Month: February 2007

  • PhuketKiller of Phang Nga politician arrested | Thaiger

    Killer of Phang Nga politician arrested

    PHANG NGA: Police in Surat Thani on February 15 arrested one of the killers of Phang Nga Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President Anan “Ko Daeng” Boonrak, who was shot dead in December 2004.The suspect, 38-year-old Chusak “Muek Chumporn” Numluemkid, was #2 on the Royal Thai Police Crime Suppression Division’s Top 50 Most Wanted Gunmen for 2005. His three accomplices in…

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  • Phuket

    Four arrested for Nongnuch murder

    KAMALA: Police have arrested four suspects for the shooting murder of Nongnuch Kongpleum, who was gunned down in front of the The Club restaurant on the main road through Kamala around 7:30 pm Friday.Lt Col Monsak Suebsuwan, Duty Inspector at Kamala Police Station, told the Gazette that the victim, 42, was the partner of Dutch property developer Harry Tawando, 72,…

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  • PhuketGovernor relaxes jet-ski ban | Thaiger

    Governor relaxes jet-ski ban

    PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit has backed down from the province’s policy to gradually phase out jet-skis at Phuket beaches and is now allowing owners of registered jet-skis to replace old or inoperable vessels with new ones.Karon Municipality filed a complaint with the Governor following the arrest of 36 people found to be operating unregistered jet-skis in Karon in…

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  • PhuketSwede run over by 10-wheel truck | Thaiger

    Swede run over by 10-wheel truck

    KARON: A Swedish man was killed instantly on Patak Rd on Friday afternoon after he fell off his motorbike and was run over by a 10-wheel truck.Tommy Leif Jonsson, 50, was driving a Yamaha Nouvo over the hills between Kata and Chalong when he apparently lost control and fell off the bike near the Plub Pla Resort, Lt Col Anek Mongkol of the…

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  • PhuketTaking Phuket on the road | Thaiger

    Taking Phuket on the road

    PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit announced on Friday that to promote Phuket to foreign tourist markets the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) and hotels and hospitals yet to be selected will be going on a 14-country roadshow.The TAT, OrBorJor, Gov Niran and selected hotels will begin their tour in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and…

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  • PhuketFather murdered in Chalong | Thaiger

    Father murdered in Chalong

    CHALONG: Four men were arrested this morning after gunning down 44-year-old construction contractor Phichai Wanlayapetch in broad daylight after he dropped his young child off at a day care center in Chalong.The men arrested are Sangkom “Kom” Anukul, 46, Watcharin “Kai” Janya, 35, and Somkanay “Lek” Sriphan, 36, all from Surat Thani; and Suchart “Neung” or “Bao” Sornsang, 33, from…

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  • Phuket

    Leatherback turtle eggs hatch

    KARON: Seventy-six leatherback turtles have hatched so far out of the 103 eggs laid on Karon Beach in December.Before December, leatherbacks had not laid eggs on Karon Beach for more than 10 years. If the turtles are lucky at least 1% of the hatchlings will survive to adulthood and return to lay eggs.Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) Veterinarian Sontaya Manawattana…

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  • PhuketWoman gunned down in Kamala | Thaiger

    Woman gunned down in Kamala

    KAMALA: The long-term partner of a well-known local businessman was gunned down in front of The Club restaurant, on the main road through Kamala, around 7:30 pm on Saturday.Lt Col Monsak Suebsuwan, Duty Inspector at Kamala Police Station, told the Gazette that the victim was Nongnuch Kongprueb, 42, partner of Harry Tawando, 72.Col Monsak, the leading investigator in the case,…

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  • Phuket

    Old Phuket Festival draws huge crowds

    PHUKET CITY: About 1,000 people turned out to enjoy the first day of the 9th Old Phuket Festival yesterday on Phang Nga Rd, Thalang Rd and Soi Rommanee.Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwannasupana led the Old Phuket parade through the city’s old quarter, followed by hundreds of people dressed in traditional costumes, such as the local baba and yaya dress.Long drums…

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  • PhuketMan dies after mid-flight heart attack | Thaiger

    Man dies after mid-flight heart attack

    THALANG: An Indian businessman on a private flight from India to Singapore died early this morning after suffering breathing difficulties mid-flight, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing at Phuket International Airport (PIA).Lt Col Somkid Khaosang, Duty Inspector at Tah Chat Chai Police Station, named the man as Ram Calani Kusiram, 67.“The man’s 27-year-old son, Calani Nares Kusiram, told…

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  • Phuket81 Burmese arrested at Wat Chalong Fair | Thaiger

    81 Burmese arrested at Wat Chalong Fair

    PHUKET: Immigration officers arrested 81 Burmese workers who broke the 8 pm curfew so they could attend the Wat Chalong Fair between February 16 and 22.In December a provincial order was issued banning Burmese workers from leaving their homes after 8 pm without their employer. They are also not allowed to drive vehicles or possess mobile phones.Pol Col Ittipon Atchariyapradit,…

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  • PhuketAsian invasion overwhelms airport immigration | Thaiger

    Asian invasion overwhelms airport immigration

    PHUKET: The Phuket holidays of about 2,200 East Asian tourists got off to a slow start early this morning, when they were forced to wait hours to clear Immigration at Phuket International Airport (PIA).Twelve flights landed in little over an hour, overwhelming the Immigration officers on duty. It took officials until past 4 am, some three-and-a half hours after the…

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  • Phuket17 more bars caught in late-trading crackdown | Thaiger

    17 more bars caught in late-trading crackdown

    PATONG: Seventeen more bar operators have been charged with trading outside permitted hours following the raids on late-night Valentine’s Day parties last week.The second round of raids came about 4:30 am February 16 on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd, with the operators of the Jonas Tree Guest Bar, The Sunday Bar, Paris Bar, The Nineteen St Bar and a bar named…

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  • Other NewsFree willy at the wat | Thaiger

    Free willy at the wat

    CHALONG: A naked Slovenian man who ran short of medication for a nervous condition was found wandering around naked at Wat Lathiwanaram shortly after midday on Saturday. His stroll came to an abrupt end, however, when he was confronted by a white-robed temple nun. According to Lt Col Anek Mongkol of Chalong Police, the Slovenian, 38, rode his motorbike from…

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  • PhuketCouple attacked on bypass road | Thaiger

    Couple attacked on bypass road

    RASSADA: A Phuket man was beaten and blasted by a shotgun when he and his wife were attacked by a motorbike gang on the bypass road early on Monday morning. K. Chatchai Chuenjitsoonthorn, 26, was taken to Vachira Hospital where he is still recovering from his injuries. His condition is reported as not life threatening.Lt Theeradet Jiraksa, Duty Officer at Phuket City Police…

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  • Other NewsA self-made man | Thaiger

    A self-made man

    SONGKHLA: No one would claim the life of a laborer in Thailand is easy; having to toil in the midday sun while others make all the money is sure to rankle. This is presumably the reason why casual-laborer-for-hire Thanongsak Rakngam, 31, a native of Songkhla province, decided to turn to a more easeful occupation. Thinking that police work looked like…

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  • Cannabis News

    Swiss swindler arrested after stabbing policeman

    THALANG: Swiss national Carlos Minnig, 39, yesterday stabbed a Tourist Police officer while resisting arrest for extorting “protection money” from a fellow Swiss national.The arrest followed complaints from Swiss businessman Rene Langansand, 42, that Minnig claimed to be an Interpol agent and offered protection services for Mr Langansand’s Koh Lanta business – for a fee.According to a Tourist Police press…

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  • PhuketKoh Yao villagers stage pier protest | Thaiger

    Koh Yao villagers stage pier protest

    PHANG NGA: About 30 protestors have been camping out for over a month on Klong Son Beach on Koh Yao Yai, demanding the government scrap plans for a pier to be built there by a large land developer.The protesters comprise poor Muslim residents of Village 3 and representatives from non-governmental organizations supporting their cause. The villagers see the project, which…

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  • PhuketValentine’s Day crackdown sees nine club owners charged | Thaiger

    Valentine’s Day crackdown sees nine club owners charged

    PATONG: The operators of nine clubs and bars in Patong, including Night Station Discotheque and Safari Pub, were arrested early Thursday morning for violating the mandatory closing time of 2 am.Officers from Phuket Provincial Police Special Task Force and Kathu District Police Station, led by Lt Col Sermphan Sirikong, raided the entertainment hotspots at 4 am February 15, kicking out…

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  • Phuket

    Masseuse set on fire on Patong Beach

    PATONG: After yelling at a Patong Beach masseuse about her crying daughter, a man doused the woman with paint thinner and set her alight about midday on Tuesday.As the girl’s parents ran to their daughter’s aid, outraged witnesses pounced on the man and beat him.The mother is now in hospital, critically injured with first-degree burns. Her attacker, a drug addict,…

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  • PhuketPolice to crack down on foreign labor | Thaiger

    Police to crack down on foreign labor

    PHUKET: Police have been ordered to crack down on alien laborers using mobile phones or found on the streets after 8 pm, Phuket Vice-Governor Vorapot Rattasima said this morning.At a meeting at Provincial Hall, V/Gov Worapot said that he had received reports that alien laborers were leaving their registered place of abode after 8 pm and freely using mobile phones,…

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  • Phuket

    A lovely day at the District Office

    PHUKET: A total of 202 couples chose Valentine’s Day to officially tie the knot, with 134 couples registering their marriages yesterday at Muang District office alone.The number of couples wed at Muang District Office was somewhat lower than last year, when 142 couples took the plunge, but still far more than the office’s daily average of about 10.Phuket Chief Administrative…

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