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  • Phuket Opinion: Waste not, and waste not wanted

    Phuket Opinion: Waste not, and waste not wanted

    PHUKET: I was recently contacted by a man named David, a graduate-level research assistant from a reputable University in Bangkok, who had come to Phuket for the first time – but not for the typical reasons. The destination luring David to our “paradise island” was not any particular beach, cove, resort, restaurant or bar, but was in fact the Waste…

  • Phuket Opinion: This could be heaven or this could be”¦

    Phuket Opinion: This could be heaven or this could be”¦

    PHUKET: A recent report about the problem of “homeless foreigners” from the West becoming a burden on the Thai state (see here) set off an unprecedented flurry of comments on popular online blogs. Like so many dimensions of modern life, the problem of “homelessness” has reached global proportions, as cases like the diaspora of the stateless Rohingya from Myanmar show.…

  • Phuket Immigration on the lookout for stolen visa stickers

    Phuket Immigration on the lookout for stolen visa stickers

    PHUKET: The theft of 300 visa stickers from Thailand’s embassy in Malaysia has put Phuket Immigration on high alert.Phuket Immigration was notified about four days ago to be on the lookout for stickers bearing the stolen numbers, Phuket Immigration officer Angkarn Yasanop said.A Foreign Ministry investigation revealed that 259 of the 300 stickers had been used and 55 visa holders…

  • Phuket’s Outrigger T20 cricket: Round 7

    Phuket’s Outrigger T20 cricket: Round 7

    PHUKET: On a sunny Sunday for round 7 of Phuket’s Outrigger T20 Cricket league, ICC took on the Youth side in the morning session, while the Village faced Patong in the afternoon session. In the morning match, ICC notched up a solid 162-7 batting first while the Youth could only manage 125-6 in reply. The much anticipated afternoon encounter between…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Iranians jailed over bomb plot; Thai visas stolen from KL embassy; DNA shows Nenkham fathered child with minor

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Iranians jailed over bomb plot; Thai visas stolen from KL embassy; DNA shows Nenkham fathered child with minor

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 300 visa stickers missing from Thai embassy in Malaysia The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Border checkpoints have been ordered to stay on high alert after 300 Thai visa stickers were stolen from the Kingdom’s embassy in Malaysia.The Foreign Ministry cancelled the missing visas and launched an investigation…

  • Decommissioned warship bursts into flames – again

    Decommissioned warship bursts into flames – again

    PHUKET: The decommissioned warship RTMS Lanta burst into flames yesterday while workers were repairing damage caused by a previous fire that broke out at the tourist attraction on July 3 (story here). No injuries were reported. It took Krabi Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) firemen about an hour to squelch the flames on the warship, which is a tourist attraction in…

  • Phuket’s Organized Crime Center keeps eye on the prize – illegal taxi industry

    Phuket’s Organized Crime Center keeps eye on the prize – illegal taxi industry

    PHUKET: An officer at the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) Organized Crime Center clarified today that the current goal of the center is solely to dismantle the illegal taxi operations in Phuket, which officers believe are at the core of tourist extortion and local money laundering issues. “The center (story here) at this point is designed to tackle all the…

  • Bangkok big gun praises Phuket police work

    Bangkok big gun praises Phuket police work

    PHUKET: Big gun from Bangkok Gen Wuthi Liptapallop of the Royal Thai Police reviewed Phuket police progress yesterday on the island-wide crackdown on crime from August 16 to September 31. The crackdown, aimed for sweeping results in preparation for the Asian Economic Community (AEC), is targeting everything from immigration issues to prostitution, said Gen Wuthi. Phuket Immigration Police presented their…

  • Phuket FC suffer 13th draw of season against Air Force

    Phuket FC suffer 13th draw of season against Air Force

    PHUKET: The Islanders once again allowed an early lead to slip away and be forced to settle with yet another draw – their 13th of the season – this time against 2nd placed, Air Force AVA FC (formerly known as Airforce United) in a high-stakes match last night at Phuket’s Surakul Stadium.A beautiful header by Luiz “Dudu” Purcino 10 minutes…

  • Officers seize Myanmar imports at bus terminal

    Officers seize Myanmar imports at bus terminal

    PHUKET: Phuket City officers seized a large cache of apparently untaxed Myanmar goods yesterday at Phuket Bus Terminal 2. Officials led by Suthee Sirianant, Chief Administration Officer of Phuket City District Office, seized the seven large plastic bags containing the goods at about 7:30pm last night.The find was made during a search conducted as part of an anti-drug drive.“We found…

  • Women on top: Triathalon Champ talks about empowering women

    Women on top: Triathalon Champ talks about empowering women

    PHUKET: “If I miss my morning training, I have no energy throughout the day,” says Belinda Granger, 15 times Iron Distance Triathlon Champion. “But you don’t have to compete in Triathlons. Just notice something that keeps you energetic and lively and keep adding more of that element into your life,” she adds. The 10 women who attended the “Empowering Women…

  • Despite rescue efforts, dolphin beached at Patong dies

    Despite rescue efforts, dolphin beached at Patong dies

    PHUKET: A dolphin that washed ashore at Patong Beach yesterday afternoon died despite the best efforts of bystanders to keep her alive.The female striped dolphin was first spotted by a tourist, who informed a jet-ski operator, who in turn called the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC).“I was walking along the beach when a tourist came to tell me about the…

  • Cold case cracked: Phuket market vendor faces decade-old murder charge

    Cold case cracked: Phuket market vendor faces decade-old murder charge

    PHUKET: A used-clothing seller in the Baan Lipon market was arrested yesterday afternoon on a Songkla murder charge dating back to 2002.Thalang police received word from police in Padang Besar that Jatejit Boonchai, a 36-year-old Trang native, was living in Thalang.“We found out that he was selling second-hand clothing in the market,” said Thalang Police Superintendent Sirisak Wasasiri said.“So we…

  • Same same, but different: Second crane collapses in Patong

    Same same, but different: Second crane collapses in Patong

    PHUKET: For the second time in just over a month, a crane being used to install water pipes on Phang Muang Sai Kor Road in Patong toppled over yesterday afternoon, landing this time on a garden wall. No injuries were reported. The accident occurred at about 4:30pm near Patong Hospital (map here). The crane operator, Phol Phongsaen, 32, said the…

  • Phuket jungle-trek camps raided in search for phantom elephants

    Phuket jungle-trek camps raided in search for phantom elephants

    PHUKET: The Phuket jungle-trekking tourism industry came under scrutiny again on Wednesday when officers from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division (NREC) raided seven elephant camps in Phuket to try to determine whether or not seven elephants had been trafficked onto the island. The camps raided were: Sai Yuan Elephant Camp, Sea View Elephant Camp and Kinnaree Elephant…

  • Sexagenarian on cycle tour of Thailand stops by Phuket

    Sexagenarian on cycle tour of Thailand stops by Phuket

    PHUKET: Retired teacher Manit Intarit, 66, stopped by Phuket Provincial Hall on his bicycle on Tuesday to meet Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut on the ninth day of his cycling trip around Thailand to honor HM The King and Queen.Pony-tailed Mr Manit, who hails from Pattani, said, “I want HM The King and Queen to know that residents of the Deep…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Syria gas kills hundreds; Bo Xilai trial begins; Pink Panther arrested; Manning gets 35 years

    Phuket Gazette World News: Syria gas kills hundreds; Bo Xilai trial begins; Pink Panther arrested; Manning gets 35 years

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Trial of Bo Xilai opens in China Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Police blocked entry to a courthouse in the eastern Chinese city of Jinan on Thursday where the trial of ousted politician Bo Xilai is to open, the final, dramatic chapter of the country’s most politically charged…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Baht slides; House of shame; E-tags for inmates; DNA ID checks in Ranong

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Baht slides; House of shame; E-tags for inmates; DNA ID checks in Ranong

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Baht further slides against US$ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Falling to a one-year low yesterday at 31.82, the baht has suffered from depreciation against the US dollar along with most emerging-market currencies. Compared with this year’s peak of 28.62, registered on April 19, the…

  • Phuket student drug flunkies heading for summer camp rehab

    Phuket student drug flunkies heading for summer camp rehab

    PHUKET: A group of 29 Phuket students – all of whom tested positive for drugs – are in for a summer camp they’d not expected. They are now signed up to spend nine days getting clean and learning about the dangers of substance abuse. From today, August 22, to 30, the students will join a stricter-than-normal summer camp at Phuket’s…

  • VIDEO REPORT: Police set reward for Democrat Party Phuket office thief

    VIDEO REPORT: Police set reward for Democrat Party Phuket office thief

    PHUKET: A reward of 5,000 baht was offered this morning for any information leading to the arrest of a thief who is believed to have broken into the Democrat Party Phuket office not once, but twice this month.In addition to robbing the office of an undisclosed amount of money, the thief also vandalized the interior. The office is located on…

  • Seawater quality to be monitored, results sent to island’s consulates

    Seawater quality to be monitored, results sent to island’s consulates

    PHUKET: Amid concerns over worsening seawater quality at Phuket’s beaches, results of bi-monthly tests will be sent to the Phuket consulates, Governor Maitri Inthusut told 11 consul-generals yesterday. Phuket’s beach waters were regularly monitored in the past, but budget cuts brought an end to that program (see p8 and p9 of the digital Gazette online here). The Governor’s plan to…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Leak highly radioactive; Boston bomber had mulitple wounds; Iraq being dragged into war; Circus comes to Afghan kids

    Phuket Gazette World News: Leak highly radioactive; Boston bomber had mulitple wounds; Iraq being dragged into war; Circus comes to Afghan kids

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Wrecked Fukushima storage tank leaking highly radioactive water Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Contaminated water with dangerously high levels of radiation is leaking from a storage tank at Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, the most serious setback to the clean up of the worst nuclear accident…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Scuffles end meeting; Canadian picked up in penny scam; Teachers still targets; Mass Rohingya escape; Fertility rite

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Scuffles end meeting; Canadian picked up in penny scam; Teachers still targets; Mass Rohingya escape; Fertility rite

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Scuffles, boos bring chaos to constitution change meeting The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Parliament President Somsak Kiatsuranont, whose nickname is “Gavel Master”, lived up to his name and used his gavel vigorously for the first time yesterday during the House-Senate joint meeting deliberating constitutional amendments.…

  • Officials baffled over dead Koh Racha Yai fish

    Officials baffled over dead Koh Racha Yai fish

    PHUKET: Several dead reef fish collected from the dozens of dead fish found at the popular dive destination of Koh Racha Yai were brought to the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) earlier this month after local fishermen, villagers and divers voiced concern that they may have been poisoned, perhaps by cyanide.“In the last week to 10 days, there have been…

  • Rohingya play ‘pity card’ for media: Deputy Interior Minister

    Rohingya play ‘pity card’ for media: Deputy Interior Minister

    PHUKET: Deputy Interior Minister Wisarn Techathirawat says the presence of the media encourages Rohingya refugees to “act-up in front of the camera” in order to get sympathy. Mr Wisarn was at the Phang Nga Immigration center yesterday to inspect the facility, following a Rohingya riot there earlier this month. “The media often knows that the Rohingya are arriving even before…

  • Copper thief copped at Phuket checkpoint

    Copper thief copped at Phuket checkpoint

    PHUKET: Police arrested a man carrying 100,000 baht worth of stolen copper wire concealed in fertilizer sacks at a routine checkpoint in Thalang yesterday .Eakkapan Pinthong, 22, a construction worker at the Karn Keha public housing estate in Srisoonthorn, appeared nervous as he approached the checkpoint on Baan Don Road shortly after midnight yesterday, police said.“He was riding a motorbike…

  • Phuket officials vow swift action on dirty Patong beach water

    Phuket officials vow swift action on dirty Patong beach water

    PHUKET: Patong officials are determined to discover the source of foul water being pumped into the sea at Patong Beach following a large section of dirty water surfacing at the beach yesterday. “Our municipality was not aware of the problem. However, now that we know, we will step in to solve the problem as soon as possible,” Panida Klinbbusa, an…

  • Northbound lanes at Phuket underpass to re-open, relieve congestion

    Northbound lanes at Phuket underpass to re-open, relieve congestion

    PHUKET: The northbound lanes entering the Darasamuth Intersection, in front of the Central Festival Festival shopping mall, will be re-opened this afternoon, relieving some of the heavy traffic congestion in the area. Excavating the road required workmen at the site to close all northbound lanes for several hours this morning and redirect traffic along the spur road to join Wichit…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Muslim Brotherhood leader arrested; Egyptian security forces kill journalist; Spain UK tensions; Al Qaeda suspected of planning train attacks

    Phuket Gazette World News: Muslim Brotherhood leader arrested; Egyptian security forces kill journalist; Spain UK tensions; Al Qaeda suspected of planning train attacks

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Egypt arrests Muslim Brotherhood leader Badie Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Egyptian security forces have arrested the top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, state media reported today, pressing a crackdown on his group. Mohamed Badie, 70, was detained at an apartment in Nasr City in northeast…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: 600 Thais evacuated from Egypt; 7BN seized; Absolute control – MP Ongart Klampaiboon; Oil spill recovery plan

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: 600 Thais evacuated from Egypt; 7BN seized; Absolute control – MP Ongart Klampaiboon; Oil spill recovery plan

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 600 Thais flown back, 300 still in Egypt The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: More than 600 Thais have been evacuated from Egypt on flights arranged by the Thai government in the wake of the unrest which has so far claimed some 900 lives. Another 300…