Year: 2013
- Phuket News
Phuket hotels given one month to start reporting foreign guests
PHUKET: Hotels and other guest accommodation establishments across the island have until May 1 to start filing daily reports identifying their guests to Phuket Immigration before officers start raiding – and charging – the hotel operators. The news follows Phuket Immigration Superintendent Sunchai Chokkajaykij on Thursday laying down the law to his officers, ordering them to launch a campaign to…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Muslims vanish as Buddhist attacks approach Myanmar’s biggest city
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Muslims vanish as Buddhist attacks approach Myanmar’s biggest city Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The Muslims of Sit Kwin were always a small group who numbered no more than 100 of the village’s 2,000 people. But as sectarian violence led by Buddhist mobs spreads across central Myanmar, they…
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Truck water fights banned for Thai New Year
PHUKET: Deputy Interior Minister Chat Kuldilok yesterday announced that people engaging in running water battles from the backs of trucks and pickups during the upcoming Thai New Year Songkran festival will be subject to criminal charges. The news follows a meeting of the national Road Safety Center on Thursday to draw up road-safety measures to be enforced during Songkran, Lt…
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Phuket Opinion: Expats in need – who you gonna call?
Bruce Stanley is an American who has been helping foreigners in Phuket for over 20 years. For the past 10 years he has been a warden with the American Embassy, fulfilling a similar function. Here, he talks about resources available to expats in need of assistance. PHUKET: For most foreigners who live on Phuket or those who choose a visit…
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Phuket Opinion: Fuelling the tyranny of greed
PHUKET: It is high time for authorities to take serious steps to crack down on oil smuggling in Thai waters. The latest reported case in Phuket revealed itself in the most noxious of fashions last week, when the 20-meter fishing trawler Premika sank in the shallow waters of Klong Tah Jeen, allowing much of its cargo of tens of thousands…
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Phuket Sports: Dive into TSLC
PHUKET: Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) welcomes some of Asia’s most prolific rising sport stars from Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and mainland China to compete alongside local swimmers in the 2013 Thanyapura Long Course Swim Championships this weekend. The competition takes place at Thanyapura’s world-class Olympic-standard Aquatics Center. “We are excited to be hosting yet another of Asia’s…
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Phuket Opinion: Semi-naked is not an option
PHUKET: We’ve all been there – standing in front of the refrigerated dairy section in a local supermarket, wondering if the locally-made unsalted butter tastes anything like the imported variety when suddenly a mountain of skin reaches up for yogurt, displaying a dark bush of underarm hair and way too many freckles. “Hey mister, this is my local supermarket! If…
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Phuket job fair offering more than 6,000 jobs
PHUKET: More than 6,000 jobs are up for grabs at the two-day “e-jobs@Phuket 2013” employment fair, which started today at Phuket Rajabhat University (map here). “The fair offers prospective employers and employees the opportunity to meet directly and increase their chances of finding a ‘best match’ for the work and the people they are seeking,” Phuket Provincial Employment Office chief…
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Murder fugitive’s 10-year run ends with drug-fuelled road frenzy
PHUKET: A murder fugitive on the run for a decade was arrested yesterday in Phang Nga, just north of Phuket, after an armed drug binge ended with police shooting out his tyres.Phonchai “Bao” Phetrit, from Trang, wanted by Ladprao Police in Bangkok on a murder warrant issued in 2003, was finally placed under arrest after he rammed through three checkpoints,…
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Spate of Phuket parking lot robberies prompts security boost
PHUKET: Five car burglaries in two months at the Bang Maruan lagoon in Srisoonthorn has prompted Deputy Mayor Sakchai Mulikabutr to boost the number of security guards patrolling the area in the evenings. “Chonnakarn Puttharuksa, 34, parked her car near the lagoon and went to exercise there at about 6pm on Thursday evening,” Thalang Police officer Narong Muangdoung told the…
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Phuket Gazette Queer News: The live lizard eater of Kamphaeng Phet
PHUKET: A 74-year-old man in Kamphaeng Phet Province has revealed his secret to staying healthy: eating live lizards.Dokrak Umsaeng, originally from Ang Thong, says he has been eating small geckos, which are commonly found on walls in Thailand, for 12 years – and has no plans to stop it.Lert Thetjaem, the former village chief of Khlong Si Nuan in the…
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Phuket sea gypsies fight forced relocation
SPECIAL REPORT PHUKET: Fearing they will have nowhere to go if court-ordered evictions are carried out, villagers at the southern Phuket sea gypsy community in Rawai have steadfastly resolved to stay put.“Our people have been living here for more than 200 years. Our homes once lined the length of the beach, but now we have only 19 rai to live…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Possible 300 dead in Brazil hospital murders; N Korea readies rockets after US bomber flight; US$155mn Picasso sold
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Brazilian doctor charged with 7 murders, may have killed 300 Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A Brazilian doctor who was charged with killing seven patients to free up beds at a hospital intensive care unit may have been responsible for as many as 300 deaths, according to a…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Cyprus banks open; Japan ghost town on Street View; Pope includes women; Portugal teeters on austerity
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cyprus reopens banks under tight restrictions Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Cypriots queued calmly at banks as they reopened yesterday under tight controls imposed on transactions to prevent a run on deposits after the government was forced to accept a stringent EU rescue package to avert…
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“Italian Stallions” gallop to victory in Laguna Phuket Golf Club’s “Beat the Pros” charity challenge opener
PHUKET: Laguna Phuket Golf Club’s “Beat the Pros” charity challenge series began with a victory that upset the form book, with the club’s pro pairing of Paul Wilson and Andy Combe defeated by “Italian Stallions” amateurs, Giovanni Palazzoli and Marco Fragola. The charity challenge, sponsored by Titleist, sees Assistant Director of Golf Paul and PGA teaching professional Andy challenge amateur…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Man jailed for lese majeste; Deep South peace dialogue stumbles; B2trn loan under fire
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Man jailed for 3 years and 4 months for lese majeste The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A man who was arrested in March 2011 for selling pirated copies of an Australian documentary critical of the Thai monarchy, as well as WikiLeaks papers, was sentenced to three…
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Phuket drought set to continue, driest early quarter in 10 years
PHUKET: The forecast for isolated, scattered showers across Phuket in the coming days will offer little reprieve to the island’s ongoing dry spell, which is Phuket’s driest January-to-March period in a decade, experts have warned. “The average rainfall during January to March over the past 10 years is 277.71mm, but this year we received only 63.3mm,” said Phuket Meteorological Officer…
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Honda’s BigWing takes off in Phuket
PHUKET: Honda’s BigWing dealership announced its arrival in Phuket yesterday with drum rolls and engines roaring, as the island’s biking community were eager to get their hands on the latest offerings from the Japanese giant. Following their successes in Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Udon Thani and Bangkok, the island was the natural choice for the brand’s expansion into Southern Thailand. Honda…
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Phuket marine chief floats Airport-Patong sea taxi idea
PHUKET: To offer tourists another option in getting from Phuket Airport to Patong Beach, the chief of the Phuket Marine Office yesterday proposed launching a “sea taxi” to ferry passengers down the island’s west coast. The project is called “From the boat to the plane”, Chief Phuriphat Teerakulpisut told a meeting at the Phuket Treasury Office yesterday. “Many tourists visit…
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New 20-baht banknote to launch in Phuket on April 1
PHUKET: The new 20-baht banknote will be available for exchange at commercial banks in Phuket and nationwide from April 1, staff at the Bank of Thailand told the Phuket Gazette this morning.Bank of Thailand Deputy Governor Tongurai Limpiti publicly announced the April 1 launch date yesterday.“The new design incorporates a range of advanced anti-counterfeit features to facilitate authentication by banknote…
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Phuket to stage annual turtle release
PHUKET: The Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa will stage the 4th Mai Khao Turtle Release at Mai Khao Beach tomorrow from 3 to 6 pm. The important annual event is organized to raise funds for and awareness of the plight of Phuket’s critically endangered sea turtles. Supported by the Phuket Marine Biological Center…
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Phuket man crushed by truck and coconut tree
PHUKET: A concrete well ring vendor died in Thalang yesterday afternoon after his crane truck rolled down a slope and one of the outriggers – arms used to stabilize the truck – crushed him against a coconut tree. Thalang Police were notified that a man had died at a coconut plantation behind Baan Chumpoh Mosque in Pa Khlok at about…
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Phuket security guard denies B500k ATM theft
PHUKET: A guard working for a Phuket security firm was arrested today for allegedly topping up his own pockets with 500,000 baht instead of topping up an ATM at a gas station near Wat Chalong. The arrest follows Progress Gunpai Co Ltd filing a police complaint against one of their own security guards, Samphan In-Auksorn, 33, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat,…
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Phuket Tech: Lock down your mobile devices
PHUKET: In New York City, the crime rate has been slowly, steadily decreasing every year for the past 15 years. Until last year. In 2012, there were 3,484 more major crimes reported than in 2011 – and 3,890 more thefts of iPhones and iPads. Stolen iPhones and iPads are reversing a long-standing decline in major crimes. The situation in Phuket…
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Phuket Lifestyle: Wake up and drop in
PHUKET: As the final hours of daylight waned in the sky, I pulled my rusty old BMW up to the ridge of a tin mine-turned-lake, home to Anthem Wake Park, across from Wat Manik in Cherng Talay. Pausing but for a moment to study the deep blue water, the lake was both tranquil and alive. However, this tranquil introduction was…
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Phuket crackdown on Russians heads north
PHUKET: Local officials will start conducting raids across Phuket’s Thalang District, which covers the northern third of the island, targeting any businesses involving foreigners. The raids will first target businesses involving Russians, a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall was told yesterday. As have other recent immigration crackdowns, the Thalang operation will specifically target foreigners either working illegally in Thailand or…
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Patrons and staff of Phuket bars, nightclubs subjected to drug tests
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut has launched a campaign to conduct random drug tests at bars and nightclubs across the island.“Police will conduct random urine drug tests of venue staff and customers,” Governor Maitri said during raids on eight nightlife venues in Phuket Town on Monday night.“We will also check that the entertainment venues are legally registered as well,” he…
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Governor orders justice in Phuket arson attack over land dispute
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut has ordered the Chalong Police to take swift action in bringing to justice the three men seen setting homes ablaze in Chalong early yesterday morning. With the aid of windy conditions, it took just 30 minutes for the fire to destroy three wooden homes in Soi Palai (map here). Sombat Suwit told the Phuket Gazette…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Cyprus spin; Russian tycoon hanged; London schoolboy scores $30mn with Yahoo app
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cyprus bailout sends EU into spin Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The chairman of Cyprus’s biggest commercial bank offered his resignation and thousands of students protested in the capital Nicosia yesterday as banks stayed shut to stop a run on deposits after the island agreed to a painful…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Little optimism for breakthrough in Thailand’s forgotten jihad
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community SPECIAL REPORT: Little optimism for breakthrough in Thailand’s forgotten jihad Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Rusnee Maeloh slept through the 30-minute gunfight that killed her husband, but her neighbours in the notoriously violent Bacho district of southern Thailand heard distant explosions and feared the worst.Mahrosu Jantarawadee, 31, was…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Cyprus banks brace; France threatens EU-US trade; Damascus inner-city siege
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community France threatens to delay quick start of EU-U.S. trade talks Reauters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: France threatened on Monday to delay the swift start of EU-U.S. trade talks if its red lines on culture and farm produce are not respected. Brussels and Washington hope to start…
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Phuket gunfight survivors yet to deliver police statements
PHUKET: One of the two survivors of the gunfight on March 20, which left two dead and a Tourist Police officer charged with murder, has given police his version of the shooting but has not identified the shooter. Natthapong Kaewkuanchum, 25, was shot three times in the chest in the early morning of March 20, and is in the surgical…
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Phuket Immigration calls for Rohingya aid
PHUKET: Phuket Immigration is calling for donations of essentials for the 67 Rohingya currently under detention. “We are requesting donations of food, toiletries and clothes for the Rohingya because we do not know how long they will be detained here, as other shelters are full,” said Capt Angkarn Yasanop of the Immigration office on Phuket Road. Two groups of Rohingya…
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Marked Phuket grave gone to the dogs
PHUKET: Following a report from local villagers that they feared a foreign expat was buried at a grave near the Big Buddha image in the Nakkerd Hills, Karon Police today trooped up the hill and exhumed the remains – only to find the body of a buried dog.“At about 10:40am today, we received a report from a local plantation owner…
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Lucky escape from injury as Phuket tuk-tuk flips
PHUKET: A pickup driver, a tuk-tuk driver and a motorbike rider all escaped serious injury yesterday when they piled into one another after the pickup driver slammed on the brakes to avoid a huge pothole on Kata Hill.“The accident occurred near the sharp Sator Curve at about 12:20pm,” said Ruamjai Rescue Foundation emergency responder Sayan Thammaphan, who was among the…
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Body of Russian tourist washes ashore on Phuket beach
PHUKET: The body of a Russian man last seen spearfishing a few hundred meters offshore from Kata Beach on Friday was found washed ashore at the same beach (map here) this morning. The body, still dressed in a wet suit and sporting flippers, was identified as that of 43-year-old Oleg Udaloi, Karon Police Deputy Superintendent Pachai Matthayan confirmed to the…
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Phuket Arts: Diary of budding existentialists – part 2
PHUKET: Three more budding artists from a recent BIS Visual Arts class discuss their work, currently being exhibited at the school until Friday March 29 (click here for part 1). By Sariya Suwannakarn: The ‘Phuket Vegetarian Festival’, in which we pray for good fortune, and go through ten days of adhering to a strict vegetarian diet for the purposes of…
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