Month: June 2005
- Phuket News
Art exhibitions “to boost tourism’
PHUKET CITY: In an attempt to revitalize post-tsunami tourism, the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (OCAC) is organizing a series of art exhibitions in Phuket between July and December.“Unique Andaman”, which will be held at Central Festival Phuket in July – the exact date has not yet been decided – will feature works entered in a contemporary art contest…
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Mystery over suicide case’s real identity
BANGKOK: The New Zealand Embassy has appealed for help in identifying a man who committed suicide in a Phuket hotel on June 18 (the previous story can be seen here. The man, who was found dead in the Phuket Merlin Hotel after apparently swallowing a large number of antihistamine and tranquilizer pills, was initially identified from the hotel register as…
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THAI to double domestic fuel surcharge
PHUKET: From Friday July 1, Thai Airways International (THAI) will double the surcharge levied on domestic fares because of the continuing rise in the cost of fuel on the world market.The increase will take the surcharge for a round trip from the existing 200 baht to 400 baht. For a one-way journey it will rise from 100 baht to 200…
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Fine behavior
BANGKOK: The daughter of a retired police general ran amok at Dusit Police Station after suffering the indignity of seeing her boyfriend fined for driving without a license. The incident occurred at about 11 pm on June 26. Kwanreuthai Taensawat, 31, and her 25-year-old brother Supakorn were in a pickup truck being driven by her boyfriend, Thongchai Khombaramee, when it…
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PSU dumps controversial casino course
PHUKET: The Phuket campus of the Prince of Songkhla University (PSU) has decided that it will no longer offer its controversial course in casino and gaming management after the Senatorial Committee on Education, Religion, Arts and Culture declared that the course was “opposed to Buddhism”.Even though casinos are illegal in Thailand, the university offered its first – and only –…
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Phuket and Andamans to be twinned
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Province will be officially “twinned” with Port Blair, capital of India’s Andaman & Nicobar Islands, at a signing ceremony to take place at Phuket Provincial Hall tomorrow. At a meeting yesterday to prepare for the arrival of the Indian delegation, Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura told attendees that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was keen to expand trade and tourism…
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Volunteers sought for Samaritans’ office
KHAO LAK: The legacy of emotional trauma left by the tsunami is generally unquantified, but perceived to be widespread throughout the affected communities.In response to this, the Samaritans of Thailand is seeking volunteers to man telephones, answering calls from people in distress at the Samaritans’ office at the Mental Health Recovery Center in Khao Lak.The Samaritans have also asked Thai…
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Phuket to be “C-Commerce’ guinea pig
PHUKET CITY: Phuket and Chiang Mai are to pilot a new e-commerce scheme that will allow tour operators and travel agents anywhere in the world to give tourists up-to-date information on destinations, and to make hotel and tour bookings.Under the “Tourism C-Commerce Outlet” initiative, tour operators will be able to link to tourist attractions, spas, hotels, restaurants and other places…
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Navy completes home-building on Lanta
KOH LANTA: The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) yesterday handed over the last 16 of a total of 60 homes it has built for tsunami victims on Koh Lanta. The Navy builders will now move on to Koh Khor Khao, near Baan Nam Khem in Phang Nga, to build a further 28 houses.Adm Phirasak Watcharamul, Deputy Commander of the RTN, handed…
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Dog pound in dire straits
THALANG: Food supplies are dwindling at the Mid Road Dog Shelter in Thalang, leaving some 300 dogs to subsist on rations of cat food donated after the tsunami.Even this supply is expected to run out by the end of July and there appears to be no long-term solution to the problem.The controversial facility, opened last July, was intended as a…
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Dulwich no more
KOH KAEW: As of midnight tonight Dulwich International College (DIC) will no longer exist, as the island’s premier private school becomes the British Curriculum International School, Phuket.This afternoon, on the school’s final day as DIC, the annual secondary school prizegiving assembly was held.During his speech to the assembly, the Academic Director, Dr George Hickman, said, “Yes, we are undergoing a…
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Patong to get B20 tuk-tuk service
PATONG: A fleet of 24 tuk-tuks will ply a circular route through the streets of Patong for no more than 20 baht per passenger by the time the next high season arrives, Teerayuth Prasertphol, Chief Technical Officer at Phuket Provincial Transportation Office, announced today.K. Teerayuth explained that the tuk-tuks will pass along the route every five to 10 minutes, though…
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Korean airlines suspend direct Phuket flights
PHUKET: South Korea’s two leading air carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, will suspend their direct flights to Phuket from next week.South Korea’s Construction and Transportation Ministry said on Tuesday that it had accepted the airlines’ applications for suspension of operations to Phuket, blamed on an abrupt decline in the number of passengers.Asiana will stop flights between Seoul and Phuket…
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Wissanu recommends tsunami complaint centers
BANGKOK (The Nation, Gazette): Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, back in Bangkok after reviewing the tsunami aid situation on the ground, will ask the Cabinet to set up complaint centers in the six disaster-hit provinces to field queries about the distribution of state funds and private donations to tsunami victims.Government spokesman Chalermdej Jombunud said K. Wissanu would inform the Cabinet…
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Trip of lifetime for Phuket IMPAC winner
DUBLIN, IRELAND: A Phuket student and her mother were among the 250 international guests at the City Hall here on June 15, when the 2005 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award was presented to American Edward P Jones for his novel, The Known World. The annual IMPAC Award is, at 100,000 Euros (about 5 million Baht), the richest prize in the…
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Phuket Immigration to open Saturdays
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Immigration Office is to extend its service hours by opening Saturdays from 8:30 am until midday and staying open during the lunch hour on weekdays.Pol Capt Krissarat Nusen of the Phuket Immigration Office told the Gazette that the new hours for the office, in Phuket City, came into force on Saturday (June 18).“From Mondays to Fridays…
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Deputy PM checks on stalled relief funds
PHUKET: Six months after the tsunami, local people in the stricken areas are still asking the same question; “When will we receive our compensation?” The man given the job of answering that question, Deputy Prime Minister Vissanu Kreangam, appointed by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as chairman of the Tsunami Victim Administration, came to the region on June 18 for a…
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Tsunami “causes rise in piracy’
PHUKET: The national commander of the Marine Police, Pol Maj Gen Suraphol Thuanthong, visited Phuket on June 18 to discuss ways of protecting vessels going through the Straits of Malacca from pirate attacks, which he said have become more frequent since the tsunami.Gen Suraphol explained, “We don’t really have accurate statistics, because not all cases are reported, but I think…
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Police booth demolished after fire
PHUKET: A police booth at the intersection of Patipat Rd and Ranong Rd has been demolished after being badly damaged in a fire at 3 am on Saturday.Phuket City Police Station Superintendant Col Paween Pongsirin discounted rumours that the fire had been started by vandals, or by a bomb placed by gangsters. He told the Gazette it was thought the…
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Man drowns while fishing
RAWAI: Chartchai Chumkaew, 27, from Nakorn Sri Thammarat, drowned after being sucked into the sea Friday while fishing near Nai Harn Beach, Rawai. His body was found Sunday by a scuba diving team.K. Chartchai reportedly went fishing among the rocks at Ao Sane Bungalows near Nai Harn Beach. It is thought that a large swell pulled him off the rocks…
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“Bike racer’ found dead in hotel
PHUKET CITY: The body of a 45-year-old New Zealander was discovered in a room at the Phuket Merlin Hotel on June 19, in what police believe was a case of suicide.Terrance Hicks, from Auckland, was found dead at 3 pm, surrounded by discarded pill containers, Pol Lt Thivakorn Kongpeth of Phuket City Police Station told the Gazette.Investigators estimate that Mr Hicks took…
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May sees decrease in road deaths
PHUKET CITY: Official figures from Wachira, Thalang and Patong hospitals, as well as Phuket International and Ruampaet private hospitals show 10 people died in motorcycle accidents on Phuket’s roads during May.In addition, two people were killed in car accidents.The figures represent a decrease of 45% on those for April when 22 people died in Phuket – 18 on motorcycles and three in…
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Japanese club together to boost Phuket
PHUKET CITY: The number of Japanese tourists visiting Phuket is recovering – albeit slowly because of misperceptions and feelings of guilt about visiting the tsunami disaster region. Now, to give the island’s image a boost in Japan, a “Japanese Love Thais” festival is to be held June 25 at the Royal Phuket City Hotel.Phuket Japanese Association President Kazushi Miyashita said…
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Tsunami aid payouts top B1bn
PHUKET CITY: The new chief of the Phuket Provincial Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), Boonchai Somjai, yesterday released figures showing that, so far, more than a billion baht has been spent in Phuket on helping people recover from the December 26 tsunami.K. Boonchai, who took up the position of Phuket ODPM chief on Thursday, said that aid from…
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Project aims to reduce landslide problem
PATONG: Construction is due to begin in August on a 3.2-million-baht project aimed at mitigating damage from landslides in Patong.Eight-meter long pipes are to be placed under four points along 50 Pi Rd to funnel water from higher ground into the nearby klong, thus reducing the likelihood of a landslide.If a landslide does occur, it will be stopped, it is…
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Gov airs ideas to boost Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Almost six months after the tsunami, Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura is hoping to turn the first anniversary of the disaster into a major public relations coup for the island.At his weekly CEO meeting, Gov Udomsak unveiled a “wish list” of promotional events aimed at attracting the world’s attention. An international beach volleyball competition, a property show, and cancellation of…
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Change of plan delays completion of park
PHUKET CITY: Because of a change of plan, part of a 40-million-baht park being built in honour of HM Queen Sirikit remains a muddy wasteland five months after the main part was finished.Under the original plans, six rai of the 10-rai site, on the south side of Dibuk Rd, was earmarked for the Queen’s Park; three rai was set aside…
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Visa fee exemptions aimed at wooing tourists
PHUKET CITY: Tourists from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan are being exempted from paying visa fees for Thailand as part of the ongoing attempt to revive tourism after the tsunami.In addition to the government waiving the 1,000-baht visa fee until October this year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is working with Thai Airways to put together a 3,500-baht mid-week…
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Fake goods make a real good fire
PHUKET CITY: Some 180,300 items of counterfeit goods, worth an estimated 37 million baht, went up in smoke in a mass burning at the solid waste incinerator at Saphan Hin on Tuesday.Presiding over the incineration was Pol Lt Gen Boonrith Rattanaporn, Assistant Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, accompanied by Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura and Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwannasuppana.Also…
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Warning to fuel hoarders
PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Department of Internal Trade has warned against hoarding of fuel after the price was increased today by a further 0.40 baht a liter.Officers at the department are worried that people may try to stockpile fuel in case the price rises still further. But, said the office, such stockpiles are a fire risk.Individuals caught hoarding…
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Rabbiting abbot
SARABURI: Ever wonder why clergy refer to non-clerics as “laypersons”? Perhaps it’s because those who are not in the priesthood seem to find it easier to get laid. But 59-year-old Phra Prapat Thammarat, Abbot of Wat Rongsaeng in Nongkhae District, apparently didn’t view his position as temple head as any reason not to bring his girlfriend back to his temple…
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Tsunami alarm system nearly complete
PHUKET: Patong, Kamala and Karon will all have world-standard tsunami alarm systems once the tsunami warning satellite receiver at the Tsunami and Disaster Center (TDC) in Nonthaburi is online.The link is expected to be activated within the coming week.Chairat Sukbal, Deputy Mayor of Patong, told the Gazette that the tsunami alarm system at Patong is ready for connection to the…
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Phuket gets boost at Le Mans
LE MANS, FRANCE: The message that Phuket is still a tropical paradise, and very much open for business, will be taken to a worldwide audience of motor racing fans next weekend, emblazoned along the side of one of the powerful cars racing in the famed Le Mans 24 Hours race.The car has been entered by Kruse Motorsport, whose Team Director,…
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Chalong police in corruption probe
PHUKET CITY: Pol L/Cpl Panya Dee-On and his superior officer, Pol Lt Col Peerapan Meemak, of Chalong Police Station, have been temporarily transferred to police regional headquarters in Surat Thani pending investigation of allegations that they accepted a bribe from Supa Nilwadee, a female construction foreman in Rawai.Thai TV station iTV on Wednesday last week broadcast footage showing L/Cpl Panya…
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Danish expert puts forward beaches plan
PHUKET: A Danish environmental expert presented a radical plan for the restoration of beaches to Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura on Saturday.Poul Jakobsen, General Manager of the Skagen Innovation Center (SIC), told the Gazette after the meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall, “We are a worldwide environmentally-friendly research company and have come to Phuket to help restore and maintain the beaches from Patong…
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Belgian beauties help tsunami victims
PHUKET: Bang Tao Beach has had more than its fair share of glamor in the past few days as Miss Belgium Beauty 2005, Cynthia Reekmans, along with models Sasja Beullens and Kathleen Claes, posed for fashion photographer Henk Van Cauwenbergh in the shooting of the annual Showbizz calendar.Brigitta Callens, Miss Belgium 1999, and make-up artist, told the Gazette that the Showbizz…
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Similan Islands closure reminder
PHUKET: The Head of the Similan Islands National Park has issued a reminder that the national park remains closed for the monsoon season, after a diveboat chartered for government research sank during a storm. Witthaya Hongwiangchan said that, as was the case every year, the park is closed from May 15 to November 15. He explained, “The southwest monsoon causes…
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