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  • Illegal taxi drivers in Patong threaten Phuket governor with mob action

    Illegal taxi drivers in Patong threaten Phuket governor with mob action

    PHUKET: Illegal taxi drivers from Patong today threatened Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut with mass protests if the government does not do more to help them become legal. The naked threat was delivered today at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall immediately after the Governor’s monthly address to the Phuket media. “We need help from the governor to find a way…

  • Phuket Immigration: British realtor to be deported

    Phuket Immigration: British realtor to be deported

    PHUKET: Phuket immigration today arrested for illegal entry a British man who had been working on the island as a realtor, a profession reserved for Thais, since 2011.Richard James Daffund, 44, was picked up by police as he walked along Phuket Road, just several hundred meters from the Phuket Immigration Office.The Englishman was recognized by police, who notified immigration, Capt…

  • Kratom user rats out Phuket drug dealer

    Kratom user rats out Phuket drug dealer

    PHUKET: A nervous drug suspect brought police back to his kratom dealer’s house after being busted at a Phuket checkpoint. The 19-year-old appeared suspicious to police as he arrived at a checkpoint established at Muang Mai – Pa Khlok Road yesterday. “We had the checkpoint set up to search for drugs and weapons in the crime prone area,” Thalang Police…

  • Phuket Police urge motorist safety as car flips into canal, more wet weather forecast

    Phuket Police urge motorist safety as car flips into canal, more wet weather forecast

    PHUKET: Phuket drivers are urged to drive defensively during the current rainy weather, said Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan this afternoon. “Wet roads have already caused several accidents in Phuket. Everyone should slow down while driving in rainy conditions,” he said. The warning follows an early morning accident in Patong today when a car flipped over into the Pak Bang…

  • Phuket driver escapes injury as car slams into tree

    Phuket driver escapes injury as car slams into tree

    PHUKET: A Phuket woman escaped serious injury late last night when her car slammed into a tree at high speed, ripping the engine from the vehicle and flinging it 50 meters from where the car came to rest.Maj Kittiphum Tinthalang of the Thalang Police received a report of the accident, on Srisoonthorn Road in Baan Manik, in central Phuket, at…

  • Canadian expat, 64, faces deportation from Phuket for visa overstay

    Canadian expat, 64, faces deportation from Phuket for visa overstay

    PHUKET: A 64-year-old expat from Canada will be deported from Thailand after being caught in Phuket after overstaying his visa by three years.James H Nelson was arrested in Thung Thong yesterday afternoon.“Officers approached him and asked for his passport. He said he didn’t have it because he had sent it to the Canadian embassy in Bangkok to be renewed,” explained…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: US seeks to calm Europe; Firefighter deaths – Bow hunter gave warning; Monsignor code words

    Phuket Gazette World News: US seeks to calm Europe; Firefighter deaths – Bow hunter gave warning; Monsignor code words

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. seeks to calm European outrage over alleged spying Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: U.S. President Barack Obama tried to reassure European allies affronted by reports of U.S. spying yesterday, but suggested all the world’s intelligence services were involved in finding out the thinking of opponents and allies…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Healthcare funds in intensive care; Govt caves in on rice; Secret Deep South talks; Supercar probe: DSI IDs BMW

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Healthcare funds in intensive care; Govt caves in on rice; Secret Deep South talks; Supercar probe: DSI IDs BMW

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt urged to find new funds for health security The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Given the rising cost of the country’s healthcare costs, prominent health economists yesterday urged the government to seek alternative financial sources to support medical insurance schemes.Collecting tax from the sale of unhealthy food…

  • Interview with a Thai TRANSPAC sailor

    Interview with a Thai TRANSPAC sailor

    PHUKET: Local sailor Mr Patinyakorn Buranrom is set to become the first Thai sailor to skipper a yacht in a major international yacht race when he competes this coming week in the Transpacific Yacht Race (TRANSPAC) from Los Angeles to Honolulu. Mr Patinyakorn Buranrom from Phuket, and a member of Ao Chalong Yacht Club, spoke to the Gazette about the…

  • Nine Phuket students given anesthesia after suffering from Khao Lak “curse’

    Nine Phuket students given anesthesia after suffering from Khao Lak “curse’

    PHUKET: Nearly two dozen Phuket students were rushed to Patong Hospital this morning after they collapsed screaming and convulsing during morning assembly – three out of the nine students who were administered anesthesia by doctors at the hospital remain there. According to reports, the culprit seems to be a ghost in the tourist haven Khao Lak who was offended by…

  • Phuket Grimes brothers’ karting season speeds up

    Phuket Grimes brothers’ karting season speeds up

    PHUKET: Ben and Sam Grimes’ 125cc Junior Class karting season continues at a blistering pace. The brothers recently completed two rounds of the Thai National Championship and two rounds of the Rotax Asia Max Challenge (AMC) series, held in Malaysia. At round two of the Thai Championship in Saraburi, Ben qualified fourth with Sam coming in seventh. An erratic race…

  • Retired Microsoft expat found dead in Phuket luxury villa pool

    Retired Microsoft expat found dead in Phuket luxury villa pool

    PHUKET: A retired Microsoft engineer was found dead this morning in his Phuket luxury villa pool located at Ao Makham.The body of the 69-year-old American expat was floating face down in the pool when police arrived at the scene.“He was wearing black swimming trunks. There was blood around his ear – but no trace of a struggle,” said Lt Anurak…

  • Phuket Raceweek expects big fleet to blow in

    Phuket Raceweek expects big fleet to blow in

    PHUKET: The award-winning Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek is set to welcome a large multinational fleet of boats to its 10th edition, to be held July 17-21 at Cape Panwa Hotel off the Southeastern tip of the island. Over the last 12 months, regattas around the region have experienced a decline in entries, however, Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek looks…

  • Phuket family man struggling with debt hangs himself

    Phuket family man struggling with debt hangs himself

    PHUKET: A 52-year-old Phuket ice cream vendor who was despondent over heavy debts was found hanged at his home in Baan Don, Thalang, yesterday.Police presume the death to be suicide.Rabieb Kasiraksa woke at 5:20am to find her husband Chinda hanged from a beam in the kitchen, said Lt Thani Petchswee of the Thalang Police.“When we arrived at the house, Mrs…

  • Blaze engulfs Phuket cable yard

    Blaze engulfs Phuket cable yard

    PHUKET: Fire broke out at the TT&T cable yard on Thepkrasattri Road in Koh Kaew last night, causing an estimated 10 million baht in damage. No injuries were reported. Firefighters arrived soon after 8pm to find the yard next to the TT&T main office building – located opposite the Isuzu showroom, north of Boat Lagoon (map here) – engulfed in…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Egypt locked in standoff, millions protest; EU confronts US on spying; Aussies back Rudd; Iraq football bombing; Nigeria mass jailbreak

    Phuket Gazette World News: Egypt locked in standoff, millions protest; EU confronts US on spying; Aussies back Rudd; Iraq football bombing; Nigeria mass jailbreak

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Egypt locked in standoff after millions rally against Mursi Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Egypt was locked in a tense standoff on Monday after millions of protesters swarmed into the streets to demand the resignation of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and militants set the ruling Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters…

  • Phuket Gazette World Sports: Brazil dominate Spain to win Confed Cup

    Phuket Gazette World Sports: Brazil dominate Spain to win Confed Cup

    Brazil crush 10-man Spain to win Confederations Cup Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Brazil humbled world and European Champions Spain with a crushing 3-0 win in the Confederations Cup final on Sunday, ending their opponents’ three-year record run of 29 unbeaten competitive matchesTwo goals from Fred, one either side of a stunning left-foot shot from Neymar, gave next year’s World Cup…

  • Phuket Gazette Queer News: Bank robber throws OJ at terrified teller

    Phuket Gazette Queer News: Bank robber throws OJ at terrified teller

    PHUKET: While guns may be the weapon of choice for most bank robbers here in Phuket, one resourceful criminal managed to steal more than 200,000 baht from a branch of Bangkok Bank using something a little more innocuous: a bottle of orange juice. Cops announced the arrest of Kittisak Rueankon, 42, on June 16 after they found him hiding out…

  • Phuket police street shooter walks free

    Phuket police street shooter walks free

    PHUKET: All charges against a Phuket police officer arrested for shooting dead a civilian in Phuket Town have been dropped. Cpl Rachaporn Semaksorn and his brother, Dechaporn, were arrested after witnesses identified Cpl Rachaporn as the man who pulled out a gun and shot 21-year-old Ekkasit Sangangam at point-blank range. The incident occurred on Phun Pol Soi 11, in the…

  • Thai police officer charged with human trafficking | Thaiger

    Thai police officer charged with human trafficking

    PHUKET: A Phang Nga police officer has been charged with human trafficking following his reported involvement in a Rohingya woman being held captive and raped repeatedly for days, Kuraburi District Police Superintendent Weerasil Kwanseng confirmed to the Phuket Gazette this morning. The arrest of Sgt Maj Weerayuth Feuangfu (listed here) follows a 25-year-old Rohingya woman reporting to police that she…

  • Belgian expat stabbed by Thai girlfriend out of Phuket ICU

    Belgian expat stabbed by Thai girlfriend out of Phuket ICU

    PHUKET: The 62-year-old Belgian expat who was stabbed multiple times by his Thai girlfriend earlier this week is out of intensive care, hospital staff have confirmed. Ferdinand Salden was stabbed repeatedly by his girlfriend of six years, Yossapa Janthep, 36, amid a violent domestic dispute at their Patong home on Wednesday night (story here). Mr Salden lapsed into a coma…

  • Phuket Sports: Tyres, teams and tracks – F1

    Phuket Sports: Tyres, teams and tracks – F1

    PHUKET: We are seven races down in a nineteen race season. It is a good time to reflect. Pirelli succumbed to pressure and ran Montreal on intermediates instead of softs on a surface as smooth as a worm’s belly. That proved what we all knew; with tyres that do not degrade on a smooth dry track, the fastest car will…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Egypt tensions rise, one American killed; Snowden tips US return; Vatican cleric arrested for money laundering

    Phuket Gazette World News: Egypt tensions rise, one American killed; Snowden tips US return; Vatican cleric arrested for money laundering

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Egypt cleric warns of civil war, American among protest dead Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Two people, one an American, were killed when protesters stormed an office of Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood in Alexandria, adding to growing tension ahead of mass rallies aimed at unseating the Islamist president.A…

  • Lions beat Wallabies by a whisker

    Lions beat Wallabies by a whisker

    PHUKET: The first Test against Australia on June 22 turned out to be a ferocious confrontation. At times, the pitch resembled a battlefield. Though the Lions held the initiative for long periods, the Wallabies came back strongly in the second half, and were awarded a last minute penalty that would have settled a bruising encounter in their favor. In the…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Gold rush as prices plummet; Illegal resorts slash forests; Thaksin passport questioned; MPs drive LGBT rights bill

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Gold rush as prices plummet; Illegal resorts slash forests; Thaksin passport questioned; MPs drive LGBT rights bill

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New gold rush as prices plummet The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Savers nationwide are flocking to gold shops, enticed by the falling price of the precious metal, which yesterday tumbled to a 34-month low amid fears of an end to the US quantitative easing policy.Gold bar fell…

  • Thai athletes prepare for battle at the AIMAG

    Thai athletes prepare for battle at the AIMAG

    PHUKET: Over 2,000 athletes from 45 countries, including 116 athletes from Thailand, will compete at the upcoming 2013 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG), to be held in Incheon, South Korea through to July 6.The event kicked off earlier this week. AIMAG is a multi-sport event held every two years and regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia. The…

  • Rohingya trafficking suspect to be charged for abduction, rape | Thaiger

    Rohingya trafficking suspect to be charged for abduction, rape

    PHUKET: The man accused of repeatedly raping a Rohingya woman he was allegedly to smuggle from a welfare shelter in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, to Malaysia will face rape and abduction charges, police today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. “We were issued an arrest warrant today that will allow us to take him into custody and proceed with pressing…

  • Busted: Alleged drug dealer’s operation across from Phuket school

    Busted: Alleged drug dealer’s operation across from Phuket school

    PHUKET: Police busted a Burmese drug dealer suspected of operating out of a house across the street from a Phuket school yesterday evening.Staking out a house across from Baan Kata School, Phuket Provincial Police officer Wanchai Palawan and his team waited for Anan Kanyarat, 36, to leave the residence before stopping and searching him.Police found 4.5 grams of marijuana on…

  • Phuket Opinion: Promoting Islam for Phuket youths, tourists

    Phuket Opinion: Promoting Islam for Phuket youths, tourists

    Maroj Thongyon, a 66-year-old Phuket native, has been a member of the committee of the Phuket Islamic Council since 1990 and is president of the Foundation Nurul Islamiah. Two years ago he took the position of Imam at the Nurulislam mosque in Patong. Here, he talks about the loss of cultural identity among Phuket Muslim youth and the opportunity to…

  • Phuket man steals from women to pay for women

    Phuket man steals from women to pay for women

    PHUKET: Phuket Police on Wednesday arrested a thief who confessed to stealing mobile phones from women in order to pay for prostitutes.His most recent victim, Kanyakorn Nhoopong, reported to police on Wednesday that her mobile phone had been stolen from her clothing shop on Yaowarat Road.“I put my iPhone on a table in my shop,” Ms Kanyakorn said.“There was a…