Month: June 2010

  • Phuket NewsPhuket City Police hunt expat murder suspect | Thaiger

    Phuket City Police hunt expat murder suspect

    PHUKET: Phuket City Police are asking the public for help in their search for a Caucasian man who is the prime suspect in the murder of 33-year-old Wanphen Pienjai, the bar hostess whose remains were discovered stuffed into a large suitcase in tambon Wichit last week. Ms Wanphen, a native of Petchaboon province, was an employee of the Sweetheart Bar…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket City Police helmet crackdown starts tomorrow

    Phuket City Police helmet crackdown starts tomorrow

    PHUKET: After more than two months of public awareness campaigning, Phuket City Police will tomorrow begin the enforcement of a long-ignored traffic law requiring all motorbike riders – including passengers – to wear crash helmets. Thai traffic law states that both drivers and passengers without helmets can be fined up to 500 baht. A driver transporting a passenger not wearing…

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  • Phuket NewsPheu Thai opens office in Phuket

    Pheu Thai opens office in Phuket

    PHUKET: The opposition Pheu Thai Party has launched a bid to win seats in southern provinces in upcoming elections by setting up operations centers in key Andaman Coast provinces, including Phuket. Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said at the Phuket center’s opening ceremony on June 24, “We are ready to fight for representation in the next elections. Phuket is the first…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket arrest: Father remains jailed | Thaiger

    Phuket arrest: Father remains jailed

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community. World Cup? Get instantaneous scores and news updates right here on the Gazette Online (fed directly from FIFA). PHUKET: A father volunteered to remain in jail in the United States on Monday while awaiting trial on charges that he…

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  • Phuket NewsThailand warning on dengue fever | Thaiger

    Thailand warning on dengue fever

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community. World Cup? Get instantaneous scores and news updates right here on the Gazette Online (fed directly from FIFA). PHUKET: Thailand is facing a major outbreak of dengue fever and cholera, which have killed 30 people over the past six…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket family to climb Mt Kinabalu

    Phuket family to climb Mt Kinabalu

    PHUKET: Two young sisters, nine-year-old Kasia Sambrook and her sister Alicia, 6, are in training to scale one of the largest mountains in the region next month in order to raise money for stray dogs. The two girls have their eyes on the 4,095-meter peak of Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, the fourth highest peak in the Malay Archipelago. All of…

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  • Phuket NewsFC Phuket take on Trang FC Sunday

    FC Phuket take on Trang FC Sunday

    PHUKET: FC Phuket will take a giant step towards winning the Football Association of Thailand’s Division Two (Southern Section) if they can defeat Trang at home on Sunday. FC Phuket are currently two points clear of Trang, with a game in hand. The last time the two sides met, back in April, Trang handed the Southern Sea Kirin their first…

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  • Phuket NewsTwo teens arrested for Phuket shooting murder

    Two teens arrested for Phuket shooting murder

    PHUKET: A 17-year-old was left dead after one man’s jealousy turned fatal in Phuket Town on Saturday night. Phuket City Police today announced the arrests 19-year-old Narongchai ‘Tan’ Boonprom of Nakhon Sri Thammarat and 27-year-old Phuket native Kajorn ‘Ee’ Chansri for their involvement in the murder of Phuket youth Witarn Chuaykuea, 17. An accomplice identified only as ‘James’ remains at…

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  • Phuket NewsKathu culture fair a weekend hit

    Kathu culture fair a weekend hit

    PHUKET: While many island residents partied the weekend away at the Phuket Music Festival in Karon, Kathu came to life with streetlights, red lanterns and numerous cultural activities as part of the second annual Kathu Culture Road street fair that took place on Kathu Soi 4. Funded at about 1 million baht, the three-night fair was an attempt by Kathu…

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  • Phuket NewsBlackout in Phuket tomorrow

    Blackout in Phuket tomorrow

    PHUKET: There will be a blackout in parts of Chalong tomorrow to allow workers to carry out maintenance on high voltage power lines, the Provincial Electricity Authority has announced. The power cut will last from approximately 9am to 4pm. The affected areas will be along the west side of Chao Fah West Road, from Soi Baan Krang to the Ananda…

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  • Phuket NewsWoman fends off mugger in Phuket

    Woman fends off mugger in Phuket

    PHUKET: A young woman last week fought off a would-be robber by biting his arm, causing the attacker to flee empty-handed down Soi Yodsane in Phuket. The incident happened around 4am on June 24 after the victim, Rhian ‘Fon’ Hartman, was leaving her job as a public relations officer at a well-known restaurant in Kathu. Ms Hartman drove on her…

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  • Phuket NewsAx murder ends World Cup dispute | Thaiger

    Ax murder ends World Cup dispute

    NAKHON SRI THAMMARAT: A man hacked his boss to death with an ax following an argument over play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, now into the knockout stages in South Africa. In the early hours of June 22, friends of Suwit Thongkhaha rushed the 42-year-old to hospital, but he was dead on arrival, the Thai-language newspaper Khao Sod (‘Fresh…

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  • Phuket NewsSoftware Park Phuket ‘Tech Talk’ series for July

    Software Park Phuket ‘Tech Talk’ series for July

    PHUKET: Software Park Phuket has announced its schedule of weekly ‘Tech Talk’ discussions for July: July 1: ‘Worry-free, legal-licensed, free open source business software‘, by LisAndi (English presentation with Thai translation). July 8: ‘Get to know Google Docs’ by Phuket Innovation Incubation Center, Software Park Phuket (Thai presentation with English slides, no translation). July 15: ‘CAT CDMA 3G: Wireless technology…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket flights: Air Bagan to Burma? | Thaiger

    Phuket flights: Air Bagan to Burma?

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community. World Cup? Get instantaneous scores and news updates right here on the Gazette Online (fed directly from FIFA). PHUKET: Myanmar’s two private airlines have announced plans to purchase new aircraft to service new routes, including Phuket, in time for…

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  • OpinionPhuket Opinion: New hope for mangroves? | Thaiger

    Phuket Opinion: New hope for mangroves?

    PHUKET: Despite the real and obvious need to improve Phuket’s road network, local leaders must refrain from taking part in unauthorized efforts to push through high-priority projects, or allowing or encouraging others to do so. The latest example came on June 19, when hundreds of people assembled on the dead-end Sakdidet Rd Soi 7 intending to bring in heavy equipment…

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  • Phuket NewsPair arrested in Phuket for robbery, rape | Thaiger

    Pair arrested in Phuket for robbery, rape

    PHUKET: Tung Tong Police yesterday arrested two members of a gang allegedly responsible for a string of robberies in Patong and one brutal rape in Kathu. Police presented 30-year-old Kathu resident Manat Prabpai at a press conference at Tung Tong Police Station along with Adisak ‘Oom’ Rakkhanam, who was arrested yesterday while trying to escape from police after allegedly committing…

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  • Phuket NewsDengue Fever spreading in Phuket | Thaiger

    Dengue Fever spreading in Phuket

    PHUKET: The number of dengue fever cases in Phuket is soaring, according to the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO). PPHO Director Narinrach Pichyakamin said figures released by the PPHO at a meeting of public health volunteers on June 17 showed 213 cases of dengue fever in Phuket from January 1 to June 12 this year. The initial target for…

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  • Phuket NewsSomething’s getting fishy in Phuket

    Something’s getting fishy in Phuket

    PHUKET: Faced with high-tech detection technology and sniffer dogs, drug smugglers are resorting to stashing methamphetamine pills inside containers of fermented fish (pla raa) in an effort to hide their smell from authorities, Phuket Police say. Chalong Police held a press conference yesterday afternoon to announce the arrest of four suspects for possession of methamphetamine pills, known in Thailand as…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Police squash meth ring

    Phuket Police squash meth ring

    PHUKET: Phuket City Police have arrested a boyfriend-girlfriend team of major drug suppliers, seizing over 6,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills in the process. Also arrested in the operation were several dealers working for the couple and some of their customers. The busts were announced at a press conference at Phuket City Police Station yesterday morning. Phuket Police Commander Pekad Tantipong…

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  • Phuket NewsThailand prepares for earthquakes

    Thailand prepares for earthquakes

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community. World Cup? Get instantaneous scores and news updates right here on the Gazette Online (fed directly from FIFA). PHUKET: Pic caption: NREM Minister Suwit Khunkitti called on the public not to panic as Thailand is not situated near major…

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  • Phuket NewsYamaha pushes jet-skis as Phuket water safety solution

    Yamaha pushes jet-skis as Phuket water safety solution

    PHUKET: Thai and Australian lifeguard trainers last week staged a surf rescue demonstration at Karon Beach to show local officials how jet-skis, when properly used, can save lives rather than imperil them. Performing the demonstration were six trainers from the Bangkok-based Promedic Rescue Team and three trainers, headed by David Field, from Australia’s Surf Life Saving Association (SLSA). Mr Field…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Music Festival starts tonight

    Phuket Music Festival starts tonight

    PHUKET: This evening marks the first night of the second annual Phuket Music Festival, an all-night full moon party on Karon Beach. Morakot Suddee, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s events promotion division, said the free-admission event will be very similar to the inaugural Roy Fest held in the same location last year, but with a wider variety of…

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  • Phuket NewsPorsches powering to Phuket

    Porsches powering to Phuket

    PHUKET: Competing for our attention with the omnipresent drone of vuvuzela horns over the next few days will be the sound of 25 Porsche touring cars, now on their way from Singapore and due to arrive in Phuket tomorrow. The drivers, members of the Porsche Club Singapore (PCS), are today on a rally leg from Haad Yai to Krabi, where…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Events: Yacht racing dominates | Thaiger

    Phuket Events: Yacht racing dominates

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community. World Cup? Get instantaneous scores and news updates right here on the Gazette Online (fed directly from FIFA). PHUKET: The third SEA Property International Phuket Multihull Championship will take place July 16-18 in the Chalong Bay area. This increasingly…

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  • Phuket NewsWork underway on Patong Hill flooding problem

    Work underway on Patong Hill flooding problem

    PHUKET: After almost daily flooding, work is now underway on a ‘permanent solution’ to the chronic drainage problem on the low-lying stretch of Patong Hill road where sinkholes have formed in the past. For our previous reports, click here and here. The Phuket Provincial Highway Department and Patong Municipality are joining forces and funds to complete the 5-million-baht project which…

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  • Thailand NewsDon’t coax crocs, Thai tourists told | Thaiger

    Don’t coax crocs, Thai tourists told

    NAKHON RACHASIMA: Authorities at Khao Yai National Park have given a stern warning to tourists, ordering them to stop taunting the park’s pair of two-meter-long crocodiles. The warning came after officials spotted visitors tempting the beasts with their feet. The reptiles first hit the headlines last year when they were seen swimming around a waterhole in the park, which is…

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  • Phuket NewsFuneral services for Eric Tomlin

    Funeral services for Eric Tomlin

    PHUKET: Eric Tomlin, founder of Phuket-Villas.com and Lynx Management Group, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 63 last week. A former Cathay Pacific pilot, Mr Tomlin was a pioneer in the development of the upscale villa market on the island. The native of Leicestershire, England is survived by his wife Suchada Chaloemtoem and two young daughters. Cremation services are…

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  • Phuket NewsMurdered woman’s corpse found on Phuket roadside | Thaiger

    Murdered woman’s corpse found on Phuket roadside

    PHUKET: A man on his commute to work made a gruesome discovery this morning, finding the rotting corpse of a woman stuffed into a suitcase and deposited along Chao Fa Thani Road, behind the new Honda Showroom on Chao Fa West northbound in Wichit. The discovery was made at 9:15am by 35-year-old Prasit Klaigate, an employee of the VSN Service…

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  • Phuket NewsAustralian dies in Phuket hotel room | Thaiger

    Australian dies in Phuket hotel room

    PHUKET: Kathu Police are still uncertain what caused the death of an Australian man in his Patong apartment yesterday. A Kathu Police duty officer identified the body as that of 40-year-old Jamie Thomas Trow. A friend of the deceased, identified only as ‘Mr Eric’, discovered Mr Trow’s body in his second-floor room at the upscale BYD Lofts serviced apartments on…

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  • Phuket NewsAirport baggage thieves bagged

    Airport baggage thieves bagged

    PHUKET: Two baggage staff at Phuket Airport are to be charged with theft after allegedly stealing two cellphones from an Australian tourist’s luggage yesterday. When Bret Drinkwater arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok aboard a Thai Airways flight, he noticed his iPhone and Nokia cellphone were missing from his bag. After he informed police in Bangkok, at around 4pm, they…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket to host travel congress | Thaiger

    Phuket to host travel congress

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community. World Cup? Get instantaneous scores and news updates right here on the Gazette Online (fed directly from FIFA). PHUKET: The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) will hold its 59th Annual Travel Congress (convention and exhibition) in Phuket, from…

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  • Phuket NewsLithuanian father seeks missing son in Phuket

    Lithuanian father seeks missing son in Phuket

    PHUKET: A Lithuanian man desperate to re-establish contact with his missing son is offering a 25,000-baht reward to anyone who can help him find the young man. The father, 40-year-old Andrej Korkus, was at Kathu Police Station yesterday in search of his 24-year-old son who bears the same name. Mr Korkus Sr said his son, his only child, went to…

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  • Phuket NewsAussie death plunge in Phuket likely an accident

    Aussie death plunge in Phuket likely an accident

    PHUKET: The expat operators of a Patong hotel have dismissed local media reports suggesting that an Australian man who plunged three floors to his death on the morning of June 10 took his own life following a World Cup dispute with a Thai girlfriend. The death was most likely accidental, they said. According to one media report, 29-year-old Shawn Morris…

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  • Phuket NewsChalong Police arrest murder suspect

    Chalong Police arrest murder suspect

    PHUKET: Police have arrested a man wanted for shooting dead an 18-year-old student on Wiset Road in Rawai last week. Chalong Police led by Superintendent Wichit Intorrasorn held a press conference yesterday afternoon to announce the arrest of Thaweesak Sukprasit, 29, who was arrested by police at his home in Chalong Village 7 on Sunday. Also known by the alias…

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  • Phuket NewsAussies like it overseas | Thaiger

    Aussies like it overseas

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community. World Cup? Get instantaneous scores and news updates right here on the Gazette Online (fed directly from FIFA). PHUKET: Australians, a top tourism market for Phuket, are taking one less holiday at home each year, and are being enticed…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Poll: Patong City sign

    Phuket Poll: Patong City sign

    PHUKET: Work is underway on a 9-million-baht project to create a large welcome sign on Patong Hill, at the border between Patong and Kathu municipalities. The project, funded under the Thai Khem Kaeng (Strong Thailand) financial stimulus package, has drawn criticism from some quarters. What do you think? Have your say in the latest Phuket Gazette readers’ poll by clicking…

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  • Phuket NewsReaders’ poll: Phuket economy hurt by Bangkok turmoil

    Readers’ poll: Phuket economy hurt by Bangkok turmoil

    PHUKET: Most Phuket Gazette online readers think the political turmoil in April and May seriously harmed Phuket’s economy, the results of the latest readers’ poll reveal. Of 536 readers who took part, 59.7% overall said the protests seriously harmed Phuket’s economy. A smaller percentage, 27.6%, said the events had hurt Phuket’s economy ‘a little’, while 5.2% thought Phuket had not…

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