Month: October 2005
- Phuket News
Local phone book swamps server
PHUKET: Following a bulletin last Wednesday announcing that the deadline for listings in the 2006 Gazette Guide (local “yellow” pages) would be tonight, October 31, the Gazette web server has been under heavy pressure and has suffered sporadic downtime. In what may be a reflection of the recent surge in local business confidence, approximately 480 new listings and/or updates have been entered…
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HRH to return to Phuket
PHUKET: HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will be in Phuket again from November 12 to 14, Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura announced yesterday morning.Although the official itinerary has yet to be announced, he said that the Princess will bring with her eight of the 12 adjudicators of the Prince Mahidol Award, which is given each year in recognition of exemplary contributions to…
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Tourism industry worries about labor shortage
PHUKET: The island’s tourism industry is suffering a shortage of skilled staff because many workers left the island during the slump after the tsunami, Dechar Peukpattanaruk, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Labor Office, said today.He said that although many people are applying for the estimated 4,000 vacancies in Phuket’s tourism industry, very few of them have the appropriate qualifications or…
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Princess enjoys playtime with Thai orphans
PHUKET: Princess Maja Synke von Hohenzollern of Germany was in Phuket yesterday to enjoy a few hours of fun with 23 orphans being taken care of by the Beluga School for Life at Na Nai in Phang Nga. The school was established soon after the tsunami and is being funded for 10 years by Niels Stolberg, the managing director of…
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Police nab 7-Eleven Gang
PHUKET CITY: Police have rounded up a seven-member gang – three of them women – in connection with armed robberies of four 7-Eleven convenience stores over a five-day period, starting last Friday (October 21).Four of the gang were paraded before the press and identified as Jarin Tunrat, 26; Rungrudee Kaewchu, 27; Monya Lao-ngam, 18; and Komsan Pornlert, 27. All are…
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Tsunami siren test declared a success
PHUKET: One of Patong’s three tsunami warning towers was tested this morning, its siren being triggered remotely from the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok.Adm Thaweesak Daengchai, Adviser to the NDWC, told the Gazette he was pleased with the test and with the fact that, this time, most people seemed to know that it was a drill…
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Frenchman kills self “over debts’
PHUKET: French resident Laurent Huppe was found dead in his house in Ao Yon on Wednesday. Police say they believe he committed suicide, possibly because of heavy debt.Mr Huppe’s landlord, Donraman Srikwan, noticed a bad smell when he visited Mr Huppe’s two-story wooden home on the Baan Borrea-Khao Khad Rd in Wichit district, and found the bedroom door locked. He…
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Princess arrives in Phuket
PHUKET: HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn arrived in Phuket today to take part in a Tod Kathin ceremony, during which people donated money to Wat Luang Phu Supa in Chalong.The wat is the residence of Abbot Luang Phu Supa who, at 111 years of age, is the oldest Abbot on the island.After the ceremony the Princess traveled to Baan Nam…
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Patong tsunami alarms to be tested
PATONG: The three existing tsunami warning towers along Patong beach will be tested between 10 am and 11:30 am on Friday this week. The testing, to be conducted jointly by the Municipality and officials from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry, is aimed at ensuring that the towers’ direct satellite links to the Nonthaburi-based National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC)…
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Jetstar begins flights to Phuket
PHUKET: Singapore-based economy airline Jetstar Asia yesterday began its four-times-weekly service from Singapore to Phuket, with tickets selling for as little as S$30 (about 725 baht) until December 15. Jetstar Asia flights leave Singapore every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:05 am, arriving in Phuket at 7:45 am. The return flight leaves Phuket at 8:45 am, arriving in Singapore…
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Mystery surrounds photographer’s murder
PHUKET CITY: A freelance photographer was gunned down on October 21 while watching TV in his house behind Suan Luang park.Pol Sub Lt Aumporn Musikapan of the Phuket City Police Station named the victim as Thavil Laksanavimol, 36, from Nakorn Sri Thammarat Province.He was watching TV at about 10:15 pm with the 14-year-old daughter of a neighbor when his assailant,…
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Phuket City police chief promoted
PHUKET: The Superintendent of Phuket City Police, Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, is one of a number of senior police who are being promoted or transferred as part of the annual national police reshuffle.Col Paween has been promoted to Deputy Commander of the Surat Thani Provincial Police. His replacement is Lt Col Natta Sawaetalaek, formerly Deputy Superintendent of Thalang Police.Also leaving…
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Rape charges dropped
PATONG: Rape charges against two Thai singers have been dropped at the request of the alleged victim, 18-year-old “Anna” (not her real name), a tourist from Holland. Pol Lt Weerapong Rakhito of Kathu Police Station said, “The case was closed because the victim came to us with her lawyers to ask to have the charges dismissed. I did not ask…
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TTVI center closure may be postponed
PHUKET: The Thai Tsunami Victims Identification (TTVI) Center has asked the government to postpone the Bangkok center’s closure from December 26 to February 28 because it will not be able to finish its work by the end of the year.Pol Col Khemmarin Hassiri, Superintendent of the TTVI’s Thai disaster victim identification (DVI) unit, said that the TTVI submitted its request…
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Bird ‘flu precautions stepped up
PHUKET: Following the death of a farmer in Kanchanaburi province from bird ‘flu and the infection of his son with the disease, Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura has ordered officials to step up measures to ensure there is no outbreak of the disease in Phuket.No cases of avian ‘flu have ever been recorded on the island.“I’m very serious about this, because…
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Security camera plan gets a boost
PHUKET: The provincial government has moved forward with its plans to introduce surveillance cameras in tourist areas to increase security and boost the island’s image as a safe holiday destination.Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura, during his weekly “CEO meeting” attended by provincial government and other public officials, said that the estimated budget of 50.7 million baht will cover constructing, equipping, maintaining and…
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Bizarre death “was an accident’
PATONG: Police say they believe that the bizarre death of Rassamee Pholrat was an accident, and they expect to close their investigation soon.The 22-year-old from Udon Thani was found dead at the Safari Elephant Camp on Siriraj Rd on October 5, half-naked and apparently trampled to death by an elephant.Kathu Police Superintendent Pol Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen explained to the Gazette,…
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Meridien Khao Lak owner raps TAT
KHAO LAK: The owner of another leading Khao Lak resort has backed the opinions of La Flora owner Sompong Daowpiset over the lack of support the resort area has received from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) since the tsunami.Speaking just after the reopening of his Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort on Friday, ML Vitya Chakrabandhu told…
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New vice-governors arrive
PHUKET: As Vice-Governor Supachai Yuvaboon prepares to move on to a new post in Bangkok, two new vice-governors have arrived to replace him and Vinai Buapradit, who was promoted to Governor of Phang Nga on October 1.The two new vice-governors are Vorapoj Rattasima and Pongsak Playmek, who were previously vice-governors of Samut Songkram and Samut Sakorn respectively.K. Supachai, who arrived…
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Gov solves sand hassles
PHUKET: Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura has given approval in principle for Australian resident Stafford Steer to buy sand from Nai Harn Beach and spread it on a beach volleyball court he plans to open soon.At a meeting with the Governor yesterday, Mr Steer explained that he will require some 20 truckloads of sand to cover the 360-square-meter court off Soi Suksan…
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Major plans revealed for Ao Phuket
PHUKET CITY (Gazette, Nation): After a lull of 10 months, the Ao Phuket development project – a plan to build a mini-city on reclaimed land in the bay off Saphan Hin, is once again gathering momentum. Plans include a convention and exhibition center, and a casino.Today at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall. chaired by the Interior Ministry Deputy Chief…
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THAI hikes fares for high season
THAILAND: On November 1, the official start of Phuket’s high season, Thai Airways International (THAI) will increase its fares on domestic flights.In a press release issued today, Kalayapha Panich, Thai Airways’ Phuket-based District Sales Manager for Upper-Southern Thailand, said that THAI informed travel agents of the price rises last Friday The increases will affect both business and economy class tickets – THAI…
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At least four dead in Burmese massacre
RASSADA: Four Burmese fishermen were murdered yesterday in what appears to have been the slaughter of the crew of one boat by the crew of another at the fishing port.One badly injured man is in Wachira Phuket Hospital, and police believe that more bodies may yet turn up.Phuket City Police Station Inspector, Pol Maj Yongyuth Krongmalai, told the Gazette this…
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Tsunami memorial website launched
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial government has launched a website to commemorate the December 26 tsunami. The website, www.phuketremembers.com, which is in Thai and English, has a section for the posting of personal tributes, including photos of people lost to the tsunami; a memorial guestbook where people may post personal thoughts; and a photo gallery showing the damage caused on December…
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Police press for Talbot to be tried for murder
PHUKET CITY: Kathu Police today turned over to the Provincial Public Prosecutor’s Office the case file on Paul Chetwynd-Talbot, who stands accused of the murder of his girlfriend, fellow Briton Debra O’Hanlon, on July 31.Chetwynd-Talbot has been held in custody since he surrendered at the Kathu Police Station on the evening of August 3 and confessed to killing 31-year-old Ms…
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La Flora owner lashes out at govt, TAT
KHAO LAK: The Minister of Interior, ACM Kongsak Wantana, said yesterday that he was proud of the speed with which Thailand was recovering from last December’s tsunami.Speaking at the reopening of the 200-million-baht La Flora Resort & Spa, which originally opened the day before the tsunami, the Minister said, “After inspecting many places [in Thailand] affected by the tsunami I…
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Airport bus service off to a slow start
PHUKET: Despite getting off to a slow start on its October 1 launch, the new Airport Bus service is slowly gaining in popularity as the public becomes aware of the new low-cost transport option, say its operators.Wiched Radomkij, Manager of Phuket Mahanakorn Co (PMC), which runs the service, said part of the problem stemmed from the fact that the company…
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Scandinavian charter airline sees record bookings
PHUKET: Copenhagen-based My Travel Airways, one of Europe’s largest charter operators, is seeing record bookings to Phuket for the imminent high season, says its Head of Information, Torben Andersen.“The sales situation in Scandinavia is very good,” Mr Andersen told the Gazette by email. “In Denmark we have sold seven out of 10 seats for the coming season. That is 10-15%…
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Ruampaet hospital to close
PHUKET CITY: After being open for 26 years, Phuket’s first private hospital, Phuket Ruampaet Medical Center on Phuket Rd, will close on November 30.Dr Mitr Theva-Aksorn, the hospital’s Director, told the Gazette, “We don’t have the money to continue the lease on the building, so we have to stop operating.”The hospital opened on November 22, 1979, with 36 inpatient beds.…
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“Impending tsunami’ rumors slammed
PHUKET: The National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) and Patong Municipality have dismissed as unfounded rumors circulating in Phuket and neighboring provinces that there will be a tsunami today or tomorrow.The rumors were initially sparked by a spam email two weeks ago, citing a soothsayer as predicting that a tsunami would happen between October 13 and 15.Today, in addition to people…
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Carnival “to be more international’
PHUKET: The annual carnival in Patong, held to mark the opening of the tourism high season, will take place this year from November 1 to 3, and has been renamed “Phuket Carnival 2005”.Phuket Tourist Association President Pattanapong Aikwanich explained that the yearly event is to have more of an international flavor. “We need to accept that 80% of Phuket’s tourism…
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Bypass road 6 months behind schedule
PHUKET: Work on the 111-million-baht project to widen the bypass road will be completed about six months behind schedule, in March 2006, the government official in charge of the work estimates.The artery is being widened to 24 meters in order to accommodate Phuket’s ever-growing number of vehicles. The section from Tesco-Lotus to the Darasamut School Intersection will be six lanes wide…
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Bar busted for underage male prostitution
PATONG: Kathu Police raided the Uncle Charlie’s Boys nightclub on Soi Paradise last Saturday night and arrested two employees on charges of pandering, including arranging the provision of sexual services by boys under 15 years of age. The bar owners, a father-and-son team, were later arrested on six charges, including violations of the Penal Code and Labour Act. Police have…
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Four Phuket hotels get five-star rating
PHUKET: JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, Dusit Laguna Resort, Sheraton Grand Laguna Phuket and the Mangosteen Resort & Spa have each been given a coveted five-star rating, marking them out as among the best in Thailand.The accolade was awarded by the Foundation for Standards and Human Resources Development in the Service and Tourism Industry (Hotel Standards) on September 27,…
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Sales of gasohol soar in Phuket
PHUKET: Energy Minister Viset Jupiban has confirmed that gasohol is an effective fuel, saving users money and also reducing pollution.Gasohol, also known as E10, is developed in Thailand by the Royal Chitralada Project and is made up of 99.5% pure ethyl alcohol sourced from sugarcane, blended with gasoline in a 1:9 ratio. This results in an alternative fuel with properties…
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Korean guide dies in car smash
WICHIT: (Kom Chad Luek) Korean tour guide Song Won Park, 44, was killed instantly when the gray Honda Accord he was driving slammed into a power pole on Chao Fa West Rd at 2:30 am on Saturday.Witnesses said they saw Park speeding toward Chalong from the Darasamut School intersection. He appeared to lose control on the wet road in front…
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New banknote to commemorate end of slavery
THAILAND: The Bank of Thailand will launch a new 100-baht banknote on October 21 to commemorate the abolition of slavery in Thailand 100 years ago.The side of the banknote featuring HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej will remain unchanged.The reverse side, however, will feature a picture of HM King Chulalongkorn Rama V, who reigned from 1868 to 1910, standing above the slaves…
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