Year: 2014
- World News
Heavy rains, floods hit Bulgaria; 10 people killed
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Heavy rains, floods hit Bulgaria; 10 people killed Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Torrential rains and floods hit Bulgaria on Thursday, killing at least 10 people, cutting off electricity, blocking roads and sparking evacuations, officials said. Heavy rainfall in the Black Sea resort city of Varna…
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Ukrainian ‘Pedo Heaven’ expat arrested in Phuket gets 30 years for child porn
PHUKET: Ukrainian Maksym Shynkarenko, arrested in Phuket in 2009, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on child pornography charges. Shynkarenko, 35, pleaded guilty to starting and operating a hard-core child pornography website for three years, for which a federal judge in New Jersey on Tuesday sentenced him to three decades in prison, reported Reuters. In January, Shynkarenko admitted…
Read More » - Phuket News
Police ramp up Phuket taxi mafia money laundering probe, identify targets in Patong
PHUKET: Officers from the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) will join the police investigation into taxi drivers who are possibly laundering money, as the Phuket taxi mafia crackdown continues with officers focusing their efforts on Patong. “We recently contacted AMLO and confirmed that a team from their office will come to Phuket this month to assist in our investigation,” Maj Gen…
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Phuket residents rail against Kata beachfront land stake
PHUKET: More than 100 Phuket residents gathered for three hours yesterday to halt the construction of a fence along Kata Beach, on land adjacent to Club Med Phuket, arguing that it was encroaching on public land. “We don’t understand how someone can build on this land; it is along the beachfront,” said Karon resident Wichit Yaowarot. “We want officials to…
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Police say leads exhausted in death of 7-year-old Nong Dear
PHUKET: The investigation into the death of a seven-year-old girl whose body was found dismembered in a Chalong forest late last year has reached a standstill. Nong Dear disappeared on her way home from a relative’s house on December 6 (story here) and her remains were found in a nearby wood on December 19 (story here). “This is a very…
Read More » - Phuket News
After recent damage, Krabi seeks ways to protect ancient fossils
PHUKET: Recent storm damage to fossil formations in Krabi’s famous Shell Cemetery has prompted local officials to declare the area off-limits and to request a budget to build a seawall at the site. “The fossils are 75 million years old,” said Pinij Engchuan, chief of Hat Noppharat Thara National Park. “They have been slowly cracking since the tsunami in 2004…
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Turtles wash ashore in high seas
PHUKET: Two sea turtles that washed ashore at Mai Khao Beach during recent rough weather are being treated at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC). “A Hawksbill was found on June 11 and an Olive Ridley was found yesterday,” said Kittipan Supkoon of the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation (click here). “The Hawksbill is about 8-10 years old and 40…
Read More » - Thailand News
Anti-lese majeste law lecturer released
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Key Nitirat member freed on condition he stays in country The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thammasat law lecturer Worachet Pakeerut, a leading member of the Nitirat group, was released yesterday on Bt20,000 bail with the condition of not joining in any political movement or going…
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Migrant worker exodus hits agriculture, construction sectors
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Migrant worker exodus hits agriculture, construction sectors The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Of the more than 100,000 Cambodian workers who fled Thailand, 60-70 per cent were in the construction and agricultural sector in the East, permanent secretary for Labour Jeerasak Sukhonthachart said yesterday. Over the…
Read More » - Pattaya News
NCPO targets taxi mafia at Suvarnabhumi Airport
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Smart-card system for cabs to eliminate mafia role at Suvarnabhumi Airport The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will introduce a smart-card system for the taxi queue at Suvarnabhumi Airport in a bid to end the “mafia-style operation” there.…
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Iraq asks US for air support to counter rebels
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Iraq asks US for air support to counter rebels Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Iraq has asked the United States for air support in countering Sunni rebels, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday, after the militants seized major cities in a lightning advance that has…
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King Felipe VI to be sworn in
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community King Felipe VI to be sworn in as Spain’s royals try to update Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Spain’s new king, Felipe VI, will be sworn in on Thursday in a low-key ceremony which monarchists hope will usher in a new era of popularity for the…
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Champions Spain crash out of World Cup
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Champions Spain crash out of World Cup, Dutch march on Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Holders Spain crashed out of the World Cup on Wednesday with barely a fight after their second shock defeat while 2010 runners-up the Netherlands continued their perfect start with another high-scoring…
Read More » - Thai Life
Phuket told to send seashells back to seashore
PHUKET: Just because World Oceans Day has whizzed by with the speed of the Agulhas current, there is no reason to stop taking action to protect what is arguably the world’s most important resource – our oceans. To celebrate this year’s World Oceans Day on June 8, the owners of The SEA Co-Working Space and Marine Cafe asked participants to…
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Rohingya camp conditions in Myanmar ‘appalling’ – U.N. official
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Rohingya camp conditions in Myanmar ‘appalling’ – U.N. official Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A senior U.N. aid official said on Tuesday she had witnessed a level of human suffering never seen before in camps for some 140,000 stateless Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, displaced…
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After years of pressure, Japan bans possession of child porn
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community After years of pressure, Japan bans possession of child porn Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Japan’s parliament voted on Wednesday to outlaw possession of child pornography after years of international calls for a crackdown, but avoided a clampdown on sexually explicit manga comics and animation depicting…
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Mayor denounces reports that legal Phuket beach club structures face demolition
PHUKET: In an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette, Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-ann Samran this afternoon denied English-language reports in Phuket that buildings on the east side of the beachfront path at Surin Beach would be demolished. The news comes amid a flurry of reports about the demolition of beach club structures encroaching on the sand at the beach as…
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Syria air strike kills 20 in refugee camp
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Syria bombing kills 20 in refugee camp near Jordan border -activists Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Syrian army helicopters bombed a refugee camp along the Jordanian border on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people, mostly children and women, residents and opposition activists said. They said the…
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Former Turkish president Evren sentenced to life for staging 1980 coup
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Former Turkish president Evren sentenced to life for staging 1980 coup Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: General Kenan Evren, 96, who came to symbolise the “Pasha” officer class that dominated Turkish politics over decades, was sentenced to life in jail on Wednesday for leading a 1980…
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Israel re-arrests former Palestinian prisoners in hunt for teens
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Israel re-arrests former Palestinian prisoners in hunt for teens Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Israel re-arrested 51 Palestinians freed in a 2011 prisoner swap deal, the army said on Wednesday, in the sixth day of a hunt for three missing teenagers believed abducted in the occupied…
Read More » - Hua Hin News
China scolds Vietnam for ‘hyping up’ South China Sea oil rig row
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community China scolds Vietnam for ‘hyping up’ South China Sea oil rig row Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: China’s top diplomat scolded Vietnamese officials during talks in Hanoi on Wednesday for “hyping up” a row over a Chinese oil rig drilling in disputed waters in the South…
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Junta to court martial anti-lese majeste law lecturer
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Anti-lese majeste law lecturer arrested and faced military court The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The junta has detained and charged Thammasat University law lecturer Worajet Pakeerat for defying a junta order to report. Worajet, who is known for his campaign against the lese majeste law,…
Read More » - Thai Life
Phuket, get creative with Coke [video]
PHUKET: Coca-Cola has begun to roll out its “2nd Lives” campaign in Asian markets with the launch of a range of innovative and practical bottle tops that would make Inspector Gadget and the Swiss Guards jealous. “We have created fun tools with Coke bottle tops, bringing small moments of happiness into people’s lives. We hope to make a positive impact…
Read More » - Phuket News
Power-mongering turns ugly as rift divides Phuket taxi drivers
PHUKET: Amid news of taxi ranks being torn down at Phuket west-coast beaches over the past week, the taxi co-operative at Central Festival Phuket shopping mall has split into opposing factions and its president has appealed for help to close the rift. The co-operative was to serve as a model for taxi management in Phuket and was part of a…
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Brazil delivering great quotes to go with great goals
PHUKET: A World Cup that has delivered fantastic goals in the first round of group games has also produced gems away from the pitch with players and coaches coming up with memorable quotes. Croatia coach Niko Kovac got the tournament off to a fiery start by blasting the Japanese referee after their defeat by Brazil in the opening match. After…
Read More » - Business News
Phillipp Graf von Hardenberg takes the reins at Thanyapura
PHUKET: It takes one look at Phillipp Graf von Hardenberg’s resume to understand why he was appointed the new President and CEO of Phuket’s Thanyapura. Hailing from Germany, Mr Graf von Hardenberg wears many hats: business coach, entrepreneur, financier, educator, hotelier and if that is not enough – fundraiser and philanthropist. He has turned around the fortunes of the first…
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Pinkeye outbreak leads to cancellation of Phuket FC vs Phang Nga FC warm up match
PHUKET: In a statement posted on the Phuket FC official Facebook page, the club confirmed that tomorrow’s match against Phang Nga FC will not take place. The reason? A pinkeye outbreak. “Due to at least five of Phuket FC players suffering from pinkeye – a condition that can easily spread to other players – the warm up game between Phuket…
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Putin, Poroshenko discuss possible ceasefire in east Ukraine
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Putin, Poroshenko discuss possible ceasefire in east Ukraine Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Petro Poroshenko, discussed a possible ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and the deaths of two Russian journalists there in a late night telephone conversation, the Kremlin…
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Migrant boat sinks off Malaysia, 42 missing
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Overloaded boat sinks off Malaysia, 42 Indonesians missing Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An overloaded wooden boat carrying 97 suspected illegal Indonesian immigrants sank off Malaysia’s western coast early today, with rescuers searching for at least 42 missing people, Malaysian officials said. The passengers included women…
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Police join forces to hunt B1mn holdup robbers
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police are now involved in the hunt for two men on a motorbike who robbed gas station staffers at gunpoint and made off with nearly 1 million baht on June 11. The person riding pillion on the motorbike pulled out a gun and demanded money from the staffers transporting it from the Shell gas station on Phra…
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Sunken pillar at Chalong Marina poses threat to boats
PHUKET: Officials have posted a line of small red and white flags to mark a large metal pillar that lies submerged near Chalong Pier and is a possible danger to passing boats. The pillar, called a stanchion, had been attached to a pontoon and was part of the Chalong Marina still under construction. “The pillar broke during last weekend’s storm,”…
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Rooney hits back at media following England criticism
PHUKET: Wayne Rooney has criticized sections of the media who questioned his form and speculated that the England forward had been relegated to training with the reserves at their base in Brazil. The Manchester United striker came in for criticism following a muted performance in their opening 2-1 defeat by Italy in Group D on Saturday, with the Daily Mirror…
Read More » - Entertainment
Moving walls, puzzles, sacred tombs – escape if you can
PHUKET: In that magic moment between when the sun has set on Patong Beach and the nightlife hasn’t kicked off, there now exists the embodiment of a childhood fantasy: a world of hidden tombs, moving walls, lasers and code cracking. Chamber of Secrets, Phuket’s first real-life escape game, has opened its doors, but the light only shines a short way…
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Generating a passive income stream
PHUKET: The whole point of retirement planning is to get to a point where you no longer need to actively work to provide you with the things you need or want. This can be accomplished by saving enough money that you can draw it down slowly until you die, but the downside of this approach is that you obviously never…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand braces for US verdict on human-trafficking record
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand braces for US verdict on human-trafficking record The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thailand is holding its breath as it waits to hear if the United States will downgrade or praise the nation for its human-trafficking record. Officials at the foreign ministry are confident that…
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People with health issues may be banned from driving
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community People with health issues may be banned from driving The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Medical Council is planning to propose a driving ban for patients whose health condition could turn them into dangerous drivers. In foreign countries, people with heart diseases, severe forms of…
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Junta makes assurances to stop the exodus of migrant workers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Junta makes assurances to stop the exodus of migrant workers The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: To stem the exodus of much-needed migrant workers, notably Cambodians, the junta and the authorities yesterday quashed rumours of a crackdown, gave another chance to their employers and vowed to…
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