Year: 2001

  • Phuket NewsPolice release photo of drowning victim | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 11:55, 10 September 2001
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    Police release photo of drowning victim

    KATHU: Police have released a photograph of the foreigner who drowned off Patong Beach on August 31 in the hope that someone may recognize the unidentified man. The victim, who was wearing a black swimming costume, was about 6 feet (1.83 meters) tall and was in his mid- to late 30s. He had short hair with patches of gray. He…

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  • Phuket NewsAnother Thai minister rebukes foreign press | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 03:06, 10 September 2001
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    Another Thai minister rebukes foreign press

    BANGKOK (AFP): Interior Minister Purachai Piemsombun has lashed out at the foreign media for its criticism of his “social evils” campaign which, he claims, is aimed at ridding Thailand of drugs and underage drinking. Purachai attacked a report in Time magazine that he thinks suggests that his crusade to shut down nightclubs, bars and karaoke joints by 2:00am is merely…

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  • Thailand NewsPhuket’s dog problem could be worse | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 01:05, 08 September 2001
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    Phuket’s dog problem could be worse

    LONDON: A drunk who claimed he had been raped by a dog was yesterday [4 Sept 01] jailed for 12 months. Martin Hoyle, 45, was arrested by police after a passing motorist and his girlfriend found a Staffordshire bull terrier, called Badger, shagging him at the side of a road in Highgate, North London. Prosecutor Ben Crosland said the couple…

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  • Phuket NewsCouple lose everything in blaze | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 00:35, 08 September 2001
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    Couple lose everything in blaze

    CHALONG: A couple lost everything they owned on Thursday when the tin shack in which they lived burned to the ground. Thewa Hirunkerd, 31, a construction worker who lived in the shack with her husband, told Pol Capt Sanae Panmee of Chalong Police Station that she had started a charcoal fire to cook some rice, but forgot to douse it…

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  • Phuket NewsMotorbike injuries soar in 2001 | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 00:28, 08 September 2001
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    Motorbike injuries soar in 2001

    PHUKET: The number of people injured in traffic accidents involving motorcycles has jumped this year, with 6,589 hurt between January 1 and July 20, compared with 6,068 in the same period of last year and 5,691 in 1999. Eighteen people died in traffic accidents between June 20 and July 20, according to statistics from the Wachira, Thalang and Patong government…

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  • Phuket News
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 06:23, 04 September 2001
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    Sex show gets Flash bar closed again

    PATONG: Phuket Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi has ordered the closure of the Flash A-Go-Go bar in Soi Bangla for a month after it was caught staging lewd shows a second time. At the beginning of last month Gov Pongpayome ordered Flash to close for 15 days for staging such entertainment. He told the Gazette today, “After they had been open again…

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  • Phuket NewsNew drive to register foreign labor | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 04:36, 04 September 2001
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    New drive to register foreign labor

    PHUKET: Kopit Temsongsai, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Employment Service Office (ESO), yesterday announced that the ESO has begun a drive to register all Burmese, Laotians and Cambodians working in Phuket. The drive is part of a national campaign, launched last Tuesday at a ministerial-level meeting in Bangkok, to verify that people of these nationalities are working legally in Thailand.…

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  • Phuket NewsWhat’s gone wrong at the Gazette Online? | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 01:20, 02 September 2001
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    What’s gone wrong at the Gazette Online?

    PHUKET: Our most profound apologies to our more than 7,000 Gazetteers, as well as all others who have attempted to use the Gazette website over the past eight days. The problems are not in any way related to the re-engineering of our site, or the launch of the makeover which, unfortunately, occurred just a few days before the site entered…

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  • Thailand NewsGov’t may try to steer Thais away from bargains | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 23:03, 01 September 2001
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    Gov’t may try to steer Thais away from bargains

    BANGKOK (AFP): Thailand may introduce zoning laws to rein in foreign-owned supermarkets that are edging out their local Thai competitors, officials said Tuesday. Government spokesman Kuthep Saikrajang said the cabinet was considering taking action after reports that competition from international hypermarkets such as Tesco Lotus and Carrefour is choking old-fashioned (high-priced) local Thai shops. Kuthep said the flashy chain stores…

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  • Phuket NewsSharp rise in drug arrests | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 01:26, 01 September 2001
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    Sharp rise in drug arrests

    PHUKET: The latest crime figures released by police here show that they made 128 drug raids and 150 drug-related arrests between August 1 and August 25. This is nearly double the number of arrests for drug offences during the same period in July. Slightly more than half of the drug arrests involved ya bah (methamphetamines), including the bust of a…

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  • Phuket NewsPolice appeal for donations | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 22:09, 31 August 2001
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    Police appeal for donations

    PATONG: Pol Col Chalit Thintanee, superintendent of Kathu Police, today appealed for donations from the public to modernize Kamala Police Station. “The building is 50 years old and has never been renovated. There is only one computer, which is old and slow,” Col Chalit said. He explained that 400,000 baht is needed for the modernization, which includes the construction of…

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  • Phuket NewsAirport passenger throughput still rising | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 22:06, 31 August 2001
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    Airport passenger throughput still rising

    PHUKET: While islanders enjoy the relative peace of the low season, figures just released by airport officials show that the number of passengers arriving or departing through Phuket International Airport is still rising. The statistics show that passenger throughput last month rose by 5.15% to 281,205, compared with 267,436 during July last year. The number of international passengers rose by…

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  • Phuket NewsPamuke elected Chamber leader, again | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 23:58, 30 August 2001
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    Pamuke elected Chamber leader, again

    PHUKET: Pamuke Achariyachai yesterday resigned as Chairman of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, but within minutes was re-elected to the post. K. Pamuke was originally elected Chairman on July 24 by a rump committee of just nine members, after the other 12 on the 21-man committee were found to be ineligible to serve because of membership irregularities. Of the nine…

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  • Phuket NewsAussie Navy trounces Vagabonds 36-10 | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 23:09, 30 August 2001
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    Aussie Navy trounces Vagabonds 36-10

    KOH KEAW: After a tight game in the first half, the team from the visiting Australian Navy ship HMAS Newcastle took charge to score a convincing 36-10 victory over the Phuket Vagabonds at Dulwich International College field on Monday. The Vagabonds were the first on the scoreboard with an unconverted try in the 10th minute of the game. Their lead…

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  • Phuket NewsUnidentified foreigner drowns at Patong | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 22:35, 30 August 2001
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    Unidentified foreigner drowns at Patong

    PATONG: Police have appealed for help in identifying a Caucasian man who drowned yesterday off Patong beach near the Phuket Cabana Resort. Pol Lt Col Sanguan Muangtham of Kathu Police station told the Gazette that he received the initial report about the drowning at 3:10 pm yesterday. Beach guard Jaroon Tohtat had attempted to help the man, Col Sanguan said,…

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  • Phuket NewsSeized yachts fail to sell at auction | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 07:37, 29 August 2001
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    Seized yachts fail to sell at auction

    PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Customs Region 5 office is holding on to the motor yacht “Old Crow” and the sailing yacht “Bin Cha Cha”, after failing to sell either of them at its auction today. At the Customs office on Phuket Rd, only two would-be buyers submitted bids for “Old Crow”, while no bids were made for “Bin Cha Cha”.…

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  • Koh Samui NewsTourists assaulted, raped on Koh Samui | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 23:53, 28 August 2001
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    Tourists assaulted, raped on Koh Samui

    BANGKOK (AFP): Two female tourists from Britain and Ireland were sexually assaulted on the island resort of Koh Samui, police said yesterday. Deputy Police Chief Sant Sarutanond said a search had been mounted for two Thai men suspected of raping the British national and sexually abusing the Irish tourist over the weekend. Sant said he had asked local police to…

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  • Koh Samui NewsTourists raped, assaulted on Koh Samui | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 23:50, 28 August 2001
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    Tourists raped, assaulted on Koh Samui

    BANGKOK (AFP): Two female tourists from Britain and Ireland were sexually assaulted on the island resort of Koh Samui, police said yesterday. Deputy Police Chief Sant Sarutanond said a search had been mounted for two Thai men suspected of raping the British national and sexually abusing the Irish tourist over the weekend. Sant said he had asked local police to…

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  • Phuket NewsGov Pongpayome to be Phuket’s first CEO | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 10:44, 28 August 2001
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    Gov Pongpayome to be Phuket’s first CEO

    PHUKET: The office of Phuket Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi was today flooded with bouquets from well-wishers congratulating the Governor on being appointed Phuket’s first Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Gov Pongpayome told the Gazette, “I’m glad the government trusts me and I appreciate having the chance to stay in Phuket, because there are still a lot of problems that I intend to…

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  • Phuket NewsMissing in action | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 10:37, 28 August 2001
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    Missing in action

    PATONG: A sailor from the visiting Australian frigate HMAS Newcastle, feared to have drowned early yesterday in the surf off Patong, apparently had a miracle escape – he resurfaced later in the day, 15 kilometers inland, at a soccer match at Surakul Stadium. A full-scale search for the sailor, named by police as “James”, was sparked after his companion for…

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  • Phuket NewsMissing boat passenger found drowned | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 10:25, 28 August 2001
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    Missing boat passenger found drowned

    LAEM PROMTHEP: Lifeguards from Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club yesterday found the body of missing 19-year-old Narthanong Kaewkanha floating off Koh Man, 300 meters from Laem Phromthep. K. Narthanong, a cleaner at Karon Municipality, went missing on Sunday evening after rough seas and strong winds sank the boat she was riding in. The body of the boat’s owner, Somsak…

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  • Phuket NewsSunset trip ends in tragedy | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 06:29, 27 August 2001
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    Sunset trip ends in tragedy

    LAEM PROMTHEP: A man drowned and a young woman is still missing after a fishing boat sank 800 meters off Laem Phromthep around 7 pm yesterday. The body of the boat’s owner, Somsak Nakaew, 30, was discovered about 11 am today at Yanui beach. Narthanong Kaewkanha, 19, remains missing. She is believed to have drowned. Pol Lt Col Narong Nerdbuth,…

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  • Phuket NewsResidents object to promotion of sex surgery | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 08:49, 26 August 2001
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    Residents object to promotion of sex surgery

    PHUKET (AFP): Residents of Phuket have reportedly objected to plans to promote bargain-priced sex-change surgery as a means of attracting more tourists to the island. The campaign risked harming the reputation of the southern resort, known for its white-sand beaches, reefs, nightlife and restaurants, they told the Thai-language daily ‘Khao Sod’. “I disagree with the idea of promoting tourism by…

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  • Phuket NewsBar crackdown dismays party-loving Bangkok | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 08:21, 26 August 2001
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    Bar crackdown dismays party-loving Bangkok

    BANGKOK (AFP): A government crackdown on pub closing hours in Bangkok, which has dismayed tourists and infuriated nightspot owners, drew warnings today that the campaign could also do major damage to the economy. In recent weeks, squads of police have descended on popular bar districts to enforce antiquated laws which stipulate that last drinks must be ordered at midnight and…

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  • Phuket NewsPrison appeals for donations | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 07:04, 24 August 2001
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    Prison appeals for donations

    PHUKET TOWN: Phuket Provincial Prison plans to set up a closed-circuit TV system between the prison and the Phuket Provincial Court Office – if the public will help to come up with the 120,000-baht estimated cost of the project. Phairoj Phankaew, Governor of the prison, told the Gazette that jails in other provinces such as Surat Thani, Chiang Mai already…

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  • Phuket News
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 07:03, 23 August 2001
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    Three arrested for bar owner’s murder

    PHUKET TOWN: Thanks to a combination of sheer good luck and one officer’s good memory, police have arrested Taweewut Saeton, 31, and two minors aged 15 and 16 in connection with the rape and murder on Saturday of Pranorm Anuan, 24, the owner of the Shark Otto Bar in Soi Eric, Patong. Taweewut and one of the minors are from…

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  • Thailand NewsNaughty cameras target women in Bangkok | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 06:01, 23 August 2001
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    Naughty cameras target women in Bangkok

    BANGKOK (AFP): Police said today that they are investigating reports that hidden cameras have been placed in department store changing rooms to spy on women as they try on clothing and underwear. The Metropolitan Police have sent undercover women officers into the city’s stores to check for any suspicious equipment in the fitting rooms, said Pol Lt Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen.…

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  • Thailand NewsMan with world’s longest hair dies | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 07:17, 22 August 2001
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    Man with world’s longest hair dies

    CHIANG MAI: A Thai hilltribesman who held the record for having the world’s longest hair has died of a stroke, leaving his elder brother to claim the title, police and local reports said Wednesday. Hmong tribesman Hoo Sateow, 77, whose lengthy locks were measured by Guinness World Records in 1997 at 5.15 meters, died in his village outside Chiang Mai…

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  • Phuket NewsChamber meeting fails to resolve chaos | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 07:09, 22 August 2001
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    Chamber meeting fails to resolve chaos

    PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Chamber of Commerce held an extraordinary meeting yesterday at The Metropole hotel to resolve its membership problems, but the tense evening ended only in further disagreement. Only 59 of the 220 members attended, barely a quorum under the Chamber’s constitution. The new chairman, Pamuke Achariyachai, announced that all memberships that had previously been voided because of…

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  • Phuket NewsHotels cough up 30% of rooms tax | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 07:05, 22 August 2001
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    Hotels cough up 30% of rooms tax

    PHUKET: Dr Prasit Koysiripong, president of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), told the Gazette yesterday that Phuket hotels are finally coming forward to pay the much-disputed hotel tax. “Hotels have been coming to the OrBorJor to pay the tax,” he said, adding that at least 10 hotels had come forward since last month and paid their dues, boosting the…

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  • Phuket NewsOne small step for a tunnel | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 07:00, 22 August 2001
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    One small step for a tunnel

    PATONG: The planned Kathu-Patong tunnel has taken a small step closer to reality with the publication of an “inception report”, the first report on progress in the 3-million-baht pre-feasibility study for the project. The inception report was prepared jointly by Skanska Teknik Co Ltd of Sweden and Bangkok-based Water Development Consultants Co Ltd. The pre-feasibility study, which is scheduled for…

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  • Phuket NewsTwo seized yachts to be auctioned | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 06:35, 21 August 2001
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    Two seized yachts to be auctioned

    PHUKET TOWN: Two boats, a classic Hatteras motor yacht and a small sailing yacht, are to be auctioned on August 29 at the Phuket Customs Region 5 offices on Phuket Rd. The boats were seized after their owners, both foreigners, failed to pay Thailand’s crushing 209% boat import taxes. The motor yacht, the ‘Old Crow’, which belonged to a Swiss…

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  • Phuket NewsThai police, FBI arrest “most-wanted” paedophile | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 03:02, 21 August 2001
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    Thai police, FBI arrest “most-wanted” paedophile

    BANGKOK (AFP): An American paedophile rated by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as one of its 10 “most wanted” fugitives was arrested this morning in the Thai capital. Thai police working with FBI officers collared 48-year-old pianist Eric Franklin Rosser, who is charged with producing and possessing child pornography and exporting it to the United States. After his…

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  • Phuket NewsPatong bar owner raped and murdered | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 06:23, 20 August 2001
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    Patong bar owner raped and murdered

    PHUKET TOWN: The body of Pranorm Anuan, owner of the Shark Otto Bar in Soi Eric, Patong, was found in an old tin mine north of the Tesco-Lotus Supercenter early on Saturday morning. A villager who was jogging in the area found the body and notified the police around 6:20 am. When found, 24-year-old Pranorm was wearing black boots and…

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  • Phuket NewsThailand teeters toward recession | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 01:56, 20 August 2001
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    Thailand teeters toward recession

    BANGKOK (AFP): Thailand could slide into technical recession if second-quarter growth results due next month fall into negative territory, dashing hopes for a recovery from the 1997 financial crisis, analysts say. Over the three months to March, Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 0.2 percent when compared to the previous quarter, although on a year-on-year basis it recorded a…

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  • Phuket NewsB500m tourist center planned for Rawai | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 03:06, 18 August 2001
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    B500m tourist center planned for Rawai

    PHUKET: A Bangkok-based businessman plans to begin work next year on the construction of a 500-million-baht tourist complex that will provide visitors with “everything they need to know” about the island’s history, culture and environment. Ramese Kanjanapokin, Executive Vice President of architectural consultancy Design 103 International Ltd, told the Gazette that the planned complex will cover 10 rai behind the…

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  • Phuket NewsEx-mayor to remain in custody | Thaiger
    Legacy Phuket GazettePublished: 03:03, 18 August 2001
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    Ex-mayor to remain in custody

    PHUKET TOWN: The former mayor of Patong, Dr Anan Ananthanawat, was today remanded in custody in the Phuket Provincial Prison for a further 12 days while police continue their investigations into charges against him. Dr Anan is accused of hiring hit men to kill former Pol Sub-Lt Weerapol Panrod on Luang Phor Wat Chalong Rd, Phuket Town, in December 1998.…

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