Month: November 2013
- Phuket News
Phuket beach closed after croc scare
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut asked hotel staffers and local residents yesterday to help keep people out of the water along Mai Khao Beach after a 2.5-meter-long crocodile was spotted in the area on Sunday (story here). “To ensure the safety of tourists and residents, Governor Maitri declared the area a no-swim zone,” Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR)…
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Phuket’s BIS to host largest international schools’ football tournament
PHUKET: Over 1,100 young footballers aged 8 to 18 years and from nine different countries will congregate in Phuket this Friday and Saturday (November 8-9) for the 12th annual British International School Phuket (BISP) International Football Tournament, sponsored by Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort and the Phuket Gazette. The expansive 39-acre BISP campus with 10 seven-a-side football pitches, is the…
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Breakfast blaze cooks Phuket Town vegetarian restaurant
PHUKET: A fire that broke out in a vegetarian restaurant during the breakfast rush today caused customers to scatter.Only minor injuries were reported from the incident. The cook at the Num Heng vegetarian restaurant on Chana Charoen Road told police that she was cooking when the fire started from the gas canister she was using.“I turned my back to get…
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Phuket gold snatch duo hail police pickup as getaway car
PHUKET: Two men who snatched a gold necklace from a 50-year-old woman on Sunday night were arrested after they accidentally waved down a police pickup truck to hitch a ride as they fled. Preeda Adam, 25, from Pathum Thani, and Phuket native Somsak Puangcharoen, 23, were arrested just after midnight yesterday. Both men reportedly worked as kitchen hands at the…
Read More » - World News
Phuket Gazette World News: Heavy gunfire heard in Tripoli; NSA offers concessions; Hunt for journalists’ killers; Missionary jailed in North Korea ailing
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community BREAKING NEWS: Heavy gunfire heard in Libya’s capital Tripoli Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Heavy shooting from guns and anti-aircraft weapons could be heard early this morning in the Libyan capital Tripoli, Reuters witnesses said. Fighting erupted between militias in the eastern Suq al-Juma area, said…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Capt charged for Pattaya deaths; Senate may stop amnesty; Home CCTV relayed to police; SET plunges
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ferry tragedy prompts safety call The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: In the wake of Sunday’s fatal ferry accident, Chon Buri Governor Comson Ekachai has demanded the Marine Department and Pattaya City boost water-transport safety and put security guards on duty on Koh Lan around the…
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In wake of Pattaya ferry disaster, top brass stages safety tour in Phuket
PHUKET: Police Region 8 Commander Panya Mamen yesterday morning led a team of officers on a safety inspection of passenger vessels at Rassada Pier, a major jump-off point for tourists boarding ferries and tour boats to islands in Phang Nga Bay and along the Andaman coast. The safety blitz followed a heavily overloaded ferry from Pattaya capsizing off Koh Lan,…
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Crocodile spooks Phuket beach tourists
PHUKET: A large crocodile spotted offshore Phuket’s northern beach of Mai Khao yesterday morning has raised concerns that the amphibious predator may return and endanger local residents and tourists. The alarm was raised at 8:30am by a staffer at the Maikhao Dream Villa Resort and Spa Phuket, at the southern end of Mai Khao Beach (map here). “A crocodile was…
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SuperCheap Burmese miss Phuket employment office deadline
PHUKET: None of the 100 Myanmar nationals who allegedly quit SuperCheap after an enormous blaze demolished the megashop (story here) reported to the Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO) by the November 1 deadline (story here). “The workers were required to report their resignation to us by November 1, but until now none of them have shown up,” PPEO chief Yaowapa…
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Former Outrigger GM found dead in bed
PHUKET: A former General Manager of Outrigger Hotels and Resorts was found dead at his luxury villa in Cherng Thalay early yesterday afternoon.William Marshall, 55, was found in his bed by his wife. There were no signs of a struggle, police said.Mr Marshall’s wife, Grace Lee Marshall, 49, told police that the couple had slept in the same bed the…
Read More » - Thai Life
Phuket Gardening – A fly in the ointment
PHUKET: Insects are one of the most successful forms life has taken on earth. There are as many as 1,800,000 different species, probably more. And there is no shortage of them here in Phuket. Any self-respecting gardener will be aware of these “critters”: they lurk everywhere in our carefully tended flower beds, shrubberies and vegetable plots. And they are a…
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Dozing motorist brings blackout to northern Phuket
PHUKET: A man who fell asleep at the wheel while returning home from dropping his girlfriend off at Phuket International Airport early this morning slammed into a power pole and caused a blackout throughout a large residential area in Thalang. Col Sarit Bootnongsaeng of the Thalang Police and first responders from the Kusoldharm Foundation arrived at the scene on Thepkrasattri…
Read More » - Business News
Oh what a feeling… walking on the ceiling
PHUKET: Lionel Richie’s feel-good 80s tune is about to apply in a more literal sense, with the opening of Phuket’s newest quirky, off-the-wall attraction which will enable visitors to actually dance, or walk, or crawl, or slide… on the ceiling. The beginning of 2014 is set to welcome a three-story, fully furnished house which will become the newest tourist attraction…
Read More » - Business News
Telly just like back home
PHUKET: As expats, we all have things that we miss about our home countries. For me, I have to say what I miss the most is American television. I miss having hundreds of channels (all in English) that I can watch whenever I want. There’s nothing quite like ESPN, HBO, Showtime, Starz (NASDAQ:STRZA) and AMC Networks (NASDAQ:AMCX) with their hit…
Read More » - Business News
How and why to get a Thai credit card
PHUKET: I am so often asked by foreigners living in Phuket about how to obtain credit cards, that I thought it might be helpful to explain the how and why of the situation. While some may be able to qualify for the traditional unsecured revolving card that we normally think of as a credit card, the normal situation is that…
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Phuket protesters take stand against amnesty bill
PHUKET: Over 5,000 protesters rallied against the amnesty bill yesterday, blocking Surin Road in front of Phuket Provincial Hall as they listened to democrat leaders vehemently denounce the bill and the Yingluck administration. The protesters, mostly from Phuket and Phang Nga, signed their names in denouncement of the recently passed, controversial bill (story here) during the six-hour protest. “I cannot…
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Phuket FC unlucky 13th in season finale
PHUKET: The Islanders ended their Yamaha League One (YL1) 2013 on a low note, falling to their final position of 13th place following a 3-0 away loss to Nakhon Ratchasima FC on Saturday night in Thailand’s Northeast. Following the opening exchanges, it was Phuket who looked to be the most threatening, with Giorgi Tsimakuridze netting the ball in the 20th…
Read More » - World News
Phuket Gazette World News: Toronto mayor in crack up; Egypt’s Mursi trial begins; Anonymous hacks Australia; France rues journalists’ executions
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Toronto mayor urges police to release video, apologizes for ‘mistakes’ Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford on Sunday urged his police chief to release a video that media reports say show him smoking what appears to be crack cocaine and issued an apology for unspecified…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Amnesty bill protests spread; Tourism takes a hit; Six killed in Pattaya ferry disaster
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Amnesty opponents to rally nationwide The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Yingluck Shinawatra’s government is walking a tightrope as opposition against the Amnesty Bill has now gained momentum with various groups, including the Democrat Party and many red shirt groups who formerly supported her, openly launching their campaigns…
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China beats USA in FIVB Phuket Thailand Open final
PHUKET: It took just two sets for the Chinese team, Chen Xue and Xinyi Xia to beat the American pair Emily Day and Summer Ross and win the gold medal in the FIVB Phuket Thailand Open Powered By PTT 2013. The Americans failed to crack the great Chinese wall despite numerous attempts and the high flying, petite Xinyi Xia’s precise…
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Phuket Top Cop demands tuk-tuks and taxis give up Patong parking spots
PHUKET: Phuket’s top cop promised yesterday to push tuk-tuks and taxis off of some of their regular patches, including Patong beach road, in order to create parking spots for the general public.“We’ll have new parking zones set up in two weeks,” he said.Police called in the heads of every taxi stand, as well as the people who lend drivers parking…
Read More » - Phuket News
Top cop warns new officers over bribes, extortion
PHUKET: Phuket’s new top cop warned the island’s police reinforcements that swift disciplinary action will be taken and criminal charges will be levied against them if they go crooked. “The most important thing is to not use your career to benefit your own pocket,” Phuket Provincial Police Commander Ong-art Phiwruangnont told the 97 recruits, all recent graduates of the police…
Read More » - Thailand News
Phuket Gazette Thailand News: House pushes Amnesty Bill through
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community How the bill was pushed through The Nation/Phuket GazettePHUKET: Since the Senate is expected to debate the amnesty bill by Friday or next Monday, with the deadline for the bill’s final passage set at 60 days, the House pushed the bill through to its third and final…
Read More » - World News
Phuket Gazette World News: One killed in LA airport; U.S. drone kills Pakistani Taliban leader; Man sentenced in rape, murder that shocked South Africa; Call to cease excessive surveillance
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community TSA agent killed, 6 hurt in Los Angeles airport shooting Reuters/Phuket GazettePHUKET: A gunman opened fire with an assault rifle in a terminal of Los Angeles International airport on Friday, killing a Transportation Security Agent and wounding at least six other people before he was shot and…
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Phuket taxi driver killer turns himself in
PHUKET: The man who fatally stabbed a Karon taxi driver in Samkong early yesterday morning turned himself in today.Jirawat Kongtanote, 22, has been charged for the murder of his neighbor, Teeranan Phongkrathin, 29 (story here). Mr Jirawat accepted the charge, saying, “We were friends and I stabbed him.”The two men had a long-running argument that involved, at least in part,…
Read More » - Opinion
Phuket Opinion: It’s everyone’s job to improve cyclists’ safety
Danny Ruangkanch, 54, is a Narathiwat native. He graduated from the California College of the Arts 29 years ago, and spent 10 years working abroad before coming back to Thailand. He came to Phuket 15 years ago and works as a freelance artist and Moderator of Thaimtb.com. He joined the Phuket Bicycle Club in 2000. Here he talks about how…
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Phuket Opinion: The meter of madness
PHUKET: After landing at Phuket Airport on October 7, I passed all the scam businesses and made my way to the metered taxi stand.I’ve used it for years and know that despite the word “metered” in the name, the price is fixed, about 550 baht to Patong. But with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) visits, it’s a new era.…
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Phuket Opinion: Slicing up Thailand’s cash cow
PHUKET: Reports of government plans to raise both arrival and departure taxes on foreign tourists reflect an almost complete lack of cohesion on tourism policy by government officials, and fly in the face of previous pronouncements that Thailand stands at the ready to become the “tourism hub” of the Asean region.The proposed increases, a 100-baht hike in airport departure tax…
Read More » - Phuket News
UK backs cross-cultural negotiation education for Phuket government officials
PHUKET: High-ranking local government officers in Phuket will start an English language and cross-cultural negotiation course this month as part of the ongoing cooperation between the United Kingdom and Thailand, said British Ambassador to Thailand Mark Kent. The announcement of the course came after a closed-door meeting between Amb Kent and Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut yesterday afternoon. “The UK embassy…
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Letters from Abu Dhabi: It’s the F1 pits and a flying circus
Abu Dhabi: The motorway to the Yas Marina Circuit hops from Abu Dhabi onto Sadiyaat Island, en-route they are building a Guggenheim Museum, a Louvre, and lots of expensive housing. Right now Sadiyaat Island it is a flat naked barren sun-blasted atoll interspersed with cranes, but when Abu Dhabi has a will, there is a way. Then we crossed onto…
Read More » - Phuket News
New gun, security guard laws aim to improve tourist safety
PHUKET: Gun owners with permission to carry their weapons in public may no longer do so in tourist areas, it was announced on Tuesday. The order issued by the Royal Thai Police applies nationwide and is part of an ongoing effort to improve tourist safety. Carrying guns in tourist areas or in areas where crowds gather is no longer allowed,…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket taxi driver’s feud leads to fatal stabbing
PHUKET: A Karon taxi driver was stabbed to death early this morning by a neighbor he was feuding with. Police were called to the Samkong Shrine area at about 3:30am. When they arrived, they found Teeranan Phongkrathin, 29, lying in the road with a knife protruding from his chest. Friends who witnessed the stabbing told police that Mr Teeranan had…
Read More » - Phuket News
Russian found dead in Phuket resort pool
PHUKET: A 38-year-old Russian man was found dead in a Phuket resort swimming pool early this morning.Royal Crown Hotel & Palm Spa Resort staffers informed Patong police of the death at 4:30am.Police and Kusoldharm rescue workers arrived at the scene to find the man floating face down in the pool.“He was only wearing swimming trunks, and there was a bottle…
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Jet-ski operators sorted out ahead of Phuket’s high season
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut stepped out onto the sand yesterday to inspect Patong Beach jet-ski operators. As the island gears up for an increased number of tourists during the high season, the governor made it clear that jet-ski safety was of utmost importance. “Jet-skiing is a popular activity for tourists in Phuket, and it can also be dangerous,” Gov Maitri…
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Phuket airport taxi collides with tipsy motorbiker
PHUKET: An airport taxi driver rushing to pick up a tourist at the airport collided with an inebriated motorbike driver in Thalang yesterday.The man on the motorbike suffered minor injuries.The taxi driver, Wattana Patan, 36, told police that he was en route to the airport and saw the motorbike riding in the left lane on the Cherng Thalay-Baan Don Road,…
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Royal Thai Navy keep eye on young seawolves – Phuket Youth Sailing
PHUKET: Organized by Phuket Youth Sailing Club (PYSC), 28 sailors from Phuket and Sattahip between the ages of 6 and 18 years took part in the inaugural Phuket Youth Week Training Camp & Regatta 2013. The two-day regatta sponsored by The Sponsorship Experts – PP(SEA)CL and Topper Sail Phuket produced some exciting and close racing across the four divisions. Eighteen…
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Speed cameras coming to Phuket roads
PHUKET: Four speed cameras are being set up on Phuket roads in an effort to reduce road traffic accidents and increase awareness of speed limits, police told the Phuket Gazette on Monday. The cameras may also help police solve crimes, as they may capture images of suspects fleeing crime scenes, said Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Saneh Yawila. The total…
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