Month: February 2012
- Business News
Phuket tourism shrugs off Bangkok blasts: PTA
PHUKET: The recent bombings in Bangkok have not resulted in cancellations of hotel bookings in Phuket and the island’s tourism industry prospects for 2012 remain strong, the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) has announced. Barring a “major incident”, Phuket can expect to have strong tourist arrival figures from both Europe and Asia throughout 2012, PTA President Jirayus Somboon told the Gazette.…
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Phuket health: Signs you can’t afford to ignore
PHUKET: We tend to think that if it doesn’t hurt it must be fine, but ignoring irregular eye symptoms is a big mistake. Why? Because there are no pain receptors in the eye, so if you’re seeing things but feel no pain it doesn’t mean you’re okay. Today, we will talk about “floaters and flashing”. These two are important warning…
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Phuket business: Inflated eats; Flower sales bloom; Kata – Karon branded green; Taiwan bar raised
PHUKET: In light of the continuously rising cost of living, accounting books of rice and noodle vendors across Phuket and Thailand could become subject to increased audits this year. As of yesterday the Department of Internal Trade (DIT) issued official price cap suggestions for 10 common Thai menu items to be priced under 35 baht. These include rice dishes served…
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Phuket business: Local suppliers to extend reach
PHUKET: Red Bull’s national distribution arm is looking to capitalize on local supply markets, a strategy which could extend the reach of Phuket-sourced products into greater national, regional and global markets. Durbell, a key logistics affiliate of the Red Bull Beverage Company (the producers of Krating Daeng) aims to diversify its offerings and keep ahead in the expanding wholesale and…
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Phuket business: FC Phuketonomics: ball business
PHUKET: Despite having nearly been dissolved due to swelling debts, FC Phuket 1688 Co Ltd generated the fifth highest turnover out of 18 Division 1 clubs, statistics released by the Thai Premier League (TPL) have revealed. Concluding last month, the 2011-2012 season’s tallied receipts show that the Southern Sea Kirin had generated more than 2.8 million baht, which equates to…
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Phuket business: Skyscrapers and economic woe
PHUKET: There’s an economic-cycle theory based on the link between the building of skyscrapers and economic strife. Guess what it’s called? Correct: the Skyscraper Index. While many trends and theories these days are based on cycles, this economical theory is based on the completion of skyscrapers. So what is this theory and does it have any credibility? Let’s first unravel…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Live Wire: Keeping malware at bay for free
PHUKET: Continuing the series answering questions I hear most often from PC users here in Phuket, I have a very unpopular choice for antivirus (AV) software. Here’s the question: “Woody, I got a copy of (one of the major antivirus products) when I bought my new PC. It worked fine for six months, but now it wants money. I tried…
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Phuket poll: Irksome complaints by foreigners
PHUKET: Foreigners in Phuket, both tourists and residents, have developed somewhat of a reputation for complaining over the years. The latest Phuket Gazette readers poll, online now, asks readers: Which of the following topics are you most tired of hearing foreigners in Phuket complain about? And the nominees are: • Overpriced alcohol• Double-pricing (when foreigners pay more than Thais)• Tuk-tuks,…
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Pregnant Swede still in Phuket hospital after chlorine gas exposure
PHUKET: A pregnant Swedish woman exposed to a cloud of chlorine gas at a Phuket resort on Saturday remains in the hospital, despite the resort management’s claims that all of those affected were treated and released the same day. Patong Hospital official Hathairat Rangsansarit told the Phuket Gazette today that all 37 victims, initially rushed to Patong Hospital, were later…
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Tremor hits Phang Nga, no damage reported
PHUKET: Coastal residents of Takuapa District in Phang Nga were put on alert this morning following a minor earthquake. The event turned out to be a localized tremor that caused no damage, not the effects of a larger event further away like the tsunami-causing quake that devastated Phuket and the entire Andaman coastline in 2004. Somkiat Intorrajan, director of the…
Read More » - Property
Phuket property: Asia’s big two markets mature
PHUKET: Talk about “dream island destinations” in Asia and without a doubt Phuket and Bali rule the numbers game in terms of popularity. If talk turns to resort real estate both are heavyweight contenders in the title fight. Round after round, punches or blows only end with the ringing of a bell. Practically speaking, when it comes to the life…
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Phuket Property: Mövenpick celebrates; Budget brand takes on Asia
PHUKET: It was recently announced that Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts plan 11 new hotel projects across nine countries bringing the company’s total number of operating and planned hotels worldwide to 100. The new hotels are in France, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Thailand. The upscale company of Swiss heritage now has 69 hotels in operation and 31…
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Phuket Gardening: North and South – The biodiversity of Thailand
PHUKET: Thailand is a large and varied country, especially in terms of its length from north to south (1600 kilometers), and its coastline of 2,600 kilometers. Because of the resulting range of micro-climates, it is able to produce an unending range of flowers, trees and fruit. Put another way, Thailand’s biodiversity is immense, the country is still the trustee of…
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Phuket Sports : Keeper’s ball; France leapfrog into first
PHUKET: Goalkeepers are a breed unto themselves. Both hero and villain, as with any position on the playing field. But one characteristic of a goalkeeper that can never be doubted is that of bravery. The last line of defense, the last hope when all seems lost, that is a goalkeeper. It may sound daunting, but the thrill of making a…
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Paddling Lanta to Phi Phi
PHUKET: Relieved but exhilarated five paddleboarders successfully finished their 32-kilometer paddling challenge from Koh Lanta to Koh Phi Phi earlier this month. In a time of 4 hours and 32 minutes on February 3, the “Stand Up Paddle” (SUP) team successfully laid their boards to rest on Phi Phi Don. Team members were Starboard team rider, Lina Augaitis; Owner of…
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Village go coco-nuts over Patong defeat
PHUKET: In a crucial Phuket Island Furniture League match, Patong and the Village faced each other at the ACG with both teams needing a win to boost their hopes of a showdown with title favorites, Laguna CC. Undefeated so far this season, the Village knew that taking points from Patong would effectively end the reigning champions expectations of at least…
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Five dead, 16 injured in Phang Nga crash
PHUKET: Five people returning from a Phuket cremation ceremony were killed on Saturday night when the crowded pickup they were riding in slammed into a tree in Phang Nga. Sixteen others were seriously injured. A songthaew (pickup modified for passenger transport) was returning Buddhist adherents from the cremation ceremony of Mai Khao Temple Abbot Luangpor Daeng when the accident occurred…
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Sweet sixteen in Phuket’s AFL round four
PHUKET: Cancelled and postponed games meant only two matches were played in round four of the Phuket Adult Futsal League presented by Thanachart Bank. Despite only two games on the card, sixteen goals were scored to ensure an exhilarating night of football. TSLC and SGS faced off in the first encounter with the home side looking to keep their unbeaten…
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Goals galore in Phuket Super Six league
PHUKET: The new Phuket Super Six League (PSSL) exploded into action with 41 goals recorded over just four games on its opening night at Football Island. Alberto Mancuso’s Ristorante Rugantino began the net-busting frenzy by knocking Joseph Arimathea’s young Eden FC team out of the park on a 10-0 scoreline. The experienced Italian team took an early lead from a…
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Royal Thai Navy intercepts 27 Phuket-bound Burmese
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command arrested 27 Burmese en route to Phuket aboard a fishing boat off the coast of Ranong on February 10. The group were charged with entering the country illegally and were taken ashore to be prepared for deportation. The arrest was made by the staff of HTMS Chonburi under the supervision of Lt…
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Slapping, spitting, boxing and bottling
PHUKET: “He’s blown his only chance, the last thing you want to do is pick a fight with Vitali.” Adam Booth, the boxing trainer of Britain’s David Haye (former WBA heavyweight champion), said Dereck Chisora lost any hope of beating WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko when he slapped him at Friday’s weigh-in… before their fight. British boxer Chisora, born in…
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Prompong in Phuket to launch tourist safety campaign
PHUKET: Government spokesman Prompong Nopparit was back in Phuket last night to launch a new tourist safety campaign that will see a rapid expansion in the number of closed-circuit television cameras in Patong and other popular tourist destinations. Mr Prompong, a party list MP for the ruling Pheu Thai Party, at 7pm held an informal meeting with the press on…
Read More » - Opinion
Sunday Opinion: Swift actions to regulate Phuket crime
PHUKET: Efforts by the Phuket Provincial Office and related agencies to tackle the problem of unregulated “swiftlet ranching” are admirable in their foresight, but regrettable in approach. (See here to read “Tourism finds swiftlet avaries difficult to swallow”). As many residents of this island are aware, mainland Chinese are one of the largest and most rapidly growing segments of the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Tourism finds Phuket swiftlet aviaries difficult to swallow
SPECIAL REPORT Having caused problems in other regions of Thailand, the growing number of swiftlet barns in Phuket came under scrutiny at Phuket Provincial Hall last week. Officials have decided to set up ‘zones’ for the business – despite the fact that it is illegal. The Phuket Gazette‘s Stephen Fein and Warisa Temram report. PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Office will…
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Patong Carnival tops poll as Phuket’s top funfair
PHUKET: The annual Patong Carnival is Phuket’s top free funfair according to a recent readers’ poll by the Phuket Gazette. The two-week poll, launched late last month, asked readers, “Which of the following annually-staged free events do you most enjoy?” Patong Carnival ranked as the top response, garnering 59.7% of votes overall. The Old Phuket Town Festival ranked second with…
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Phuket experts date Krabi relics at 3,000 years old
PHUKET: A trove of ancient artifacts unearthed in Krabi recently could be up to 3,000 years old, experts at the Fine Arts Department Office in Phuket have estimated. Reporters invited by a village headman in Baan Klang subdistrict, Ao Luek, were the among the first to view the items, discovered by residents of Baan Khao Ngam village last week. Ban…
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Jetstar flights to Phuket to airlift stranded Aussies home
Suggested Heading: PHUKET: Jetstar has scheduled an additional ad-hoc service from Phuket to Australia on Sunday in order to assist travellers stranded by the overnight collapse of Air Australia on Thursday. The ad-hoc services will be operated by an A320 aircraft with up to 180 seats and will fly from Phuket to Darwin (via Singapore) with onward connections to Jetstar’s…
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Chlorine gas guests return safely to Phuket resort
PHUKET: All the guests affected by the chlorine gas cloud at the Phuket Orchid Resort in Karon this morning have safely returned to the resort, it was announced at a press conference this afternoon. “Every single person taken to hospital has returned to the resort. Not a single person has checked out. They are all okay,” said resort general manager…
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Dozens injured in Phuket resort pool chlorine “blast’
PHUKET: Dozens of tourists and resort workers were rushed to hospital this morning after a mix of pool cleaning agents “exploded” into a cloud of gas beside a pool at a Phuket resort.Staff at the Phuket Orchid Resort in Karon confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that the cloud of gas was formed by a mix of chlorine and other cleaning…
Read More » - Thailand News
Weird World News: Fatal feast of “bypass burger’, dumplings and butt crack cocaine
PHUKET: You are what you eat. Diners at “Heart Attack Grill” should remember this. So should competitors in dumpling-eating competitions and anyone else who ingests alien-objects or pain-inducing toxins into their body without thinking about it. This week’s Weird News round-up is a grim reminder to avoid what’s not fit for consumption. Customer has heart attack while scoffing ‘Triple Bypass…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket forecast: good chance of rain this weekend
PHUKET: The weekend forecast for Phuket calls for “widely scattered to scattered” thundershowers through Monday, with variable winds and temperatures at night reaching as low as 22°C.For the 24-hour period starting at noon today, the forecast by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) center at Phuket Airport calls for partly cloudy conditions with scattered thundershowers covering 60% of the province.Similar forecasts…
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Phuket kickboxer murder fugitive Lee Aldhouse wins right to appeal extradition
PHUKET: The return to Phuket of fugitive British murder suspect Lee Aldhouse remains on hold, as the kickboxer has won the right to appeal an extradition order, the UK media has reported. Lee Aldhouse, 27, successfully fled Thailand after he allegedly stabbed American Deshawn Longfellow to death in August 2010. He was later arrested at Heathrow Airport on an unrelated…
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Phuket Gazette Sports Bag: This week in Sports
PHUKET: The starter’s gun has fired and first out of the blocks is this week’s Phuket Gazette sports round-up.Your international sports page features a sprint through the Premiership with a glance to the side at Spurs’ rout of Newcastle, Thierry Henry’s parting gift to Arsenal, Zambia’s African Cup of Nations win, another Luis Suarez shake-down and why Carlos Tevez is…
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Phuket Gazette’s weekly horoscope by Isla Star
AQUARIUS (January 21-February 19): Opportunities could be missed in the heat of the moment this week. Aquarians who aren’t on the ball are likely to miss out to others with keener attitudes. The stars suggest that you need to focus more strongly this is not an auspicious time for multitasking. The stars advise keeping negative thoughts to yourself as speaking…
Read More » - Property
AMCHAM to stage Design Evolution workshop
PHUKET: Two leading home and building designers in Asia will head the Design Evolution workshop being held by the Phuket Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) at Royal Phuket Marina on March 9. Phuket has long been hailed as the birthplace of the tropical island villa getaway in Asia. Follow the amazing journey that started at the Amanpuri…
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Air Australia tourists tired, angry over Phuket ordeal
PHUKET: Australian tourists stranded in Phuket after low-cost carrier Air Australia went bust overnight last night are losing patience with the wait to get home, and some are running out of the cash needed to pay for their flight home. Trevor Moloney, 30, and Caley Wilkinson, 30, arrived Phuket 12 days ago. They were supposed to leave Phuket on board…
Read More » - World News
Phuket Gazette: 400 Frankfurt flights cancelled; Pilot dies during flight; Small plane crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 400 flights cancelled as ground controllers strike at Frankfurt airport PHUKET (News Wires): More than 400 flights have been canceled at Frankfurt Airport in Germany after ground controllers launched a two-day strike over a wage dispute yesterday, aviation officials said today. Only 16 of the 200…
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