Month: January 2014
- Thai Life
Phuket Environment: Summarizing sustainability for future
PHUKET: Recently, the Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus, held an “Open Week” conference with a wide range of activities and lectures. One of the highlights was a talk given by the eminent Korean environmentalist Professor Dai-Yeun Jeong, entitled “Beyond Sustainable Development: Towards Ecological Modernization”.Supported by many visual aids projected onto a large screen, Professor Jeong gave a detailed and…
Read More » - Business News
One more challenge for McCormack
PHUKET: From a race track to a company board room – seems like change of pace for a world class athlete. But Chris McCormack proves otherwise. The same passion that let him win over 200 triathlons is about to help him achieve his goals as the new Executive Chairman of Thanyapura.He is certainly not a newcomer to the world of…
Read More » - Food
Phuket Dining: Eat like a president
PHUKET: There are times when you simply can’t turn down an invitation. When the personal chef of the President of the French Republic invites you for a dinner, it is one of those times. Even more so when it’s Bernard Vaussion, a chef who served under six consecutive French presidents, who recently came to Phuket to cook a presidential dinner…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket loses Sek’s appeal
PHUKET: Hundreds of angry anti-government protesters last night forced the organizers of the annual Phuket Red Cross Fair to cancel a live concert by Thai rock star Sek Loso, who was to perform the closing show at the fair. Sek “Seksan Sukpimai” Loso was one of many Thai celebrities who joined a publicity campaign calling on voters to cast their…
Read More » - Hua Hin News
Phuket Gazette World News: China stampede kills 14; Dhaka violence mars polls; Antarctic rescue underway
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Stampede at China religious event kills 14 Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A stampede at a religious ceremony in northwestern China as food was being handed out killed 14 people and injured 10, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.The stampede occurred on Sunday afternoon as traditional…
Read More » - Thailand News
Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Bangkok prepares for shutdown; Economic fears grow; Vote me out, dares Yingluck
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PDRC march a warm up for shutdown The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Anti-government protesters from the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) marched through Bangkok yesterday in a warm-up for their “Bangkok shutdown” next week.PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban led thousands of demonstrators from the main rally site at…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket prisoner electrified in jailbreak attempt
PHUKET: An attempted jailbreak from Phuket Prison came to a shocking halt at 12:30pm today when an inmate trying to escape was electrified by wires strung across the top of one of the perimeter walls. Alerted to the escape attempt, prison guards scrambled to the east wall, where they found Worawut Rordbhut, 45, unconscious, hanging upside down with his left…
Read More » - Phuket News
Family rescued from burning bedroom fire in Phuket Town
PHUKET: A family of three were rescued from a burning building after being trapped by an electrical fire in their bedroom above the family shop in Phuket Town late last night.Police and firefighters, along with three fire trucks, were called to the Modern PVC plumbing supplies store on Mae Luan Road at about 11:40pm.“When we arrived, we could see flames…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Police aim to ID high-speed crash victim
PHUKET: Police are trying to identify a man who died in a high-speed motorbike accident in Koh Kaew, north of Phuket Town, early this morning. Police were called to the scene, near the entrance of the Inizio Koh Kaew housing estate (map here), after security guard Chamroen Pinamorn witnessed the accident at about 4am. “I saw a man speed by…
Read More » - World News
Phuket Gazette World News: Cambodia police open fire on workers; Italian navy rescues over 1,000 migrants in 24 hours; Central African Republic violence displaces nearly 1 million
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cambodian forces open fire as factory strikes turn violent Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Cambodian military police opened fire with assault rifles on Friday to quell a protest by stone-throwing garment factory workers demanding higher pay, killing at least three people, witnesses said.Chaos during nationwide strikes erupted for…
Read More » - Hua Hin News
Election on; Pheu Thai campaign begins; Frenchman brutally beaten in Hua Hin; Holiday road toll hits 366 dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Election on track: EC The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Election Commission said yesterday that the February 2 poll would continue as planned, with no extension for candidate registration in 28 constituencies disrupted by protesters in provinces in the South. Meanwhile, the government yesterday opted…
Read More » - Phuket News
Special Report: A year in review
SPECIAL REPORT PHUKET: With 2013 having drawn to a close, Phuket’s top-ranking officials and leading tourism industry figures appear to have avoided a year of stagnant growth, which was almost brought on by the ongoing anti-government protests (click here for our special report) and a slew of other issues that continue to plague the island. Phuket protesters bring flowers. Photo:…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket speed cameras dish out tickets for holiday season
PHUKET: Ten motorists have been ticketed since Phuket’s four speed cameras became operational on December 25.“Anyone travelling over 90km/hr will be fined 500 baht each time they are caught on one of our cameras,” Lt Col Rungrit Rattanapagdee of the Phuket City Traffic Police Police told the Phuket Gazette today. According to Thai traffic law, 90km is the maximum speed…
Read More » - Property
Tesco Extra officially open in Phuket
PHUKET: Tesco Lotus recently held the official grand opening for its first “Extra” format store in Phuket. The rebranding and re-opening of the shopping center, its main Phuket store located off the bypass road in Sam Kong, follows an extensive renovation project undertaken in the final quarter of 2013. The development also complements the grand opening of a new, full-sized…
Read More » - Phuket News
Special Report: A nation at the crossroads
Special Report PHUKET: As Thailand begins a new year, the country finds itself at a crossroads. What seems to be at stake is not only the future shape of democracy in this country, but whether it will even remain a democracy at all. This should worry all those who care about the future of Thailand and its people. The People’s…
Read More » - Property
Phuket Property Watch: Walking in the shadows of dinosaurs
PHUKET: With New Year’s celebrations mostly behind us now, the question everyone has is what’s in store for fourteen? My biggest challenge each and every successive drum roll of another 365 (or 366 in the case of leap years) is to remember to change the date on whatever I’m writing at the time. Typically things settle down by February but…
Read More » - Phuket News
5 dead in Seven Days of Danger; Phuket officials declare success
PHUKET: The nationwide Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign ended at midnight last night with a final tally of five deaths on Phuket’s roads. “Although we could not maintain zero deaths in Phuket during the Seven Days of Danger campaign, we are satisfied with the record for this year,” said Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation-Phuket (DDPM-Phuket) Chief San Jantharawong.…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket crane topples, downs power cables on bypass road
PHUKET: Officials have restored power supply along the bypass road, north of Phuket Town, after a crane toppled and brought down high-voltage power cables during peak hour traffic this morning.“We received a report of a crane falling over at 8:29am. We have yet to learn what caused it to fall,” Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) Operations Chief Yongyuth Podbutr told…
Read More » - World News
Phuket Gazette World News: Passengers rescued from Antarctic; Kerry in Israel; Bibles seized in Malaysia; Thein Sein opens door to reform
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community All passengers rescued from ship stuck in Antarctic ice Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A rescue effort to remove 52 passengers on board a research ship that had been trapped in Antarctica ice for nine days was successful, and they were evacuated safely by helicopter, the expedition leader…
Read More » - Thailand News
Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Army decries crisis decree; EC revises election strategy; Pregnant panda; Deep South toll surpasses tsunami
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Army against crisis decree The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The top brass disagree with the imposition of an emergency decree despite the People’s Democratic Reform Committee’s threat to “shut down” the capital on January 13 to force Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down, military sources said…
Read More » - Opinion
Phuket Opinion: People, not tinsel or music or gifts
PHUKET: Christmas has always been a somewhat schizophrenic event for me. Coming from a non-religious family, it was always celebrated as a time for the extended family to get together, share food and catch up on developments over the past year, and had absolutely nothing to do with celebrating the birth of Christ. Nevertheless, my mother is religious in her…
Read More » - Opinion
Phuket Opinion: A reality check born of resolutions
Susanna Huza, 41, is CEO of Ignite Inspiration Co Ltd, a Communications Consultancy and Training Company. She has a multinational background and earned undergraduate and advanced degrees in law from the University of Hull in the UK. She is also a Master Practitioner and Trainer in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Hypnosis, and a Master Trainer of TimeLine Therapy. Here…
Read More » - Opinion
Phuket Opinion: The toll of tourism
PHUKET: As we embark on the year 2014, there seems to be no better time to reflect on the monumental changes that have transformed Phuket over the past few decades, all the result of “Bangkok style” urbanization that continues to degrade what is left of the island’s natural beauty and diminish its appeal to foreign tourists. In a recent Phuket…
Read More » - Phuket News
Jintana’s family continues search for justice after execution-style murder
PHUKET: As the one-year anniversary of the execution-style murder of Jintana Mahattanapak approaches, her family seeks to meet with Phuket’s new top cop for help in a case that appears to have gone cold. Ms Jintana, a human resources director at the time of her murder, was shot coming home from work on January 18 (story here). Police initially believed…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket police declare victory after Patong parking D-day
PHUKET: Patong police have declared success in dislodging taxis and tuk-tuks from parking spots on the Patong beach road. “We succeeded in our goal of freeing up space between Prachanukroh Road and Soi Bangla. Each of the seven taxi ranks there are now limited to five vehicles each,” Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat told the Phuket Gazette this afternoon.…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Airport customs nab Vietnamese “monk’ drug mule
PHUKET: Customs officers at Phuket International Airport arrested a Vietnamese man dressed as a monk yesterday for attempting to smuggle more than 2kg of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) into Thailand. The drugs had an estimated street value of about 8 million baht. “Officers arrested Nguyen Van Thiet, 64, at 1:50am after receiving a tip-off from undercover officers,” said Phuket Airport…
Read More » - Thai Life
Phuket Explore: Escape to Koh Kho Khao
PHUKET: You know it’s going to be a good day’s cycling when you see more water buffalo than you do hurtling pick-up trucks, and when the smiling locals stop what they are doing and rush out to greet you with a hearty “Hello Farang!” Such pleasures are rarely found in Phuket these days, but just 80 kilometers north of the…
Read More » - Property
Phuket Property Watch – Not such a long way from home
PHUKET: It’s that time of year again – Christmas. And while Phuket’s idea of a whiteout is sand swept beaches, I find it hard not to get into a sentimental mood as soon as the calendar rolls around to the twelfth month of the year. Somehow the pace quickens in December, year in and year out. A few weeks ago…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket ponders bus ban for lethal Patong Hill
PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) has included a ban on buses travelling over Patong Hill on its list of nine suggestions to prevent more fatal accidents from occurring on the notorious incline. PLTO Chief Transport Technician Jaturong Kaewkasi presented the list of safety recommendations to Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut yesterday. “Over the years, there have been many accidents…
Read More » - Property
Phuket Property Watch: A case of tech-induced nostalgia
PHUKET: It’s festive time in the US, which is where I am, hacking out this column caught in the joys of the holiday season. Or perhaps not. Having spent three days here since taking the great plane trip over the ocean, my mind calculates the time-line as some thirty-eight hours. But who’s counting? The short and sweet “me” springs to…
Read More » - Thai Life
Tech: Be forwarned about 4G in Phuket
PHUKET: Lest you think it’s 3G dejavu all over again, the current state of 4G in Phuket has a few interesting, new wrinkles. In many ways, the impending 4G roll out – which is already under way, at least in theory – isn’t nearly as confusing as the 3G rollout two years ago. Thank heavens! Let’s start with the basics.…
Read More » - Property
Phuket Property: Centara anticipates tougher times ahead
PHUKET: The insight, influence and impact that the Bangkok-headquartered Central Group employs and exerts across nearly every sector in Phuket is undeniable. The group’s interests encompass retail, infrastructure, construction, real estate, and especially hospitality – through its flagship hotel chain Centara Hotels and Resorts (CHR). The Gazette recently caught up with CHR Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Chris…
Read More » - Property
Boutique or bust – Phuket Prop Watch
PHUKET: Obsession is quite a long word – with its three little Ss that sort of roll off the keys with winding twists and turns. Nothing is as it appears, nor is there a straightaway to pull away from the pack. When it comes to design hotels, these enigmatic properties just love to live the “S” life, where the squares…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket maintains zero road deaths in 2014
PHUKET: Two traffic accidents sent two people to the hospital yesterday, but Phuket has yet to record a road-fatality for 2014. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket office (DDPM-Phuket) today confirmed their statistics for Phuket during the Seven Days of Danger national road-safety campaign as five dead and 32 injured in 27 accidents. “The accidents on January 1…
Read More » - World News
Phuket Gazette World News: Somalia rocked by hotel blasts; Palestinian envoy to Prague killed; Hong Kong stages democracy march
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Mogadishu hotel targeted by bombs, at least 11 killed Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Three bombs exploded within an hour outside a hotel frequented by government officials in a heavily fortified district of the Somali capital on Wednesday, killing at least 11 people.The attacks on the Jazira hotel,…
Read More » - Thailand News
Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Suthep sets for Bangkok seige; Bus terminal brawl bumps holiday death toll; Deep South insurgency deaths double
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Capital siege set for Jan 13 The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee last night announced details of its plan to lay siege to Bangkok from January 13. PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban said the siege could last for a month, or until the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Election candidate blockade remains steadfast in Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket blockade preventing any further candidates from registering to enter the February 2 national election held strong today, the last day for potential candidates to enter the election. “We couldn’t even get inside the building this morning to open the center as the protesters blocked our way,” Kittipong Thiengkunakrit, Director of the Phuket office of the Election Commission,…
Read More »
