Month: October 2004
- Phuket News
Phuket Airport revenues soar
PHUKET AIRPORT: Phuket International Airport recorded almost 30% more revenue last year than in the previous year.Figures released this week during celebrations marking the airport’s 16th anniversary, show it brought in revenue of just over 1 billion baht between October 1 2003 and August 31 this year, compared to 785 million baht over the same 11 months in 2002 -2003.The…
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Patong businesses threaten “mob’ action
PATONG: After two weeks of unsuccessfully petitioning the government to compromise on operating hours, members of the Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) said in a meeting at Patong Hospital on Friday night they would have no alternative but to demonstrate if a last-ditch appeal to PM Thaksin Shinawatra is ignored.PEBA President Sompetch Moosophon said, “We will send the final petition…
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Inter Milan soccer clinic for Phuket
PHUKET CITY: A soccer clinic affiliated to top Italian side Inter Milan and featuring former Thai national players will be held in Phuket from December 4 to 6.Pimkamol Prasertwongse, Managing Director of Inter Campus Thai, a soccer academy set up by Inter Milan, said, “We expect that the island will be at the center of the sport’s development in southern…
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Top triathletes sign up for Laguna event
BANG TAO: Some of the world’s top triathletes will once again compete in the 11th Thai Airways International Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT), which will be held at the Laguna Phuket Resort on November 20.Some 500 athletes from more than 32 countries are expected to vie for prize money totaling US$20,000.Athletes already confirmed in the men’s category include: Australians Simon Thompson,…
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Thai champ wins lackluster Patong fight
PATONG: In the highly anticipated non-title fight between World Boxing Council flyweight champ Pongsaklek Wonjongkam and Randy Mangubat of the Philippines, the Thai champ improved his record to 55-2 in a rather lackluster win on points. However, in the first bout between Asian Boxing Council (ABC) Flyweight Champion Denburapha TwinsSpecial and top-ranked challenger Ponomrunglek Kratingdaeng-gym, the crowd was treated to…
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Thaksin to meet Malaysian PM in Phuket
PHUKET: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will hold his annual meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, at the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket next Wednesday.Yesterday, Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura called a meeting with the heads of government departments in Phuket to prepare for the mini-summit, during which cabinet ministers from both sides will also meet for talks.The governor…
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Bokhin offers glimmer of hope for bars
PHUKET CITY: Phuket’s bars and entertainment venues may be allowed to open later again, if their owners can convince the authorities that they are seriously taking action against under-age patrons, drugs and drunk-driving.Bhokin Balakula, Interior Minister, told the Gazette today that the entertainment laws must be enforced. But, he added, “There is a possibility the rules might be re-considered, if…
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It’s official: the rainy season’s here
PHUKET: The Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) today issued an advisory suggesting that hotels and the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Phuket office inform tourists (in case they hadn’t noticed) that it is now the rainy season.Heavy showers in the 24 hours to 7 am today dumped 67.7 mm of rain on the island.Vichit Phuangsombat, Director of the center, told the…
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Top boxing bouts moved to Patong
PATONG: Due to continuing rainy conditions, the three boxing matches scheduled to be staged at the Nong Harn Public Area along Karon Beach today have been moved to the Patong Boxing Stadium on Soi Kepsup 2, next to the Rock ‘n Bowl Bowling Alley.The action will get underway at 3:45 pm this afternoon. Admission is free. The main event will…
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All together, now…
PHUKET: Young musicians from nine Southeast Asian countries have been attending a week-long music camp in Phuket.Altogether, 243 students aged between 14 and 25 took part in the “Sayowe” camp. Sixty of the students are from Thailand.They are due to show off the results of their studies at concerts tomorrow night and Saturday at the Thai Cultural Centre in Bangkok.…
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American dies in motorbike accident
PATONG: A 43-year-old American tourist was killed when the motobike he was riding overshot a bend on the Patong-to-Kamala road early yesterday morning.The dead man has been named by police as Marko Lislie Balfour. Mr Balfour had been staying at the Marine Inn, Patong Beach. The accident happened at approximately 1:30 am on Thursday. Pol Maj Chaiyaphot Laorhumwirog of Kathu…
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Olympic heroes head for Phuket
PHUKET: People in Phuket have a chance to see and maybe chat with Thailand’s most successful Olympic team ever, when the athletes come to Phuket as part of a three-day victory tour of the Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi.The tour is yet another of the rewards heaped on the 60-strong squad, plus support staff, for their efforts in Athens –…
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Patong delegation upbeat after talks
PATONG: The entertainment industry in Patong is keeping its collective fingers crossed that Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula will be sympathetic to its plight after the recent imposition of earlier closing times.A three-man delegation from Patong emerged in optimistic mood from a meeting this afternoon in Bangkok with Pichet Sathirachawal, The ruling Thai Rak Thai party’s Chairman of Candidate Selection for…
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Swede dies in road accident
RAWAI: A 43-year-old Swedish resident of Rawai, named by police as Hans Ingemar, died in a motorcycle accident on Saiyuan Rd on Saturday night. His Thai girlfriend, who was riding pillion, was seriously injured when the motorbike collided with a pickup truck at around 11:30 pm.Mr Ingemar was taken to Wachira Phuket Hospital after the accident but was pronounced dead…
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F1 boat racing in Phuket confirmed
PHUKET: Phuket is to host a round of the world’s premier inshore powerboat racing championship, the UIM Formula I Powerboat Grand Prix, it was confirmed this week.Phuket Chamber of Commerce Chairman Pamuke Archariyachai told Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura on October 5 that championship organisers UIM had selected Phuket Deep Sea Port at Cape Panwa as the venue for one of the…
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Human Bar Code
PHUKET CITY: After undergoing an emergency appendectomy, a patient at Bangkok Phuket Hospital found himself unable to enter Big-C Supercenter without setting off the magnetic anti-theft security devices. Confused, embarrassed and unable to fulfill his rightful role in the Phuket consumer economy, 44-year-old Prapet Tiranon returned to the hospital and asked physicians to X-ray him to see if they had…
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Australian expertise sought for Chalong marina
PHUKET: Australian experts are being sought to help with developing the master plan for the proposed public marina project in Chalong Bay, Vice-Governor Niran Kalayanamit has told the Gazette.The vice-governor met with Ian Davey, Commercial Consultant for the Australian Embassy in Thailand, on Friday. V/Gov Niran told the Gazette that Mr Davey promised him that a professional consultant would be found…
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Post Office plans to solve mail problems
PHUKET: Mail is to be transported direct from Chumphon to Phuket as one of a series of measures aimed at improving speed of delivery and reducing the amount of misplaced or undelivered mail.The new system, to be implemented in January, will replace the existing one, whereby the post bounces through several southern provinces on its way to Phuket.Phuket Postmaster Visal Pongtiwattanakul…
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Bird ‘flu measures tightened up
PHUKET: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has ordered all state agencies to cooperate in eradicating bird ‘flu, after the reappearance of the disease in parts of Thailand this year.On Thursday, Gov Udomsak called a meeting of heads of state agencies in Phuket to ensure the island remains free of the disease.This meeting followed one the previous day in Bangkok, during which Prime…
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OrBorJor sets budget at B405m
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (OrBorJor) has set a budget for 2004-2005 of 405 million baht.Members met on September 30 and voted unanimously for the budget, which is 42 million baht – 11.6% – higher than the one for 2003-2004.Almost a quarter of the budget is earmarked for promoting Phuket as a tourist destination, and educational projects and programmes…
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E-government plan delayed
PHUKET CITY: Plans to set up a “one-stop shop” website, through which Phuket people could conduct transactions with government departments, have hit a glitch.In June, Dr Manoo Ordeedolchest, President of the Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa), said it was hoped that a simplified version of the website would be operational by July.However, Dr Rattana Wetprasit, Acting Manager of Phuket’s Sipa…
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Service sector suffering skills shortage
PHUKET CITY: Phuket is facing a recruitment crisis, with a shortage of workers who have the experience and foreign language skills required by the island’s service sector, the head of the Phuket Provincial Labour Protection and Welfare Office, Patom Phetmanee, warned yesterday.Speaking at Phuket City Hall, K. Patom said, “There is a great need for labor, especially in the hotel…
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Bus station shopkeepers finally evicted
PHUKET CITY: After five months of resisting an order to leave their premises at the Phuket City bus terminal, six shopkeepers have finally been evicted and their stores leveled to make room for more parking space for sorng taew.Teerayuth Prasertphol, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Transportation Office (PPTO), told the Gazette yesterday that the long-awaited court order, filed on May…
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New company to run city buses
PHUKET: Phuket City’s buses are to be run by a new company after the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) decided not to renew its contract with Andaman Trans Thai, which expired on September 30.The new contractor is Lucky General Transport, though the company will not take over the running of the bus services for two months.In the meantime, the bus…
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Patong night venues threaten protest
PATONG: Sompetch Moosopon, President of the Patong Entertainment Association, today said that owners of Patong entertainment venues will “take action” if their request for an extension to closing times is not granted.“If our request for Patong to be designated a special entertainment area – which will be proposed to Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula and Deputy Interior Minister Pracha Maleenont –…
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No Phuket takers for BoI-Sipa tax breaks
BANGKOK: More than a month after the government introduced tax incentives to attract foreign investment to the IT sector, not one Phuket-based company has stepped forward to apply for the privileges.The Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa) and the Board of Investment (BoI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on August 24 to grant new IT firms exemption from corporate income tax…
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