Month: September 2008

  • PhuketAmerican assault victim thinks she has found her attacker | Thaiger

    American assault victim thinks she has found her attacker

    RAWAI: One of two American women brutally assaulted by motorcycle-borne snatch bandits in recent months called the Gazette late this afternoon to say she is “100% certain” that the man who assaulted her was the same man arrested by Chalong Police early Sunday morning. For background on the case, see the two previous stories here and here: Sheila McCormick, who…

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  • Phuket

    Veggiefest 2008 underway

    PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit yesterday celebrated the first official day of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival like thousands of other Phuket residents, by dressing up in white and enjoying a meat-free meal at a local shrine, in this case the Jui Tui Shrine on Soi Phuton. Gov Niran intends to refrain from meat and observe other rituals throughout the…

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  • PhuketAre you ready to Walk & Run? | Thaiger

    Are you ready to Walk & Run?

    PATONG: The local office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Phuket Walk & Run Association will hold the 2008 Phuket Walk & Run in Patong on October 12. The event is being held for fun and to promote Phuket as a sports tourism destination, said Nongnit Tengmaneewan of the Phuket TAT office. There will be three races:…

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  • Phuket

    Chalong cops nab snatch-and-run bandit

    KATA: With the wave of snatch-and-run robberies in Chalong Police District making national television news in recent days, police there have been under intense pressure to put the guilty behind bars. Their first break came early yesterday morning with the arrest of a construction worker whose crime spree came to an abrupt halt at about 4 am when he crashed…

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  • PhuketMuggings in Rawai continue | Thaiger

    Muggings in Rawai continue

    RAWAI: A year after the still-unsolved murder of Norwegian Simen Knudsen, violent robberies against foreigners on motorcycles continue in Rawai – with the the perpetrators now carrying out attacks in populated areas during broad daylight.The latest victim is 38-year-old Sandra Ullrich, who suffered two fractures to the back of her skull when a pair of Thai men on a motorcycle…

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  • PhuketPAD vows no further disruptions to Phuket tourism | Thaiger

    PAD vows no further disruptions to Phuket tourism

    PHUKET: Although there were attempts at Suratthani Airport to disrupt Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat’s visit to Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday, Phuket International Airport (PIA) will not be closed again. The Director of PIA, Wing Commander Wicha Nernlop, said that Phuket’s airport security has been increased and that no protesters are expected to disrupt operations there again. Phuket’s airport was shut…

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  • PhuketRenowned awards see Bangkok best for leisure | Thaiger

    Renowned awards see Bangkok best for leisure

    LONDON: Bangkok has been named “Best Leisure Destination” in the Asia-Pacific Region, and Phuket came in second best in the rankings by readers of Business Traveller Asia Pacific magazine in its Annual Travel Awards 2008. Bangkok’s Ascott Sathorn and Fraser Place Langsuan were voted first and third, respectively, in the category of “Best Serviced Residence” in Asia-Pacific, while Novotel at…

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  • PhuketNorwegian passes away in Rawai | Thaiger

    Norwegian passes away in Rawai

    RAWAI: A Norwegian expatriate resident of Phuket was found dead in the kitchen of his home Tuesday evening from what appeared to be natural causes. Chalong Police Duty Officer Lt Col Chana Suthimas identified the deceased as 51-year-old Terje Eilert Myking, who lived in Soi Samakkee 4 in Rawai. “We didn’t find any evidence at the scene to suggest murder,…

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  • Phuket

    Unlicensed foreigners in 60% of Patong motorbike accidents

    PATONG (TNA, Gazette): The poorly-regulated “motorbike for hire” industry in Patong has contributed to an alarming number of motorcycle accidents in Kathu district, where more than half of the 500 accidents reported to Kathu Police involved unlicensed foreign motorcyclists, the government’s Thai News Agency (TNA) has reported. With many motorcycle rental shops in Patong, foreign tourists and expats can easily…

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  • PhuketKamala hillside projects halted; others under investigation | Thaiger

    Kamala hillside projects halted; others under investigation

    KAMALA: A special adviser to the Minister for Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) on September 16 toured several sites in Kamala to inspect reports of encroachment and other building violations on projects there, as well as work on two hillside projects in the area that had already been ordered halted pending further investigation. Maj Gen Intarat Yodbangtoey toured the sites…

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  • PhuketCourt denies bail for motorcycle taxi driver | Thaiger

    Court denies bail for motorcycle taxi driver

    PHUKET CITY: Chainart Yuyen, the Patong motorcycle taxi driver arrested for the September 13 shooting murder of another motorcycle taxi driver from a rival queue, has been denied bail by the Phuket Provincial Court. Accompanied by relatives, Chainart, 31, turned himself over to police on September 15. He has allegedly confessed to the murder of 31-year-old Pornchai “Ko-Cherd” Suwannakin, who…

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  • PhuketAmerican drowns off Karon Beach | Thaiger

    American drowns off Karon Beach

    KARON: Despite relatively calm conditions at the time, an American man drowned at Karon Beach Wednesday afternoon.Chalong Police Duty Officer Sanguan Muangtham identified the deceased as 54-year-old Michael Stephen Jones, holder of an American passport. At around 4:30 pm on Wednesday, tourists and members of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) Beach Guard noticed Mr Jones was in trouble about 20…

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  • Phuket

    Masseuse fire attacker out of prison

    PATONG: The man who set alight a beach masseuse at Loma Park last year returned to the scene of his crime yesterday morning, where he was immediately assaulted by the victim’s father and brother. The attack was quickly stopped by Kathu Police, who released the pair after fining them 500 baht each. Few Gazette readers will forget the horrific tale…

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  • Phuket

    Two injured at Patong construction site

    PATONG: Two construction workers were lucky to escape with their lives when the floor of a building they were working on suddenly collapsed on the afternoon of September 18. Kathu Police Duty Officer Patak Khwunna, who was informed of the accident at about 12:20 pm, rushed to the scene with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers. The site of the floor collapse…

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  • Phuket

    Phuket’s “Android Humanoid’ shuts down

    PHUKET CITY: Phuket lost one of its local characters on Friday when Andrew Newman passed away in Bangkok Hospital Phuket, aged 57, presumably of a heart attack. Andrew, a well-loved member of the local sailing community, was responsible for several local websites as he was first and foremost a computer programmer known as “Android Humanoid”. This self-penned nickname came from…

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  • Phuket

    Phuket divers unite for underwater cleanup

    PHUKET: Several boatloads carrying teams of experienced divers visited local reefs over the weekend, taking part in the International Coastal Cleanup Day 2008 activities organized by the UN-affiliated Green Fins Thailand initiative. Off Koh Maiton, about 10 kilometers southeast of Cape Panwa, some 30 divers led by Sea Bees Diving tour operator Stefan Hinterberger descended on an open-water dive site…

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  • PhuketPatong Hospital creaking under workload | Thaiger

    Patong Hospital creaking under workload

    PATONG (The Nation): Medical workers, including the director at Patong Hospital in Phuket, have quit the Public Health Ministry due to the enormous workload in the area, the hospital’s director, Dr Taveesak Netwongse, said. As Phuket attracts many tourists, Patong Hospital was forced to expand from a 10-bed hospital to a 60-bed one to treat the increasing number of locals…

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  • PhuketMan executed in Thalang forest | Thaiger

    Man executed in Thalang forest

    THEPKRASATTRI: Thalang Police are investigating the murder of a man found dead from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head in a remote part of Bang Khanoon Forest in Village 5 on Wednesday afternoon. Thalang Police Duty Inspector Anukul Nuket identified the victim as Lor Ramphang, a 45-year-old resident of Thepkrasattri Village 1. Local residents discovered the…

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  • Other News

    Morning of the living dead

    NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Anyone calling in to Wat Pa Satharuam on August 22 could be forgiven for thinking they’d stumbled upon the aftermath of a natural disaster, seeing row after row of coffins lined up on the the temple grounds.Anyone waiting a little longer, however, would get even more of a shock when, after watching the death rites, the occupants of…

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  • PhuketCanadian warship ports in Phuket | Thaiger

    Canadian warship ports in Phuket

    CAPE PANWA: The HMCS Calgary arrived in Phuket yesterday from Oman, where its mission was to boost security against pirates, Vuti Jitratkosol, ordinary consul to Phuket for the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok, told the Gazette today. Although the advanced warship’s crew of 230 sailors were called back to the ship yesterday, the seamen were allowed to resume their RnR (rest…

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  • Phuket

    Zebra shark dies; grim prospects for sea turtle

    CAPE PANWA: Despite efforts by fishermen and marine biologists to save the life of a 1.8-meter zebra shark found off Sapan Hin on Monday, the fish died on Tuesday. An examination carried out at Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) failed to determine the exact cause of death. “The animal’s abdomen was swollen and discolored. We thought it might have been…

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  • PhuketPatong motorbike taxi killer in court today | Thaiger

    Patong motorbike taxi killer in court today

    PATONG: Low-season desperation for passengers took a deadly turn Saturday night, when a motorcycle taxi driver gunned down a rival from a competing queue in Patong. The alleged killer, who turned himself in the following day, was no stranger to being handcuffed: he was out on bail for the May 19 shooting murder of another man inside a 7-Eleven store…

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