Year: 2012
- Phuket News
Phuket bar operators fined for holiday trading
PATONG Police arrested and fined some 12 bar operators for selling alcohol on the Buddhist holiday, Visakha Bucha Day, on June 4. Comments from bar owners that no warning was given for bars to close for the holiday fell on deaf ears, although one bar owner pointed out that only months ago a senior police officer in Phuket was reported…
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Thais in Phuket confident in English skills, but foreigners disagree
PHUKET: The results of the latest Phuket Gazette online poll show that a strong majority of foreign and expat residents find English-language skills in the local tourism industry very poor – but the small fraction of Thais who took part tended to rate them quite highly. A total of 1,864 people took part in the two-week poll launched on May…
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Phuket Gazette: LinkedIn passwords released by hackers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Russian hackers release up to 6.5 million LinkedIn passwords Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Russian hackers have obtained and released the passwords of up to 6.5 million accounts on the popular professional networking website LinkedIn, according to a web posting yesterday. LinkedIn director Vicente Silveira…
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Man makes doggy treat from neighbor’s ‘best friend’
PHUKET: A Lampang man is being prosecuted for theft after stealing a neighbor’s dog, killing it, filleting it and eating it as a beer snack. Sawat Ariyakhruea, 49, told police he stole and ate “Khero”, a Viking-breed dog belonging to Chamnian Srimuang, 45, because he “thought it was a stray”. He said he used Khero to make nuea daet diao,…
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Phuket sports: All systems go for Euro 2012 kickoff
PHUKET: The 2012 UEFA European Championship is set to kick off in Warsaw this Friday and this year’s Championship looks set to be one of the most closely contested in recent history. Four years ago Spain, who until then were labeled as perennial underachievers, started the tournament as clear favorites and duly delivered on years of promise. Their slick brand…
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Phuket Gazette: Archaeologists find ‘vampire’ skeletons
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bulgarian archaeologists find ”vampire” skeletons from Middle Ages Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: Archaeologists in eastern Bulgaria have discovered the remains of two people who locals in the Middle Ages believed were vampires, the head of the country’s national history museum said yesterday.The two skeletons, around 700…
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Wild monsoon weather interrupts Phuket power supply
PHUKET: The torrential rain and Force 7 winds gusting over 50kmh overnight and throughout this afternoon are causing power disruptions to many parts of Phuket, including the resort town of Patong.“We have been experiencing problems with power supply cables from Thalang to Patong since early this morning,” Somchai Krueapat of the Provincial Electricity Authority confirmed.Power supply to areas in parts…
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The Riddle of Phuket’s Black Sands
SPECIAL REPORT The Phuket Gazette investigates a reader’s inquiry into why much of the sand at Laem Panwa Beach is black – and why it sticks to anything metal. The Gazette‘s Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Stephen Fein and Chutharat Plerin report. PHUKET: The west coast beaches of Phuket attract millions of tourists annually, but there is only one beach on the island…
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Phuket elections set for June, July
PHUKET: The Phuket Election Commission (PEC) has confirmed the results of elections in Rawai Municipality last month, but has yet to set a date for the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council election because restructuring of constituency boundaries is still underway. PEC Director Kittipong Thiengkunakrit updated the public on several electoral affairs during a ‘Government Meets the Media’ event at…
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Phuket neighbor Ranong shaken by 4.0 Richter earthquake
PHUKET: An earthquake registering 4.0 on the Richter scale struck Ranong province, just north of Phuket, at about 1pm today, shaking houses along the coast and scattering villagers in fear. Ranong is best known among Phuket expats and long-stay tourists as the jump-off point for “visa runs” to Myanmar. Paiboon Aiamsuwan, director of the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) monitoring station…
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Phuket alcohol ban for Viskha Bucha Day extends past midnight
PHUKET: The sale and purchase of alcohol is banned in Phuket and throughout the country today to show respect for Visakha Bucha Day. Anyone found breaking the law can receive a prison sentence of up to six months, a 10,000-baht fine, or both.Kathu Police Deputy Superintendent Kittipong Klaikaew today told the Phuket Gazette, “As today is Visakha Bucha Day, one…
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Phuket Games athlete released from hospital and heading home
PHUKET: The young athlete injured in a motorbike accident that claimed the life of his teammate passenger was released from the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) Hospital yesterday. Atthapong Noikhamsin, the 13-year-old boy who survived the accident in Rawai on Thursday morning was seen off from the hospital by Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and OrBorJor President Paiboon Upatising. Young Atthapong’s…
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Krabi FC footballer denies rape of American student
PHUKET: A Krabi FC football player has denied allegations that he raped a 23-year-old American exchange student near Krabi Town, across Phang Nga Bay from Phuket, last Thursday night.The man was arrested by Krabi City Police on Friday after they were notified of a woman being attacked at the tourist-popular Nopparat Thara Beach in Ao Nang.The woman was taken to…
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Phuket Beach Safety: Man missing after swimming in dangerous surf
PHUKET: A Thai man who entered the pounding surf at Patong Beach over the weekend is still missing and presumed dead, the latest in the ever-growing toll of monsoon-season drowning deaths in Phuket. Atthiwut Prommarat, 18, was visiting his mother who works as a beach vendor when the tragedy occurred, said Uten Singsom, head of the Phuket Lifeguard Club’s Kata-Karon…
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Phuket Live Wire: Is the iPad rotting your child’s brain?
PHUKET: In 2010 and 2011, there was a rash of articles in the popular press saying that iPads, iPhones, tablets and the like would rot your kid’s brain. It’s hard to wade through headlines like these from the New York Times and not feel like an iPad is the root of all kiddy evil: “Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction,…
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Phuket Gazette: Discouraging words in UN Forced labor report and US/EU employment trends
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket”s international community UN: More than 20 million forced laborers worldwide Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: More than 20 million people around the world are currently victims of forced labor, the United Nations (UN) said on Saturday, but progress has been made in a number of countries to establish or…
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Phuket’s Bussarin takes tennis gold
PHUKET: Phuket’s Bussarin Raktaengam won the final of the girls’ singles tennis event of the Phuket Games 2012 this morning with a 6-4, 6-3 straight-sets victory over Rongrong Linbanjong of Bangkok. The win made Bussarin the third Phuket athlete to snatch two golds in the games, which comes to their conclusion with a big celebration tomorrow evening at Surakul Stadium,…
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Phuket marks Visaka Bucha Day
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha this morning led more than 1,000 people in offering alms to 99 monks at a merit-making ceremony in Phuket Town to mark Visakha Bucha Day. Visakha Bucha Day is observed on the day of the full moon during the 6th lunar month, which usually falls in either May or early June. It is a day…
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Phuket police confirm identity of mutilated man
PHUKET: Phuket Police have identified the mutilated body that washed ashore at Nai Yang Beach yesterday. Tah Chat Chai Police identified the man as 36-year-old Santi Chandaeng, originally from Udon Thani but most recently living in Phuket’s Thalang District. The man’s wife, Roongruthai Phaha, 35, told police that her husband was last seen departing for a fishing trip on Saturday.…
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The Racha steps up campaign to keep Koh Racha green
PHUKET: Management at The Racha resort on Koh Racha Yai, a popular day-trip island about 25 nautical miles south of Phuket, has stepped up its campaign in environmental care on the island. The news follows environmentalists’ accusations against greedy developers, tour operators and resort owners for blatantly exploiting Koh Racha‘s pristine natural beauty to make a profit, with little or…
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Phuket Crime: Mutilated body found on Nai Yang Beach
PHUKET: Police in Phuket are trying to identify a mutilated body that washed ashore at Nai Yang Beach yesterday morning as the first step in a murder investigation. Tah Chat Chai police were notified of the discovery in Sakoo Village 1 at about 11am. Arriving at the scene with Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation workers, Lt Col Prakob Boonkwan and fellow officers…
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Phuket business: Thailand-UK trade steady; London Olympics to give Thai food exports a boost
PHUKET: After a moving ceremony handing out IB diplomas to graduating students at the British International school, HE Ambassador Asif Ahmad took time to speak with the Phuket Gazette about the strong links between the two countries. HE Asif Ahmad was made Ambassador to Thailand in late 2010 but had traveled frequently to the Kingdom, first as Director- Asia for…
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Phuket business: Sports tourism “scores big’; Games to bring in B600mn
PHUKET: Defining and developing ‘Brand Phuket’ as a world class sports tourism destination was top of the agenda at a recent meeting of senior business people here. Organized in collaboration with the Phuket PR Network and the Greater Phuket Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), the meeting was held at the Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) on…
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Phuket Opinion: Romanticizing our history dishonors ancestors
PHUKET: Phuket has a long and somewhat checkered history of past industrial development dating back to its tin-mining era, which petered out over the final decades of the last century and finally ended for good in 1992 with the closure of the last mine on the island. [See ‘Riddle of the Sands’, current issue of the Phuket Gazette. Digital subscribers…
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Phuket Gazette: Manhunt for porn star suspected of mayhem and murder
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket”s international community Killer warned British tabloid he would escalate torture of ‘pussys’ to murder of humans Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: A Canadian bi-sexual suspected of killing a man and mailing parts of his victim’s body to the headquarters of political parties in Ottawa is believed to have sent…
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Phuket Democrats rally against reconciliation bills
PHUKET: Democrat Party members staged a protest in Phuket on Friday to denounce the reconciliation bills set to be discussed in Parliament. The gathering made Phuket the first province to rally against the bill, said Democrat MP Sathit Wongnongtoey.Over 2,000 joined the rally at Queen Sirikit Park in Phuket Town, led by veteran MP Anchalee Vanich Thepabutr and MP Raywat…
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Phuket banks another gold in the games
PHUKET: Despite being one of the smallest provinces in Thailand, Phuket continues to make big waves at the 28th National Youth Games (Phuket Games 2012) now underway on the island. The island’s gold medal tally now stands at 13, following Somkiat Kraisrisombat’s win of the gold yesterday in the Boys’ Singles event at CS Bowl, Big C Supercenter.Steady-handed Somkiat won…
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Phuket volunteers join cleanup at Koh Racha
PHUKET: After being lambasted by environmentalists last week, Phuket’s conservation authorities were quick to promote the good work they are doing in repairing Koh Racha Yai’s environment with the coral reef rejuvenation project and beach cleanup being held this weekend. “This activity is part of a improvement project that we started last year. It aims to rejuvenate the coral reef……
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Phuket move up to 8th in Youth Games
PHUKET: Phuket now sits in 8th place in the standings of the 28th National Youth Games (Phuket Games 2012), after picking up a number of gold medals in recent days. Phuket has already grabbed medals in many events, including karate, taekwondo, bowling, and wushu. And today many more medals are to be contested. For those seeking to cheer on the…
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Phuket Life: In praise of the bag lady
PHUKET: Cast your mind back to any freezing night in New York or London. One of the memories that will likely haunt your conscience is the image of a pathetic human bundle of rags, covered by a frayed blanket or a flattened cardboard box, in a desperate attempt to keep out the biting cold. Her face, if you can see…
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Burmese pedestrian killed in Phuket hit-and-run
PHUKET: A Burmese man was killed instantly when he was run over by a speeding pickup truck in a hit-and-run accident in Phuket’s Koh Kaew subdistrict last night. Phuket City Police were informed of the accident at 10:30pm. Arriving at the scene, the median strip in front of the Supercheap mini-mart on Thepkrasattri Road in Bang Khu, they found the…
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Phuket business: Smart phone sales soar in Q1
PHUKET: Thailand’s rapidly expanding smartphone market recorded nearly 70% growth in the first quarter of this year, according to GfK research group’s retail audit findings, which compare quarter on quarter revenue performances. Heightened consumer demand has brought about a surge in sales volume of over 80%, reaching 758,000 smartphones sold in the first three months of 2012 (Q1). Consumers in…
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Phuket kitesurfer not stung, didn’t drown, say lifeguards
PHUKET: Phuket lifeguards have dismissed the assertion that the American kitesurfer who died shortly after being pulled from the sea at Nai Harn Beach yesterday drowned or was stung by a jellyfish. Nai Harn lifeguard Charintorn Naripen told the Phuket Gazette, “Four of us tried for 20 minutes to revive the casualty before the ambulance arrived. We don’t believe he…
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Yacht club merger marks end of Phuket sailing era
PHUKET: After more than two decades as Phuket’s original yacht club, the Phuket Yacht Club today announced that it will be merging with the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC). “After careful consideration we, the Phuket Yacht Club committee, have unanimously decided that it is in the best interests of the members to join forces with the Ao Chalong Yacht Club.…
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Grieving mother arrives to collect body of Phuket Games athlete son
PHUKET: The mother of Phuket Games athlete Sutthipong Laphutama, 18, who died in a motorcycle accident in Rawai yesterday, arrived in Phuket to collect her son’s body this morning. Mr Sutthipong died after the motorbike he was operating crashed into a brick wall. Also on the bike was 13-year-old Attapong Noikhamsingha, who is still recovering in hospital. “I can’t believe…
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Democrat’s Suthep joins rally in Phuket
PHUKET: Former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has arrived for a rally in the heart of Phuket Town to protest the reconciliation and amnesty bills that the yellow-shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) are have been protesting against in Bangkok this week. Also on the island to join the rally tonight is Sathit Wongnongtoey, current Democrat MP for Trang province…
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Weird World News: The whole nine yards, from cute dog to a man-eater
PHUKET: This week’s Weird World News roundup is about going the distance from the human body-part packages of a porn star to an inspirational dog in China, and the American face-eater who simply went too far. Magnotta’s long distance body-part packages discovered Canadian bisexual porn star, kitten mutilator and suspected human body-part packager, Luka Rocco Magnotta, may have fled North…
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