Year: 2010

  • Phuket News15 dead as Bangkok protests explode | Thaiger

    15 dead as Bangkok protests explode

    PHUKET: Fifteen people have been killed and more than 650 injured in clashes between troops and anti-government protesters in Bangkok. Five soldiers are being held hostage by demonstrators and a journalist with Reuters news agency is among the dead. In a report filed at 3am in Thailand today, Sky.com says soldiers fired rubber bullets and some live rounds at opposition…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsViolence and arson at troubled Phuket project

    Violence and arson at troubled Phuket project

    WICHIT, PHUKET: A violent confrontation and arson attack outside the troubled Phanason City project last night ended when police arrived and fired warning shots, causing those involved to run for cover. The latest skirmish in the months-old battle started at about 9pm. Around 200 men alleged to be project workers tried to destroy and burn some 40 motorbikes and a…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket bank accounts plundered

    Phuket bank accounts plundered

    PHUKET: Phuket police are warning of fraudulent phone calls informing members of the public they are “lucky winners” and promising them large cash prizes. The criminals ask victims to transfer a small sum of money in order to claim the reward, which is never seen. In some cases, the hapless victims are instructed to make the transaction at a specific…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsMeditation training in Phuket | Thaiger

    Meditation training in Phuket

    PHUKET CITY: The Middle Way will resume its free meditation training with a special pre-Songkran session at the Phuket Meditation Center starting at 3pm tomorrow. The teaching monk will be Phra River Bhaddako, a Theravadan Buddhist monk for three years with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Swansea University where he founded that school’s Open Meditation Society. Phra River has…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket protest over Club Med wall

    Phuket protest over Club Med wall

    KATA, PHUKET: More than 100 local residents yesterday gathered at the Club Med Hotel in Phuket to protest construction of a concrete wall enclosing the resort’s property. Protester Pradit Thamwatthana said hotel staff began staking out the position of the wall with bamboo poles two weeks ago. The 1.5-meter-high wall would seal off six rai of land that in recent…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket calm as drama escalates in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Phuket calm as drama escalates in Bangkok

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The latest development in the month-long standoff in the Bangkok-based anti-government demonstrations saw the protesters storming a satellite television station yesterday. Meanwhile, Phuket remained as calm and seemingly detached from the action as Perth, Pretoria or Pittsburgh. The…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsComing soon: Phuket’s new bridge

    Coming soon: Phuket’s new bridge

    MAI KHAO, PHUKET: The construction firm building a new bridge to Phuket has released computer generated images of what the project will look like upon completion. Project engineer Dr Phattanapong Thonsuk of project contractor Italian-Thai Development Co said the old Sarasin Bridge has suffered from years of saltwater corrosion and wear and is being replaced following concerns by the Highway…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsYa bah going cheap in Phuket

    Ya bah going cheap in Phuket

    PATONG, PHUKET: The arrest of a volunteer soldier on drug charges on Wednesday may indicate the price of ya bah (methamphetamine) is falling on the island. Kathu Police arrested Sornchai Nop in his room at a small hotel on Ratchaprasong Road in Patong at about 2am. Mr Sornchai, an army scout based in Narathiwat, apparently found selling ya bah in…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsBike in wrong lane causes Phuket truck flip

    Bike in wrong lane causes Phuket truck flip

    PHUKET: A motorcyclist driving down the bypass road in the wrong direction caused a truck to flip over in Phuket this morning. The driver of the modified pickup, 27-year-old Niwasan Duangjan, panicked when he saw the bike heading straight for him, and turned sharply on the highway opposite Premium Outlet around 10am. No-one was injured. — Atchaa Khamlo

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket tourism: TAT targets Vietnam

    Phuket tourism: TAT targets Vietnam

    PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) hopes the establishment of Phuket as a regional air hub will help the country attract more than 400,000 visitors from Vietnam for the first time this year. Pichai Raktasinha, Director of the TAT office in Ho Chi Minh City, said the number of Vietnamese arrivals in Thailand has risen steadily in recent years,…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsTourists told to visit Phuket | Thaiger

    Tourists told to visit Phuket

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Thailand’s PM Abhisit Vejjajiva has declared a State of Emergency in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. A State of Emergency dramatically increases the power of the government, but it really means little to the average tourist and very much…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsSongkran 2010: Northern turmoil boosts Phuket

    Songkran 2010: Northern turmoil boosts Phuket

    PHUKET: With red shirts now rallying in provinces across Thailand’s North and Northeast, Phuket is an increasingly attractive destination for tourists over the upcoming Songkran holiday. Members of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) are gathering in 17 northern provinces to support their fellow protesters in Bangkok, Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul said earlier today. “Although protests are sprouting…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket Lifeguard Club ready to serve

    Phuket Lifeguard Club ready to serve

    PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) plans to sign a 10-month contract with the Phuket Lifeguard Club that will see 83 lifeguards assigned to 13 island beaches by the end of the month. Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyut ‘Nut’ Chuayuan said he was still waiting to see the contract and had yet to be contacted by PPAO officials, but…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket leatherback eggs fail to hatch

    Phuket leatherback eggs fail to hatch

    MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Hopes that two clutches of eggs could spell a reversal of fortune for Phuket’s endangered leatherback sea turtle population were dashed last month when the eggs failed to hatch. Mai Khao Sea Turtle Conservation Group member Somporn Anupun said the 130 eggs, laid in mid-January, failed to hatch as expected in March. The two clutches, thought to…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsMalaysia gains edge over Phuket | Thaiger

    Malaysia gains edge over Phuket

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Etihad Holidays, a division of Etihad Airways, has announced a new cooperative agreement with Tourism Malaysia to promote holiday packages to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu, giving them a clear advantage over Phuket as a popular tourist destination in…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsSongkran splashdown in Old Phuket Town

    Songkran splashdown in Old Phuket Town

    PHUKET: While getting soaked during Songkran in Patong has long been inevitable, the chances of staying dry in Phuket Old Town used to be somewhat higher. Not this year. In a bid to reduce crowding on Patong Beach, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pushing Phuket Old Town as an alternative setting for the New Year water fight. In…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsTsunami alert prompts confusion in Phuket

    Tsunami alert prompts confusion in Phuket

    PHUKET: Confusion reigned in coastal areas of Phuket this morning after a tsunami ‘advisory alert’ was mistaken by many as a full-scale evacuation order. The alert followed a 7.5-richter earthquake at about 5:15am local time along the north coast of Sumatra in Indonesia, along the same fault zone that triggered the 2004 tsunami disaster. Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop ordered the…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsCricket sixes on way to Phuket | Thaiger

    Cricket sixes on way to Phuket

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Organisers of next week’s (April 14-18) Phuket International Cricket Sixes, to be staged at Karon Beach, today announced that the recently retired captain of Australia, Karen Rolton, will headline the newly introduced Women’s Division at this year’s tournament.…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsWoman charged over Phuket road killing | Thaiger

    Woman charged over Phuket road killing

    PHUKET: Chalong Police have charged a 28-year-old Thai woman with causing death by dangerous driving after she ran over a pedestrian in her pick-up truck last night. Sumarin Jaiboon hit Sathit Saenkla, a 57-year-old builder from Phang Nga, at high speed on Chao Fa West Road at the entrance to Soi Yodsane at around 11pm. Mr Sathit, who had just…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket landlord electrocuted on roof | Thaiger

    Phuket landlord electrocuted on roof

    PHUKET TOWN: A landlord was electrocuted on Saturday while trying to fix the roof of a house in Phuket Town. Phuket native Vissanu Thipsunthornnon, 42, was found dead with his legs dangling off the roof of the house on Wichit Songkhram Road at around 9am. Mr Vissanu’s wife said tenants had complained the roof was damaged in heavy rain the…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket tours miffed over Phi Phi fee

    Phuket tours miffed over Phi Phi fee

    PHUKET: A 20-baht “entrance fee” levied by the local authority in charge of Koh Phi Phi has sparked a row with Phuket tour operators. On Saturday the Ao Nang Tambon Administration Organization (TAO) began collecting the charge from all visitors to fund the cleaning of the island’s piers. Tour operators are complaining the TAO did not officially warn them in…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsSongkran in Phuket: Road safety clampdown coming

    Songkran in Phuket: Road safety clampdown coming

    PHUKET: The water-splashing riot of the Songkran Festival draws near and with it the Phuket authorities’ annual road safety clampdown. Between April 12 and 18 police are promising to strictly enforce Thailand’s often-neglected traffic laws. In particular, officers will be on the lookout for drink driving, speeding and motorcycle riders without helmets. Twenty-four-hour checkpoints will be erected at the following…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsBoon for Phuket: Lifeguard training | Thaiger

    Boon for Phuket: Lifeguard training

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The dangers of Phuket’s beaches have been much in the headlines around the world over the past three years amid a spate of drownings and a protracted period during which there were no lifeguards at all. Although safety…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket murder suspect gets bail | Thaiger

    Phuket murder suspect gets bail

    KATHU, PHUKET: A Phuket taxi driver who allegedly shot and killed a man last week was released on bail the following day. Two friends of the dead man were injured, one seriously, when the vehicle they used to rush him to hospital crashed on the way. Thung Thong Police were notified of the crash on Phra Phuket Kaew Road at…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsEncroachers ordered off Phuket beaches | Thaiger

    Encroachers ordered off Phuket beaches

    MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Hotels and restaurants in Mai Khao in Phuket have been given one month to vacate illegally occupied beachfront land after a barrage of complaints from local residents. Villagers complained in writing to Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop that it was becoming ever more difficult for them to access public beach land because hotels and restaurants have erected barriers…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket Bike Week: hundreds cancel over protest fears

    Phuket Bike Week: hundreds cancel over protest fears

    PHUKET: Hundreds of bikers have dropped out of Phuket Bike Week because of the red shirt protests in Bangkok, according to the president of the Thai Hotels Association (Southern Chapter). Suchart Hirankanokkul, who recently replaced Methee Tanmanatragul as head of the association, said 3,000 bikers had been expected to take part in the annual festival. Around 20 percent have dropped…

    Read More »
  • Thailand NewsTrial by ordeal shocks parents | Thaiger

    Trial by ordeal shocks parents

    BURIRAM: Parents are up in arms after teachers at a government school tried to use black magic to find out which of their pupils stole money from a staff member on March 2. Children complained they were made to swear they didn’t take the cash, then drink ‘magic water’ from a bottle containing various kinds of garbage. Saithong Khareram, a…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsFC Phuket crush Ranong 5-0

    FC Phuket crush Ranong 5-0

    PHUKET TOWN: FC Phuket continued their undefeated run with an imperious 5-0 victory over a flimsy Ranong squad at Surakal Stadium on Saturday. FC Phuket have won every home match this season, giving their fans, who continue to grow in numbers with each game, plenty to sing about. With midfield linchpin Diarra Ali injured, striker Chakrit was recalled, while Poramut…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket to benefit from a better 2010? | Thaiger

    Phuket to benefit from a better 2010?

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community. PHUKET: According to Travel Weekly, Phuket and Bangkok can look forward to improved tourism in 2010. The influential US-based weekly newspaper for the travel industry says that Thailand was one of the most beleaguered tourist destinations in the world…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket Pilot on course to fly again

    Phuket Pilot on course to fly again

    PHUKET: Cathay Pacific airline pilot Scott McDonald  is back on the golf course – and playing better than ever. Mr McDonald, whose right foot and lower leg were sliced off in a freak motorcycle accident two months ago, had a new prosthetic foot fitted on March 14. The American has already played six rounds of his favorite sport at the…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket Bag Plague: carrot or stick?

    Phuket Bag Plague: carrot or stick?

    PHUKET: What works best, the carrot or the stick? It’s an age-old question, and one brought to the fore here in Phuket with the launch this week of the Tesco Lotus ‘Green Bag Green Point’ scheme. [See details, current issue of the Phuket Gazette. Digital subscribers click here.] Lotus will reward shoppers who reuse bags – instead of using new…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsCambodia may tweak Phuket property | Thaiger

    Cambodia may tweak Phuket property

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Cambodia is trying to encourage international investment by relaxing laws on property ownership by foreigners. The Financial Times reports that Cambodia’s draft law is under discussion at the National Assembly and would allow non-nationals to fully own residential…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News“Mind Centre’ opens in Phuket | Thaiger

    “Mind Centre’ opens in Phuket

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The Phuket International Academy (PIA) is opening its internationally rated Mind Centre for balance and well being with world renowned mentor B. Alan Wallace at the helm. The PIA Mind Centre will be launched a week from today…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket resort scam: British CEO arrested | Thaiger

    Phuket resort scam: British CEO arrested

    PHUKET: The British chief executive officer of a Phuket resort company has been arrested on fraud charges for allegedly cheating customers out of millions of baht. Mr Steven James Granville, 43, CEO of Puravarna Resort Co, was arrested at the company’s office in Rawai. Crime Suppression Division police had received information from Mr Anand Kumar Sen, managing director of Tycoon…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsMore Phuket forest destroyed | Thaiger

    More Phuket forest destroyed

    KATA, PHUKET: Two men were arrested on March 19 in what appears to be a large scheme to slash down and develop protected forest land in Phuket. During a routine patrol of land near the Kata viewpoint along Kata-Sai Yuan road, Karon Sub-District Chief (Kamnan) Winai Chitcheiw discovered around five rai of deforested land. Although most of the trees cut…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuketians march in support of prime minister

    Phuketians march in support of prime minister

    PHUKET TOWN: Around 200 Phuketians and members of the Phuket People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) took to the streets on March 31, voicing their objections to the red-shirted United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) rally in Bangkok. The crowd marched from Queen Sirikit park to Phuket Provincial Hall waving banners and parading a huge national flag. In a show…

    Read More »
  • Phuket NewsPhuket Airport snubbed | Thaiger

    Phuket Airport snubbed

    Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily, pocket-sized packet of news from around the world, compiled by Phuket Gazette reporters for foreigners who want it short, sharp and straight to the point. PHUKET: Bangkok Airways, Thailand’s largest privately owned carrier, plans to turn Samui Airport, rather than Phuket International Airport, into a second international air hub, after Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, in…

    Read More »