Year: 2010

  • Phuket NewsAmerican student found dead in Phuket

    American student found dead in Phuket

    PHUKET: An American man studying to become an English teacher was found dead in his Phuket Town hotel room last night. Phuket City Police said it appears that Peter Williams, a 39-year-old from New York State, committed suicide in his room at Roongrawee Mansion, near Vachira Phuket Hospital on Yaowarat Road. Yesterday evening at around 11pm, four friends went to…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket truck accident: 45 gas cylinders hit the road

    Phuket truck accident: 45 gas cylinders hit the road

    PHUKET: A tire blowout on a delivery truck left Phuket’s central artery strewn with 45 filled gas cylinders this morning. Fortunately none of the vessels exploded and there were no serious injuries. The accident occurred at around 9am on Thepkrasattri Road southbound in Mai Khao, near the entrance to Blue Canyon Country Club. By 9:30am local police, firefighters and rescue…

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  • Thailand NewsGrave guidance solves missing person mystery | Thaiger

    Grave guidance solves missing person mystery

    PHITSANULOKE: In an eerie tale just in time for Halloween, a man was arrested in this northern province after being fingered for murdering his young wife by an unlikely source: her ghost. Four months after her disappearance, the spirit of 21-year-old Ratree Thongdee reportedly appeared to her mother, Somjit Jitprajak, in a dream. The apparition told her that she had…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket IT update: ‘Facebook for Business’ seminar on Saturday

    Phuket IT update: ‘Facebook for Business’ seminar on Saturday

    PHUKET: Computer guru Woody Leonhard will speak at two upcoming IT seminars in Phuket, starting with an encore of the popular Phuket Software Park seminar Using Facebook to Drive Business in Patong on Saturday morning. PhuketSchool.com director Sitthichai “Mr X” Laoveerakul gave the Facebook presentation last month at a Software Park Phuket meeting. Khun Woody and several Computer Clinic members…

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  • Phuket NewsCulture update: The slow death of the Phuket dialect

    Culture update: The slow death of the Phuket dialect

    PHUKET: Developed over generations in isolation from the mainland, Phuket’s unique version of the southern Thai dialect is dying out, diluted by the huge influx of migrant workers, the tourism boom, mass media and a slew of other factors. The Phuket dialect is unique. Compared with other versions of southern Thai, it tends to be slower and more flowing than…

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  • Phuket NewsDeadline for Phuket ‘yellow pages’

    Deadline for Phuket ‘yellow pages’

    PHUKET: Businesses wishing to appear in the 2011 Gazette Guide, Phuket’s ‘yellow pages’, have until 6pm on Friday, November 12, to enter (or update) their listings. Entries after that date will appear in the Gazette Guide Online only – not in the hard-copy book for 2011. The 400-page book, with details of more than 4,700 businesses serving the international community…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Software Factory wins APICTA 2010 award

    Phuket Software Factory wins APICTA 2010 award

    PHUKET: A Phuket-based software development company was among six Thai firms winning an APICTA 2010 information and communication technology award last week. The Phuket Software Factory won a merit award in the “e-Health” category of the Asia Pacific Information and Communication Technology Awards (APICTA) 2010, held in Malaysia. The Phuket Software Factory was founded by Dr Kongkiat Kespechara to improve…

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  • Phuket NewsNew international hospital under construction in Krabi

    New international hospital under construction in Krabi

    PHUKET: A new private hospital under construction in Krabi Town has prompted talk among local residents of less reliance on medical facilities in Phuket. The 120-bed facility, under construction by Krabi Nakharin Company, will be located on Pisalpop Road. The management company has links with, but is independent from, the group that runs the 135-bed Nakharin Hospital in Nakhon Sri…

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  • Phuket NewsIncrease in violent crime reports in Phuket | Thaiger

    Increase in violent crime reports in Phuket

    PHUKET: There has been a sharp increase in violent crime over the past 12 months, recently-released statistics by the Phuket Provincial Police reveal. The figures compare the numbers of reported crime cases for fiscal year 2009 and fiscal year 2010, which ended on September 30. The statistics show a 72.9% increase in reported cases of “heinous crimes”: group muggings, armed…

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  • Phuket NewsBt1.5b resort to open in Phuket in 2012

    Bt1.5b resort to open in Phuket in 2012

    PHUKET: A new 350-room, five-star luxury resort will open in the South Patong hillsides of Phuket by the end of 2012. News of the 1.5-billion-baht project was announced by Bangkok-based hotel and resort consultants Mai-BS (Thailand). The firm is headed by Klaus Rauter, former general manager at Andara Villas and Suites. “We are extremely proud of having been selected and…

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  • Phuket NewsWork on Phuket landmark delayed

    Work on Phuket landmark delayed

    PHUKET: Work on the “Patong City” welcome sign project is more than a month behind schedule, but should be ready sometime next month, officials say. Construction work was abandoned during heavy rains last week, Patong municipal officer Siwapong Chechang told the Gazette. “It is too dangerous to continue work when it rains heavily so the project is going much slower…

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  • Phuket NewsArson suspected in Phuket Town car blaze

    Arson suspected in Phuket Town car blaze

    PHUKET: Police are investigating a presumed arson attack that turned a parked car into a ball of flames in Phuket Town last night. First on the scene, a soi off Phuket Road near Bang Neaw Shrine, were emergency rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation. Although equipped with three chemical sprayers, they could do little but watch as the flames completely…

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  • Phuket NewsKajonkiet to open international school in Phuket

    Kajonkiet to open international school in Phuket

    PHUKET: Phuket parents seeking English-language education for their children will have a new option from May next year, when a new Kajonkiet international school is scheduled to open in Kathu. The Kajonkiet group of schools, already the largest provider of private bilingual education in Phuket, hopes to open its first international school in time for the start of the international…

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  • Phuket NewsHighway robbery in Phuket | Thaiger

    Highway robbery in Phuket

    PHUKET: Three teenagers held up a pair of young women at gunpoint in Thalang early Sunday morning and stole their motorbike. News of the hold-up was reported to Thalang Police by Wirach Rawdboot, the older brother of one of the victims. The woman, with a female friend riding pillion, was driving her Yamaha Fino home from work along a quiet…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket ramps up flood-relief efforts

    Phuket ramps up flood-relief efforts

    PHUKET: The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in Phuket has joined the relief effort for flood victims in Thailand’s north and northeast. Charoensamanakij Temple, behind Phuket Provincial Court, is the collection point for supplies. The group is liaising with the Kusoldharm Foundation to arrange transport for the supplies to hard-hit areas. PAD Phuket coordinator Aparat Chartchutikumjorn said donated items include…

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  • Phuket NewsFC Phuket draw with Rayong FC, 1-1

    FC Phuket draw with Rayong FC, 1-1

    PHUKET: FC Phuket drew on the road at Rayong FC last night, making success in this Saturday’s home match against undefeated Chainat FC crucial to their chances for promotion to Division 1 of the Thai League. In last night’s game in the AIS Regional League “mini-league” playoffs, FC Phuket went in with one point following a road draw at Samut…

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  • Phuket NewsAsia’s best golfers signed up for Phuket Pro-Am charity event

    Asia’s best golfers signed up for Phuket Pro-Am charity event

    PHUKET: More than 20 international golf stars are confirmed to play in Phuket’s first-ever Pro-Am golf charity event on November 5. With more pros signing up, organizers of the 2010 Phuket Property Dot Com Pro-Am Invitational expect a total of about 30 professionals to take part. Among the star-studded lineup are Simon Yates (Scotland) and Scott Hend (Australia) – each…

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  • OpinionPHUKET OPINION: Road lines too cheap to catch attention? | Thaiger

    PHUKET OPINION: Road lines too cheap to catch attention?

    PHUKET: There are some grandiose schemes underway to accommodate the rising number of vehicles plying Phuket’s roads, which is growing at a higher rate than ever with some 500 new registrations every month. Few hold out much hope that the stranglehold on public transport by the island’s widely detested syndicates will ever be seriously addressed – at least in areas…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket poll: Will the drug testing of hotel staff help?

    Phuket poll: Will the drug testing of hotel staff help?

    PHUKET: The Gazette on Friday reported that Phuket City Police and hoteliers in Phuket City Police District will launch a “White Hotel” project that will eventually subject hotel staff to mandatory drug testing. Do you think this could be an effective step toward reducing the problem of illegal drug use? Have your say in the latest Phuket Gazette readers’ poll…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket drivers ‘the worst’: Gazette poll

    Phuket drivers ‘the worst’: Gazette poll

    PHUKET: Phuket drivers don’t think much of fellow road users, with more than 80% saying they are worse than drivers abroad, the results of the latest Phuket Gazette reader’s poll reveal. In the poll launched a week ago, readers were asked: How would you rate the overall behavior of motorists in Phuket compared to those in other places, outside of…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket flood aid on its way to Lopburi

    Phuket flood aid on its way to Lopburi

    PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Office yesterday dispatched more than 100,000 baht in donated funds and other aid to help the tens of thousands of people affected by flooding in Thailand’s central and northeastern regions. Thus far, at least 17 people have been killed from the deluge in central and northeast Thailand, with tens of thousands displaced and in need of…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket City hotel staff to face mandatory drug testing

    Phuket City hotel staff to face mandatory drug testing

    PHUKET: Mandatory drug testing is part of an initiative by Phuket City Police aimed at ridding the district’s hotels and guesthouses of illegal drugs. Representatives of 75 accommodation establishments met yesterday for a briefing on the initiative, dubbed the “White Hotel” project. The scheme is the brainchild of Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Chaiwat Auykham, who wants to create a…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket sea gypsies protest water shortage | Thaiger

    Phuket sea gypsies protest water shortage

    PHUKET: Phuket Police and local officials are in meetings with leaders of the Rawai Sea Gypsy community this afternoon following a street protest that held up traffic for about an hour this morning. About 250 members of the community took part in the protest, which began at about 8:30am on a section of Wiset Road near Rawai Pier. At the…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Thailand Open: Brazilians Franca and Da Silva top seeds

    Phuket Thailand Open: Brazilians Franca and Da Silva top seeds

    PHUKET: Larissa Franca and Juliana Felisberta Da Silva of Brazil, currently the world’s number-one women’s beach volleyball team, have been ranked as top seeds for the US$190,000 Phuket Thailand Open. The tournament, with PTT as the main sponsor, is the last stop on the 2010 Swatch FIVB Beach Volley World Tour to be held on Karon Beach November 2 to…

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  • Phuket NewsRelatives of Aussie fall victim in Phuket notified | Thaiger

    Relatives of Aussie fall victim in Phuket notified

    PHUKET: Relatives of the Australian tourist who died of head injuries sustained in a bathroom fall in Patong earlier this week have been notified, the Australian diplomatic mission in Thailand has confirmed. Australian Honorary Consul for Phuket Larry Cunningham told the Gazette this morning that relatives of the deceased, Joseph Edward Thoms, were notified of his passing at 9:30pm yesterday.…

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  • Phuket NewsSexual assault claim a “misunderstanding’: Vachira Phuket Hospital | Thaiger

    Sexual assault claim a “misunderstanding’: Vachira Phuket Hospital

    PHUKET: Vachira Phuket Hospital has concluded that a sexual assault charge against one of its staff members was the result of a “misunderstanding”. The hospital investigation began after a woman filed a complaint with Phuket City Police on Tuesday that she had been sexually assaulted by hospital staff while undergoing an x-ray examination. Lt Col Sian Kaewthong told the Gazette…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket flood relief ready to roll

    Phuket flood relief ready to roll

    PHUKET: Two trucks loaded with disaster relief supplies for Northeast flood victims will roll out of Phuket today, with a third set to leave tomorrow. The first load of donations, collected by the Kusoldharm Foundation, will leave Phuket this afternoon for flood-stricken Nakhon Ratchasima province. More donations collected by the Red Cross at Provincial Hall will depart Phuket by truck…

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  • Phuket NewsAussie tourist dies in Phuket bathroom fall | Thaiger

    Aussie tourist dies in Phuket bathroom fall

    PHUKET: An Australian tourist died of a head injury apparently sustained after he slipped and hit his head on the bathroom floor in a Phuket guesthouse. Kathu Police at 4:20pm yesterday received a report that a foreign man was discovered dead in the bathroom of his rented room on the third floor of the Vech Guesthouse on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket tunnel project to begin in 2013: Patong Mayor

    Phuket tunnel project to begin in 2013: Patong Mayor

    PHUKET: Patong Mayor Pian Keesin told a crowd of supporters recently that he expects work on the Patong Tunnel Project to begin in 2013. Speaking at a “Patong Future Plan” public rally at Patong Sports Field on the beach road earlier this month, Mayor Pian presented his plans for easing problems that have arisen from the fast pace of development…

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  • Phuket NewsBody of Russian tourist recovered off Phuket

    Body of Russian tourist recovered off Phuket

    PHUKET: Local fishermen have found what they believe to be the body of missing Russian tourist Alexey Agaponov, who went missing off Nai Thon Beach Monday afternoon. Phuket Marine Police Lt Jirayuth Onthong told the Gazette that local fisherman called in the gruesome discovery at 6:30pm yesterday. The body was found in a rocky area at Koh Krata, a small…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket tourism update: TAT to strengthen Aussie, Kiwi markets

    Phuket tourism update: TAT to strengthen Aussie, Kiwi markets

    PHUKET: In a bid to encourage more visitors to Thailand after the recent political turmoil, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has introduced new products and packages to 30 key travel operators in Australia and New Zealand. The overall package was announced yesterday by TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni. Australia and New Zealand were chosen as the first overseas mission for…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s Patong Municipality gets UN award for disaster management

    Phuket’s Patong Municipality gets UN award for disaster management

    PHUKET: In an unexpected development , the United Nations has named Patong Municipality in Phuket as a “role-model city” for disaster management planning. The award ceremony, attended by Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukhabaan, was held on October 13, which is designated as both International Day for Disaster Reduction and the ASEAN Day for Disaster Management. The Municipality was selected because…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Marine Police continue search for missing Russian’s body

    Phuket Marine Police continue search for missing Russian’s body

    PHUKET: Marine Police are still searching for the body of Russian tourist who disappeared in rough surf at a Phuket Beach on Monday afternoon and is now presumed dead. Alexey Agaponov disappeared off Nai Thon Beach the same day the Russian Embassy in Bangkok confirmed that a 50-year-old Russian had drowned at Surin Beach, further south down the Phuket coastline.…

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  • Phuket NewsAldhouse extradition: UK kickboxer in custody for Phuket murder

    Aldhouse extradition: UK kickboxer in custody for Phuket murder

    PHUKET: Fugitive British murder suspect Lee Aldhouse has been remanded in custody at City of Westminster Magistrates after his arrest on a Thai extradition request, the Birmingham Post has reported. The Birmingham native is wanted for the stabbing murder of 23-year-old US Marine DaShawn Longfellow in Rawai in August. According to the report, Mr Aldhouse will undergo a review hearing…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket pitches in for JW Marriott world record Thai dining attempt

    Phuket pitches in for JW Marriott world record Thai dining attempt

    PHUKET: There are still seats left at the tables throughout Phuket tonight for what organizers expect to be the world’s largest-ever Thai dinner party. Marriott chefs have created a Thai menu that will be served up simultaneously to diners in 3,400 Marriott hotels in 69 countries. Thus far about 80 people have made reservations for the meal at the JW…

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  • Phuket NewsJSSL Arsenal soccer school returning to Phuket | Thaiger

    JSSL Arsenal soccer school returning to Phuket

    PHUKET: THE JSSL Arsenal soccer school is returning to Phuket for the third year in a row for the annual Phuket 7s Tournament. Over 220 parents and children are expected to travel to Phuket with the Singapore-based soccer school this December. The tournament, for local and international teams alike, will kick off on December 12. JSSL Arsenal is Singapore’s largest…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket launches relief effort for Isarn flood victims

    Phuket launches relief effort for Isarn flood victims

    PHUKET: An operations center set up at Phuket Provincial Hall is accepting donations to help the more than 100,000 people affected by devastating floods in Thailand’s central and northeastern regions. Seven people have died so far from the floods, with tens of thousands more displaced. Nakhon Ratchasima, the worst hit province, had to evacuate one of its main hospitals. The…

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