Year: 2006
- Phuket News
James Batt to leave Phuket
PHUKET: James Batt, Joint Managing Director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels (LRH), will leave the island in June to take up a new post as head of a chain of hotels headquartered in San Diego, California.Mr Batt joined LRH in November 1995 as Executive Director and Vice-President of Laguna Operations, responsible for overseeing the operations of all five resort hotels and…
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Call for Phuket people to join anti-Thaksin rally
PHUKET: The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) is urging the people of Phuket to join in a massive rally planned for Saturday at Sanam Luang in Bangkok, where protesters will demand that caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra resign.Amnuay Koombaan, a vice-president of the Phuket PAD, told the Gazette that he and other alliance members will leave Phuket at 6 pm…
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Suwit quits politics
PHUKET CITY: Suwit Sa’ngaimkul today announced his decision to quit politics. K. Suwit served as the Phuket Democrat Member of Parliament for Phuket District 1 for five years, until the recent dissolution called by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.“I was intending to finish my political career at the end of my second term [in 2009], but Parliament was dissolved first, so…
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Soi Dogs President resigns
PHUKET: The Soi Dog Foundation (SDF) announced today that co-founder and President Margot Homburg Park has resigned from the organization for personal reasons.In a statement, the SDF said that Mrs Park’s resignation has been regretfully accepted by the board. Vice-President John Dalley said, “Her contribution to relieving the problems of the island’s stray dog population cannot be overstated. She will…
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Two cops held for Ko Noi murder
PHUKET CITY: Two Phuket Provincial Police officers have been arrested in connection with the March 14 assassination of Preecha “Ko Noi” Kraitas, owner of the Phuket Shooting Range and the Fisherman Way housing estate. K. Preecha was shot twice in the head while driving along Wiset Rd at 11 pm with his wife and son. He died in hospital the…
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Housing Bank to auction foreclosed property
PHUKET: The Government Housing Bank (GHB) will hold this year’s first auction of foreclosed property on April 22 at the GHB Phuket branch on Bangkok Rd in Phuket City. The repossessed properties include land plots, offices, condominiums and houses in Phuket and Phang Nga Provinces with a total estimated value of about 40 million baht.Withaya Saenphakdee, Manager of the GHB…
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Charity rules tightened to stop abuse
PHUKET: In an effort to prevent people from setting up charities as fronts to support themselves, Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura will require all organizations seeking foundation status to sign a consent form allowing the province to deregister them if they fall inactive, without having to resort to the courts. The surprise announcement was made Thursday morning by Phuket’s Chief Administrative…
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Ancient bricks and pots unearthed
THALANG: Researchers say bricks and earthenware pots uncovered by construction work in Tambon Ban Don confirm the area was the site of an Ayudhya-period settlement, Phuket’s largest at the time, more than 200 years ago.Ten funerary pots filled with human bones, along with numerous bricks, were unearthed by a team of builders led by Prayun Na-udomon on March 13, when…
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Police vow to catch tycoon’s killers
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Pol Col Chalit Tinthanee said today that police were “certain to arrest the murderers” of Phuket businessman Preecha “Ko Noi” Kraitas. K. Preecha, 43, was shot twice in the head while driving home along Wiset Rd late on Tuesday night. (Sea earlier story here.) He was rushed to Phuket International Hospital, but died…
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Villagers protest against Ao Por Marina
PHUKET CITY: About 40 people from six villages in Tambon Pa Khlok protested at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning about damage to coral in Ao Por caused, they said, by Italian Thai Development Co, which is constructing a 95-million-baht marina in the bay. The villagers presented an official letter of complaint about work on the project, which they said is…
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Phuket businessman assassinated
RAWAI: Preecha “Ko Noi” Kraitas, 43, owner of the Phuket Shooting Range and the Fisherman Way housing estate, was shot while driving home from dinner with his wife and his nine-year-old son late last night. He died later in hospital.Pol Capt Padungpong Duksukkaew of Chalong Police Station told the Gazette that K. Preecha was driving along Wiset Rd with his…
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PGTV launches on the Internet
PHUKET: Programming from PGTV, the Phuket Gazette‘s new TV production unit, can now be watched online at thethaiger.com/tv, or by clicking on the “TV-Phuket” link above. Ten minutes of news and 10 minutes of documentaries or interviews are now uploaded to the site every day, Monday to Friday, at 10 am from the PGTV studios. The program consists of Phuket news, followed…
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Former cop to take on Sriyada at polls
PHUKET: A former policeman will take on Dr Sriyada Palimapan of the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) Party in District 1 in the April 2 parliamentary election, but the TRT candidate for District 2, Wisut Santikul, will run unopposed.Provincial Election Commission (PEC) Director Kittipong Thiengkunagrit told the Gazette that in District 1, covering Phuket City and environs, the candidates will be…
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Arsonists torch “Thaksin Out’ stage
SAPHAN HIN: In what appears to have been a show of support for caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, arsonists set fire to the backdrop of a stage set up by opponents of the PM early yesterday morning, destroying most of it.The stage was set up several weeks ago by supporters of businessman Sondhi Limtongkul and the People’s Alliance for Democracy.…
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Patong beach chair “disorder’ slammed
PATONG: The unexpectedly swift recovery of tourism after the tsunami has resulted in “disorder” on Patong Beach, with tsunami escape routes blocked by beach chairs and harsh words at a recent meeting of Patong Municipality.At the meeting, Vice-Governor Worapot Ratthasima said that he had received an instruction from Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura to control the disorderly state of beach chairs and…
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Fire guts Crocodile Disco
PATONG: A fire early this morning gutted the popular Crocodile Disco on Soi Bangla, causing damage estimated at 40 million baht, according to the disco’s manager. The manager, Amnuay Kuabkum, told the Gazette that the fire broke out around 5 am, while guards were sitting outside to ensure the safety of the three-story complex, located at the end of Soi…
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The hazards of rescue work
THALANG: Three Kusoldham Rescue Foundation workers had to call in rescuers themselves at about 3 am on March 10, after being assaulted by a group of more than 20 girls and ladyboys at the PTT filling station in Baan Lipon, Tambon Srisoonthorn. Chaiya Pariensati said he and two other rescue workers were on duty when they noticed a young woman…
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Money no object for party guy
THALANG: Police arrested a young drunk who ordered a feast of food and drinks at a sing-song joint in Tambon Srisoonthorn and then couldn’t pay the bill. Upon questioning, the man admitted to police that he had done this before. Forty-five times. News of the penniless party guy reached Thalang Police at about 1:30 am on February 27, when a…
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Ex-cop sought for Patong murder
PATONG: Kathu police have issued an arrest warrant for an ex-policeman, L/Cpl Anan Hincheeranan, formerly of the Special Branch of the Royal Thai Police and latterly a security guard at Soi Bangla’s Crazy Bar, for the murder of Metha Thongkaew, his counterpart at the Snack Bar on Soi Tiger. Both bars are foreign-owned.K. Metha, 28, from Haad Yai, was shot…
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Registrations open for Phuket Marathon
CHERNG TALAY: Laguna Phuket, known worldwide for its annual triathlon, will be the official host and presenting sponsor for the inaugural Phuket International Marathon, to be held on June 18. Raimund Wellenhofer, Managing Director of Bangkok-based event organizer, Go Adventure Asia, said, “We are thrilled to be working with Laguna Phuket. Their extensive experience with the triathlon makes them an…
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Mixed results for US boxers
SAPHAN HIN: A crowd of about 500 people turned up to the humid confines of Saphan Hin’s Gym 1 last night to watch the “Miss Lily Supermodel Muay Thai Championships 2006”, which pitted some of Thailand’s best female Muay Thai fighters against American fighters trained by Las Vegas-based Muay Thai trainer Thohsaphon “Master Toddy” Sitiwatjana.Some of the matches on the…
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Ranong quake rumor denied
PHUKET: The National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) has denied rumors of a major earthquake in the Ranong area.Rumors circulating today stated that a quake of magnitude 7.5 on the Richter scale took place near Ranong this morning.But Patrawan Tuamlee of the NDWC said that this was not the case. She did say, however, that there had been a slew of…
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Jungceylon work to restart “by April’
PHUKET: The transfer of Manit Udomkunnatum’s 53% share in Phuket Square Co Ltd – the company that owns Jungceylon – to Rattanakamchai Co will take place on March 28, after which construction of the Patong mall will restart, the Gazette has learned.After the transfer, Rattanakamchai will pass the shares to Real Estate Capital Asia Partners (Recap), a US-registered investment fund…
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Burmese laborer murdered in Thalang
THALANG: A man was found dead of multiple stab wounds 400 meters from the Baan Laemsai School in Thalang District on March 8.Pol Capt Saichon Petsuwan of Thalang Police Station said witnesses told the police that the dead man was a 34-year-old Burmese laborer known as “San”. They said that three local men had attacked him with knives and, although…
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Political crisis worries tourism leaders
PHUKET: Key figures in Phuket’s tourism industry today called for a peaceful solution to the current political crisis, following the detonation of a small bomb yesterday outside the home of former Prime Minister Gen Prem Tinsulanonda in Bangkok, which slightly injured a British tourist.Kitti Pattanachinda, Vice-President of the Phuket Tourism Association (PTA), told the Gazette, “Our political problems are broadcast…
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Gazette Guide the No 1 seller
PHUKET: It may not qualify as a racy read, but the Gazette Guide 2006 has topped the best-seller list in the Se-Ed Book Center at Tesco-Lotus for the past two weeks.Janjira Katekaew, the shop’s Supervisor, told the Gazette that she was very surprised that the Gazette Guide was top of the list. “We’ve seen very good sales of it. Some…
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Park boss calls for help in curbing poaching
KRABI: Amarin Intarasombat, the Chief of Koh Lanta Marine National Park, has urged dive operators and other park visitors to notify him immediately if fishing boats are seen in the park.He made his call after seeing photographs, passed to him by the Gazette and taken by a local dive operator, showing dozens of dead sharks on the deck of a…
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Call for more care in water use
PHUKET: Arun Kerdsob, Chief of the Phuket Office for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), has urged islanders not to waste water.“The provincial office has set up a center to try to prevent severe shortages, while the managing committee is overseeing water distribution. There are 86 deep wells and 92 tin mine lagoons on the island, making up a total of…
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Deadbeat dive operators under the microscope
PHUKET: Following a February 23 meeting to discuss problems in Phuket’s recreational dive industry, a new committee will be formed to ensure that all dive operators are accurately reporting their income – and paying taxes on it.Phuket’s Chief Administrative Officer (Palad), Nivit Aroonrat, who chaired the meeting, said that the Phuket dive industry currently comprises 106 operators, of which about…
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Police to take tougher line on teen crime
PHUKET: Police plan to take a harder line on teenage troublemakers and adults who encourage them, Phuket City Police Superintendent Pol Col Nos Svettalekha has warned.Announcing the teenage crime statistics for the year, at the Phuket Excise Office on March 2, Col Nos addressed in particular the continuing problems of public safety in the Saphan Hin area after dark.“Governor Udomsak [Uswarangkura]…
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Woman survives four-day ordeal at sea
PHUKET: Australian mother-of-four Dominique Courteille, 57, survived an ordeal of four days adrift on the Andaman Sea and in the Straits of Malacca in a dinghy.Speaking to the media at Bangkok Hospital Phuket (BHP) today, the Belgian-born naturalized Australian said that on Thursday she and her crew went ashore on Koh Lipe, in Satun Province, to eat at a restaurant,…
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TRT candidates register for election
PHUKET: With little fanfare and facing an uncharted political landscape, Phuket’s two Thai Rak Thai (TRT) Party candidates this morning went to register for the snap parliamentary election due to take place April 2.Arriving at 10 am at Phuket Provincial Community Hall were TRT District 1 candidate Dr Sriyada Palimapan and District 2 candidate Wisut Santikul, both of whom were…
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Democrats slam PM at Saphan Hin rally
PHUKET CITY: More than 10,000 people attended a Democrat Party rally held at Saphan Hin on Sunday as part of the party’s “Southern Mobile Tour”.Many held up signs protesting against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s perceived heavy-handed political and financial tactics. “We don’t want to be Thaksin’s washing powder!” read one. Another stated, “We don’t want to be Thaksin’s shoes!” while…
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Campaigner calls for child-sex tourism crackdown
KATA: The leader of a workshop on countering child sex tourism, yesterday called for hotel and tourism industry workers, and even tourists themselves, to report any behavior they suspect might be leading up to child sex abuse.The workshop, at the Kata Beach Resort, was aimed at teaching those present – 64 government officers, hotel staff, souvenir vendors, tour company and…
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Japanese tourist dies while diving
KOH RACHA YAI: Japanese tourist Akira Egoshi, 24, died while diving in Siam Bay, off Koh Racha Yai, on Wednesday.Pol Lt Col Chana Sutthimas, an Inspector with the Chalong Police, told the Gazette that a party of 11 Japanese tourists led by four dive masters from Kata Diving Co Ltd left Chalong Pier aboard the dive boat Laddawan 5 at 8:20…
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Tsunami aid theft case totters on
PHUKET: More than a year after 2.05 million baht in tsunami aid funds went missing from Phuket Provincial Hall, the police investigation against the sole suspect is still far from complete. The most recent delays have resulted from the wrong forms being submitted, twice, to the Police Forensic Science Office in Bangkok. Meanwhile, the man charged with the alleged theft,…
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Top Democrats head for Phuket
PHUKET: The Democrat Party is to hold a rally at Saphan Hin central stage from 5 pm to 11 pm on Sunday (March 5) as part of what it is calling its Southern Mobile Tour.Manoo Onksantipab, Chairman of the Phuket branch of the Democrat Party, told the Gazette that the rally’s purpose is to explain to the public what caretaker…
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