Month: January 2012
- Phuket News
Pheu Thai to consider Phuket special administrative zone
PHUKET: A peaceful protest for later closing times on Patong’s renowned Soi Bangla on Saturday may have finally encouraged the government to consider making Patong a special administrative zone. Government Spokesman Prompong Nopparit, in Phuket on Saturday, pledged to take up the issue with Pheu Thai ministers at a meeting in Bangkok today. The outcome of that meeting has yet…
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Phuket school kids busted on meth
PHUKET: Six students in their first year of secondary school have been caught skipping school to get high on ya bah (methamphetamine) in an abandoned disco in the heart of Phuket Town. First year secondary school students (Matthayom 1) are typically 13 years old. The six students, all enrolled at an unspecified school under the administration of Phuket City Municipality,…
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Phuket expat reunited with “best friend’ Micky
PHUKET: Long-term Phuket expat Frank Lamine has been reunited with his lost dog “Micky”, but his fears of dog-nappers operating at Nai Harn Beach remain. Mr Lamine lost Mickey on January 22. After checking with police, he learned that Rawai Municipality has CCTV cameras posted at the beach. “The CCTV footage recorded Micky at the beach at 4:30pm. Then at…
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‘Case closed’ on mystery death of Brazilian in Phuket
PHUKET: The body of a Brazilian tourist found dead in a Phuket guest house last month has been returned to his family in New Zealand. Relatives do not think the death was suspicious, Patong Police say. Patong Hospital officers confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that according to hospital records the body of Daniel Rocha Jordan Brasileiro, 30, was claimed by…
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Parents the cure for corruption curse: Phuket poll
PHUKET: Parents and guardians play the key role in the effort to instill a much-needed “anti-corruption” mentality in our youth, a majority of Phuket Gazette readers feel. In the online poll launched two weeks ago, the Gazette asked readers: “In the effort to instill an ‘anti-corruption’ mentality in our youth, which group do you feel plays the most influential role?”…
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FC Phuket fans to share in team’s survival
PHUKET: FC Phuket could manage to survive at least one more season, but not with the help of any one wealthy benefactor. Executives have agreed to allow a group of fans to help raise funds by selling shares of the team to other fans for 1,000 baht each. The latest development unfolded yesterday at Mai Morn Seafood restaurant in Phuket…
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Phuket Sports: Island cricketers on a high
PHUKET: A battle for mid-table seniority held court at Phuket’s ACG when the Island Cricket Club faced the Thanyapura Tigers in the ninth Island Furniture League match. Sitting in fourth place, Tigers were a solitary point ahead of ICC fifth spot on the table and both teams were very aware that a win was crucial if their league title hopes…
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Phuket hotel CEO says “No more payouts’
PHUKET: The Andaman Beach Suites Hotel in Patong on Phuket’s west coast, has confirmed that it will no longer pay any guest who claim their room was robbed without sufficient evidence, after a recent surge in cases, and a tightening of hotel security. The hotel has paid victims in six of the past eight instances, all since July. In each…
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Readers’ Poll: Phuket fairs and festivals
PHUKET: As recent weeks have confirmed, there is no shortage of annual public festivals and fairs here in Phuket. But which of these is the most sanook of all? In the new Phuket Gazette online poll, we ask which of the six following events bring the most enjoyment. The candidates are: Phuket Red Cross FairOld Phuket Town FestivalChalong FairPhuket Local…
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Alleged mastermind of “Ae Inside’ murder still at large
PHUKET: Atsadakorn “Pod” Seedokbuab, 48, the man who police believe ordered the assassination of Phuket newsman Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn earlier this month, remains at large. Phuket City Police Superintendent Col Chote Chidchai confirmed that police were still hunting Atsadakorn and two other suspects for their roles in the murder of Mr Wisut, who was shot dead in broad daylight…
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Phuket Police appeal to public over unidentified body
PHUKET: Chalong Police today appealed to the public for any information that may help identify the body of a man found near Phuket’s iconic Phromthep Cape earlier this month. Chalong Police Duty Officer Boonlert Onklang this afternoon told the Phuket Gazette that the public appeal for help follows the autopsy report received by the police on Friday. The body was…
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Phuket Media Watch: Thai government welcomes Twitter censorship announcement
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai government welcomes Twitter censorship announcement Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: The Thai government welcomed an announcement from the social networking website Twitter that it will start censoring controversial content on a country-specific level, local media reported. Jeerawan Boonperm, the permanent secretary at the Information…
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Man, 27, found hanged in Phuket
PHUKET: Thalang Police believe financial woes led a Phuket man to take his life by hanging last night. Shocked relatives of 27-year-old Awut Sakunchit awoke this morning to find his body suspended by the neck from a nylon cord tied attached to a ceiling support beam in his wife’s home in Thepkrasattri subdistrict. When Thalang Police and Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation…
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Phuket “anti plastic bag’ campaign kicks into gear
PHUKET: The provincial government campaign to rid the island of plastic bags will start in earnest on February 27, when retailers across Phuket will start handing out free cloth bags to shoppers over the course of one week. The news was announced on Friday by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak at the signing of the second Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)…
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Phuket tour van in three-way accident on Patong Hill
PHUKET: A van carrying foreign tourists was involved in a three-vehicle accident on Patong Hill road this morning, causing a long traffic tailback into Phuket’s most popular west coast resort town. The accident happened on the hairpin turn descending into Patong where numerous other mishaps have occurred, including the crash of a tour bus full of Russian tourists in October…
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Crowds mass at the Old Phuket Town Festival 2012
PHUKET: The 13th Old Phuket Town Festival was a big hit over the weekend, attracting droves of local residents and tourists to Queen Sirikit Park and all along Thalang Road. The three-day festival, which ends tonight, opened on Saturday night with addresses by local dignitaries including Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President Paiboon Upatising, Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana and…
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Phuket Sports: Patriots missile the Ravens to contest Superbowl
PHUKET: Fans of the New England Patriots in Phuket got some great news when local media reports out of Boston revealed that the team’s superstar tight end Rob Gronkowsi will play in the Super Bowl XLVI against the red hot New York Giants. Gronkowski went down with what appeared to be a very serious ankle in the AFC championship game,…
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Phuket Lifestyle: Classical music hits high note in Phuket
PHUKET: There is good news for those who appreciate European classical music: Mom Luang Tri Devakul is again welcoming Phuket residents and visitors to his luxury estate at Villa Royale tonight for an evening of music and fine dining. Mom Tri has long supported the arts on the island with his Baan Kata Artsfest, a celebration of music, art and…
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Phuket Police hunting armed gunman after ‘lightning robbery’
PHUKET: Phuket City Police are scouring the streets of Phuket for a man who robbed a Kasikorn Bank branch at gunpoint, making off with 694,000 baht in less than a minute: Police were alerted to the robbery, at the Tesco Lotus Chaofa shopping complex in Wichit, at 6:15pm this evening. “There were a only a few customers waiting in the…
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PHUKET VIOLENCE: Three ways to knock it back
PHUKET: Security issues and their effect on Phuket’s all-important tourism industry have come into sharp focus in recent weeks following two high-profile incidents of violence. Governor Tri Augkaradacha is correct in his reaction to the impacts of the assassination earlier this month of investigative reporter Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn and the inexplicable violence perpetrated against socialite Vorasit “Pla-wan” Issara at…
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Phuket MP joins call for opposition to Nitirat group
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community MP Sathit Wongnongtoey cites danger over ‘distortion of information’ The Nation PHUKET: Opposition mounted yesterday to the Nitirat group of law lecturers and their controversial proposals regarding the monarchy. At a reunion party, a group of Thammasat University law graduates called for the removal of five…
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Phuket tour bus on fire at Patong Hill
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette this morning received reports of yet another bus catching fire – this time on the busy road over Patong Hill, joining the popular tourist town of Patong with Phuket Town. No injuries were reported. Motorists are urged to exercise extreme caution – and patience – while traveling over the steep hill. The Gazette will report more…
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Patong tunnel project to start ‘within 6 months’: Pian Keesian
PHUKET: Patong Mayor Pian Keesin expects to get Cabinet approval for the multi-billion baht Patong Tunnel project “within six months”. The project is now under review by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said Mayor Pian. “According to our survey, 86.3 per cent of the high-ranking government officers who have seen the project details agree it should commence… so…
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Phuket’s Bebe and Boo Boo on leave from active duty
PHUKET: Two dogs that underwent training to sniff out drugs on Phuket are currently “on leave” from active duty as their owner tries to find new handlers for them. Muang District Chief Supachai Pochanakul, the owner of a beagle named Bebe and a pitbull named Boo Boo, told the Phuket Gazette this afternoon that the two dogs are “healthy and…
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“We’re not elephant killers’, say Phuket pair
PHUKET: Jaruwan Wathanapumchoo and her brother Prasit yesterday publicly refuted all allegations that they were in any way involved in the trafficking of elephant meat to Phuket to serve as “exotic food” in selected restaurants. The public joint-statement, made at a press conference at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday, follows allegations of elephant meat trading made against them by two national…
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Phuket laborer claims “elephant god’ saves him from shooting
PHUKET: A man shot three times in the abdomen yesterday said a sacred talisman prevented the projectiles from breaking his skin, but police think it was because they were fired by a slingshot — not a gun. Chalong Police Officer duty officer Atthawat Suwanarat received a report of the shooting at 5:30pm. Prepared for the worst, he rushed to the…
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Couples sought for Phuket “mega wedding’
PHUKET: Couples wanting to tie the knot in Phuket on Valentine’s Day might consider taking part in a mass wedding ceremony to be staged at Laem Phromthep in Rawai next month. The organizers are seeking 108 Thai and foreign couples to take part in the event, which is intended to promote Phuket as a wedding and honeymoon vacation destination. The…
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Glimmer of hope for FC Phuket
PHUKET: A new management team has expressed interest in taking over the rights to manage FC Phuket football side. FC Phuket executives opened the table for any potential backers to take over the team by January 31, the “roll call” deadline for 2012 Thai Premier League (TPL) Division 1 clubs. An official announcement was made yesterday at a press conference…
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“Guns at the ready’ over Phuket jet-ski dispute
PHUKET: Officials in Phuket are stepping in to stave off a potentially lethal situation brewing over three unregistered jet-skis being rented out to tourists at Bang Tao Beach, on Phuket’s west coast. Adding to the fury of the other jet-ski operators at the popular tourist beach, all of whom are members of the “Phuket Jet-ski Club”, is the claim that…
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Phuket Police recover human body off Coral Island
PHUKET: Chalong Police are trying to identify the badly decomposed body of a man discovered offshore at a popular Phuket dive site this afternoon. The police were informed of the discovery at about 4:30pm, duty officer Atthawat Suwanarat told the Phuket Gazette. The crew of a fishing boat discovered the body floating face down about 20 meters offshore from Koh…
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Alarm raised over dog-snatching in Phuket
PHUKET: A Phuket expat who lost his dog at Nai Harn Beach last Sunday has raised concerns over dog-snatching at the popular tourist area. Frank Lamine wrote to the Phuket Gazette earlier today reporting that he had heard of one local dog owner paying 3,000 baht to get his dog back. Mr Lamine lost his 10-year-old white Maltese terrier “Micky”…
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Weird World News: Botched buildings with Big Ben’s tilt, the billion-euro home made from old money and the shady solar project
Big Ben is leaning, parliament slipping into River Thames DESPITE London’s iconic Big Ben clock tower’s unexplained tilt, an MP committee has ruled that no renovation work will happen before 2020. Surveyors recently discovered that the 96-meter clock tower at the Palace of Westminster leans 46cm to the left of its peak. But surveyors aren’t too worried, as they guess…
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Help pours in for homeless fire victims in Phuket
PHUKET: The Rotary Club of Patong Beach will assist a mother and 16-year-old daughter left homeless after a house fire on Tuesday. Offers of assistance have been pouring in to the Phuket Gazette since the news was posted online. One reader even offered to rent his house out to them for six months for a token price of one baht.…
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Phuket TAT launches 9 Temples Tour
PHUKET: The Phuket “9 Temples Tour” began today as a way to round out the Chinese New Year festivities and to usher in the Phuket Old Town Festival, which gets underway on Sunday. The tour departs the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office on Thalang Road in Phuket Town each day at 9:30am and 10:30am, taking visitors to nine…
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Phuket crowds flock to Chalong Temple Fair
PHUKET: Despite traffic chaos, Phuket residents have been flocking to the annual Chalong Temple Fair that runs through to Sunday. The vibrant fair each year attracts thousands of visitors who come to sample the wide range of food, browse the market stalls and enjoy the variety of activities on offer. Besides the many famous singers and celebrities taking turns on…
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Two rushed to hospital after separate accidents in Phuket
PHUKET: A Phuket Airport employee returning home from work was seriously injured when her motorbike was hit by a passenger van full of tourists returning from a trip to Phang Nga yesterday afternoon. Thalang Police were notified of the accident at 3:35pm. Arriving at the scene, the turnoff to the airport on Thepkrasattri Road, police found 48-year-old Lamphong Losing lying…
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Phuket “spider men’ suspect brown widow in fruit vendor’s death
PHUKET: A team of officers from Phuket’s Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary in Thalang today collected 10 different types of spiders from around the home of Wanchai Wonglakorn, who died on Monday of a suspected spider bite. The officers, led by Awat Nitikul, chief of the Environmental Conservation Division unit based at Khao Phra Thaeo, rummaged through the undergrowth around…
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