Month: November 2014
- Business News
Uber taps Phuket taxi cash flow
PHUKET: Until the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) made historic efforts to sweep Phuket clear of local taxi mafias that had long tainted the island’s international reputation, there were rarely rays of hope for the island’s public transportation system. However, this week, another major player has stepped up to provide the millions of tourists that holiday in Phuket,…
Read More » - Phuket News
Asian Beach Games: Turkmenistan captures first gold
PHUKET: Babamuratova Gulbadam from Turkmenistan captured the first gold of the 4th Asian Beach Games after beating Kazakhstan’s Leila Konuspayeva 4-0 in the final showdown of the women’s 52kg Sambo yesterday. Supatra Nanong became the first Thai athlete to win a medal at the Phuket Games, winning bronze in the sambo women’s 72kg competition following her exceptional 4-0 win over…
Read More » - Thailand News
Animal protection law finally passed
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Animal protection law finally passed The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Under a newly passed law, eating live animals, feeding mammals to predators without a reason or having sex with animals will result in a year in prison and/or a maximum fine of Bt20,000. The National…
Read More » - Thailand News
Ex-TAT chief to be charged with bribery
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ex-TAT chief to be charged with bribery The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has declared that it will file charges against former Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Juthamas Siriwan, who has been accused of accepting bribes from Hollywood filmmakers. The…
Read More » - World News
Ebola death toll tops 5,000; Mali quarantines 90
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ebola death toll tops 5,000; Mali quarantines 90 Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The death of a nurse in Mali from Ebola promoted on Wednesday the quarantine of more than 90 people in the West African country’s capital, as the World Health Organization said the disease…
Read More » - Phuket News
Myanmar workers wanted for devastating cooking accident
PHUKET: Police are searching for a group of Myanmar workers whose rented house was gutted by fire this afternoon in a blaze that is believed to have started in a cooking accident. The fire broke out at the rented abode, located in a worker’s camp in Soi Patchanee, Rassada, at about 1:10pm. “Two fire trucks from Rassada Municipality were called…
Read More » - Phuket News
Jilted Patong medium shoots man in head for flirting
PHUKET: A man is in the intensive-care unit (ICU) at Patong Hospital after being shot in the head yesterday for allegedly flirting with the girlfriend of a jealous spirit medium who lived on the same street. Patong Police arrested Bundit Pramualsil, 36, from Phuket, while he was riding his motorbike on a road near Tri Trang Beach, south of Patong,…
Read More » - Phuket News
Asian Beach Games: Twelve gold medals up for grabs on first day
PHUKET: The curtain quietly rose on the 4th Asian Beach Games in Phuket today, with the gold-medal hunt starting at 9am in four sporting events: sambo, jujitsu, flag football and squash. The flag football competition is being contested at the Saphan Hin Sports Center. Sambo is being fought out at Karon Beach, featuring the 52kg, 82kg, 64kg, 68kg and 100kg…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket schools close for Asian Beach Games
PHUKET: Schools throughout Phuket have been ordered to close tomorrow and Friday to ease traffic congestion during the opening days of the 4th Asian Beach Games, which get underway on Friday. “Many parents might worry about how this might affect their children’s education, but I would like to state that we have made this decision to do our part in…
Read More » - Thailand News
10 key Rohingya traffickers under surveillance
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 10 key Rohingya traffickers under surveillance The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: More than 10 big agents have allegedly been smuggling Rohingya people from Myanmar to a third country, an informed source has revealed. The source, who is a member of an anti-human trafficking team, said…
Read More » - Thailand News
Immigration detainees vanish from Songkhla custody
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Immigration detainees vanish from Songkhla custody The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A large number of people from an unknown origin who had been in civilian custody in Songkhla province since March have gone missing, the chief of the provincial social development and human security office…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thousands protest over slaying of student
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thousands protest over slaying of student The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: some 4,000 students and lecturers from Princess of Naradhiwas University (PNU) rallied in Narathiwat’s Muang district yesterday morning in protest against violence in the region that claimed the life of a young schoolmate. The…
Read More » - Thailand News
Yingluck impeachment hearing deferred until November 28
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Yingluck impeachment hearing deferred until November 28 The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Legislative Assembly whip resolved yesterday to defer impeachment proceedings against ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra till November 28 over the rice-pledging scheme because she had not yet looked into the documents or prepared…
Read More » - World News
South Korea ferry captain jailed for 36 years
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community South Korea ferry captain jailed for 36 years Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The captain of a South Korean ferry that capsized in April killing 304 passengers was jailed for 36 years on Tuesday after a court found him guilty of negligence, but was acquitted of…
Read More » - Phuket News
Video Report: Phuket’s Beach Police roll into action
PHUKET: Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit today unveiled the latest in Phuket law enforcement: the Beach Police, resplendent in their polo shirt and shorts uniform, with sidearms, and mounted on their patrol bicycles. “Phuket is a famous tourist destination that has many beautiful beaches and we want to ensure people’s safety while they are on our beaches,” he said. “Safety…
Read More » - Phuket News
Patong bar owners defer “anti-extortion strike’, appeal to Phuket Governor
PHUKET: Bar owners in Patong, Phuket’s premier resort town, have gone back on a vow to close their doors for three days in protest of corruption and recent orders to close down at 2am, as it would cost them too much in could-be profits. A letter that was passed among bar owners in Soi Bangla and elsewhere in Patong stated…
Read More » - Phuket News
Rohingya land north of Phuket, search begins for missing boats
PHUKET: Police are calling for all residents along the Andaman coast to report any sightings of two boats flying Thai flags that are believed to be trafficking refugees, including many Rohingya fleeing Myanmar. The call to report any sightings of the boats follows police taking into custody 299 refugees at Koh Nok, off the Ranong coast, on Saturday. The boat,…
Read More » - Phuket News
Asian Beach Games ceremonial flame arrives in Phuket
PHUKET: A special ceremony was held yesterday in Phuket Town to display and honor a ceremonial flame provided by HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej for good luck during the Asian Beach Games, which begin on Friday. The flame, called fai phra ruek, arrived at Phuket International Airport at about 3:30pm and was displayed on a float that paraded to Saphan Hin,…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Police search for hit-and-run driver
PHUKET: Police are looking for a hit-and-run driver who struck a motorcycle on the road between Phuket International Airport and Thepkrasattri Road late last night. Police were notified of the incident at 11:05pm, said Lt Col Sanit Nookong of the Thalang Police. “We received a call from a passing motorist reporting that a woman had been an injured after being…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Yachting: ACYC race series goes down to the wire
PHUKET: What a difference a couple of weeks make. After the light winds of the previous two Ao Chalong Yacht Club’s (ACYC) race series, this past Sunday was wet and windy. The happy result was lots of smiling, soaked sailors returning to the clubhouse absolutely over the moon that they had a serious sailing breeze of 20-plus knots to compete…
Read More » - Thailand News
AirAsia joins Interpol’s I-Checkit campaign against using stolen passports
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community AirAsia joins Interpol’s I-Checkit campaign against using stolen passports Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: nterpol has agreed to expand its I-Checkit initiative under the Turn Back Crime campaign to other businesses after its cooperation with AirAsia, Asia’s largest budget airline, proved successful. Commencing in June, the…
Read More » - World News
Lava flow from volcano incinerates home on Hawaii’s Big Island
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Lava flow from volcano incinerates home on Hawaii’s Big Island Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A slow-moving lava flow from an erupting volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island incinerated a house on Monday, marking the first home devoured by a stream of molten rock that has crept…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Governor puts underpass construction on hold for Beach Games
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has ordered construction of the island’s first two underpasses to be halted during the Asian Beach Games, which begin on Thursday (story here), so that all lanes can be open for traffic. “Three lanes at the Darasamuth Intersection underpass [near Central Festival Phuket] will be open, as well as the road between Central Festival Phuket and…
Read More » - Thai Life
Video Report: World-class puppeteers to perform in Phuket
PHUKET: The streets of Phuket will be taken over by puppets on November 16, giving island residents the chance to experience the magical world of puppeteers. Following the Harmony World Puppet Carnival 2014, held in Bangkok from November 1-10, which featured 160 troupes of puppeteers from 80 countries around the world, Phuket will be granted a glimpse of the spectacular…
Read More » - Phuket News
Krabi fishermen protest coal-fired power plant
PHUKET: Local fishermen in Krabi have joined the fight against an 870-megawatt coal-fired power plant to be built in the province’s Nua Khlong district, east of Phuket. A horde of boats carrying angry villagers congregated at the Baan Klong Ruo pier in Nua Khlong at about 10:30am yesterday, wielding large signs that read: “Protect Krabi from coal-power plant” and waving…
Read More » - Phuket News
Russian-language guide arrested attempting to bribe Phuket Tourist Police
PHUKET: A man arrested on Saturday for illegally working as a Russian-speaking tour guide has been charged with attempting to bribe the Tourist Police officers who arrested him. Dmitrii Pindiurin, 27, from the Kyrgyz Republic, was arrested at the Karon View Point at 10:30am. “We were on the lookout for illegal guides when three foreigners arrived,” said Sen Sgt Maj…
Read More » - Phuket News
Save the pooches: 15-kilogram python captured in Phuket
PHUKET: A frightened Phuket resident fearing for the lives of his neighbors’ pets called rescue workers to capture a 15-kilogram python that was attempting to escape into a drain early this morning. Wuttikai Dartdean called rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation and the local municipality to the scene – in a residential area west of the Heroines Monument in Thalang,…
Read More » - Phuket News
Poll: Should jet-skis stay on Phuket’s beaches?
PHUKET: Jet-skis are back on the beaches and back in the headlines. The latest news that jet-ski operators are allowed to continue renting their machines to tourists despite a notorious week of safety slip-ups – including the death of a Russian tourist – inspired a huge reaction from Phuket Gazette readers (story here). To better gauge public opinion on whether…
Read More » - Cannabis News
Billion-baht Belgian pot dealer arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: Immigration officers arrested Belgian national Patrick Lagrou, 55, who was wanted on an Interpol notice as a fugitive drug dealer, as he was attempting to leave Phuket on Saturday night. Mr Lagrou is renowned as the biggest marijuana grower in Belgium’s history, amassing a fortune of 25 million euros – more than a billion baht – in assets before…
Read More » - Phuket News
Sinkholes strike again in Phuket after weekend storms
PHUKET: Officers shut down a road in central Phuket today after heavy rains and flash flooding this weekend caused a large, dangerous sinkhole to form on one side of the road. Part of Rural Road 4008 off Thepkrasattri Road, near Bang Jo Prison in Srisoonthorn, gave way after strong water flow inundated the drain pipe below and washed away the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Off the ball: The Broncos lose the battle against the Patriots
PHUKET: It may be hard to believe, but the National Football League (NFL) is more than half way through its 2013 – 2014 regular season. If one thing remains clear in this league of engineered parity, it is that the old adage “On any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team” not only remains valid for the league,…
Read More » - Hua Hin News
PM backs China’s road and rail plans
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM backs China’s road and rail plans The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thailand is more than ready to cooperate with China to develop the road-transport network that is part of the economic quadrangle linking Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and China, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told China’s…
Read More » - World News
Germany celebrates 25th anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Germany celebrates 25th anniversary of fall of Berlin Wall Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: More than a million Germans and people from around the world on Sunday celebrated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the event that more than any other marked…
Read More » - Phuket News
Laguna Phuket bestowed award from HRH Sirindhorn for Red Cross blood donations
PHUKET: Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, as the executive vice-president of the Thai Red Cross Society, has awarded a Certificate of Honor to Laguna Phuket in recognition of its long-term contribution and commitment to the Red Cross blood-donation program. Since 2003, Laguna Phuket has donated 1,376,550cc of blood from 3,059 associates who have participated in the resort’s quarterly…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket beach club dodges demolition, pending appeal
PHUKET: The local contingent of the Royal Thai Army yesterday called for the demolition of a Phuket beach restaurant to be halted while the owner’s appeal is heard in court. The Beach Club restaurant and the Baan Bussaba Massage & Beauty venue at Nai Yang Beach were both targeted for demolition under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)…
Read More » - Thai Life
A Phuket Shoppers’ Paradox – Discounts: Friend or foe?
PHUKET: My family grew up in the world of marketing. My dad was the president of a marketing subsidiary of Time Inc and my brother has, for many years, run Growth Engine, a successful creativity and innovation marketing consulting agency in the US. Although I’ve never been directly involved in marketing, I’ve always been interested in trying to understand what…
Read More » - Phuket News
Formula One heads to Brazil
PHUKET: Austin was a great race for Mercedes. Hamilton, passed Rosberg while he was taking a nap, and Ricciardo had a great race for Red Bull. So its on to Interlagos, located in São Paulo between two lakes, in the slums of Cidade Dutra. The track was inaugurated in May 1940. The first real F1 Brazilian GP was held at…
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