News
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Battle against rising prices continues with Blue Flag Fair in Phuket Town
PHUKET: The Department of Internal Trade (DIT-Phuket) kicked off its latest “Blue Flag Fair” in Phuket Town this afternoon. DIT-Phuket chief Supacha Bunthalit said the three-day event will feature 150 booths offering a wide variety of consumer goods at below normal market prices, including food products, garments, sheets, bedding and much more. The event is being held in the Mazda…
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Nearly blind prisoner escapes hospital after surgery
PHUKET: Escaped prisoner Nantachai Boomrak, 23, having absconded from Vachira Phuket Hospital on August 4, found himself back behind bars the next day. Mr Nantachai was originally placed in the hospital by Provincial Prison Chief Rapin Nichanon, who said doctors had informed him that Mr Nantachai would go blind if he did not receive immediate treatment for cataracts.“The Phuket Prison…
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Phuket Live Wire: Don’t get mugged by your mates
PHUKET: I have been holding off writing about more email scams, waiting so I can write about nailing somebody and getting them thrown in jail. So far, no luck. But in the past week I’ve received two messages from people I know, here in Phuket, who have had their email accounts hijacked. That’s quite a coincidence – if it is…
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Weird World News stumbles back onto the podium with Olympic torch
PHUKET: After several weeks of being missing in action, the Phuket Gazette‘s Weird World News Round-up takes the stage again as Olympic gaffs from alleged satanic rituals, that nasty feeling of having overslept something important and a little flag waving – wait that’s not my flag – have kept the people of the world glued to their screens. Can’t see…
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Phuket tourism roadshow in Japan “well received’
PHUKET: Recently returned from a week-long tourism fact-finding tour in Japan, Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha has told the media that the “Amazing Thailand in Japan” roadshow impressed the Japanese tour operators in the three cities they visited. Organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and coordinated by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) and the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA),…
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World News: Daring rescue mission in Antarctica
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australia to the rescue in Antarctica Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: An Australian rescue plane took off from New Zealand yesterday evening to carry out a daring rescue mission in Antarctica, where an American citizen at a research station is in urgent need of surgery,…
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Thai Jonah: the fishy tale of Rewat Nongwong
PHUKET: A 24-year-old man who claims he have spent three days underwater without dying was the subject of a miracle, according to some Ayutthaya residents who believe his tale. To others, including rescue workers who spent three days looking for him in the filthy Chao Praya River, the man, Rewat Nongwong, is a liar – one who should face criminal…
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Phuket FC sink Navy, 1-0
PHUKET: A beautiful second half goal by defender Nontaphan “Berm” Jiensathawong was enough to secure Phuket FC a 1-0 win over higher-ranked Navy in a match at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town last night. Just over 2,000 fans turned up for the match, which was played in perfect conditions and heavy security, including a detachment of uniformed Navy servicemen. Navy…
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FC Phuket host Navy tonight
PHUKET: Beleaguered supporters of Phuket FC will be glad to return to the friendly confines of Surakul Stadium this evening, when their beloved Islanders will take on 7th-placed Navy. Kickoff is at 6:30pm. The match will be a reunion of sorts for the three Phuket cheer squadrons – The Hulks, The Mask and The Hardcore – who got an unusual…
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BREAKING NEWS: Michelle Smith killers get life in prison
PHUKET: The two men charged with killing 60-year-old Australian tourist Michelle Smith in a bungled bag snatch in Phuket on June 20 have been sentenced to life in prison. The sentences were handed down at Phuket Provincial Court this afternoon. The judge presiding over the three-day trial commuted death sentences to lifetime imprisonment after both men pleaded guilty. Surasak Suwannachote…
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World News: Syrian PM Riyad Hijab defects; Amnesty raises concerns
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM Riyad Hijab defects from Assad regime Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Farid Hijab on Monday announced his defection from the Assad government and said he is joining the opposition, his spokesman told reporters. It is the highest-profile defection since the uprising began…
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18-wheeler wipes out pickup truck, noodle stand: 1 dead, 6 injured
PHUKET: Thalang Police are searching for the driver of an 18-wheel truck and trailer that slammed into a pickup, plowing the vehicle into a roadside noodle stand in Phuket last night. The driver of the rig fled the scene, where one person was killed and six more injured. Thalang Police were notified of the accident, on Thepkrasattri Road northbound near…
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57 candidates to contest Phuket OrBorJor election
PHUKET: The registration period for the upcoming Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council election, to be held on August 26, closed on Saturday with 57 candidates registering to contest the 24 council seats available.OrBorJor Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Manop Leelasuthanon said the registration period, which opened on July 31, “received a great deal of attention from a great many people”.In…
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Raid on suspected Phuket casino ‘not spiteful’: Environmental Crime chief
PHUKET: The investigation of a suspected casino under construction on Rang Noi Island, just off the coast of Phuket Town, was carried out last Tuesday without prejudice and was not intended to defame or spite anyone, the top officer leading the raid has told the Phuket Gazette. Armed with a search warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court, more than…
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Patong political hopefuls flock to register candidacies
PHUKET: It was a busy morning at the Patong Municipality Offices yesterday, when two rival teams of Phuket politicians registered their candidacies for the upcoming municipal election scheduled for September 2. Incumbent Mayor Pian Keesin led his blue-shirted Rak Patong (“Love Patong”) team to the office, while rival mayoral candidate Kittisan Kuru led his yellow-shirted Patong Gao Na (Patong Progress)…
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World News: Obama says America needs soul-searching on gun violence
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obama says America needs ‘soul-searching’ on gun violence Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday said the government should examine additional ways to reduce violence after a mass shooting at a Sikh temple in southeastern Wisconsin, but he stopped short of calling…
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Phuket Police investigate apparent stabbing suicide by Swiss expat
PHUKET: Police in Phuket are investigating the apparent suicide of a Swiss expatriate found with a fatal knife wound to the chest in his rented home in Rawai yesterday. Chalong Police at 11:30am were notified that a male Caucasian had taken his life by a stabbing at a home on Soi Naya. Arriving at the scene with Phuket Ruamjai Kupai…
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Accomplice to Michelle Smith’s killer changes plea, admits guilt
PHUKET: The man who drove the motorbike, used in the attack that led to the death Australian tourist Michelle Smith on June 20, changed his plea today after initially denying all charges against him. At the beginning of today’s court proceedings, Surasak Suwannachote admitted to his part in the crime and pleaded guilty to the charge of “gang robbery causing…
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Emirates to launch Dubai – Phuket daily flight service
PHUKET: Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, continues its network expansion with the announcement of the start of daily services to Phuket in Thailand. Phuket, the largest island in Thailand, will, from December 10, become Emirates’second destination in Thailand. To be serviced by a three-class Airbus aircraft, flight EK378 will depart Dubai at 12:45pm and arrive at Phuket…
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Ailing dolphin under treatment in Phuket
PHUKET: Veterinarians at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) say that a striped dolphin that washed ashore in Phang Nga last week is in a stable condition at their facility, but fear for its long-term survival prospects due to its inability to feed on its own. Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong told the Gazette this morning that the dolphin, which washed ashore…
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Phuket Business: India, Vietnam rice exports to surpass Thailand in 2012
PHUKET: A Thai trade researcher has concurred with a recent prediction by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that India and Vietnam will export more rice than Thailand this year. Thanawan Phonwichai, the Director of the Business and Economics Forecasting Center at the Thai Chamber of Commerce University said that Thailand is expected to lose its crown as the…
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Phuket cop arrested, linked to meth trade
PHUKET: Phuket Police arrested a fellow policeman on Saturday just hours after he was named by another drug suspect for involvement in the sale and distribution of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine). Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Jamroon Plaiduang told the Phuket Gazette this morning that officers arrested Sen Sgt Maj Kumthorn La-orsuwan, 40, after drug suspect Mana “Tham” Jindamanee, 37,…
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Michelle Smith attacker pleads guilty to ‘gang robbery causing death’
PHUKET: Surasak Suwannachote, the man on trial for stabbing Australian tourist Michelle Smith in a bungled bag snatch on June 20, appeared at Phuket Provincial Court this morning and confessed to gang robbery resulting in death. Surin Tadthong, the driver of the motorbike in the attack, denied all charges against him. Surin’s denial came despite an earlier confession, which he…
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Phuket Customs seize B8mn of smuggled fuel in Krabi
PHUKET: Phuket Customs officials this morning announced the seizure of what they claim is 8 million baht of smuggled fuel. Customs and navy officers seized the “black oil” as it was being pumped from a wooden ship converted into a fuel tanker to a fuel transport truck waiting on shore late on Friday night in Krabi. Two crew members of…
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World News: Another mass shooting in US; Jets intercept plane; Suspected serial killer identified
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Insurgents attack security forces in Afghanistan, killing 2 Kiwi soldiers Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Another mass shooting has taken place in the U.S., this time at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, a ‘gurdwara’ located in the township of Oak Creek. A lone gunman opened…
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Phuket Opinion: Police intelligence, deeper ties to community key to cutting the murders
PHUKET: The recent arrest of Belgian murder suspect Marc De Schutter is the latest in a series of events that have kept Phuket in the international spotlight. (See front-page story, current issue of the Phuket Gazette. Digital subscribers click here to download the full newspaper.) The De Schutter arrest also highlights the need for a more savvy approach by authorities…
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Phuket FC prepared for ‘Andaman Eagles’
PHUKET: Die-hard Phuket FC fans will be heading across Phang Nga Bay tomorrow to cheer their side in a southern derby against premier league hopefuls Krabi FC. Kickoff for tomorrow’s match, to be played at Krabi Provincial Stadium, is at 6pm. The 6,000-seat capacity can fill up pretty quickly; those seeking good vantage points should get there at least an…
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Korat Boy, 14, dies after crashing into parked truck in Phuket
PHUKET: A 14-year-old boy from Nakhon Ratchasima died after crashing his motorbike into a large truck parked by the side of the road in Phuket yesterday afternoon. Chalong Police at 2:15pm received a report of a crash near the Land & Houses residential estate on Chao Fa West Road in Chalong. Arriving at the scene with Phuket Ruamjai Rescue Foundation…
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Phuket Sports: Patong captain gets a duck as rest of team flies
PHUKET: The second week of Phuket’s Outrigger T20 League saw Patong CC take on ICC at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) last Sunday. ICC won the toss and decided to send Patong into bat in a move that seemed to be working early on, as ICC dismissed opener Richard (Foldsy) Folds for a duck. Richard Desmond (27) and Rishi Sadarangani…
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World News: Kofi Annan quits due to the Syrian Govt’s intransigence
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Kofi Annan to quit as UN-Arab League special envoy for Syria Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Kofi Annan informed the United Nations (UN) and the Arab League on Thursday that he will resign as their special envoy for the Syrian crisis at the end of…
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