Year: 2006

  • Phuket NewsBlue Canyon Lakes Course to be redeveloped | Thaiger

    Blue Canyon Lakes Course to be redeveloped

    MAI KHAO: Blue Canyon Country Club (BCCC) has announced that its Lakes Course will undergo upgrading from April 3 on, with the end of this year penciled in as the target date to reopen the course.The Canyon Course will remain open for play.The redevelopment of the Lakes Course follows the announcement in December last year of a “strategic partnership” between…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s tour guide shortage addressed at seminar | Thaiger

    Phuket’s tour guide shortage addressed at seminar

    PHUKET CITY: A seminar on the shortage of tour guides in Phuket attracted some 150 tourism industry employees to the Royal Phuket City Hotel on February 23. The seminar was chaired by Thanitta Maneechote, Director-General of the Office of Tourism Development, part of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. “We have held this seminar three times before – in Bangkok,…

    Read More »
  • Cannabis NewsGambling again crowns Phuket’s arrests inventory | Thaiger

    Gambling again crowns Phuket’s arrests inventory

    PHUKET: Statistics released by the Phuket Provincial Police again show gambling as the crime category with the highest number of arrests.Between February 1 and 21, 249 people were busted for gambling-related offenses; 24 of these cases involved the sale of illegal lottery tickets.There were nine cases of attempted murder, with five arrests made. Two murders were reported during the period,…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsWorker in grave condition after electrocution | Thaiger

    Worker in grave condition after electrocution

    PATONG: In a dramatic accident that took place in full public view, a young man was electrocuted and severely injured on Monday afternoon while hanging off the side of the Thaweewong Rd Post Office, welding a new sign.A bolt of high-voltage electricity shot through Roong-atit Piboon, 18, from Surat Thani, after he swung his arc welder and accidentally touched an…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsGov in drive against encroachment | Thaiger

    Gov in drive against encroachment

    PHUKET: Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura has ordered the Phuket office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) to step up efforts to protect the island’s natural resources after four cases of encroachment on Government forest land were reported in February. Speaking at the monthly meeting of government department heads at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning, Gov Udomsak ordered…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsDirty water spurs Patong “seaweed’ surge | Thaiger

    Dirty water spurs Patong “seaweed’ surge

    PATONG: Nipawan Bussarawit, a marine biologist at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), has confirmed that the rising level of “organic contaminants” in Patong Bay has been a contributing factor in the explosive growth of stinking brown seaweed that has been washing up on Patong Beach for the past month.K. Nipawan said that the water quality in Patong Bay was…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket gears up for April elections | Thaiger

    Phuket gears up for April elections

    PHUKET: Voters in Phuket and across the country will be busy in April with two national elections: the Parliamentary election slated for April 2 (though that date may be changed)and the Senatorial election on April 19.Dr Sriyada Palimapan will be the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party candidate for Phuket’s Parliamentary District 1 while Wisut Santikul will stand for District 2.Whether…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News“New’ reef bigger than any in the region

    “New’ reef bigger than any in the region

    PHANG NGA: Marine scientists are still charting the extent of an uncharted reef off Tai Muang, Phang Nga, covering, they say, at least four square kilometers – far larger than any known reef in the region.The discovery of the reef, made in the first week of January, was documented by Songpol Tippayawong, Head of the Thailand Marine and Coastal Conservation…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsEmployers threaten strike over labor crackdown

    Employers threaten strike over labor crackdown

    PHUKET CITY: Some 200 angry employers descended on Phuket Provincial Meeting Hall this morning, threatening to go on strike if their demands for an easing of rules on foreign laborers are not met.Key representatives of the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Association, the Phuket Provincial Construction Association and other Phuket businesses handed Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura a petition urging him to reduce…

    Read More »
  • Thailand NewsCrack of doom | Thaiger

    Crack of doom

    PATHUM THANI: Readers living in Thailand may occasionally experience the frustration of having to deal with a sudden infestation of red ants, roaches, or termites. What can be more annoying than discovering that savory breast of barbecued chicken you left on the table moments ago is swarming with feisty red ants? Discovering your house swarming with glistening, newly hatched cobras,…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsMysterious seaweed invades Patong Beach

    Mysterious seaweed invades Patong Beach

    PATONG: Tourists strolling along Patong Beach now have an extra something to remember about their stay in Phuket – a slimy, brown seaweed with a stench to match its looks. This is not the first time seaweed has invaded the Patong shore. Two years ago bright green seaweed covered the sand (See story here). This year, however, the seaweed is…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsSupermodel kickboxers heading for Phuket

    Supermodel kickboxers heading for Phuket

    SAPHAN HIN: NS Sport and online flower delivery service Misslily.com will jointly host the “Miss Lily Super Model Muay Thai Championships 2006” featuring a bevy of female kickboxers from the United States. The event will be held at the Saphan Hin Sports Complex on March 10, starting at 5 pm.Organizers Surasak Mookpradap of NS Sport (Thailand) and Rawat Chindapol, Managing Director…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsSuwat pushes for fast action on Phi Phi | Thaiger

    Suwat pushes for fast action on Phi Phi

    PHUKET: In an abrupt government about-face after more than a year of blocking rehabilitation of Koh Phi Phi Don following the tsunami, Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop has urged redevelopment of the island be pushed ahead to hasten the island’s return to its former status as a tourism hotspot.At a meeting held at the Royal Phuket City Hotel on Wednesday,…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsMotorbike smash victim recovering | Thaiger

    Motorbike smash victim recovering

    PHUKET CITY: Bangkok Hospital Phuket has listed motorcycle crash victim Steve Donnelly of Britain as conscious and in stable condition, though he is still connected to breathing apparatus. On Tuesday the hospital issued an urgent appeal through the Gazette and other avenues for donations of rare A-negative blood for Mr Donnelly, who was involved in a road crash in which…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsTsunami tower test causes consternation | Thaiger

    Tsunami tower test causes consternation

    PHUKET: Officials declared this morning’s test of 12 tsunami warning towers a success, but residents of some parts of the island said they were terrified as they had received no warning of the test, during which full emergency messages were broadcast.One woman living in Chalong said, “The warning tower kept broadcasting a message telling us to get out and run…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPlan to relax license rules for yacht skippers | Thaiger

    Plan to relax license rules for yacht skippers

    BANGKOK: The Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MoTS) is planning to put before Cabinet a proposal to allow people with foreign captain’s licenses to skipper Thai-registered sailing yachts.The proposal, intended to give a boost to the marine tourism industry, would do away with an existing regulation that requires foreign skippers wanting to sail boats in local waters to obtain Thai…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News12 tsunami towers to be tested tomorrow | Thaiger

    12 tsunami towers to be tested tomorrow

    PHUKET: Twelve of Phuket’s tsunami warning towers will be tested by the Nonthaburi-based National Disaster Warning Center tomorrow morning.Arun Keodsom, Chief of the Phuket Office for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), told the Gazette, “The 12 towers to be tested are those at Chalong, Laem Tukkae, Rawai, Saphan Hin, Cape Panwa, Kata, Karon, Kamala, Nai Yang, Bang Tao, Mai Khao…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsSondhi addresses Phuket rally

    Sondhi addresses Phuket rally

    PHUKET CITY: More than 20,000 people attended a rally at Saphan Hin last night, addressed by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s nemesis, Sondhi Limthongkul. K. Sondhi and Sarocha Porn-udomsak, his co-host on the weekly political talk show on the ASTV satellite channel, Muang Thai Rai Sapda (Thailand Weekly), were the main speakers at the rally, holding forth in front of a…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsOverstay charge hiked to B500 a day | Thaiger

    Overstay charge hiked to B500 a day

    PHUKET: The fine for remaining in Thailand past the expiry date of a permit to stay, currently 200 baht a day, will rise to 500 baht a day with effect from March 15.However, the maximum fine payable will remain the same, at 20,000 baht, Pol Lt Gen Suwat Thamrongsrisakul, Commander of the Immigration Bureau, stated in a document posted in…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsUrgent call for A-negative blood | Thaiger

    Urgent call for A-negative blood

    PHUKET: Anyone with the rare A-negative blood group is asked to report to Bangkok Hospital Phuket immediately to make a donation to save the life of British national Steve Donnelly, injured in a motorcycle accident in Patong two days ago. He is in critical condition and on life support with 11 broken ribs, punctured lungs, two broken collar bones and…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsReal Estate Club to stage property show | Thaiger

    Real Estate Club to stage property show

    PHUKET: The Phuket Real Estate Club (PREC) will stage an exhibition showcasing property in Phuket and on Koh Samui, at Central Festival Phuket from April 6 to 10.PREC President Phummisak Hongsyok said that the exhibition is partly to support Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura’s aim of having more activities staged in Phuket, now that the tsunami anniversary ceremonies are over.“This is the…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPrem School feasibility study nearly complete | Thaiger

    Prem School feasibility study nearly complete

    KATA: Architect and developer ML Tridhosyuth “Mom Tri” Devakul, says that a study into the feasibility of building a new private school in Phuket should be complete in about two months.Mom Tri, owner of Mom Tri’s Boathouse, the hotel in Kata, and developer of top-end projects such as the Trisara resort and the Baan Kata residential development, is also the…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsFrenchman found dead in Karon guesthouse | Thaiger

    Frenchman found dead in Karon guesthouse

    KARON: A Frenchman was found dead in a guesthouse in Karon on Sunday, the victim of an apparent suicide.Pol Maj Chana Suttimard, of Chalong Police Station, told the Gazette that he received a call from a maid at the Lucky Guesthouse at 11 am after she found the body of Bernard Roger Servel, 61, in one of the rooms.“The maid…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsTalbot murder trial to start next January. | Thaiger

    Talbot murder trial to start next January.

    PHUKET CITY: Phuket Provincial Court Judge Yupawan Pirisinsith was briefed this morning on defense and prosecution witness lists in the case of Briton Paul Chetwynd-Talbot, accused of murdering his girlfriend, fellow Briton Debra O’Hanlon.The judge scheduled the next hearing in the case for January 18 next year, to allow the prosecution time to question eight witnesses. Judge Yupawan, who will…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsIsland Ironman calls for charity sponsorship

    Island Ironman calls for charity sponsorship

    PHUKET: Les Bird, Phuket’s resident ironman athlete, who is competing in this year’s Ironman Australia Triathlon, at Port Macquarie in New South Wales on April 2, has issued a plea for sponsors to back him to raise money for charity. All sponsor donations will go to the Maesai Childlife Foundation in Chiang Rai, he explained. Mr Bird hopes to complete…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsLow-cost carriers keen on Krabi | Thaiger

    Low-cost carriers keen on Krabi

    KRABI: Low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia will launch daily direct flights from Bangkok to Krabi on March 1, while Singaporean low-cost carrier Tiger Airways has announced it will extend its Singapore-Krabi service to run throughout the low season. Thai AirAsia Public Relations Executive Jaqueline Mercader told the Gazette that the new service, designated FD 3165, will depart Bangkok daily at 5:05…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPlan to legalize foreign guides under fire | Thaiger

    Plan to legalize foreign guides under fire

    PHUKET: Panomphol Thummachartniyom, President of the Phuket Professional Guide Association (PPGA), has blasted a proposal to legalize foreign tour guides, arguing that there are already enough qualified Thai guides, while slamming the authorities for not cracking down on foreigners working illegally as guides.“Phuket already has problems with foreigners working as tour guides, especially Koreans and Russians. Thais who have already…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsGov proposes new Patong-airport road | Thaiger

    Gov proposes new Patong-airport road

    PHUKET: Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura yesterday ordered the Phuket Provincial Highways Office (PPHO) to conduct a study into the feasibility of building a road between Phuket International Airport and Patong.“Right now, a lot of properties are being developed along the main road from the airport [Route 402], and soon Phuket will have traffic congestion problems,” he said.“The same happened in…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPoison warning to Nai Harn dog owners | Thaiger

    Poison warning to Nai Harn dog owners

    NAI HARN: Dog owners who take their animals for exercise on Nai Harn Beach are advised to keep them on the leash – or walk them somewhere else – as poisoners are once again at work.David Couchman, a retiree who lives in the area and walks his dogs on the beach, told the Gazette this evening that he knows of…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News204 couples wed on Valentine’s Day | Thaiger

    204 couples wed on Valentine’s Day

    PHUKET: More than 200 couples on Phuket were married on the most romantic day of the year, Valentine’s Day.Karnjana Hongboonyanurak, the Registration Officer at the Phuket Muang District Office, told the Gazette that her office was the busiest on the island, with 142 couples, including five cross-cultural couples, registering their love.“Some couples arrived at the office before it opened in…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsJet-ski races get thumbs-up | Thaiger

    Jet-ski races get thumbs-up

    PATONG: Despite the Governor’s announced policy to rid Phuket of jet-skis by 2011, Phuket Province has given the green light for Patong to host the first round of the 2006 Jet Ski Thailand Championship, on March 4 and 5.The go-ahead for the event was confirmed yesterday at a meeting between Vice-Governor Niran Kalayanamit and members of the Thai Jet Sports…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsRanong 12 finally set free | Thaiger

    Ranong 12 finally set free

    RANONG: “The Ranong 12”, a group of 12 foreign tourists arrested on the morning of February 8 for overstaying their visas, were freed on Sunday. The most that any of the 12 had overstayed was six days. Others were just 24 hours over the limit. During their five-day ordeal they spent the first two nights on dirty police cell floors…

    Read More »
  • Thailand NewsGrowing pains in the B30 medical scheme | Thaiger

    Growing pains in the B30 medical scheme

    PRACHIN BURI: Admirers of the government’s 30-baht medical scheme may wish to consider, after reading the following, whether reform is necessary. Prachinburi resident Chaluay Pantam, 37, has watched with increasing alarm over the last two years as a ping pong ball-sized lump on his right shoulder grew into a Quasimodo-like hump “weighing more than 20 kilograms.” In the meantime, the…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsSecond printing of Guide distributed | Thaiger

    Second printing of Guide distributed

    PHUKET: The second printing of the 2006 Gazette Guide, Phuket’s English-language “Yellow Pages”, is now on the shelves at bookshops, bakeries, coffee shops and other outlets around Phuket, Khao Lak and Krabi. Guestroom copies have already been distributed to Phuket’s leading hotels and resorts. The new Gazette Guide has 3,115 listings in 465 pages – making it 11% larger than…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPatong porn peddlers pinched | Thaiger

    Patong porn peddlers pinched

    PATONG: An undercover investigation team from Kathu Police Station led by Pol Maj Serm Kwannimitra raided two VCD outlets opposite the Patong Tourist Police office on Thaweewong Rd recently, arresting two people and confiscating some 5,000 obscene VCDs.The alleged offenders were Nattaporn Sornram, 33, and Jirawit Nonthapanthawat, also 33, both Phuket natives. They were found to be in possession of…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsOverstay 12 still in jail, face deportation

    Overstay 12 still in jail, face deportation

    RANONG: A group of 12 foreign tourists arrested for overstaying their visas have spent their second night sleeping on the floor of a jail cell at Ranong Police Station.Ranong Immigration Police, who have announced that they will deport the group, say they are only following “standard procedures” and will send the 12 to an Immigration detention center in Bangkok “soon”.The…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPromthep wind power project stalled | Thaiger

    Promthep wind power project stalled

    LAEM PROMTHEP: A ban on structures taller than eight meters at Laem Promthep has stalled the construction of three 50m-tall wind turbines, each costing 40 million baht, at Phuket’s premier sunset tourist attraction.Ong-ad Thanachanmongkol, Chief of the Phuket office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said on Tuesday that he must first obtain the go-ahead for the project…

    Read More »