Year: 2014
- Phuket News
Video Report: Thailand’s coup given credit for taxi cartel crackdown in Phuket
PHUKET: Thailand’s coup opened the gates for police to sweep Phuket clean of the island’s notorious taxi and tuk-tuk cartels, said Commander of the Royal Thai Police Region 8 Panya Mamen today. Lt Gen Panya explained that the Army’s support was instrumental in enabling months of hard police work to come to fruition. “Since the coup, it has been easy…
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Thailand’s coup given credit for taxi cartel crackdown in Phuket
PHUKET: Thailand’s coup opened the gates for police to sweep Phuket clean of the island’s notorious taxi and tuk-tuk cartels, said Commander of the Royal Thai Police Region 8 Panya Mamen today. Lt Gen Panya explained that the Army’s support was instrumental in enabling months of hard police work to come to fruition. “Since the coup, it has been easy…
Read More » - Phuket News
Illegal roaming abortion clinic shut down in Phuket
PHUKET: Police arrested two Myanmar nationals operating an illegal abortion clinic in Phuket during a sting operation today. Sein Maung, 54, and Thein Thein Htwg, 35, were taken into police custody after preparing to give an abortion to a three-months-pregnant woman. “We received a tip-off about the roaming abortion clinic, so we set up a mole to get the telephone…
Read More » - Phuket News
Swiss man crushed to death as cement truck tips on Karon Hill
PHUKET: A Phuket expat from Switzerland was crushed to death yesterday afternoon when a cement truck slid out of control on Karon Hill and crushed his car. Philippe Wagner, 46, died instantly, said Lt Weerayuth Thansirisukhaworakul of the Karon Police. “He was alone in the car when the accident happened,” he added. Mr Wagner was on Patak Road, travelling toward…
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Teach environmental awareness when they’re young: Phuket Governor
PHUKET: The key to lifelong environmental awareness is to teach children while they’re young, said Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut today in his opening address to mark World Environment Day. Taking part in a global initiative to increase awareness about environmental concerns, Phuket launched a three-day event to mark the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) global day, this year held under…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Krabi, Phang Nga next on list for curfew repeal
PHUKET: The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is planning to ask for the curfew to be lifted in Phuket’s neighboring provinces of Krabi and Phang Nga to ease public concerns and help tourism operators recover. Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports Suwat Sitthilor is planning to ask the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to remove the curfew in…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket’s power hungry to join energy-saving dress rehearsal
PHUKET: Some of Phuket’s largest energy consumers will take part in a power-saving exercise this Saturday in preparation for the nearly month-long period during which a major gas field will go offline for upgrades. Though Phuket has been promised no enforced blackouts or power rationing, Phuket Energy Office Chief Wiroj Damkong has called for energy saving during the June 13…
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Take it to the green with Environment Day in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket’s celebration of World Environment Day (WED) kicked off this morning as the province hosts a three-day event concluding on June 7. The event organizers’ goal is to encourage residents to take action against pollution and promote the preservation of the island for generations to come. The event will support this year’s United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) campaign called…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket’s Coup d’Taxi continues; cartels smashed
PHUKET: Police this morning continued their campaign to smash Phuket’s notorious taxi and tuk-tuk cartels by destroying illegal taxi stands in Cherng Talay, Kata-Karon and Kamala. Unlike the mass raids yesterday, when 73 drivers were arrested (story here), no soldiers from the Fourth Army Area Command in Nakhon Sri Thammarat were present to provide military support. An estimated 500 officers…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Town woman surprised by slithering squatter… again
PHUKET: Anchalee Boonjit discovered an unexpected guest hiding behind her house when she opened the back door yesterday morning –a three-meter-long python. “I woke up in the morning and went to find a rag to wipe the floor, since it was wet from rain the night before,” said Ms Anchalee. “When I opened the door, I was shocked to see…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket war weapons owners urged to lay down their arms
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut has made a plea for anyone harboring weapons of war to hand them over to authorities by the June 10 deadline rather than risk court martial and 20 years in jail. “No citizens are permitted to own weapons of war. There is no license that allows such weapons to be owned,” Governor Maitri told the Phuket…
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Nadal sets up semi-final with Murray
PHUKET: There is not much that spooks Rafa Nadal at the French Open, but David Ferrer managed to do just that – for 49 bewitching minutes – before watching in despair as his fellow Spaniard turned into a man possessed to set up a semi-final with Andy Murray. Facing a rival who had beaten him the last time they had…
Read More » - Thailand News
Phatthalung Gold Rush: Villagers hand over more than 1kg of gold sheets
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Villagers hand over more than 1kg of gold sheets The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Phatthalung villagers have returned over one kilogram of gold sheets and a bracelet that were recently taken in a gold rush at a palm plantation in Khao Chai Son district in…
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Body parts, weapons found near Bangkok anti-govt rally site
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Body parts, weapons found near anti-govt rally site The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The lower part of a human body and a large amount of explosives-related devices and weapons have been found in a canal near a rally site in Bangkok previously occupied by anti-government…
Read More » - Thailand News
Junta plays music, movies, transparency to heal the rift
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Music, movies, transparency – healing the rift The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has resorted to festive fairs, music, historical movies, preaching by monks, oath-taking and campaigns to woo grassroots support as part of its efforts to bridge…
Read More » - World News
Assad declared landslide victor in wartime Syrian election
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Assad declared landslide victor in wartime Syrian election Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: President Bashar al-Assad has secured a landslide victory in a wartime election that was condemned as a sham by his opponents but demonstrated his tenacious hold on power after three years of brutal…
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Army invades Phuket to clear violent, illegal taxi drivers
PHUKET: A deployment of 100 soldiers from Southern Thailand today provided military support to a huge task force of 1,110 police officers and 40 volunteers who swept along the west coast of Phuket to purge the island of illegal, violent, abusive and cheating taxi, tuk-tuk and minivan drivers. The soldiers were acting under orders from Maj Gen Peerapol Wiriyakul, Commanding…
Read More » - Phuket News
No power rationing in Phuket during gas field shutdown
PHUKET: The chief of the Phuket Energy Office and Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut have both confirmed that there will be no enforced blackouts or power rationing in Phuket when a major gas field supply line goes offline next week. Supply of natural gas from field A-18 in the Joint Development Area (JDA) between Thailand and Malaysia in the Gulf of…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Governor, Energy Office confirm no power rationing during gas field shutdown
PHUKET: The chief of the Phuket Energy Office and Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut have both confirmed there will be no enforced blackouts or power rationing in Phuket when a major gas field supply line goes offline next week. Supply of natural gas from field A-18 in the Joint Development Area (JDA) between Thailand and Malaysia in the Gulf of Thailand…
Read More » - Phuket News
Breaking News: At least one dead in Phuket cement truck smash
PHUKET: At least one person died when a cement truck slammed into a pick-up truck and sedan on Kata Hill at about 5:19pm today. The cause of the fatal accident and number of other injuries or fatalities that occurred has yet to be confirmed by the Phuket Gazette. — Chutharat Plerin
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Breaking News: Army leads blitz on illegal Phuket taxi, tuk-tuk drivers
PHUKET: A huge force of 1,150 police, volunteers and army personnel arrived in Phuket today and so far have arrested 73 illegal drivers of taxis, tuk-tuks and other commercial vehicles that prey on vacationing foreigners holidaying on the island. The arrests were carried out along the west coast of Phuket, in the Thalang, Kata-Karon, Cherng Talay, Kamala police precincts. No…
Read More » - Business News
Coup puts dent in Phuket hotel occupancy numbers
PHUKET: Hotel occupancy has taken a hit in coup-time Phuket with cancellation and booking rates falling short of last year’s numbers. Though figures vary between the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office and the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA), both agencies agree that the coup has affected the tourism industry. “Booking cancellation rates are up about 10 per cent compared…
Read More » - Phuket News
Karon Mayor arrested for taxi-mafia connections
PHUKET: Tawee Thongcham, mayor of Phuket’s tourist-popular beach area Kata-Karon, was arrested today for his alleged connection to the powerful taxi mafia. “Mr Tawee surrendered himself to police after a warrant for his arrest was issued,” said Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin, who once served as Phuket City Police and is now a deputy commander of the Royal Thai Police Region…
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Lampard to lead out England at World Cup warm-up
PHUKET: England’s Frank Lampard will proudly lead out his country against Ecuador in a World Cup warm-up match at the Sun Life Stadium on Wednesday determined to savor every moment in the twilight of his career. The 35-year-old knows the sands of time are running out on his illustrious career at the very top of the game with a possible…
Read More » - Thai Life
Rotary awards a local hero
PHUKET: Jessada Janpen, a rescue worker with the Kusoldham Foundation was awarded the Rotary International’s Family and Community Service Award for his bravery and commitment in service to the community. On May 26 Mr Jessada was one of the first to arrive on the scene of a Phuket Town sewer accident which eventually claimed the lives of four workers. Wasting…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket landslide, flood warning issued amid heavy rainfall
PHUKET: Phuket residents are urged to beware of possible landslides and flooding as heavy rain is expected to pummel the island for the next four days. “From June 4 to June 8, heavy rain is expected throughout Thailand, but provinces in Central Thailand on the gulf coast and many in the south are at high risk for landslides and floods,”…
Read More » - Phuket News
Prison Products Fair returns to Phuket
PHUKET: The 11th Annual Prison Products Fair will get underway on Friday at Saphan Hin, on the outskirts of Phuket Town. “The fair is held to showcase the inmates’ hard work and offer their handmade products for people to buy,” said Phuket Provincial Prison Chief Rapin Nichanon. On display and for sale will be a wide range of products handcrafted…
Read More » - Business News
Air bookings to Thailand plunge after coup, data shows
PHUKET: Airline bookings to Thailand have collapsed, a travel association said on Sunday, after the military took over the government on May 22, hitting the tourism sector that accounts for 10 per cent of the economy. The coup followed months of protests that weakened the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, forced ministries to close for weeks on end, hurt…
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Video Report: Phuket light-rail garners support, residents query impact on Old Town
PHUKET: The effects Phuket’s long-awaited light-rail system will have on Phuket Old Town was a point of contention during the second public hearing for the project yesterday. Of the 370 Phuket residents in attendance, many voiced their support for the project, while others expressed their concern on how the tracks, which are planned to dominate some roadways through the heart…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand News: Consumer confidence rebounds; Junta eases media gag, turns to web, Facebook
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Consumer confidence rebounds The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Consumer confidence last month improved for the first time in 14 months and to the highest level in four months on anticipation of cool-headed politics after the military stepped in pull the country out of a year-long…
Read More » - World News
Bosnia floods unearth grim wartime mass grave
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bosnia floods unearth grim wartime mass grave Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Floods in Bosnia last month have unearthed a secret mass grave containing corpses with hands tied behind their backs, apparently Muslim Bosniak victims of the country’s 1992-1995 war, an official said on Tuesday. “We…
Read More » - World News
Obama defends Bergdahl Taliban prisoner swap deal
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obama defends deal that freed soldier amid growing demands for hearings Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: President Barack Obama defended on Tuesday the prisoner swap deal that freed a U.S. soldier from Taliban captivity in Afghanistan, and the Army pledged to investigate the circumstances of his…
Read More » - World News
Saudi MERS deaths jump to 282 ahead of Hajj
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Saudi MERS deaths jump 282 ahead of Hajj Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Saudi Arabia announced a jump of nearly 50 percent in deaths from a new virus on Tuesday after re-examining old data that also showed the number of infections since 2012 was a fifth…
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Phuket property and island promoter Graham Doven dies
PHUKET: Long-term Phuket expat and property guru Graham Doven, 62, died at Mission Hospital in Bangkok at 4pm today after a long illness. The Phuket Gazette has yet to be informed of arrangements to mark Graham’s passing, though a memorial ceremony is expected to be held on the island to honor a man who helped propel Phuket into the major…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Lack of political violence gets Phuket an essential curfew pass
PHUKET: Phuket’s lack of history for political violence and the province’s heavy reliance on the tourism industry were cited as the key reasons for the island’s special treatment in the lifting of the curfew. “It’s great that the curfew was lifted in Phuket. There is no history of political violence here. Additionally, 70 per cent of the province’s revenue is…
Read More » - Food
The thrill of the Grill
PHUKET: Phuket’s very own The Grill at Regent Phuket Cape Panwa has been named one of the nation’s best restaurants by the Thailand Tatler magazine, and will be featured in the prestigious Thailand Tatler Best Restaurant Guide 2014. The guide will feature reviews of 150 fine-dining establishments in Bangkok as well as eateries in some of the major resorts in…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Breaking News: Curfew lifted in Phuket
PHUKET: The National Council for Peace and Order today lifted the curfew in Pattaya, Samui and Phuket. The news is heralded as bringing much welcome relief to tourism businesses and nightlife venue operators in the three popular tourist destinations. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut paid a visit to Phuket’s premier party town last night to personally receive a formal request from…
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