Month: December 2014
- Opinion
Opinion: Fine solution for Phuket
PHUKET: The allegation of a 5,000-baht fine levied against a tourist for illegally parking a motorbike in a restricted zone in Karon (story here) raises several issues about the future role of local administrative bodies, both in terms of how they raise revenue and how they use these funds. The fact that Karon Municipality now appears to be taking a…
Read More » - Phuket News
Russian escapes death in 300m plunge from Phuket coastal road
PHUKET: A Russian man is recovering in hospital after his car ran off a coastal road near Phuket’s Promthep Cape and plunged into the water some 300 meters below late last night. “It happened at about 11:30pm,” said Lt Wuttiwat Liang-boonjinda of the Chalong Police. “By the time we arrived, all we could see was the back of the car…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket takes to water for New Year “Seven days of Danger’ campaign
PHUKET: Safety measures to reduce and prevent accidents on Phuket’s roads, as well as the surrounding sea, will be rolled out on December 30. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) will be heading the annual Seven Days of Danger safety campaign for the New Year holidays. The campaign will run from December 30 through January 5. On the…
Read More » - Thailand News
Govt seeks help over fugitives
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt seeks help over fugitives The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Royal Thai Government will try to convince other countries not to allow Thai fugitives to engage in anti-government activities, particularly those who commit lese majeste, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee said yesterday. He said…
Read More » - Thailand News
Nine South provinces face floods, landslides
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nine South provinces face floods, landslides The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: As the National Disaster Warning Center issued a warning yesterday that nine provinces in the South face the risks of floods and landslides until Saturday, a soldier died in a boat accident while helping…
Read More » - World News
Cuba’s Castro hails new era of ‘living together’ with U.S.
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cuba’s Castro hails new era of ‘living together’ with U.S. Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Cuban President Raul Castro hailed a landmark exchange of prisoners with the United States on Wednesday and praised U.S. President Barack Obama as the two countries agreed to normalize relations after…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket underpass to partially close
PHUKET: The southbound lane of the underpass adjacent to Central Festival Phuket will be closed Friday and Saturday nights, from 9pm to 6am, the Phuket Gazette confirmed today. “We have to close the southbound lane so that we can work on the roof,” said project manager Narong Horee. “Motorists heading north can use the underpass as normal.” Wichit Police Deputy…
Read More » - Property
Phuket Renaissance, giving peace a chance
PHUKET: Situated in Mai Khao, the Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa is surrounded on all sides by the pristine nature of northern Phuket, “the island’s hidden gem”, explains Goetz Bauer, who joined the resort as general manager in April 2013. Designed by P49 Deesign Associates, considered to be one of Thailand’s foremost interior design practices, the hotel has been carefully…
Read More » - Cannabis News
Phi Phi resort partner, dive boat captain arrested
PHUKET: Police arrested a dive boat captain who is also a co-owner of a bungalow resort on Phi Phi Island for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia yesterday. Acting on a tip-off, officers arrived at the house of 45-year-old Preecha Riabrieng, in Rassada, at about 6:30pm. “We received information from a source about a suspected drug dealer operating on Phi…
Read More » - Thai Life
Boating: Phuket inspires whole new breed of luxury RIBs
PHUKET: Phuket has inspired a new ride on the waves. It’s rigid, it’s inflatable… and it’s a boat. The new 13m tender by Acronautic is ready to ensure that every superyacht sojourn starts and finishes in luxury. The first of its kind is about to be built in the UK under the project name Thetis, with a design conceptualized by…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket 7-Elevens to join crime-fighting campaign in New Year
PHUKET: All Phuket 7-Eleven convenience stores are set to join a campaign to improve police response times by early next year, it was announced this week. The campaign, taking advantage of the number of 7-Eleven stores on the island and their visibility, will see staffers trained to receive crime reports and contact police on the behalf of victims. Representatives from…
Read More » - Cannabis News
Police raid nets “unusual’ quantity of cough syrup
PHUKET: Police are investigating a shipment of more than 35,000 bottles of cough syrup, suspicious that at least some of the order was destined to be used in an illegal cocktail made with kratom leaves. At about 2pm on Tuesday, Phuket City Police and officers from the Phuket Custom House suppression unit seized 35,700 bottles of cough syrup to be…
Read More » - Phuket News
Illuzion offers sneak peek in Phuket tonight
PHUKET: Illuzion, an interactive show and discotheque, will offer a sneak preview tonight of the dazzling grand-opening show on Soi Bangla tomorrow. In the center of Jungceylon, near the water fountain, a Rihanna tribute band will kick off the pre-opening show at 6pm. Following Rihanna on stage will be a Lady Gaga tribute, with what organizers are calling a “Paparazzi…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket’s We Freedive Suunto Series finish with breath-holding trinity Sunday
PHUKET: The We Freedive Suunto Series 2014 comes to a close this Sunday with competitors taking deep breaths before launching into a trinity of events: Static Apnea, Dynamic No Fins (DNF) and Dynamic with Fins (DYN). It will be a tight race for overall winner of the series with American Walter Johnson leading Melanie Long from the UK with just…
Read More » - Phuket News
Australian Embassy to hold consular outreach in Phuket
PHUKET: The Consular Section of the Australian Embassy in Bangkok will visit Phuket on January 21 in order to offer consular, passport and notarial services to Australians in Phuket. The outreach visit will be held from 9am to 3pm at the offices of Hawryluk Legal Advisors on the bypass road (map here). During this visit, the consular staff will provide…
Read More » - Phuket News
Body found in pond behind Phuket temple
PHUKET: Police are attempting to identify the body of a man found floating in a pond behind Wat Saensuk, in Phuket Town, on Tuesday. The body was spotted floating on the water’s surface by the owner of the nearby Soi Thong restaurant. “I was at my restaurant feeding the fish in the pond when I saw what looked like a…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket’s Pryder Cup falls to the Rest of the World (video)
PHUKET: Late surges from the Rest of the World top order saw them come through and take the final singles 3-1 and eventually triumph comprehensively 9-5 to win Phuket’s premier lawn bowls trophy, the Pryder Cup, last Saturday. Named in honor of golf’s premier team competition, the biennial Ryder Cup, the annual Phuket Pryder Cup is the premier annual team…
Read More » - Phuket News
Italy-Brazil duo win ITF beach tennis tourney in Phuket
PHUKET: Alessandro Calbucci of Italy and his partner Vinicius Font of Brazil have been crowned champions of the inaugural Phuket Beach Tennis Tournament. Calbucci and Font outplayed runners-up Nikita Burmakin and Sergey Kuptsov of Russia to win the ITF-sanctioned event, which was held over three days at the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort at Bang Tao, culminating with the final…
Read More » - Phuket News
Monster Phuket python caught, decade record set
PHUKET: Rescue workers wrangled a six-meter-long python out from under a Phuket home owner’s house early this morning. “It took us about two hours to remove the snake. It was absolutely huge. Weighing about 80kg, it was by far the biggest snake we’ve caught in the past 10 years,” said Sayan Thammapan, Ruamjai Rescue Foundation team leader. “When we received…
Read More » - Business News
New Editor-in-chief to guide Phuket Gazette multi-media development
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette is pleased to announce the recent promotion of Isaac Stone Simonelli to the position of Editor-in-chief. Having spent his years at the Gazette in various roles, including PGTV news presenter, news editor and then Managing Editor (story here), Mr Simonelli is well versed in the major local, national and international issues that affect Phuket people most.…
Read More » - Thailand News
Marine Police exchief admits to B150mn in bribes; hundreds of police to be reassigned
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Marine police exchief admits taking bribes; hundreds of police to be reassigned The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police spokesman Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri yesterday confirmed that a former Marine Police chief had confessed to taking 150 million baht in bribes from a fugitive Pattani-based businessman.…
Read More » - Thailand News
43 hurt in Krabi-bound bus crash; three-truck pile-up kills driver
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 43 hurt in Krabi-bound bus crash; three-truck pile-up kills driver The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A chartered bus carrying employees from Bangkok’s Thaweewattana District Office to a seminar in Krabi province lost control on a curve and overturned yesterday in Surat Thani’s Khian Sa district.…
Read More » - Thailand News
South hit by heavy rains, floods
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community The South inundated by heavy rains, floods The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Rain-triggered forest floods from the Sankala Khiri mountain range have caused Narathiwat’s Sungai Kolok River to overflow and inundate riverside homes and low-lying areas in Sukhirin, Waeng and Sungai Kolok districts. Sukhirin and…
Read More » - Phuket News
Thais score Suzuki Cup first-leg win over Malaysia
PHUKET: Thailand struck two late goals, including a penalty, to snatch a 2-0 first-leg home win over Malaysia in the Suzuki Cup final last night which was just reward for their relentless pressure in an action-packed game. They broke the deadlock with 18 minutes remaining when Charyl Chappuis converted a spot kick before Kroekrit Taweekarn sealed the victory with a…
Read More » - World News
Taliban slay 132 students in Pakistan school massacre
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Taliban slay 132 students in Pakistan school massacre Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: At least 132 students and nine staff members were killed on Tuesday when Taliban gunmen broke into a school in the Pakistani city of Peshawar and opened fire, witnesses said, in the bloodiest…
Read More » - Hua Hin News
Phuket’s Chinese, Ukrainian visa-runners allowed unlimited re-entries
PHUKET: Phuket’s Chinese and Ukrainian tourists are now allowed an unlimited number of re-entries through the popular visa-run checkpoint at Khuan Don in Satun, on the Malaysian border. However, the same privilege has not been extended to foreigners who enter Thailand on “visa-exemption” status, the same form of entry that sparked the visa-run crackdown earlier this year, confirmed Col Peemadej…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket teens taken down for slash-threat motorbike theft
PHUKET: Police have arrested two teenagers who stole a motorbike out from under a 14-year-old after threatening to slash him with a box cutter in Phuket Town on Saturday night. “Kanokpol Vijitr, 18, and a 17-year-old minor cut off the younger boy in the middle of the road and threatened him with a cutter,” Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit explained…
Read More » - Phuket News
Frenchman uses Phuket Facebook group to sell chop-shop rebuild
PHUKET: Police arrested a Frenchman in Patong today for the theft of a motorcycle that he stripped to re-build his own bike, which he then sold through a Phuket Facebook group. Mathieu Alfano, 28, was arrested at his rental room on Phra Barami Road in Patong for the theft of a PCX150 Honda from Nanai Road on December 3. “We…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket young sailors to vie for SEA Games selection
PHUKET: Two exceptional young Phuket sailors – Nattapong “Max” Yuang-ngam, 13, and Cartoon “Toon” Jundet, 12 – have received personal invitations to attend the National Optimist qualifiers for selection to represent Thailand at the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore next year. Max and Toon, both from the Phuket Youth Sailing Club (PYSC) based at Cape Panwa, will travel to…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket officials postpone Christmas Day tsunami drill
PHUKET: Phuket officials have postponed a full-scale tsunami drill that was planned for Christmas Day, following a number of complaints from victims’ families who are preparing for the 10th anniversary of the tragedy on Boxing Day. “We have cancelled plans to hold the full-scale drill on Christmas Day after receiving feedback from the victims’ families, who feel that the drill…
Read More » - Phuket News
We’re ready for next Phuket tsunami, says expert
PHUKET: Phuket hosted “The Next Tsunami Zero Lost” conference last week, during which more than 100 experts from about 12 countries reviewed emergency medical procedures to ensure the recovery, safety and survival of tsunami victims. “We are prepared for the next natural disaster, and have continued to work closely with Japan International Cooperation Agency [JICA] to stay abreast of developments,”…
Read More » - Cannabis News
Phuket police net three in crackdown on illegal drugs, firearms
PHUKET: Patong Police netted three men in two raids yesterday as part of a crackdown on illegal drugs and firearms. Somphon Baankluay, 39, and his 18-year-old son Satit were arrested at their house on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road at about 10:30pm. “We were informed by undercover officers that suspects were spotted carrying weapons to and from the house,” Lt Col…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Town Post Office opens Drive-Thru service
PHUKET: The main post office in Phuket Town has launched a new drive-through service so that customers no longer need to leave the comfort of their cars to pay bills or send mail. “Our new Drive-Thru Post service is more convenient, and there is no need for us to provide more parking spaces,” said Sukrit Phayu, acting director of the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Poll: Do you trust the Thai police?
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Police force is fighting off a barrage of slurs to its reputation to the extent that even the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has recognized the problem as its top “Health & Safety” concern for tourists (here). The recognition comes amid headlines of the ongoing corruption investigation centered on former Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pongpat…
Read More » - Thailand News
Warrants issued for top cop, driver in police debt-collecting racket
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police corruption scandal: Warrants issued for top cop, driver in debt-collecting racket The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Two arrest warrants have been issued for a senior policeman and a civilian who were allegedly part of a debt-collecting racket that authorities say was run by former…
Read More » - Thailand News
Squid vendor held for slaying, dismembering girlfriend
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Squid vendor held for slaying, dismembering girlfriend The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Bang Na police in Bangkok have arrested a grilled-squid vendor for allegedly killing his girlfriend and dismembering her body. The victim has been identified as Somyos Manassakorn, 43, whose relatives filed a missing…
Read More » - Thailand News
Fishermen rescued off Trang as boat capsizes in heavy seas
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fishermen rescued off Trang as boat capsizes in heavy seas The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Meteorological Department has warned small boats from going to sea while rough conditions continue. On Sunday, strong wind and waves caused a boat to capsize about three nautical miles…
Read More »
