Month: December 2012
- Phuket News
Turtle egg find floats hope of leatherbacks returning to Phuket region
PHUKET: Hopes that turtles are returning to their traditional nesting sites along the Andaman Coast soared as a second clutch of leatherback turtle eggs was discovered on Tai Muang Beach in Phang Nga, just north of Phuket, within an eight day period.The discovery of the nest on Tuesday follows a leatherback turtle being spotted laying eggs on the beach on…
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World News: North Korean launch sends out shock-waves
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community For North Korea, next step is a nuclear test Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: North Korea rattled the world yesterday by putting a satellite into orbit using the kind of technology that appears to demonstrate it can develop a missile capable of hitting the United States.…
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Phuket Prison to investigate alleged “death beating’
PHUKET: Phuket Prison officials are investigating the death of a male inmate following a grieving widow alleging that her husband was beaten to death. Prison guards found Pranom Duksukkaew, 48, dead from what they believed to be natural causes when they went to rouse the inmates at 6am on Tuesday. Pranom was serving a 16-year sentence for raping a minor,…
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Phuket Customs deliver “crushing blow’ to copyright pirates
PHUKET: Phuket Customs destroyed an estimated 29 million baht’s worth of pirated goods yesterday as part of their ongoing battle to protect intellectual property rights on the island. Fake copies of designer brand-name purses, sunglasses, shoes and mobile phones were among the nearly 10,000 items destroyed. “The 9,762 counterfeit items destroyed today are from 44 closed cases related to pirated…
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World News: Death toll from Hurricane Bopha reaches 900; Many still missing
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Philippines typhoon toll tops 900, hundreds still missing Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: The death toll from the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year has climbed above 900 while hundreds more, many of them tuna fishermen, remain missing and are feared dead, emergency…
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International Sports: Assumptions that cricket has largely eradicated corruption are challenged
Spot fixing threatens integrity of modern game Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Any comfortable assumptions that world cricket has largely eradicated corruption after the shock of the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal are challenged in a disturbing new book investigating India’s illegal bookmaking underworld. In “Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy; A Journey to the Heart of Cricket’s Underworld”, English author and cricket…
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Police to charge tour van driver today over lethal Phuket crash
PHUKET: Tuan Russala Samae, the tour van driver involved in the fatal crash that killed 9-year-old British International School student Kunnarree Lattuada-Lancini on November 29, has been discharged from Vachira Phuket Hospital. “He is to present himself at Chalong Police Station on Thursday [today] to be charged with reckless driving causing death,” Sub Lt Kraisorn Boonprasop told the Gazette on…
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CCTV captures unidentified man using missing American’s bank card in Phuket
PHUKET: The mother of missing American Brett Bean was unable to confirm if images captured by CCTV cameras in Patong and Chalong show her son making ATM transactions after his disappearance in Phuket. Lynne Bean, who posted a 50,000 baht reward to help find her son was asked to visit Karon Police Station today to try to identify a man…
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Live Wire: 3G WiFi offerings in Phuket
PHUKET: In the first installment of this series, I talked about the general state of internet connections in Phuket. Last week, I covered the current offerings in land lines, with TOT Fiber 2U 10 Mega bits per second (Mbps) representing the best bang for your baht (sometimes; 1,500 baht/month), True DOCSIS “Ultra” coming in second (if you can get it;…
Read More » - Phuket News
Live Wire: A decade of hard internet knocks
PHUKET: This is the final installment in a four-part series of articles about getting connected to the internet in Phuket. High season is upon us and many people are looking for good internet connections – for a month, a year, or the rest of their lives. In these four articles I’ve tried to distill more than a decade’s worth of…
Read More » - Thai Life
Phuket Lifestyle: Robin Gillow, the wandering artist
PHUKET: Robin Gillow’s paintings, now on display at Boathouse, remind the viewer of a disappearing style of country life found in Thailand.This talented South African began showing her drawings and paintings while still in school. She learned her craft while attending what’s now known as the National School of the Arts, in a program that included industrial design, sculpture, painting…
Read More » - Business News
Phuket Business: B300 minimum wage hike to worsen labor shortage
PHUKET: With the nationwide minimum wage set to rise to 300 baht, a labor shortage tops the list of business risks for property and construction firms in 2013. To consumers, this could mean longer construction periods while they wait to take possession of their new homes.Thailand’s construction, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors are now facing a shortfall of about 200,000 workers.…
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Phuket Business – Think outside the box: Pornthip
PHUKET: The island’s most recognized local food-gift company Pornthip (Phuket) Co Ltd, was recently honored with the “Good Design Award” in Japan for the packaging of its Sino-Portuguese snack gift items. This was the second year in a row the company received the accolade for its unique and innovative packaging design. Also recognized with the “G Mark”, the annual award…
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North Korean native found dead in Phuket
PHUKET: A Russian national, but born in North Korea, was found dead in his rented Phuket apartment room this evening.The unclothed body of the man, 46, was found face-up on the floor by the apartment owner after she unlocked the room to access the air-conditioning unit.“I knocked on his door and asked for him to open up for me and…
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Mother offers B50k reward for missing Phuket expat Brett Bean
PHUKET: The mother of an American ski instructor, who was last seen in Phuket, has offered a 50,000-baht reward to find her son. Speaking at Karon Police Station today, 69-year-old Lynne Bean appealed to the public for any information that would help find Brett Bean, her 43-year-old son who failed to make a flight home to Los Angeles on November…
Read More » - World News
World News: Doctor rescued by Navy Seals in Afghanistan
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. forces rescue kidnapped American doctor in Afghanistan Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Seven Taliban insurgents were killed yesterday in a successful operation by US special forces to rescue an American doctor who had been abducted in eastern Afghanistan, officials said. A US service member…
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Phuket ready to rendezvous
PHUKET: Organizers are making final preparations for the 12th annual Asia Superyacht Rendezvous and the anticipation is palpable. Most yachts have arrived, bringing with them captains, crew and VIP guests who are getting revved up for sun, sailing and socializing. The buzz is growing with Christmas around the corner and Phuket’s beaches bustling with families, honeymooners, holiday makers and friendly…
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Kvalka surrenders, denies active role in Phuket Reisz murder
PHUKET: Following his surrender to Samui Police on Saturday, Gyorgy Lajos Kvalka denied any role in the killing of Hungarian businessman Peter Reisz. Tourist Police Commander Roy Ingpairoj arrived from Bangkok to present Mr Kvalka, 48, to the press at the Phuket Tourist Police headquarters in Phuket Town on Saturday night. Named on the arrest warrant as “Kvalka Lajos Gyoergy”,…
Read More » - Property
Phuket Property: Lakeside living
PHUKET: The Lake House is a development of seven villas, located close to Laguna. Four of the villas are to be designed in a Thai-Balinese style and are ideal affordable homes for families. The villas will look out across a lake and come with a private swimming pool, jacuzzi, lush tropical gardens and an open sala entertainment area next to…
Read More » - Business News
Phuket Business: We want to help – IRS
PHUKET: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) insists that it wants to assist US citizens residing overseas, including dual citizens, in catching up with tax filing obligations and provide assistance for people with foreign retirement plan issues.“We want to help US citizens abroad get current with their tax obligations and resolve pension issues,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.Shulman said that as…
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Phuket Business: AMCHAM’s warnings
PHUKET: “Caution” was a common theme echoed at the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Greater Phuket Chapter’s final meeting of the year, held recently at the Royal Phuket Marina. The evening featured three informative presentations, courtesy of AMCHAM Thailand’s legal council, which provided a wealth of valuable advice to expat business operators – as well as those considering conducting business…
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Football Roundup: Van Persie breaches City fortress, Everton win
PHUKET: Manchester United laid down a significant marker in the Premier League title race as Robin Van Persie’s late free kick sealed a dramatic 3-2 Premier League derby win at Manchester City’s home fortress yesterday. City fought back after Wayne Rooney’s first-half double but goals from Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta proved in vain as Van Persie marked his first…
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Phuket expat sailor Stafford Steer dies from cancer
PHUKET: As sailors raced in the final day of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta that concluded yesterday, one of Phuket’s longest-staying expats and best-known personalities in the local yachting community, Stafford Steer from Australia, died after a brief battle with cancer. He was 71 years old. Stafford arrived in Phuket from Cairns, in Far North Queensland, Australia, in 1992 on…
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Pong powers home to win Phuket King’s Cup Regatta
PHUKET: Blue skies and consistent winds marked the final day of the 2012 Phuket King’s Cup Regatta in fitting style yesterday as teams and their boats assembled at the start line in a final bid to resolve their class contests. Some results had effectively completed on Friday, but most of the classes were anticipated to deliver a thrilling final day…
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World Football Roundup: Torres ignites Chelsea; bad record for Queens Park
PHUKET: Fernando Torres continued to silence his critics by scoring twice for the second game running as third-placed Chelsea won 3-1 at Sunderland last night to record their first Premier League victory under Rafael Benitez.The much-maligned Spain forward struck two goals in the first half, his second from the penalty spot, and almost completed a hat-trick shortly after halftime when…
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Phuket motorbike taxis hit over fares
PHUKET: A motorbike taxi representative from Patong has railed against his fellow drivers, calling for “more ethical” behavior and cessation of the practice of gouging tourists for short journeys in the resort town.The call came at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on November 28. At the meeting, designed to handle a multitude of issues concerning motorbike taxis, Chumpol Aiabsakul,…
Read More » - Thailand News
Weird World News: Fire and ice meets fired and iced
PHUKET: In this week’s Weird World News Roundup we take a wacky trip from New Mexico over the border into Arizona – and back to New Mexico. Usually home to UFO and alien sightings, this time the focus is on more earthly stupidity as we dive into the worlds of a frozen gun, a police note to the mob, and…
Read More » - Opinion
Phuket Opinion: Wake up and shed the shirts
PHUKET: Island residents and expats alike breathed a collective sigh of relief late last month when a dreaded showdown between the Pitak Siam (“Defenders of Siam”), the latest incarnation of the anti-Thaksin People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), and government security forces fizzled out on the streets of Bangkok due to lack of popular support and other factors. As events unfolded…
Read More » - Koh Samui News
Samui Police arrest second Hungarian suspect for Phuket Reisz murder
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavalviwat has confirmed that police on Koh Samui have arrested Hungarian national Gyorgy Lajos Kvalka, wanted in connection with the murder of fellow Hungarian Peter Reisz in Phuket. “We are in contact with police there, but at this stage we are not sure when the suspect will be brought to Phuket,” Maj Gen Choti…
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Phuket police chief calls on officers to use smart phones, rolling checkpoints
PHUKET: The 48 Royal Thai Police officers installed in their new positions in Phuket yesterday were ordered to boost their public image and their effectiveness by staging “rolling checkpoints” and using smart phones. The news was handed down by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavalviwat at a ceremony at Provincial Police headquarters in Phuket Town. Maj Gen Choti ordered the…
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Phuket Governor opens tourist center in Cherng Talay
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut joined officials from the Cherng Talay Tambon Administrative Organization (OrBorTor) yesterday as he presided over the opening ceremony of a new tourist information center at Surin Beach. Cherng Talay OrBorTor President Ma-ann Samran told the Phuket Gazette that the decision to establish the center came in response to the increasing number of tourists visiting the…
Read More » - Thai Life
Phuket Gardening: Marginal choices
PHUKET: There has been lots of hot air expended about marginals during the run-up to the American presidential election. In political terms, “marginals” are states where a few key votes may swing all the seats either in a Republican or Democratic direction. In the case of Florida, all 28 members elected to Congress. Marginals can be very important. In the…
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Phuket King’s Cup competitors look to bag every point in light winds
PHUKET: With winds easing off slightly during yesterday’s racing, competitors looked to maximize every possible advantage as valuable points were up for grabs.Frank Pong and his Jelik team have been the quickest of the IRC Zero class boats in the last few races, but Kevin Whitcraft’s Won Ma Rang shared class honours yesterday. Won Ma Rang took victory in race…
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Phuket Sports: Futsal – Pearl set to shock “Lightning Shrimp’
PHUKET: The island’s professional futsal team, the “Andaman Pearl”, face a tough away fixture against the Surat Thani Futsal Club, nicknamed the ‘Lighting Shrimp”, tonight. Patt Srivijit, assistant coach of Phuket United, told the Gazette that the game against their southern rivals will be a big match, but he hopes the team use this game to push up the league.…
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International Sports: Euro 2020 plan lauded in cash-strapped continent
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Sports news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community UEFA’s Euro 2020 plan lauded in cash-strapped continent Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: UEFA’s decision to host the 2020 European Championship across the continent rather than in one or two host nations has been greeted with enthusiasm as countries battle the crippling financial crisis. European football’s…
Read More » - World News
World News: Duke and Duchess deeply saddened by death of “duped” nurse
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nurse who took prank call about royal Kate found dead Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A nurse who answered a prank call at the London hospital that was treating Prince William’s pregnant wife Kate for morning sickness has been found dead, the hospital said yesterday, in…
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“Meet me halfway’ says Phuket Governor on Paris Hilton beach party
PHUKET: The Phuket Governor today called on Sydictive Element, organizers of the monster New Year party touted to be held on Surin Beach, to scale down the party so it can be approved. “The best way is for the organizers and locals to meet halfway. If the two sides can come to a compromise, then I have nothing against the…
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