News
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Russian-language guide arrested attempting to bribe Phuket Tourist Police
PHUKET: A man arrested on Saturday for illegally working as a Russian-speaking tour guide has been charged with attempting to bribe the Tourist Police officers who arrested him. Dmitrii Pindiurin, 27, from the Kyrgyz Republic, was arrested at the Karon View Point at 10:30am. “We were on the lookout for illegal guides when three foreigners arrived,” said Sen Sgt Maj…
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Save the pooches: 15-kilogram python captured in Phuket
PHUKET: A frightened Phuket resident fearing for the lives of his neighbors’ pets called rescue workers to capture a 15-kilogram python that was attempting to escape into a drain early this morning. Wuttikai Dartdean called rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation and the local municipality to the scene – in a residential area west of the Heroines Monument in Thalang,…
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Poll: Should jet-skis stay on Phuket’s beaches?
PHUKET: Jet-skis are back on the beaches and back in the headlines. The latest news that jet-ski operators are allowed to continue renting their machines to tourists despite a notorious week of safety slip-ups – including the death of a Russian tourist – inspired a huge reaction from Phuket Gazette readers (story here). To better gauge public opinion on whether…
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Billion-baht Belgian pot dealer arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: Immigration officers arrested Belgian national Patrick Lagrou, 55, who was wanted on an Interpol notice as a fugitive drug dealer, as he was attempting to leave Phuket on Saturday night. Mr Lagrou is renowned as the biggest marijuana grower in Belgium’s history, amassing a fortune of 25 million euros – more than a billion baht – in assets before…
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Off the ball: The Broncos lose the battle against the Patriots
PHUKET: It may be hard to believe, but the National Football League (NFL) is more than half way through its 2013 – 2014 regular season. If one thing remains clear in this league of engineered parity, it is that the old adage “On any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team” not only remains valid for the league,…
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PM backs China’s road and rail plans
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM backs China’s road and rail plans The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thailand is more than ready to cooperate with China to develop the road-transport network that is part of the economic quadrangle linking Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and China, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told China’s…
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Germany celebrates 25th anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Germany celebrates 25th anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: More than a million Germans and people from around the world on Sunday celebrated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the event that more than any other marked…
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Laguna Phuket bestowed award from HRH Sirindhorn for Red Cross blood donations
PHUKET: Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, as the executive vice-president of the Thai Red Cross Society, has awarded a Certificate of Honor to Laguna Phuket in recognition of its long-term contribution and commitment to the Red Cross blood-donation program. Since 2003, Laguna Phuket has donated 1,376,550cc of blood from 3,059 associates who have participated in the resort’s quarterly…
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Formula One heads to Brazil
PHUKET: Austin was a great race for Mercedes. Hamilton, passed Rosberg while he was taking a nap, and Ricciardo had a great race for Red Bull. So its on to Interlagos, located in São Paulo between two lakes, in the slums of Cidade Dutra. The track was inaugurated in May 1940. The first real F1 Brazilian GP was held at…
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Phuket hotel staffers test positive for drugs in crime sweep
PHUKET: Patong Police raided the resort town for drugs this week as part of a Loy Krathong festival crime sweep, busting three for possession of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and conducting random drug tests on hotel staffers. Officers conducted random drug tests on 144 employees of Avista Hideaway Resort and Spa near Tri Trang Beach, at the request of the…
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Koh Tao suspects to be indicted by end of month
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Koh Tao suspects to be indicted by end of month The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thawatchai Siangjaew, deputy director general of Regional Public Prosecution 8, announced yesterday that prosecutors should be able to indict two Myanmar men charged with the murder of two Britons on…
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‘Cannibal’ tries to eat woman in British murder case
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘Cannibal’ tries to eat woman in British murder case Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: British police confronted a man trying to eat the eyeball and face of a woman and used a stun gun on the cannibal who later died, local media quoted witnesses as saying.…
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Phuket officials play down rumors of foreign-teacher crackdown
PHUKET: Immigration and education officials doused rumors today that have been swirling around the Phuket foreign-teacher circles about a possible crackdown on teaching requirements and work permits. Chalam Attatham, director of the Phuket Primary Educational Service Area Office, confirmed that there would be no such crackdown on foreign teachers, and that all policies and requirements remain the same. “I have…
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Phuket warned of heavy rain, flash floods for the weekend
PHUKET: The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office has issued a weather warning ahead of expected heavy rains and possible flash floods this weekend. “We received an official weather report from the Thai Meteorological Department [TMD] today, which forecasts increasingly heavy rainfall by this weekend,” said Santhawat Riwleung, chief of the DDPM Phuket office. “Please be prepared…
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Phuket worker seriously injured by electric shock, fall from building
PHUKET: One man is in critical condition at Vachira Phuket Hospital after he and a co-worker suffered severe electric shock and fell two stories from a building they working on in Patong this morning. Both men, whose identities have yet yet to be confirmed but are believed to be Myanmar nationals, were rushed to Patong Hospital after the accident. “We…
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Phuket underpass will not open in time for Beach Games
PHUKET: The Phuket Highways Office director has admitted that the underpass at the Darasamuth Intersection will not be complete in time to welcome the expected massive influx of tourists for the Asian Beach Games next week. He did, however, vow that the underpass, located beside the Central Festival Phuket shopping mall on the bypass road, would be complete by the…
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Phuket jet-skis to stay despite week of lethal danger, confirms Marine chief
PHUKET: Jet-ski operators will continue renting out their machines to tourists on the island’s beaches despite mishaps, injuries and the death of a Russian tourist killed in a jet-ski accident this week. Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut announced the news on Tuesday, when he explained to Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong that jet-ski operators could stay as long as they…
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Court extends detention of Koh Tao suspects
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Court extends detention of Koh Tao suspects The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The 12-day detention period for the two Myanmar suspects held for the Koh Tao murders was extended for a fourth time and their indictment is expected to be due before the end of…
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50 Bangkok police chiefs face probe
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 50 Bangkok police chiefs face probe The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The chiefs of 50 metropolitan police stations and a large number of senior officers face disciplinary investigation following allegations that they unlawfully benefited from advertisers who put up many signboards at Bangkok intersections without…
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Govt may lift martial law in certain provinces
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt may lift martial law in certain provinces The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said yesterday that the government would consider lifting martial law in some provinces to boost the country’s economic recovery and bring back tourists. Financial authorities have predicted…
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Jet-skis in Phuket must go – for good
PHUKET: The Gazette joins its online readers in expressing outrage at the recent announcement by the Marine Office that jet-ski rental operators will be allowed to remain on island beaches (story here). The dumbfounding news comes despite a woman being run over by a jet-ski trailer on Kata Beach (story here), children nearly being hit by a jet-ski at Surin…
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Phuket butcher robs 7-Eleven at knifepoint
PHUKET: A local butcher robbed a 7-Eleven of 1,000 baht at knifepoint early yesterday morning, then used the stolen cash to pay for a prostitute, a deputy commander of the Phuket Provincial Police revealed today. Wichit Police received a report from the Tung Charoen 7-Eleven branch at about 4:20am. “There were three staff working at the time of the robbery,…
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Seedlings project offers opportunities to underprivileged Phuket youth
PHUKET: The Banyan Tree’s Seedlings program has finally sprouted in Phuket, with 15 underprivileged local youths receiving skills training to take into the workplace. The Banyan Tree launched the group-wide corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative in 2007 as a way to “support enhanced long-term prosperity within communities”. “Creating a giving culture is more than just giving money, it’s about giving…
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Preventing a dolphin disaster in Phuket
PHUKET: My name is Lou. I am 10 years old and I am passionate about dolphins. I have been working on a “passion project” about dolphins with Vicki from the Dolphin Project and Gecko Community Phuket. Do you know what is happening in Taiji, Japan at this moment? Dolphins are being captured in a small bay called “The Cove”. The…
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Video Report: Thai Tourism and Sports Minister names Phuket as the next sports tourism hot spot
Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, 54, is the Tourism and Sports Minister of Thailand. She was appointed by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha in August. She studied in the United States, graduating from Rhode Island School of Design. Before becoming minister, Ms Kobkarn was a chairperson at Toshiba Thailand. Here, she expresses excitement for the upcoming 4th Asian Beach Games and hopes that the…
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Video Report: Chang ITF Pro Circuit women’s tournament
PHUKET: The International Tennis Federation (ITF) brought some serious tennis to Phuket recently, as young hopefuls gathered at Thanyapura looking to drive up their rankings, in the hopes of one day qualifying to compete against the big boys and girls at Wimbledon and elsewhere on the pro circuit. The second Chang ITF Pro Circuit women’s tournament ended at Thanyapura on…
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SAT expects Thais to take first at Asian Beach Games
PHUKET: The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) has revealed that it expects Thai athletes to claim 44 of 51 gold medals at the 4th Asian Beach Games, which begin in Phuket on Novmeber 14. The Sports Reporters-Photographers Association of Thailand recently held a “Meet the Press” conference to review Thai athletes’ preparation and assess their chances at bringing home gold…
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Phuket Immigration chief dodges long queue queries
PHUKET: The Phuket Immigration chief has avoided answering questions regarding complaints from foreigners about slow service and long queues spilling out of the office in Phuket Town, with some foreigners having to return over several days in order for their applications to be processed. One foreigner reported to the Phuket Gazette that he arrived at the office in Phuket Town…
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Youth dinghy sailors head for King’s Cup showdown
PHUKET: A fleet of 25 Optimist and seven Laser dinghies set sail off Cape Panwa last weekend as the Phuket Dinghy Series 2014 got underway, ahead of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta to be held in December. Racing began in front of the Sailing Club of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command Base at 11am, with breezes of eight…
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Phuket looks to “Beach Police’ to serve and protect tourists
PHUKET: The island’s top-ranking police officer is forming a new division of “Beach Police” officers to patrol Phuket’s popular shores. “We are now working on setting up Beach Police squads for every beach in Phuket,” Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit told the Phuket Gazette. “The officers will have their own uniforms – shorts with short-sleeved shirts – so beach-goers can…
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