Year: 2014
- Thailand News
Gas prices slashed as New Year ‘gift’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Government slashes gas prices as New Year ‘gift’ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Energy Policy Committee has lowered the price of diesel fuel and petrol by 1 baht and 2 baht a liter respectively in what has been labelled a New Year gift…
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Police storm Sydney cafe to end hostage siege, three dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police storm Sydney cafe to end hostage siege, three dead Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Heavily armed Australian police stormed a Sydney cafe early on Tuesday morning and freed terrified hostages being held there at gunpoint, in a dramatic end to a 16-hour siege in which…
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Security forces storm Sydney hostage siege cafe, gunman named
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Security forces storm Sydney hostage siege cafe, gunman named Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Australian security forces on Tuesday stormed the Sydney cafe where several hostages were being held at gunpoint, in what looked like the dramatic denouement to a standoff that had dragged on for…
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Balance Matters: Phuket knows the many faces of infidelity
PHUKET: Over the past 42 years, I have listened to stories of infidelity, both from the victims’ and betrayers’ perspectives. Whether from clients, my own personal experience or those of family and close friends, infidelity frequently washes up on our shores. Most victims that I have worked with become plagued with self doubt and intense anger. They frequently question their…
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Tourist hit by parasailing boat at Phuket beach
PHUKET: A Russian tourist is still in hospital after being hit by a speedboat while swimming at a Phuket beach on Wednesday. Sergey Kuzennyy, 55, was swimming outside of a swimming zone when he was struck by the blades of a parasailing speedboat’s propeller, said Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut. Mr Kuzennyy suffered five deep lacerations to his leg…
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Sydney siege man says bombs planted in the cafe and city
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Sydney siege man says bombs planted in the cafe and city The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A man holding hostages in a Sydney cafe Monday has demanded that a flag of the Islamic State group be delivered to him and warned that four bombs have…
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Phuket tour bus crashes, 10 injured
PHUKET: Six tourists remain in hospital after their Phuket tour bus crashed on a sharp turn in adverse weather conditions in Phang Nga yesterday. Rescue workers were forced to use the “jaws of life” tool to cut free one of the 11 injured people travelling in the An Xin Tour Phuket bus, explained Lt Col Sanea Ukot of the Phang…
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Blazing Saddles: The Grape Escape – Cycling from Phuket to Oz
PHUKET: At first blush you’d be hard pressed to find a link between Phuket’s Chalong area and the world-famous Australian wine-producing region of Hunter Valley, some three hours’ drive north of Sydney. But there’s certainly one strong link in the friendly form of Greg and Liz Johnson, the founders of Delish Cafe located in the Fisherman Way Business Gardens on…
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Environment: CSR project helps Phuket crab catchers cut out middlemen
PHUKET: Phuket is one of the most charming and popular tourist destinations in the world, well-known for its gorgeous beaches. The number of people coming to Phuket increases every year, and while this is great for the economy, it has a direct impact on the environment, as well as local communities. However, there are positive aspects to being a world-renowned…
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Island Fever: Phuket bows to smartphones
PHUKET: Heads bowed in silence have always seemed to elicit a tacit sense of reverence. Be it from religious fervor, or perhaps a strict upbringing, but some one-on-one time with God, the J-man or whatever icon takes your fancy remains a voice heard around the world. These days, though, tilted heads and quiet means only one thing: the invasion of…
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Phuket leaders protest proposed election changes
PHUKET: About 100 local leaders protested outside Phuket Provincial Hall this morning against proposed changes to Thailand’s electoral system. “We are here because of changes proposed by the Constitution Drafting Committee on November 25,” said Kittisak Sotraksa, protest leader and president of Phuket’s association of kamnan (subdistrict chiefs) and phu yai baan (village chiefs). “One of the proposals is to…
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Illuzion show and discotheque to transform Phuket’s nightlife
PHUKET: To help tour operators capitalize on the changing demographics of clients on Phuket’s famed Soi Bangla, which has piqued the curiosity of families and tour groups over the past few years, Patong Dine & Show brings the party street Southeast Asia’s first combined interactive Vegas-style show and discotheque – Illuzion. With a 4-million-baht sound system, a 70sqm LED screen…
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Phuket sinkhole accident victim, Molly, 7, dies
PHUKET: Molly Anne Bailey, the 7-year-old girl who was critically injured when the pick-up truck she was travelling in plunged into a sinkhole in central Phuket last week, has died. “Her parents decided to let Molly go by taking her off her life-support on Saturday night after doctors said she had no chance of recovering,” Lt Col Yongyuth Kongmala of…
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Hostages held in Sydney cafe, Islamic flag seen in window – local TV
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hostages held in Sydney cafe, Islamic flag seen in window – local TV Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Hostages were being held inside a central Sydney cafe where a black flag with white Arabic writing could be seen in the window, local television showed on Monday,…
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Floods swamp South: 1 dead, Army help sought
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Floods swamp South: 1 dead, Army help sought The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: With flood threats raging in many southern provinces, the Royal Thai Army (RTA) has instructed all its units to closely monitor the situation and make the best effort in helping victims. The…
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Phuket official denies B5k fine for beachside parking ‘on sidewalk’
PHUKET: A Karon official has warned island-residents to obey the law or face the consequences, after a Phuket Gazette reader wrote in today about an alleged 5,000-baht fine for parking on a sidewalk. “On Friday, I parked my motorbike near the big statue of a snake [naga] at Karon Beach, like I’ve done for the past 11 years, but this…
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Patong bag-snatchers nabbed “within minutes’
PHUKET: Police arrested two men on the streets of Patong early this morning after a spate of bag-snatch thefts were reported within minutes of each other. Theerayut Dalem, 22, and Sarawut Apichai, 19, both from Kantang, Trang, were arrested shortly after 3am, explained Col Jirapat Phochanaphan of the Patong Police. Mr Theerayut was arrested on the beach road at about…
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NFL Week 15: Cardinals grind out win over Chiefs
PHUKET: The Arizona Cardinals won their second straight game on Thursday night football by grinding out a 12-7 home win over a lackluster Kansas City Chiefs (7-6), but the win saw their quarterback Drew Stanton leave the game with a worrisome right knee injury. The injury came as a big setback for the Cardinals, now 11-3, who had the best…
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Phuket police rescue Cambodian kids from human-traffickers in Patong
PHUKET: A 10-year-old Cambodian boy and his 6-year-old sister are under close watch by welfare officers after being rescued from human traffickers by Patong Police on Thursday. “The children are now safe in one of our shelters. We will talk to them more on Monday about what is going on, and that may lead us to more suspects,” said Sirumporn…
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Girl remains in ICU after truck crashes into Phuket sinkhole
PHUKET: A 7-year-old girl remains in Vachira Phuket Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after the pick-up truck she was riding in crashed into a massive sinkhole in a road in northern Phuket on Thursday. The sinkhole first started to form last month when heavy rains washed away part of Rural Road 4008 off Thepkrasattri Road, near Bang Jo Prison in…
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Govt readies New Year ‘presents’ for citizens
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt readies New Year ‘presents’ for citizens The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The government has many New Year “presents” for the public, Cabinet members said yesterday, including transparency in state operations, bicycle lanes, and no ATM fees among the planned gifts. From next week onwards,…
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Air traffic control failure disrupts flights over Britain
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Air traffic control failure disrupts flights over Britain Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Hundreds of flights to and from London were disrupted on Friday by a technical failure at England’s main air traffic control centre, which a senior government minister said was “simply unacceptable”. Flights in…
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Phuket jet-skis get green light
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has revealed a raft of new rules for jet-ski operators to abide by when renting their jet-skis out to tourists at Phuket beaches. “Jet-ski operators who do not follow the rules will be punished,” Governor Nisit assured the media at a press conference held at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday. “The new rules will first be enforced…
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Officials move to revoke Phuket developers’ land titles
PHUKET: Officials are calling for 17 land title deeds to be revoked for about 5 billion baht worth of property deemed to be within Sirinath National Park. The call follows an investigation, first launched in 2012, into 379 plots suspected of encroaching on park land. “Of the plots we investigated, 17 had NorSor 3 or Chanote land documents that were…
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Phuket police search for B7mn vanishing cream fraud suspect
PHUKET: A total of 17 people yesterday filed a complaint to Phuket City Police against a woman who had allegedly disappeared with 7 million baht that was intended to pay for vanishing cream. Chonticha Jampa-ngern, 32, told police that she had invested an undisclosed sum with her friend Netwimon, 31, so that Ms Netwimon could start selling the beauty cream.…
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Eastin Yama property makes inroads into Phuket tourism market
PHUKET: Perched on the top of a hill, a prime piece of real-estate in the heart of Kata, Eastin Yama Hotel Phuket’s idyllic location already gives it an advantage over rival resorts in the area. Part of the Absolute chain of hotels, the four-star Eastin Yama opened for business in October, but its savvy approach and innovative, sophisticated style has…
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Dining: Phuket’s chef Garfield marries East and West with elegance at Zeascape
PHUKET: You’re probably familiar with the feeling of staring at a long menu, only to realize that everything looks delicious and you have no idea what to opt for. For Phuket foodies, it’s a daily struggle. With the island’s immense variety of dining options, it’s best to choose wisely. Uzenmaya Hotel’s Zeascape Restaurant is one wise choice. It’s easy to…
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Hundred-strong task force begins Phuket park probe
PHUKET: A task force of 100 officers arrived in Phuket this morning to begin examining hundreds of land documents for more than 2,000 rai of land in Sirinath National Park for suspected encroachment. The national-level task force was created to look into the suspect Phuket plots by Nipon Chotiban, director-general of the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation…
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Gardening: Phuket, some call it “fuk thong’
PHUKET: Halloween, the eve of All Hallows Day, has come and gone. Long ago, my family spent a year in California, where the kids made lanterns with ghoulish faces and scary costumes for the evening house-to-house visitations. Here in Phuket, there has been no “trick-or-treating”, no Jack-o’-lanterns, no pumpkin pie, no monster pumpkins. Incidentally, the world record weight for a…
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Phuket hit-and-run kills one
PHUKET: Police are trying to track down a pick-up truck driver involved in a hit-and-run accident that left one man dead and another injured in northern Phuket last night. Police and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers rushed to the scene, near Phuket International Airport, at about 8:30pm and found 31-year-old Soonthorn Payabal dead on the ground next to a motorbike. “Sarawut…
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Down at the dojo: Phuket martial arts club finds a new home
PHUKET: The Phuket Martial Arts & Buerki Judo Club group has found a new home at the FunStart Family Sports and Leisure Club, and is calling on the island’s youngsters to put down the video games and pick up the powerful martial arts of judo, jujitsu, aikido and aikijitsu. The judo club has been established on the island for years,…
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Phuket police hunt for suspects in drive-by motorbike shooting
PHUKET: Police are searching for two male suspects involved in a drive-by motorbike shooting that left one Phuket construction worker dead late Wednesday night. Vuthisak Pungsombut, 19, was driving a motorbike with his coworker Pongsak Sukjam, 44, riding pillion, back to the workers’ camp where they live after watching a football match at a nearby shop in Srisoonthorn, Lt Col…
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Discovering familiar flavors in new ways in Phuket
PHUKET: We all feel adventurous sometimes, eager to try new things, explore the terra incognita. Yet, there are times, when all we crave is the well known, the familiar, the home-cooked. La Gritta’s new “Discovery Menu” is the right choice, no matter what your mood is. Scanning through La Gritta’s new Discovery Menu is more relaxing than exciting. It’s all…
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Phuket artist steals famous faces
PHUKET: Monthian Yangthong is one of Phuket’s most talented artists, known for his ability to create art using a variety of mediums. Currently, one of his collections – a series of woodcuts of the faces of well-known Western artists – is on show at Boathouse by Montara. “I find working with wood-cuts very interesting, as it’s possible to create a…
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Opinion: Future cloudy for 2015 AEC
Robert Virasin, a licenced US attorney, has served as a legal manager of Siam Legal International since June 2014. Prior to joining the firm, he received his Masters of Law in International Business from Chulalongkorn University, a bachelor’s degree from University of California and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center. Here, Mr Virasin discusses the future…
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B420mn fund to help shore up rubber prices
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community B420mn fund to help shore up rubber prices The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The government and private rubber-business operators will jointly launch a 420-million-baht fund, with the aim of tackling the tumbling price of rubber. Pongsak Kerdvongbundit, honorary president of Thai Rubber Association, said private…
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Police corruption scandal: Brother claims Pattani fugitive abducted
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police corruption scandal: Brother claims Pattani fugitive abducted The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The brother of a Pattani-based businessman who is missing after facing allegations of running a contraband-petrol trade in the South met Bangkok police yesterday to defend his sibling, saying he was framed…
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