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Teen mum yet to be charged for attempted infanticide
PHUKET: Phuket police have yet to charge a teenage mother who tried to drown her newborn in the cistern of a public toilet. Thung Thong Police were called to the scene at a public toilet in Kathu Municipality Park, where they found the mother locked in a toilet stall with her newborn baby. “A concerned passersby told me that a…
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Phuket court issues arrest warrants for soldiers in abduction case
PHUKET: The Chalong Police are continuing their investigation into the alleged abduction of a Ukrainian businessman and his wife by soldiers in Phuket late last week. Igor Iermakov, 37, was allegedly abducted from Mitraphap Beach in Rawai on Thursday by a group of 10 people that included five soldiers. His wife, Maryna, later reported to the Chalong Police that she…
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Phuket man blasts penis with make-shift pesticide torch
PHUKET: One member of a make-shift pest-control team suffered damage to his penis after a flaming bottle of pesticide backfired on him and his partner as they attempted to kill a colony of wasps today. Prapanpong Sinmalee, 29, and his 22-year-old co-worker Phollawat Suwong were moving spools of power-cables from a truck into a field along Thepkrasattri Road near Baan…
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Germans rescued from wrecked Phuket tour boat
PHUKET: A group of tourists were rescued from a tour boat after it grounded on the rocks off Laem Ka Cape, on the east coast of Phuket’s Rawai area, yesterday. The 12 people on board Electric Blue, including nine German tourists and one Thai tourist, were rescued after locals spotted the crashed boat and dispatched three longtails and a rescue…
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Phuket golfers raise B1.2mn for Life Home Project charity
PHUKET: Local golfers in colorful dress on the fairways of Phuket have raised 1.2 million baht for island-based charity the Life Home Project Foundation. The 4th Annual Life Home Project Charity Golf Event took place at the Blue Canyon Country Club on November 15, when more than 100 golfers took to the fairways and greens of the spectacular Lakes Course.…
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Tsunami Memorial: Phuket tourism shows world how to bounce back
PHUKET: Tourism industry insiders who have monitored trends in the Phuket tourism industry over the past decade describe the recovery after the worst natural disaster to ever hit the region as “remarkable”. Few potential visitors these days are dissuaded from coming to the island out of fear of another inundation. The successful introduction of a tsunami early detection and warning…
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Army flood-relief helicopter crashes in Yala
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Army flood-relief helicopter crashes in Yala The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Army helicopter flying flood-relief missions crashed in Yala yesterday, injuring the four crewmen on board. The helicopter, from the Royal Thai Army’s Region 4 base in the South, crashed in Yala’s Muang district…
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No ban on alcohol sales for the New Year
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Narong aiming at reform priorities The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Partygoers will be able to buy booze during New Year celebrations as the Alcohol Control Committee has decided to defer its decision on banning the sale of alcohol during this period. The ban was proposed…
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China arrests 30,000 in porn, gambling crackdown
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community China arrests 30,000 in porn, gambling crackdown Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: China has detained over 30,000 people during a two-month clamp down on pornography andgambling, state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday. In the latest arrests, police in the southern province of Guangdong arrested 3,014…
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Thai glory at Suzuki Cup final
PHUKET: Thailand’s triumph at the 2014 Asean Football Championship on Saturday night is the latest and most compelling evidence underlining the fact that former national striker Kiatisak Senamuang is the man the country has long searched for to bring back the glory days to Thai football. Few could have predicted when Thailand last won the region’s showpiece tournament in 2002…
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Phuket’s “abductor soldiers’ arrested by mistake, says military
PHUKET: The military’s highest-ranking officer in Phuket under martial law has called the arrest of five soldiers for the alleged abduction of two Ukrainians on Friday a “mistake”. The soldiers, named by the Chalong Police on Friday (click here), were acting as “mediators”, Maj Gen Theenachat Jinda-ngern, Commander of the 41st Military Circle, told a press conference at Phuket Provincial…
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Phuket to celebrate Christmas with ancient Thai boxing contest
PHUKET: An international contest among disciples of muay khat chueak – the ancient form of Thai boxing where fighters tie rope around their fists – will be held on Christmas Day, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong announced this week. Fighters from France, Cambodia, Morocco and other countries around the world will be stepping into the ring to battle it out during…
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Army soldiers taken into custody for abducting foreigner in Phuket
PHUKET: Police took ten people into custody for the abduction of a Ukraine businessman and his wife in Phuket yesterday. Five of the men taken into custody are soldiers based in Thailand’s restive Deep South provinces, said Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Chukiat Imjaitam. Igor Iermakova, 37, was allegedly abducted by the group from Mitraphap Beach in Rawai on Thursday morning.…
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Legendary Thai rocker Carabao in Phuket for New Year countdown concert
PHUKET: Legendary Thai folk-rock artist Yuenyong Opakul, better known by his stage name Ad Carabao, is set to headline three-days of entertainment in Phuket Town to count down to the New Year. The “Colorful Countdown Phuket 2015” will usher in the New Year with light shows and live concerts at Sanam Chai Park, across the road from Phuket Provincial Hall,…
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Cricket: Island CC wrestles victory from jaws of defeat in Phuket
PHUKET: Fiery old rivalries were reignited on Sunday when Patong CC faced Island CC in the second fixture of the 2014/2015 Senior League season at the Alan Cooke Ground. In a match that saw the T20 finalists face Patong’s players hoping to exact retribution after their defeat in September, it was the Islanders who claimed victory by a solitary run…
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Phuket police investigate apparent murder-suicide
PHUKET: Police have yet to rule out foul play in what appears to be a murder-suicide by a Trang official at a Patong hotel yesterday. Officers were called to Baan Ton Sai Garden Resort Hotel at 4pm, said Lt Col Pratuang Polmana of the Patong Police. The body of Yuwadee Sriket, 29, was naked on the bed, covered by a…
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Opinion: Fine solution for Phuket
PHUKET: The allegation of a 5,000-baht fine levied against a tourist for illegally parking a motorbike in a restricted zone in Karon (story here) raises several issues about the future role of local administrative bodies, both in terms of how they raise revenue and how they use these funds. The fact that Karon Municipality now appears to be taking a…
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Russian escapes death in 300m plunge from Phuket coastal road
PHUKET: A Russian man is recovering in hospital after his car ran off a coastal road near Phuket’s Promthep Cape and plunged into the water some 300 meters below late last night. “It happened at about 11:30pm,” said Lt Wuttiwat Liang-boonjinda of the Chalong Police. “By the time we arrived, all we could see was the back of the car…
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Phuket takes to water for New Year “Seven days of Danger’ campaign
PHUKET: Safety measures to reduce and prevent accidents on Phuket’s roads, as well as the surrounding sea, will be rolled out on December 30. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) will be heading the annual Seven Days of Danger safety campaign for the New Year holidays. The campaign will run from December 30 through January 5. On the…
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Govt seeks help over fugitives
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt seeks help over fugitives The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Royal Thai Government will try to convince other countries not to allow Thai fugitives to engage in anti-government activities, particularly those who commit lese majeste, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee said yesterday. He said…
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Cuba’s Castro hails new era of ‘living together’ with U.S.
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cuba’s Castro hails new era of ‘living together’ with U.S. Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Cuban President Raul Castro hailed a landmark exchange of prisoners with the United States on Wednesday and praised U.S. President Barack Obama as the two countries agreed to normalize relations after…
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Phuket underpass to partially close
PHUKET: The southbound lane of the underpass adjacent to Central Festival Phuket will be closed Friday and Saturday nights, from 9pm to 6am, the Phuket Gazette confirmed today. “We have to close the southbound lane so that we can work on the roof,” said project manager Narong Horee. “Motorists heading north can use the underpass as normal.” Wichit Police Deputy…
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Phi Phi resort partner, dive boat captain arrested
PHUKET: Police arrested a dive boat captain who is also a co-owner of a bungalow resort on Phi Phi Island for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia yesterday. Acting on a tip-off, officers arrived at the house of 45-year-old Preecha Riabrieng, in Rassada, at about 6:30pm. “We received information from a source about a suspected drug dealer operating on Phi…
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Phuket 7-Elevens to join crime-fighting campaign in New Year
PHUKET: All Phuket 7-Eleven convenience stores are set to join a campaign to improve police response times by early next year, it was announced this week. The campaign, taking advantage of the number of 7-Eleven stores on the island and their visibility, will see staffers trained to receive crime reports and contact police on the behalf of victims. Representatives from…
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Illuzion offers sneak peek in Phuket tonight
PHUKET: Illuzion, an interactive show and discotheque, will offer a sneak preview tonight of the dazzling grand-opening show on Soi Bangla tomorrow. In the center of Jungceylon, near the water fountain, a Rihanna tribute band will kick off the pre-opening show at 6pm. Following Rihanna on stage will be a Lady Gaga tribute, with what organizers are calling a “Paparazzi…
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Phuket’s We Freedive Suunto Series finish with breath-holding trinity Sunday
PHUKET: The We Freedive Suunto Series 2014 comes to a close this Sunday with competitors taking deep breaths before launching into a trinity of events: Static Apnea, Dynamic No Fins (DNF) and Dynamic with Fins (DYN). It will be a tight race for overall winner of the series with American Walter Johnson leading Melanie Long from the UK with just…
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Australian Embassy to hold consular outreach in Phuket
PHUKET: The Consular Section of the Australian Embassy in Bangkok will visit Phuket on January 21 in order to offer consular, passport and notarial services to Australians in Phuket. The outreach visit will be held from 9am to 3pm at the offices of Hawryluk Legal Advisors on the bypass road (map here). During this visit, the consular staff will provide…
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Body found in pond behind Phuket temple
PHUKET: Police are attempting to identify the body of a man found floating in a pond behind Wat Saensuk, in Phuket Town, on Tuesday. The body was spotted floating on the water’s surface by the owner of the nearby Soi Thong restaurant. “I was at my restaurant feeding the fish in the pond when I saw what looked like a…
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Italy-Brazil duo win ITF beach tennis tourney in Phuket
PHUKET: Alessandro Calbucci of Italy and his partner Vinicius Font of Brazil have been crowned champions of the inaugural Phuket Beach Tennis Tournament. Calbucci and Font outplayed runners-up Nikita Burmakin and Sergey Kuptsov of Russia to win the ITF-sanctioned event, which was held over three days at the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort at Bang Tao, culminating with the final…
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Monster Phuket python caught, decade record set
PHUKET: Rescue workers wrangled a six-meter-long python out from under a Phuket home owner’s house early this morning. “It took us about two hours to remove the snake. It was absolutely huge. Weighing about 80kg, it was by far the biggest snake we’ve caught in the past 10 years,” said Sayan Thammapan, Ruamjai Rescue Foundation team leader. “When we received…
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