Year: 2014
- Phuket News
Flash-floods strike amid weather warning for Phuket
PHUKET: A flash flood and landslide warning has been issued for Phuket after heavy rain caused minor flooding and traffic tailbacks at many locations on the island this morning. Flash flooding forced traffic to a standstill in Chalong in front of the TOT office on Chao Fa West Road, where floodwater was about 50 centimeters deep. Roads in Patong also…
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Police chief orders probe into bribery scandal over Srinakarin resort
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police chief orders probe into bribery scandal over Srinakarin resort The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The national police chief has ordered a probe into an allegation that local and central police were taking kickbacks from a resort on Srinakarin Road, Royal Thai Police spokesman Pol…
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South policy flaws exposed by violence
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community South policy flaws exposed by violence The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Although violence in the deep South seemed to decrease during June-September, it swept back ferociously in the month of October when six schools and two tambon administrative organisation offices were burned down. Most recently,…
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Lese majeste complaints top 10,000
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Lese majeste complaints top 10,000 The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police have dealt with more than 10,000 complaints of lese majeste in recent years, but the big figure was not because they had “got serious” with offenders after the coup in May, a senior police…
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Guard finds suitcase with ‘ice’ worth Bt30 million
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Guard finds suitcase with ‘ice’ worth Bt30 million The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A security guard at a factory in Ayutthaya found a suitcase with “ice” (crystal methamphetamine) worth Bt30 million hidden in a thick bush near a road, police said yesterday. Bunhom Wongchanla, 48,…
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Phuket police parade down Soi Bangla to promote high season, public safety
PHUKET: Police forces paraded Phuket’s famed Bangla Road on Friday night to welcome in the tourism high season and promote public safety. Police must remain vigilant over the next few months, as the high season and prominent international sporting events could act as magnets for criminals, said Royal Thai Police Assistant Commissioner Korkiat Wongworachat. “Not only is this the high…
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Virgin Galactic appears to have broken apart in flight – NTSB chief
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Virgin Galactic appears to have broken apart in flight – NTSB chief Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The head of the federal agency examining last week’s fatal crash of a Virgin Galactic passenger spaceship during a test flight in California’s Mojave Desert said on Sunday the…
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Beach Games to attract unprecedented tourism numbers to Phuket, says minister [video]
PHUKET: The island will see an unprecedented number of visitors arriving this month due to the 4th Asian Beach Games, said Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul on her visit to Phuket yesterday. The minister arrived in Phuket at 4:30pm to inspect preparations at Saphan Hin Stadium – the venue for the opening ceremony – and to see rehearsals for…
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NACC unveils Cabinet members’ assets
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NACC unveils Cabinet members’ assets Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) yesterday announced the assets and liabilities of 33 Cabinet members who were endorsed on September 4. As per the declaration, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has net assets worth 128 million baht, including 12…
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Phuket jet-skis face new rules for tourism high season
PHUKET: Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut confirmed to the Phuket Gazette this week that his office has granted operators permission to continue to rent out jet-skis, despite widespread public furor over the industry’s history of horrific accidents, extortion and violence against tourists. His reasons for bowing yet again to the operators’ wishes continue shrouded, his only concessions to the…
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Phuket Gazette named official media sponsor of the Asian Beach Games 2014
PHUKET: The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) has cemented the exclusive Media Partnership Agreement of long-established news and events organization the Phuket Gazette as the official media sponsor of the 4th Annual Asian Beach Games. The confirmation ceremony for the 10-day sporting event was held at the Grand Four Wings Convention Hotel in Bangkok on Wednesday. The ceremony was initiated…
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Phuket expats, tourists called upon to report corrupt officials
PHUKET: The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) Phuket office announced today that resident expats and tourists in Phuket should report cases of corruption to its officers. “We are encouraging all foreigners on the island to come forward with any allegations of corruption involving local government officials,” said Tawichat Nillakan of the NACC Phuket office. Complaints can be lodged at the NACC…
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Man in maniacal fit jumps from third-floor balcony of Phuket hospital
PHUKET: Officers at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town were forced to restrain a patient in a maniacal fit after he jumped from a third-floor balcony to a balcony on the second floor, and threatened to jump again. The man, who hospital officers declined to name, was preparing to jump from the second floor to the pavement below when officers…
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Phuket freedivers go for distance in the Dynamic with Fins event
PHUKET: Freedivers slipped on a variety of fins from mermaid tails – monofins – to traditional freediving fins to put up some long horizontal dives at the We Freedive Suunto Series at Phuket Country Home late last month. The Dynamic with Fins (DYN) event, which allows divers to use fins, but not their arms, on October 26 saw a non-ranked…
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Bill Gross’s resignation triggers concerns about the health of the market
PHUKET: Bill Gross, regarded by many as the most successful bond investor of modern times, has just made a huge move by leaving the company and fund that he came to represent personally, which raises questions as to the implications this may have for the broader bond market. The timing does not seem to be a coincidence. Why did he…
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Waterspout in Patong Bay sets social media sites abuzz
PHUKET: A waterspout that emerged in Patong Bay this afternoon set social media sites abuzz in Phuket with a flurry of comments, stunning photos and videos of the phenomenon. Some people even expressed fear that the waterspout may turn into a fierce storm that could hit land and wreak havoc. “There are no storm warnings this afternoon. People don’t need…
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The Lodge at BB Phuket adjusts to a changing market
PHUKET: It was one year ago when property guru Bill Barnett wrote in the Phuket Tattler, “Foreign buyers have returned to the island in big numbers and what is motivating them is not luxury pool villas but investment-oriented condominium and apartment properties that are hotel managed”. Yet, a lot has happened over the past 12 months and investors, aiming to…
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Dance World gives island residents a place to move their feet
PHUKET: Since opening its doors in 1991, Simon Cabaret has established itself as a must-see show for tourists visiting Phuket. The show draws in visitors who have equal interest in witnessing the flamboyant show, as they have in seeing the deceptively convincing ladyboy dancers. In fact, the show’s website warns patrons that they will leave confused. The cabaret’s owners, however,…
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The power of a photograph
PHUKET: It comes as little surprise that the mauling of Australian tourist Paul Goudie at “Tiger Kingdom” in Phuket drew unprecedented interest (story here) from readers across the globe. Humankind’s innate fear of big cats – as well as the dearth of such attacks in recent decades – makes it the kind of incident that really moves the needle in…
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King’s Cup dinghy series returns to Phuket
PHUKET: Sailing season will kick off this weekend at Cape Panwa when a fleet of more than 20 Optimists and Lasers set sail today in the Phuket Dinghy Series 2014, ahead of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta to be held in December.. The Series race will start at Cape Panwa in front of the Sailing Club of the Royal Thai…
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Testing times for Phuket’s ACYC yacht racers
PHUKET: Sailors last week were once again tested by contrary winds and complicated tidal flows during Ao Chalong Yacht Club’s (ACYC) Sunday race series. One of the slowest downwind spinnaker starts got the fleet of six boats off on an in-harbor course of three windward leewards. Rounding marks for Race 7 Series 2 included a yellow buoy off the Rawai…
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Police identify Phuket rush-hour killer, move to make arrest
PHUKET: Police have identified the killer who gunned down a man in rush-hour traffic yesterday, firing several bullets into his victim before casually mounting his motorbike and riding away. “We have established the identity of the suspect and will seek a warrant for his arrest today,” Phuket Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit told the Phuket Gazette this morning. The suspect…
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Phuket police prevent Patong drug dealer shootout
PHUKET: Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit has praised the Patong Police for taking quick action in arresting an armed Phuket motorbike taxi driver preparing to take down a rival kratom drug dealer with a homemade handgun. At a press conference yesterday, Maj Gen Patchara presented the two kratom dealers, their illegal firearms and more than 10 kilograms of the narcotic…
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Aussie bar owner in Phuket dies after Malaysia visa run
PHUKET: A 63-year-old Australian bar owner has died after returning to Phuket from a visa run to Malaysia. He was to turn 64 today. Philip William Gillham, owner of the Octopus bar in Soi Sea Dragon, off Patong’s famed Soi Bangla, was found dead at his home early yesterday morning. “We received a report that Mr Gillham had died of…
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Yingluck impeachment proceedings in 25 days, says NLA
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Yingluck impeachment proceedings in 25 days, says NLA Phuket Gazette PHUKET: National Legislative Assembly (NLA) vice-president Surachai Liengboonlertchai said yesterday the impeachment proceedings against ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra would take no more than 25 days. Yingluck faces impeachment proceedings for alleged failure to stop corruption in her…
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Koh Tao Murders: Village chief’s son volunteers DNA samples
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Koh Tao Murders: Village chief’s son volunteers DNA samples The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Medical teams from four institutes yesterday joined the process to conduct DNA tests on a 22-year-old man whom many Thai social-media users alleged is a suspect in the murder of two…
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Four killed, 30 injured in train-truck crash in Khon Kaen
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Four killed, 30 injured in train-truck crash in Khon Kaen The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai train crashed into a truck at a railway crossing in Khon Kaen at 10 am Thursday, killing the train driver, the train mechanic, and two passengers…
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Indian terror fugitive entered Thailand on Sept 7, no record of him leaving
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indian terror fugitive entered Thailand on Sept 7, no record of him leaving The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Immigration investigations into an Indian fugitive wanted for killing a minister in a car-bomb attack has found that he entered Thailand thrice this year, the last being…
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Tourist run over by jet-ski jeep on Phuket beach
PHUKET: A tourist was run over by a vehicle towing a jet-ski trailer on a Phuket beach on Tuesday, prompting a jet-ski management and safety meeting this afternoon. The Phuket Gazette was notified of the incident by a foreign man, who asked not to be named, who witnessed the incident on Kata Beach. “A woman was run over by a…
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Phuket’s top chefs join forces to benefit the Home & Life Orphanage Foundation [video]
Phuket Today spoke with Iniala’s Danny Drinkwater about the Enchanted Evening and meets the chefs who will be on the auction block on Nov 1. PHUKET: Food and sharing go together like a horse and carriage. The upcoming “Enchanted Evening” charity dinner, which will take place at the five-star Centara Grand Beach Resort on November 1, is about to take…
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Man shot dead in front of his son in Phuket street
PHUKET: A man was shot dead in cold blood this morning in full view of his son, during busy morning traffic. Police said Chaliaw Piyapanikul, 47, who was with his 11-year-old son, had dismounted from his motorbike at the Wor Kor Intersection, near Phuket Rajabhat University, when the killer struck. Mr Chaliaw’s son told police that his father got off…
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Absolute World names new head of real estate
PHUKET: Absolute World Group has announced the appointment of Stuart Coakley as director of the group’s real estate division. Based at the property developer’s Thailand headquarters in Phuket, Mr Coakley is tasked with overseeing the group’s real estate division and growing future real estate strategy for the mixed-use resort developers and fractional and vacation ownership pioneers. Mr Coakley has experience…
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Etihad Airways appoints new Thailand GM
PHUKET: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has appointed Dimitrios Karagkioules as general manager for Thailand. Mr Karagkioules, who has more than 20 years of airline experience, takes up the Bangkok-based role after five years as Etihad Airways general manager in Athens, Greece. Before joining Etihad, Mr Karagkioules held a number of Athens-based sales and marketing…
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Nightmare holiday in Nai Harn
PHUKET: We are a senior Australian couple who have been lucky enough to have visited Phuket several times over the last ten years. This year we, and our son in a separate booking, paid upfront for eight weeks accommodation in Nai Harn, an area we love. The first six weeks were fine. A number of Muay Thai fighters from various…
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Fishing around for the answers
Jaroenchai Srisuwan, 48, from Songkhla, has been involved in Phuket’s fishing industry for more than 10 years. In March 2013, he became chief of the Krabi Fishery Management Center. During the short time that he has been chief, he has dealt with more than 100 cases of illegal trawling and arrested more than 250 suspects for illegal fishing. Here, he…
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Halloween will glow at Thanyapura’s family fun run
PHUKET: Themed running events have been making a splash in the world of charity fund-raising sport events. Glow in the dark, colored powder, rock and roll, pink ribbons, rainbows and midnight runs are among the many recurring themes. Never one to be behind the curve, Thanyapura will be taking the themed-run concept a step further this Saturday by combining multiple…
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Asian Beach Games welcome new sports
PHUKET: Several new sports will be added to the 4th Asian Beach Games being held in Phuket this month, making them the biggest Games ever in terms of the number of sporting events. The additional sports will include: Muay Thai, extreme sports, jet-ski sports, beach wrestling and Kurash, a form of Turkish wrestling. The Asian Beach Games is a multi-sports…
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