Month: July 2007

  • Phuket News

    Dog shelter begging for attention

    THALANG: Phuket’s uncared-for canines are last in line for handouts as funding dries up and food supplies dwindle at the Mid Road Dog Shelter in Baan Kanoon, Thalang.The shelter – managed by the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office (PPLO) and where registered animal welfare charity Soi Dog Foundation (SDF) have operated from since January – is currently home to more than…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsExperts fear Jatukham fever may endanger dugongs | Thaiger

    Experts fear Jatukham fever may endanger dugongs

    PHUKET (Gazette/Kom Chad Luek): Conservation experts fear that fierce competition in the promotion of Jatukham Ramathep amulets may have sparked renewed interesting in the hunting of dugong, whose teardrops are believed by some to have magical powers. Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) biologist Kanjana Adulyankosol told the Gazette that fears stemmed from promotional material used by one Jatukham seller coupled…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket businesses scoop top awards | Thaiger

    Phuket businesses scoop top awards

    PHUKET: Phuket’s hospitality industry received a major boost last week with the announcement that three prestigious awards had been won by local companies.Mom Tri’s Boathouse & Villa Royale in Kata was awarded Wine Spectator magazine’s Best of Award of Excellence for the second consecutive year, maintaining its status as the only establishment in Thailand to receive the coveted award.Wine Spectator‘s…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsGov calls for mobile CCTV | Thaiger

    Gov calls for mobile CCTV

    PHUKET: At the Provincial Security Committee Meeting at the ST Hotel on Thursday, Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit called for the local police to look into setting up a “mobile CCTV” unit to roam Phuket’s streets.“I have seen this new technology on TV. It is used in England, where they use a mobile CCTV unit that drives everywhere and uses a…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsTsunami false alarm in Krabi | Thaiger

    Tsunami false alarm in Krabi

    KRABI (Nation): Seven disaster-warning towers in Krabi unexpectedly sounded an alarm simultaneously on Saturday evening, prompting frightened residents and tourists to run for higher ground in fear of a tsunami.Krabi disaster-prevention and mitigation officer Thalerngsak Phuwayanapong said he had been informed that the warning towers at Koh Phi Phi pier, Saladan, Koh Lanta, Koh Jam, Haad Yao, Laem Sak Bay…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Chuan opens Halal Food Hilal Town festival

    THALANG: The third annual Halal Food Hilal Town festival began Friday night, with former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai heading the opening ceremony.Before declaring the event open, K. Chuan, Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Democrat Party, walked through the festival accompanied by Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit, Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutra and other guests.The event is…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsBars asked for “no-alcohol’ weekend | Thaiger

    Bars asked for “no-alcohol’ weekend

    PHUKET: Bars and retail outlets are being asked to refrain from selling alcohol on Sunday and Monday to honor Asarnha Bucha Day and Buddhist Lent Day, respectively.Natanit Phromthawee, an administrative officer of Kathu District Office, told the Gazette that her office had issued a formal request to that effect.“We can’t force anyone not to sell alcohol over the two holidays…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Phuket ready for referendum

    SAPHAN HIN: More than 1,000 people gathered at Saphan Hin this morning to promote Phuket’s participation in the forthcoming national referendum on the newly-drafted constitution, which will take place August 19.Phuket officials were joined by members of the public and representatives from each Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) wearing yellow T-shirts and carrying banners and flags in support of the referendum.…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsNew Kathu police chief moves to improve Patong | Thaiger

    New Kathu police chief moves to improve Patong

    PHUKET CITY: At his first Phuket Provincial Security Council meeting yesterday, new Kathu Police Superintendent Pol Col Grissak Songmoonnark told Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit that he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Patong business leaders aimed at lifting the town’s image among tourists.Col Grissak, 46, said that he had invited representatives of various groups in Patong to attend…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsCall for Phuket tourism businesses to go “green’ | Thaiger

    Call for Phuket tourism businesses to go “green’

    PHUKET: A Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) seminar held at The Metropole hotel on Tuesday brought together academics and members of the tourism sector to discuss global warming effects in Phuket, where an estimated 344 million tonnes of greenhouse gases are produced every year, said Nisanat Sathirakul, deputy secretary general at the Office of Natural Resources and Environment Policy and…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Local crew heads for Platu world championships

    PHUKET: Local sailor Australian Scott Duncanson, better known in Phuket as owner and skipper of Somtam Express, which won Phuket Raceweek regatta last month, has compiled a crew to defend the title of National Platu champion at the national finals in Pattaya on August 13 and 14.The crew are using the national Platu finals as a springboard for training for…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsRegistered population keeps rising | Thaiger

    Registered population keeps rising

    PHUKET: The island’s official population climbed by 2,146 to 323,660 from June 21 to July 20, but the figure still under-represents the number of Thais calling Phuket home – not including the number of expats and low-wage laborers from abroad who have migrated here in recent years.The rise is slightly lower than during the previous reporting period, when a gain…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Tsunami evacuation drill “hit and miss’

    PHUKET: Andaman Wave 007, the first regional testing of the 79 National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) tsunami warning towers along the Andaman Coast, was conducted at 9:45 this morning, with mixed results in Phuket.While impressive mock evacuation and emergency response drills were being staged for the media on the beach at the foot of Soi Bangla in Patong, residents in…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsConvention center proposals fail to hit pay dirt | Thaiger

    Convention center proposals fail to hit pay dirt

    PHUKET: Three firms have proposed sites for Phuket’s International Convention and Exhibition Center (ICEC), but none afford the sea views that have long been considered a ‘must’ for the project.Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit, who heads a committee formed to make a final decision on where to site the project, yesterday afternoon heard the proposals at a meeting at Phuket Provincial…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsTsunami evacuation drills tomorrow | Thaiger

    Tsunami evacuation drills tomorrow

    PHUKET: All residents of coastal areas should be reminded that the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) tomorrow morning will conduct the first full-scale regional testing of its 79 tsunami warning sirens along the Andaman Coast, including 19 towers in Phuket. Evacuation drills in tsunami-risk areas will be conducted by local administrative bodies working together with district offices and members of…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsNew bus station planned near Supercheap | Thaiger

    New bus station planned near Supercheap

    RASSADA: The Phuket Provincial Transport Office (PPTO) has agreed to buy 10 rai of land near Supercheap on Thepkrasattri Rd to build a new inter-provincial bus station.The existing bus station, on Phang Nga Rd in Phuket City, will be used for only local buses, vans and songtaew, most of which now leave from Ranong Rd.PPTO chief Chatchawarn Ngarmtup told the Gazette…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Somtam Express wins Phuket Raceweek

    AO CHALONG: After four days of racing in and around Chalong Bay, Scott Duncanson’s Somtam Express has won the IRC 1 class in this year’s Phuket Raceweek regatta.Shifting winds played havoc with the start of the final race in the regatta yesterday and the fleet waited four hours for it to swing around to allow the race to start.Once underway,…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsSomtam Express extends lead in Phuket Raceweek | Thaiger

    Somtam Express extends lead in Phuket Raceweek

    AO CHALONG: Scott Duncanson’s Somtam Express today secured yet another win to stretch their lead to five points in the IRC 1 class of the fourth annual Phuket Raceweek regatta being raced in and around Chalong Bay and the surrounding islands. Peter Ahern’s Yo! 2 finished three minutes behind Somtam Express on corrected time to hold onto second place overall…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Marco makes it full circle

    PHUKET: Luxembourg national and island resident Marco Reinard arrived at Rawai Pier just after 5 pm on Thursday, tired, sunburned and triumphant after completing a solo 200-kilometer paddle around Phuket in an 18-foot kayak. Marco clocked an average speed of 10 kilometers an hour during his 36-hour circuit of the island, which he completed to raise awareness of environmental issues and…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Somtam Express takes Raceweek lead

    AO CHALONG: Scott Duncanson’s Somtam Express moved into first place in the IRC 1 class of the Phuket Raceweek regatta after finishing first and second in the two races for the class today. Peter Ahern’s Yo! 2 was relegated to second place overall in the class after finishing third and fourth in today’s races. Jim Poulsen’s Vino holds steady in…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Extortion racket taken down in “sting’

    PATONG: Kathu Police on Wednesday night arrested four men for allegedly attempting to extort 100,000 baht from the Thai-Nepalese owner of a tailor shop.The four suspects were presented to the media at a press conference at Kathu Police Station at 3 pm yesterday. They were identified as 40-year-old Burmese national Chom “Johnnie Lek” Bunyawej, the ringleader, and his three accomplices:…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsYo! 2 leads Phuket Raceweek | Thaiger

    Yo! 2 leads Phuket Raceweek

    AO CHALONG: Peter Ahern and his crew on Yo! 2 are in first place overall in the IRC 1 class in the fourth annual Phuket Raceweek regatta, being held in and around Chalong Bay until Sunday. Phuket-built Somtam Express drew first blood, winning Race 1 after a midday start in light conditions that teased crews with breezes of two to…

    Read More »
  • Thailand NewsPistol penisectomy | Thaiger

    Pistol penisectomy

    NAKHON SRI THAMMARAT (Gazette, Kom Chad Luek): A Buddhist ordination ceremony in Phraphrom District took a turn for the worse on July 6 after an outbreak of violence led to a firearms incident which left one unlucky follower of the Middle Way with a serious pain in his crotch. The evening began jovially at the ceremony held in Na Phru…

    Read More »
  • Thailand NewsTemple trots | Thaiger

    Temple trots

    NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A man known locally to villagers in Kham Thalay So District as Mor Thewada, (which, roughly translated, means ‘Angel of Mercy’ doctor) is under investigation after a patient claimed that his medicine gave him a nasty case of diarrhea. The story surfaced after a patient checked into Kham Thalay So Hospital suffering from a bad case of the…

    Read More »
  • Thailand NewsIt’s no yolk! Egg theft ring cracked | Thaiger

    It’s no yolk! Egg theft ring cracked

    NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Accounts of police breaking up rings of drug dealers, armed robbers and teenage motorcycle thieves are a fairly common occurrence in Thailand these days. Officers from Chalermprakiat District Police had a more unusual task at hand on June 20, however, when they managed to crack a ring of egg thieves who had been terrorizing chicken coops across Khorat.…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Rawai resident drowns at Nai Harn

    NAI HARN: John Chatteris, founder of Atsumi Healing Center in Rawai, drowned while swimming at Nai Harn Beach late yesterday afternoon.Ian Lenton, who works at the center, told the Gazette that Mr Chatteris, 61, went to the beach with his family at about 5 pm.Although red flags were posted at the beach, indicating that the surf was unsafe for swimming,…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Brit charged over child’s death

    KATHU: Englishman David Murray, 37, has been charged over the death of his eight-year-old stepson, Narid “Curry” Budtharai, who allegedly died after his head hit the floor while he was being beaten for being a poor student.Pol Lt Col Passakorn Sonthikul of Tung Tong Police told the Gazette that the incident occurred at Murray’s condo home in Moo Baan Irawadee,…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsLocals “uninformed’ about Ao Phuket project | Thaiger

    Locals “uninformed’ about Ao Phuket project

    PHUKET CITY: A public opinion survey conducted by researchers from the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) found that 86% of people who stand to be affected by the proposed Ao Phuket development plan said they knew little or nothing about the project drawn up by the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB).After being brought up to…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsAll-English radio launches in Phuket | Thaiger

    All-English radio launches in Phuket

    PHUKET CITY: Phuket now has its first all-English radio station, 90.5 Phuket Gold FM, broadcasting from the Radio Thailand office near Phuket Rajabhat University.The launch was announced at a press conference at the China Inn restaurant in downtown Phuket City this morning.90.5 Phuket Gold FM is managed jointly by Bangkok-based KOOL…EST Co Ltd and monthly lifestyle magazine Phuket Bulletin.A press…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsChalong Marina plans under review | Thaiger

    Chalong Marina plans under review

    CHALONG: Plans for the second phase of construction of the Chalong Marina Project may be revised by the Marine Department’s Technical and Planning division after a bitter dispute with local residents and workers.The first phase of construction of the controversial marina, which involves building 44 of the originally-planned 210 yacht slips, will be completed by September 30 at a cost…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Royal Lighthouse escapes break-in

    LAEM PROMTHEP: Kanchanaphisek Lighthouse, built in 1996 at Laem Phromthep to celebrate the 50th anniversary of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s ascension to the throne, was the scene of an attempted robbery on Thursday.The would-be thieves, who smashed through one of the glass panels at the entrance to the lighthouse about 9 pm in order to get to a donation box,…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsTsunami evacuation drills planned for July 25 | Thaiger

    Tsunami evacuation drills planned for July 25

    PHUKET CITY: The National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC), together with provincial and local authorities, will conduct the first full-scale test of its 79-tower tsunami warning system in the six Andaman Coast provinces on the morning of July 25. The exercise has been dubbed “Andaman Wave 007” by the agency.To prepare for the test, which will include evacuation drills in all…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsThree die in Rawai smash | Thaiger

    Three die in Rawai smash

    RAWAI: An accident on Wiset Rd left a father, his daughter and his niece dead, and his wife seriously injured after the motorbike they were riding and a car collided on Sunday evening.Chalong Police were alerted to the accident in front of Baan Haad Rawai Bungalow about 8 pm. Pol Lt Col Peeraphan Meemak, inspector of Chalong Police Station, told the…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsFrenchman, 30, dies from “heart failure’ | Thaiger

    Frenchman, 30, dies from “heart failure’

    CHALONG: French tourist Sylvain Hervieux reportedly died of heart failure on Sunday evening. An ambulance from Phuket International Hospital responded to an emergency call, but arrived to find that Hervieux had been dead for about 20 minutes.Mr Hervieux had been staying with his mother, Claudine Denis, at a Thai friend’s house in Chalong.Lt Col Peeraphan Meemak, Inspector of Chalong Police…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsSingaporean tourist drowns | Thaiger

    Singaporean tourist drowns

    PATONG (Nation, TNA): A Singaporean tourist drowned after he and a friend ignored red warning flags and went swimming in rough, monsoon-season seas at Patong Beach yesterday.Chua Holk Beng, 34, was found dead just before 3 pm.His friend, identified as Edwardgos Tingtos, 34, was rescued by members of the Phuket Provincial Administration (OrBorJor) beach guard.He was taken to Patong Hospital,…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Russian tourists say “yes’ to Phuket

    PHUKET: Russian tourists now account for the fourth largest group of foreign holidaymakers visiting Phuket behind Sweden, the UK and Australia, said Anoma Wongyai, assistant director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) South Region 4 Office in Phuket.K. Anoma attributed the boost, which nudges China down to fifth place, to the success of the TAT-organized “Leisure 2006” roadshow to…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsTurtles, dolphins continue to wash ashore | Thaiger

    Turtles, dolphins continue to wash ashore

    BANG TAO: A green turtle weighing about 5.7 kilograms was found at Le Phang Beach at about 9 am Tuesday.Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, a biologist at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), told the Gazette that the female sea turtle, bearing a hard shell 39.5 centimeters long and 37cm wide, was suffering from exhaustion and had difficulty breathing.The turtle was taken to…

    Read More »