Month: April 2009
- Phuket
Phuket Police gear up for planned Asean summit
PHUKET CITY: It was a busy day yesterday at Phuket City Police headquarters, where some 300 officers began two days of special training in how to deal forcefully but effectively with large crowds and riots.The training, ordered by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pigad Thantipong, was in reaction to the political turmoil in the capital and other parts of the country.It…
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Phuket dive boat accident relatives urged to file claims
PHUKET CITY: Relatives of several European victims of the Choke Somboon 19 disaster off Phuket Island have yet to file insurance claims with underwriter AIG, which is waiting to pay out 200,000 baht for each of the deceased.The seven victims – Swiss, German and Austrian – were covered under a mandatory group insurance policy taken out by Dive Asia Phuket,…
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Three Phuket businessmen charged with encroachment
PHUKET CITY: Three prominent Phuket businessmen yesterday morning presented themselves at the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) headquarters in Bangkok to face allegations of land encroachment at Koh Yao Yai in Phang Nga. Pol Lt Col Prawuth Wongsrinil, head of the DSI’s consumer and environment protection unit, identified the businessmen as Thawat, Tara and Prasit Tantipiriyakij. A fourth man, Bumrung…
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Burrowes free after paying 500 baht fine
PHUKET CITY: The Simon Burrowes saga appears to have finally come to a conclusion as the Englishman pled guilty to a charge of being impolite to a state official and was fined 500 baht. Burrowes was due to fly back to the UK on January 31, but became involved in an altercation with Immigration Police officials at Phuket International Airport,…
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Charity box bandit nabbed by The Magnet
PHUKET CITY: For a combination of stupidity and lack of ethics, few crimes in Phuket in recent years match that of a man who tried to steal a charity donation box placed on the main counter of the Phuket City Police Station on April 21.At 12:30pm that day, a police officer noticed that the charity donation box for the Foundation…
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Pollution solution due in October, 2010
PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Municipality last week held a hearing to present to the public its plan to build a second waste-to-energy incinerator, scheduled to go on-line in October, 2010. About 300 government officers and members of the public attended the session, held last Thursday afternoon at the Phuket Merlin Hotel. Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima chaired the hearing and Phuket…
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Social security contributions lowered
PHUKET: In a bid to increase spending, the Thai Social Security Fund (SSF) plans to lower monthly contributions from both employers and employees during the ongoing economic crisis. The Social Security Office board, which manages the fund, is scheduled to meet today to conclude details of the contribution reduction. “The reduction should be applicable for six months starting from June,”…
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Swine flu scanner installed at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport and two other major Thai aviation gateways have installed thermo-scanners to screen foreign passengers for swine flu. The two other locations now using the infrared sensors are Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and Chiang Mai International Airport. Travellers found with suspicious flu symptoms that could develop into the swine influenza will be asked to undergo treatment at the…
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Airport Authority lowers landing fees again
MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Airports of Thailand (AOT) is to make a further reduction in landing fees at the six airports under its control, including Phuket International Airport (PIA). In a bid to help struggling airlines battered by dire economic conditions and Thailand’s continuing political turmoil, fees will now be reduced by 30%. Parking fees will also be waived for aircraft…
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Mother of murder suspect alleges corruption
PHUKET CITY: The mother of a suspect in the high-profile killing of Matichon journalist Athiwut Chainurat has accused a senior policeman of taking a bribe to secure her son’s release. Prasert Kaowseesot, 53-year-old mother of murder suspect Lamduan Kaowseesot, 31, took the case to the Nakhon Sri Thammarat Justice Center after the police officer allegedly failed to follow through with…
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Tourism businesses urged to join Phuket re-branding launch
PHUKET, Thailand: A group of local hoteliers and businesses in Phuket have “cancelled” Low Season – April 15 through November 1 – and are renaming the period more appropriately as “Summer Season”, to better reflect the fact that Phuket is one of the world’s top year-round vacation and second home destinations. For further details about Summer in Phuket, visit www.summerinphuket.com…
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Samkong Bridge project nears completion
PHUKET CITY: Workers from the Phuket Rock Company toiled hard over the weekend making repairs to part of the Samkong Bridge, which supports two lanes of traffic on Yaowarat Road.The bridge, built in 1970, passes over Klong Bangyai near Bangkok Hospital in the busy Samkong part of Phuket City.Klong Bangyai, Phuket largest watercourse, drains water from large parts of Muang…
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Phuket may gain from bullish view on Thai markets
PHUKET: Renowned investment guru Mark Mobius remains upbeat about the Thai stock market, due to its “undervalued prices and high dividend yields”. Speaking on Friday at a seminar in Bangkok entitled “The Thai Economy: If It Can Recover”, Mobius said the dividend yield on Thai shares currently averages about 5.5%, well above that of other emerging markets, which are at…
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Gov Wichai to push four road projects for Phuket
PHUKET CITY: In a bid to ease traffic congestion, Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop will push four new road projects for the island. Gov Wichai told a press conference at Phuket Provincial Hall earlier this week that the ever-increasing number of cars on Phuket’s roads makes expansion of the island road network a necessity. The first project would be a new…
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Private sector hails lifting of emergency decree
PHUKET CITY: The government’s lifting of the State of Emergency Decree in Bangkok and surrounding areas yesterday has drawn applause from the private-sector.Federation of Thai Industries chairman Santi Vilassakdanont said the move would help restore confidence in the country.The situation would return to normal in two weeks, he predictedHowever the government must move more quickly to explain the situation to…
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Tourism outlook positive after lifting of emergency rule
PHUKET: Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has pledged to ensure peace and normalcy by relying on relevant laws following the lifting of emergency rule in Greater Bangkok yesterday. “It is the duty of my government to keep the peace, and I pledge to allay public concerns about security by invoking relevant laws without taking any extra measures,” he said. PM Abhisit…
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Frogmen plug leaking oil tank in Satun
PHUKET CITY: A team of frogmen yesterday sealed a hole in the tank of a sunken fishing vessel off Satun’s Koh Lipe, stopping an oil leak that left some island beaches blackened earlier in the week. The oil leak was first noticed early last Saturday morning at Ao Pramong, on the north coast of Koh Lipe. In an all-day operation…
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Game shop killer surrenders
PHUKET CITY: Ekawood Pipatratana, the video game center owner who accidentally shot and killed a 12-year-old boy in his shop on Wednesday, handed himself in to police today. Mr Ekawood, 43, dumped Amornthep “Gaga” Panya-sirikul’s body in marshland near Phuket International Airport before fleeing in his car to his wife in Bangkok. At a press conference at Phuket City Police…
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Mob leader slams Cherng Talay Police
CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: A member of the mob protesting alleged police inaction in the murder of a 12-year-old boy by an Internet cafe owner spoke with the Gazette late yesterday afternoon about why the group continued to block a stretch of Srisoonthorn Road through the night – even after the victim’s family had disbanded after meeting with the governor. Identifying…
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Gaga’s mom talks to the Gazette, issues ultimatum to police
CHERNG TALAY: The mother of slain schoolboy Amornthep “Gaga” Panya-sirikul is giving police five days to bring to justice the man who took her son’s life by shooting him in the head inside a computer game center yesterday afternoon. Gaga’s mother, Mrs Somjai Sudjit, told the Gazette today she took the boy’s remains home at 11am today after identifying Gaga…
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Cherng Talay protesters finally disband
CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: An adamant group of protesters continued to block a 300-meter stretch of Srisoonthorn Road in Baan Bang Tao most of today, demanding police catch the man responsible for the shooting murder of 12-year-old Amornthep “Gaga” Panya-sirikul. The group finally disbanded late this afternoon following unconfirmed reports that the shooter was about to turn himself in to authorities.…
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Boy killed in gun play gone wrong
PHUKET, CHERNG TALAY: A 12-year-old boy was shot and killed following a gun play accident at an internet and games shop in Baan Bang Tao, Cherng Talay at about noon yesterday.The shooting occurred at Dr Com Electronic Center located opposite Baan Bang Tao School on Srisoonthorn Road when the owner of the cafe, Ekawood Pipatratana, 34, was showing off his…
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