Month: March 2014

  • Thai LifePhuket Gardening: More vinous virtuosos

    Phuket Gardening: More vinous virtuosos

    PHUKET: Asked what “vinous” means, most people would opt for something to do with grape vines or wine. But in fact the epithet can be applied to any kind of vine or climbing plant, of which there are literally hundreds, ranging from creeping figs and ivies to towering tropical lianas. For the gardener, the important distinction is between tendrilous or…

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  • World NewsPhuket Gazette World News: Russian forces seize two Ukrainian bases in Crimea

    Phuket Gazette World News: Russian forces seize two Ukrainian bases in Crimea

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Russian forces seize two Ukrainian bases in Crimea Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The United States warned Moscow it was on a “dark path” to isolation on Wednesday as Russian troops seized two Ukrainian naval bases, including a headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol where…

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  • EntertainmentPhuket Lifestyle: Music is my playground [video] | Thaiger

    Phuket Lifestyle: Music is my playground [video]

    PHUKET: Polish born pianist Katarzyna Wieczorek has turned music into her way of life. Her skills and reputation have taken her to countless festivals, won her numerous awards and let her visit the farthest corners of the globe – turning her life into a never-ending adventure filled with melody. Katarzyna Wieczorek recently performed at the British International School Phuket where…

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  • Thailand NewsPhuket Gazette Thailand News: Bangkok bunkers stay; Yingluck faces NACC probe; Ya bah-heroin drug raises fears; Toxic fire nearly out

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Bangkok bunkers stay; Yingluck faces NACC probe; Ya bah-heroin drug raises fears; Toxic fire nearly out

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Military to maintain bunkers despite lifting of emergency The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The military will maintain its force and 176 street bunkers across Bangkok, even though the government has lifted the emergency decree.A military source said the reason the government scrapped the state of…

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  • Business NewsVideo Report: Canal works to boost Phuket marina access | Thaiger

    Video Report: Canal works to boost Phuket marina access

    Gulu Lalvani dubbed provincial governor Maitri Inthusut an “action man” while describing his delight that – after ten years of delays – work has finally begun on dredging the channel that leads to Royal Phuket Marina and the Boat Lagoon. Video: PGTV PHUKET: The 12-million-baht project to dredge the Koh Kaew Canal and deepen the existing approach channel from Phang…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Police seek arrest warrants for suspects in alleged kidnapping of Russians

    Phuket Police seek arrest warrants for suspects in alleged kidnapping of Russians

    PHUKET: Phuket Police are seeking arrest warrants for the two prime suspects involved in the alleged kidnapping of a Russian couple. The woman, Iana Strizheus, 22, was badly injured and in shock when she was found by a maid at the Blue Garden Resort and Spa at about 6pm on Sunday. She and her boyfriend, Alexey Slabinskiy, 39, were reported…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket aims for 729-million-baht biofuel production facility

    Phuket aims for 729-million-baht biofuel production facility

    PHUKET: The island may be in for a cleaner and greener future as Phuket officials plan to request 729 million baht to build a biofuel production facility. “Organic waste from the entire province will be sent to the plant. It will be processed and turned into biofuel and the leftover matter subsequently turned into compost,” said Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO)…

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  • World NewsPhuket Gazette World News: Area of Malaysia plane search now size of Australia

    Phuket Gazette World News: Area of Malaysia plane search now size of Australia

    PHUKET: An international land and sea search for a missing Malaysian jetliner is covering an area the size of Australia, authorities said on Tuesday, but police and intelligence agencies have yet to establish a clear motive to explain its disappearance. Investigators are convinced that someone with deep knowledge of the Boeing 777-200ER and commercial navigation diverted Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370,…

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  • Thailand NewsPhuket Gazette Thailand News: State of Emergency lifted; Peace talks rejected; Thai radar may have spotted MH370; Toxic smog alert

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: State of Emergency lifted; Peace talks rejected; Thai radar may have spotted MH370; Toxic smog alert

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community State of emergency scrapped The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Cabinet yesterday lifted the emergency decree in Bangkok and nearby areas and replaced it with the Internal Security Act, effective today. Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said later that the move was aimed at boosting…

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  • Phuket NewsFormal charges against Phuket protest leaders delayed

    Formal charges against Phuket protest leaders delayed

    PHUKET: Police delayed pressing formal charges today against five Phuket protest leaders for obstructing the February 2 national election and obstructing law enforcement officers. The five – Suratin Lian-udom, Sompop Konkeaw, Chartchai Chuachit, Saman Krohlek and Sanya Srimuang– were scheduled to appear at Thalang Police Station at 10am to witness the handing over of the case files to the Phuket…

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  • Phuket NewsTourism Minister targets Phuket’s stolen passport trade

    Tourism Minister targets Phuket’s stolen passport trade

    PHUKET: Recent news of the stolen passports trade in Phuket and the recently found Russian kidnap victim prompted a visit from Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister to the island yesterday to meet with officials and get to the bottom of the issues. “I came to Phuket to follow up on the cases concerning the stolen passports used to board missing…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket police connect two local expats to Russian missing persons case

    Phuket police connect two local expats to Russian missing persons case

    PHUKET: Police have identified the two Caucasian men who were seen with “missing” Russian woman Iana Strizheus, found injured and in shock in a hotel room on Sunday. “We are searching for the two men, who work in Phuket. At this time, we can’t reveal their names without jeopardizing the case,” Phuket’s top cop Ong-art Phiwruangnont said at a press…

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  • Thai LifePhuket Lifestyle: Affordable autos at Central Festival

    Phuket Lifestyle: Affordable autos at Central Festival

    PHUKET: The 18th Andaman Motor Show now on at Central Festival Phuket until March 19 is featuring the latest affordable autos under a million baht from a variety of Phuket car dealers, each offering very competitive low-interest deals and down payments. Also exhibiting at the Grand Hall on the first floor of Central Festival are new luxury imports with multi-million…

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  • Thai LifeSuthas Rungsirisilp wins Thailand National Award at 2014 Sony World Photography Awards

    Suthas Rungsirisilp wins Thailand National Award at 2014 Sony World Photography Awards

    PHUKET: Thai photographer Suthas Rungsirisilp was today announced as the winner of the Thailand National Award, part of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards, one of the world’s leading photography competitions. Open to photographers of all abilities, the National Award seeks to uncover and honor the single best image taken by a Thai photographer entered into any of the ten…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Sports: Lee hits winning trail

    Phuket Sports: Lee hits winning trail

    PHUKET: Canada’s Richard T Lee learned a thing or two about the rewards of hard work and even a stroke of lady luck when he won his maiden title at the casino-backed Solaire Open last weekend. On Sunday, all these winning combinations propelled him towards the finish line and earned the 23-year-old his career breakthrough on the Asian Tour at…

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  • Business NewsPhuket Business: Seminar on economic and investment trends in Phuket this Thursday

    Phuket Business: Seminar on economic and investment trends in Phuket this Thursday

    PHUKET: Siam Commercial Bank will be hosting a seminar in Phuket titled “Economic and Investment Trends in Phuket’s Thriving Tourism Industry” this Thursday, March 20 at 1:30pm at the Royal Phuket City Hotel. With industry and investment insight from leading speakers in their fields, the free seminar will be in two languages – Thai and English – and is targeting…

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  • World NewsPhuket Gazette World News: Crimea joins Russia; US, EU impose sanctions

    Phuket Gazette World News: Crimea joins Russia; US, EU impose sanctions

    PHUKET: The United States and European Union imposed personal sanctions on Monday on Russian and Crimean officials involved in the seizure of Crimea from Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognising the region as a sovereign state. The moves heightened the most serious East-West crisis since the end of the Cold War, following a disputed referendum in…

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  • Thailand NewsPhuket Gazette Thailand News: Time bombs near Criminal Court; World Cup broadcast free; Thai AirAsia restarts tourism

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Time bombs near Criminal Court; World Cup broadcast free; Thai AirAsia restarts tourism

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Two time bombs found near Criminal Court The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Two home-made bombs were discovered on Ratchadaphisek Road in two separate locations yesterday morning. The first one was found at around 7am by a Bangkok Metropolitan Administration street cleaner in a bus stop…

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  • Thailand NewsPhuket Gazette Thailand News: Thousands evacuated as toxic dump fire smog blankets Bangkok

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Thousands evacuated as toxic dump fire smog blankets Bangkok

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Dump fire creates deadly smog; locals ordered out The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Residents in Tambon Praeksa in Samut Prakan were forced to rush to grab their belongings and flee after a massive fire broke out at a garbage dump near their homes. Inspectors from…

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  • Business NewsPhuket Business: Phuket’s plans to trap MICE travellers

    Phuket Business: Phuket’s plans to trap MICE travellers

    PHUKET: A recent conference organized by the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) examined the role of Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) travellers in Phuket’s diversifying tourism industry. The event, which was co-hosted by AMCHAM, the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) and the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce (AustCham), featured three experts on Thailand’s rapidly growing MICE tourism industry. The…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Drive Thru: Woman blames car for surging into 7-Eleven

    Phuket Drive Thru: Woman blames car for surging into 7-Eleven

    PHUKET: A woman parking her car outside a 7-Eleven in Phuket Town this afternoon ended up inside the store when the vehicle suddenly surged forward, injuring a 12-year-old girl in the process. Orathai Kaikong, 31, had pulled into a gas station on Phun Pol Road in Phuket Town with her boyfriend to buy snacks. “I was braking while pulling into…

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  • Phuket NewsPatong elections set for April 26, bringing another weekend alcohol ban

    Patong elections set for April 26, bringing another weekend alcohol ban

    PHUKET: The Patong by-election has been set for Saturday, April 26. After former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin was found guilty of electoral fraud on March 7 (story here), new elections were required by law to take place within 60 days, explained Patong Municipality Chief Administrative Officer Poonsuk Narksena. Candidate registrations will be accepted on the third floor at Patong Municipality…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s B120mn road to Freedom Beach inches forward

    Phuket’s B120mn road to Freedom Beach inches forward

    PHUKET: The controversial new road planned to provide access to Freedom Beach, south of Patong, took a step closer to becoming reality as the project passed its third and final public hearing on Friday. About 80 of the 100 participants who joined the hearing, held at the Patong Merlin Hotel, voted to approve the project, rebounding from a 64 per…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket national park encroachment investigation in full swing again

    Phuket national park encroachment investigation in full swing again

    PHUKET: The plot thickened in the ongoing investigation into encroachment onto Sirinath Marine National Park yesterday as five former park chiefs were accused of signing documents allowing encroachment. “After reviewing several land titles from owners in the area, we discovered that five chiefs signed their names, making it legal for landowners to build on land that is part of Sirinath…

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  • Phuket NewsBlackout strikes third of island as Phuket sees year’s first rain

    Blackout strikes third of island as Phuket sees year’s first rain

    PHUKET: A blown transformer was responsible for a two-hour blackout in parts of Phuket on Saturday afternoon, said an official at the Phuket Provincial Electrical Authority (PPEA). Electricity shut off in Chalong, Rawai, Kathu, Patong, Kathu and some areas of Phuket Town at about 3pm. “After we got calls from the public, we sent a repair crew out. Within two…

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  • Phuket NewsPolice post bodyguard for Russian ‘kidnap’ victim

    Police post bodyguard for Russian ‘kidnap’ victim

    PHUKET: Police have posted an around-the-clock guard outside the hospital room of the Russian woman who was found injured yesterday after having disappeared for nine days. Friends say the woman, Iana Strizheus, 22, may have been the victim of a kidnapping. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Ong-art Phiwruangnont visited Ms Strizheus at Bangkok Hospital Phuket last night. “We don’t know how…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Sports: Phuket FC and TTM Customs draw at Surakul Stadium

    Phuket Sports: Phuket FC and TTM Customs draw at Surakul Stadium

    PHUKET: With a full moon overhead and a smoke filled sky, the scene yesterday evening in Phuket Town seemed more appropriate for a zombie apocalypse than a football match. The living dead did not make it out to the game, however, 5,100 fans did, and cheered on their home team Phuket FC as they lined up against TTM Customs. Coming…

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  • Thai LifeVideo Report: Phuket Diving – Mermen need skills to hang with mermaids

    Video Report: Phuket Diving – Mermen need skills to hang with mermaids

    PHUKET: It wasn’t going to happen. After three failed attempts at completing a 50-meter-underwater swim – in a merman tail – it became startlingly clear that the island’s first merman might not be gold merfolk material. His freediving skills simply weren’t shaping up for high-end mythical creature status. Things aren’t like they use to be. In the old days, merfolk…

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  • World NewsPhuket Gazette World News: ‘Good night’ – Haunting final contact from missing Malaysian jet

    Phuket Gazette World News: ‘Good night’ – Haunting final contact from missing Malaysian jet

    PHUKET: The last words from the cockpit of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 – “all right, good night” – were uttered after someone on board had already begun disabling one of the plane’s automatic tracking systems, a senior Malaysian official said. Both the timing and informal nature of the phrase, spoken to air traffic controllers as the plane with 239…

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  • Thailand NewsPhuket Gazette Thailand News: Court may rule election unlawful; Military reshuffle today; Oil spill in Chon Buri; Hail in Loei

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Court may rule election unlawful; Military reshuffle today; Oil spill in Chon Buri; Hail in Loei

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ruling on poll could ease crisis The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A political breakthrough could happen this week with the Constitutional Court may rule on whether the February 2 poll was unlawful, and the possibility of a verdict annulling the election. A petition requesting the…

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  • World NewsPhuket Gazette World News: Crimeans vote over 90 percent to quit Ukraine for Russia

    Phuket Gazette World News: Crimeans vote over 90 percent to quit Ukraine for Russia

    PHUKET: Russian state media said Crimeans voted overwhelmingly to break with Ukraine and join Russia on Sunday, as Kiev accused Moscow of pouring forces into the peninsula and warned separatist leaders “the ground will burn under their feet”. With over half the votes counted, 95.5 percent had chosen the option of annexation by Moscow, the head of the referendum commission,…

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  • Phuket NewsMysterious deaths of Quebec sisters may be due to lethal dose of pesticide

    Mysterious deaths of Quebec sisters may be due to lethal dose of pesticide

    PHUKET: Two Canadian sisters who died mysteriously on the popular resort island of Phi Phi in 2012 may have ingested toxic amounts of a lethal pesticide called aluminum phosphide, reports Canadian news network CBC. The highly toxic pesticide is used to control bedbugs in some holiday hotels in Asia and may have contributed to the deaths of Audrey and Noemi…

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  • Phuket NewsRain breaks Phuket’s worst drought in 30 years

    Rain breaks Phuket’s worst drought in 30 years

    PHUKET: The skies parted to deliver scattered showers across the island late this afternoon to break Phuket’s lowest recorded rainfall between the months of January and March for 30 years. Governor Maitri Inthusut yesterday morning chaired an annual meeting at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation-Phuket (DDPM-Phuket) office to plan water usage strategies for the dry season. “After receiving…

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  • World NewsPhuket Gazette World News: West prepares sanctions as Russia presses on with Crimea takeover

    Phuket Gazette World News: West prepares sanctions as Russia presses on with Crimea takeover

    PHUKET: The European Union is expected to impose travel bans and asset freezes on Monday on dozens of Russians involved in Moscow’s gradual takeover of Crimea and will choose from a list of up to 130 names over the weekend, European diplomats said. Moscow shipped more troops and armour into Crimea on Friday and repeated its threat to invade other…

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  • Phuket NewsDazed and confused: Danish expat crashes into Thalang store

    Dazed and confused: Danish expat crashes into Thalang store

    PHUKET: Police are still looking for an explanation as to what caused a car driven by a Danish expat to fly off the road and plunge into an appliance store in Thalang on Thursday evening.Police arrived at the scene, about 250 meters from Baan Nai Klam Mosque on the southbound side of Thepkrasattri Road, at about 6:30pm.The 50-year-old driver, Per…

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  • Phuket NewsAustralian long-term expat dies after fall from motorbike in Phuket

    Australian long-term expat dies after fall from motorbike in Phuket

    PHUKET: An Australian expat died early yesterday morning in Phuket after allegedly driving his motorbike one-handed.“The accident happened at about 1:50am. Eyewitness accounts described Wayne Anthony Stone driving his motorbike at high speeds with only one hand holding the handlebars,” Navin Petchan of the Kamala Police told the Phuket Gazette.“Mr Stone fell off his bike at a main junction in…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket tour bus drivers caught in Patong Hill checkpoint drug blitz

    Phuket tour bus drivers caught in Patong Hill checkpoint drug blitz

    Note: Since this story was posted, a representative from the tour company Pegas Touristik affirmed that no drivers associated with the company tested positive for drugs in the blitz. PHUKET: The new police and transport office safety checkpoint for buses about to cross over Patong Hill netted 16 drivers who tested positive for drugs in its first day of operation…

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