adm Narong Pipatanasai visited the island yesterday to review a number of projects that the local administration plan to implement to stem the daily tide of 1,800 cubic meters of wastewater spewing into the marine…
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Man killed in Phuket defending shoes
PHUKET: A man was killed after allegedly attempting to defend his shoes from a thief in Phuket this morning. “Neighbors told us that Niwat Linooi, 24, caught someone trying to take his shoes from in front of his home and allegedly punched the thief,” said Lt Col Suchart Meelampong of the Phuket City Police. The man then supposedly called out…
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North Korea sentences U.S. student to hard labour; Washington condemns punishment
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community North Korea sentences U.S. student to hard labour; Washington condemns punishment Phuket Gazette / Reuters SEOUL: North Korea’s supreme court sentenced American student Otto Warmbier, who was arrested while visiting the country, to 15 years of hard labor on Wednesday for crimes against the state, a…
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Fortuner driver cleared of hit-and-run charges
PHUKET: Police cleared a suspected hit-and-run driver of any involvement in the accident that killed one and injured two in Wichit on Monday morning (story here). Witnesses told officers that a Toyota Fortuner of an unknown color was heading toward Phuket Town when it struck Narakorn Onthong, 30, and Pa Yasamut, 54, before crossing lanes and fatally injuring 17-year-old Sittichai…
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DSI being unfair in land probe, says Phuket company owner
PHUKET: The owner of Six Mountains Co Ltd yesterday called on the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to look into his adversary land ownership documents in Koh Nakha Moo 5 in Thalang district. Chanwit Kijlertsiriwattana claimed that his company was being singled out by the DSI in its investigation over the Hiranpruk family’s allegations that his firm had used illegitimate…
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Jungceylon security guard returns tourist’s lost cash
PHUKET: A forgetful tourist in Patong was lucky to have a big wad of cash returned to him on Monday after leaving an envelope containing 350,000 baht at the Jungceylon shopping center. The abandoned cash was found by Madae Mateha, a security guard working at the mall. “Ms Madae found the envelope in a shopping cart near the elevator on…
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Krabi kratom thief found dead near tree
KRABI: Police have not ruled out foul play in the death of an unidentified man who was found dead in Krabi yesterday. Police found the shirtless body of the man lying on the ground, clutching kratom leaves in his hand, near an empty bungalow in Khlong Thom. “We believe the man received a fatal electric shock, as about two meters…
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Argentina sinks Chinese trawler fishing illegally
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Argentina sinks Chinese trawler fishing illegally Phuket Gazette / Reuters BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s coast guard has sunk a Chinese trawler that was fishing illegally within its territorial waters, the coast guard said on Tuesday, marking a first test for relations between President Mauricio Macri and Beijing.…
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Kratom dealers busted in Krabi raid
KRABI: Krabi Police apprehended five kratom dealers along with 10 customers during a raid in Muang district Monday afternoon. “We conducted a raid after receiving complaints from neighbors who suspected that they were selling drugs to teenagers in the area. We believe they have been doing this for a long time,” said Muang District Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Sophon Suvannakarat.…
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![Phuket etiquette course in wake of Chinese tourist prawn gorging [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_201632115610933_gnpleYgwzcooVzsOFmsDgBCWxgvrJJwpwmbaKIXJ_jpeg.jpeg)
![Island View: Banning climbing and scuba diving will not prevent stupidity [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/14_2016321112438843_tNRsmiXKoigNSxwKHzeqXtJeCTjmvcVppmhbUFmJ_jpeg.jpeg)
![Opinion: Time to rethink Thailand’s wildlife protection laws [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/14_20163199191941_gUEsFEudXRhmfFhWJBcaYjcPTgnpNtuuNynTDhwa_jpeg.jpeg)
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