News
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Five more clinics found to be involved in illegal surrogacy
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Five more clinics found to be involved in illegal surrogacy The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Of the five new clinics found offering illegal surrogacy services, four appear to have acted as middlemen in seeking clients, while the fifth one was found to be in clear…
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Myanmar beauty queen wants apology before returning crown
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar beauty queen wants apology before returning crown The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Myanmar beauty queen dethroned for alleged misconduct said yesterday she would only return her crown if South Korean pageant organisers apologised. She also denied accepting free breast implants. May Myat Noe,…
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Islamic state releases video of beheading of second U.S. hostage
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Islamic state releases video of beheading of second U.S. hostage Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Islamic State released a video on Tuesday purporting to show the beheading of American hostage Steven Sotloff, raising the stakes in its confrontation with Washington over U.S. air strikes on…
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Woman from Guinea cleared in Ebola tests
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Woman from Guinea cleared in Ebola tests The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Laboratory tests have cleared any concern that a woman travelling from Ebola-hit Guinea may have developed the deadly infection. The 24-year-old woman had been under quarantine for a day pending test results. Dr…
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West Africa struggles to contain Ebola as warnings and deaths mount
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community West Africa struggles to contain Ebola as warnings and deaths mount Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The United Nations said on Tuesday the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa was causing food shortages in one of the world’s poorest regions and the U.S.…
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Phuket’s Keesin family ‘betrayed’ by police in mafia case
PHUKET: Former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin today said that the police had betrayed him in an attempt to discredit his political career and his years of service to Patong. “I accept that the police are just doing their job, but I have no idea what the mafia charges are about. All those years I was a leader in Patong, I…
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Phuket police officers accused of extortion to be formally charged in two weeks
PHUKET: An official from the Public-sector Anti Corruption Commission (PACC) has announced that his officers need two more weeks to complete an investigation into three Chalong Police officers for their alleged abuse of power. “We are nearly ready to press formal charges and hand the case to the public prosecutor, but we need about two more weeks to finish our…
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Police raid offices of Phuket Pisona Group kingpins
PHUKET: Police this morning swooped in on the offices of the Pisona Group on Phra Baramee Road in Patong, home of the central holding company belonging to former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin and his son Prab. Officers led by Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin, the Region 8 Police deputy commander who has spearheaded the purge of Phuket’s taxi mafia, seized one…
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Dolphinarium company calls meeting with Phuket vice governor
PHUKET: A representative of Phuket Aqua Project Co Ltd, the company that is building the Nemo dolphinarium in Chalong, held a closed-door meeting with Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa this morning. “We have heard that many people do not agree with our project,” the representative, who declined to be named, told the Phuket Gazette after the meeting. “People need to…
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Australian father charged with abusing Thai surrogate twins
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australian father charged with abusing Thai surrogate twins: report The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Australian has been charged with sexually abusing twins he fathered with a Thai surrogate, reports said Tuesday, the second case in as many months to ignite debate about commercial surrogacy.…
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Manchester United confirm Falcao loan deal
PHUKET: Manchester United confirmed they had signed Colombian striker Radamel Falcao on a one-year loan deal from Monaco after the transfer window closed on Monday. “#mufc is delighted to announce Radamel Falcao has joined on a 1-year loan from Monaco with an option to buy,” the Premier League team said on its Twitter feed. Falcao was in Manchester for a…
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Phuket taxi mafia suspects Pisona Group’s Pian Keesin and the “Pisona Seven’ out on bail
PHUKET: Former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, his sons “Prab” and Pattawee, and five other members of the Keesin-owned Pisona Group have been released on bail. Wanted on charges of extortion and criminal activities carried out by a criminal association (story here), Mr Pian and five other suspects from Pisona Group surrendered to officers at the Royal Thai Navy base at…
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Britain says ‘deplores’ Israel decision to claim West Bank land
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Britain says ‘deplores’ Israel decision to claim West Bank land Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The British government said on Monday it deplored an Israeli decision to appropriate a large swathe of land inside the occupied West Bank, saying the move would seriously damage Israel’s international…
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Keesin family trio denied bail over Phuket mafia charges
PHUKET: Former Patong mayor Pian Keesin, two of his sons and five others wanted for their alleged role in taxi mafia activity on the island were denied bail by police today. Patong kingpin Preechawut “Prab” Keesin announced on his Facebook account on Thursday that he would turn himself over to the authorities on Monday [today], but did so at the…
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No hotline for Phuket’s roaming metered taxis – yet
PHUKET: Though roaming metered taxis officially hit the streets of Phuket today, there is no metered-taxi hotline or call service available, confirmed Phuket Land Transport Office chief Terayout Prasertpol to the Phuket Gazette. “We are already planning a hotline, as well as a call service at the airport, but at the moment the number of taxis is just too small…
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Time to fight for the rights of Phuket’s Myanmar migrant workers
Htoo Chit, 49, from Kayah, Myanmar, is the executive director and founder of the Foundation for Education and Development (FED), based in Phang Nga. FED is an NGO that works to promote and protect the rights of migrant Burmese workers. Htoo was recognized as an Ashoka Fellow in 2008 for his work to empower a new generation of migrants by…
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Standing together against Phuket dolphinarium
PHUKET: With several advertisements boasting discounted tickets and all the hype of a new and exciting venture, the Phuket Dolphinarium is on track to open. The community of Phuket will add a new tourist venue that will try to cater to people’s love of marine animals, and to the growing tourist trade from Northern Europe and Asia. Is this what…
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Phuket taxi drivers: Do as the Borneo taxi drivers do
PHUKET: The world renowned tourist destination of Borneo is without a doubt full of wonders: wild orangutans, the rare proboscis monkey, “head houses” with plenty of human skulls to go around, schools of hammerhead sharks and incredibly friendly taxi drivers. Flying half way around the world to remote Malaysia Borneo isn’t worth the trip only to witness the honest, fixed-rate…
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Officials under fire for allegedly issuing illegal Phuket land documents
PHUKET: More than a dozen officials suspected of illegally issuing land titles in Phuket are now under investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), confirmed an NACC official on Saturday. “Sirinath National Park officers filed complaints with the Thalang Police. We then received a list of 16 officials that work for various government departments,” explained Prasart Pongsivapai of the NACC’s…
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Casillas wants improvement from ‘horrible’ Real Madrid
PHUKET: Real Madrid captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas has called for a big improvement after the European champions suffered a surprise early-season setback at Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday. Real were missing injured top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo for their second La Liga outing of the campaign but quickly went 2-0 ahead at the Anoeta in San Sebastian before…
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Former Patong mayor surrenders to Navy for Phuket taxi mafia charges
PHUKET: Former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin surrendered to officers at the Royal Thai Navy base at Phuket’s Cape Panwa this morning. Mr Pian, and six other members of his operating company Pisona Group, including his son Pattawee Keesin, presented themselves at the base and were taken into custody. Under military escort, all seven suspects were handed over to Phuket City…
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Metered taxi prices jump as roving service starts in Phuket
PHUKET: A hike in metered taxi fares comes as roving metered taxis officially begin foraging Phuket for passengers, after the grand opening of the new island-wide service this morning. “We will now see more metered taxis driving throughout the island. There will eventually be about 1,400 metered taxis on Phuket,” said Phuket International Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham. “These metered taxi…
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Phuket taxi mafia fugitive Prab Keesin surrenders in Bangkok
PHUKET: Preechavude “Prab” Keesin, son of former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, surrendered to police in Bangkok this morning. Mr Prab and his father are both facing charges for their alleged involvement in Phuket’s taxi mafia, and were the main targets in a high-profile raid last week (story here). Specifically, they are facing charges of extortion and criminal activities carried out…
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Japan porn stars raise thousands of dollars from ‘Boob Aid’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Japan porn stars raise thousands of dollars from ‘Boob Aid’ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A group of Japanese porn actresses raised tens of thousands of dollars at the weekend by having their breasts squeezed by fans at a “Boob Aid” charity event for Aids…
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Alleged Bangkok protest gunman dies in custody
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Alleged Bangkok protest gunman dies in custody The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A man accused of the murder of a protest leader during a rally against the Yingluck Shinawatra government early this year succumbed to illness while being held in detention last week, the Corrections…
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PM Prayuth turns to military, ex-bureaucrats for Cabinet
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM Prayuth turns to military, ex-bureaucrats for Cabinet The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha’s Cabinet – with nearly half the ministers either active or retired military – won royal endorsement yesterday. The interim government led by Prime Minister Prayuth has 33 ministers, including…
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Murray looks to continue success against French
PHUKET: No one loves beating up on French players quite like Andy Murray. Until losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Toronto last month, Murray had won 18 straight matches against French players. His career record against the French is 67-13 and between losing to Tsonga in the first round of the Australian Open in 2008 and to Richard Gasquet in the…
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British activist braces for controversial defamation trial
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community British activist braces for controversial defamation trial The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A British activist will go on trial tomorrow in Bangkok for defamation, facing a possible jail term after his investigation into alleged labour abuses in the food industry. Andy Hall faces civil and…
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Severe flooding in North after heavy downpours
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Severe flooding in North after heavy downpours The Nation/ Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Many areas in several provinces have flooded after days of heavy rain, especially in Chiang Mai’s Muang district where high flood waters inundated residential areas overnight. The Kard Kom community in Muang district has…
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Hong Kong braces for protests as China rules out full democracy
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hong Kong braces for protests as China rules out full democracy Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Pro-democracy activists vowed on Sunday to bring Hong Kong’s financial hub to a standstill after China’s parliament rejected their demands for the right to freely choose the former British colony’s…
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