Year: 2014

  • Phuket NewsKick the habit with Vachira Phuket Hospital’s “No Tobacco Day’ event

    Kick the habit with Vachira Phuket Hospital’s “No Tobacco Day’ event

    PHUKET: Vachira Phuket Hospital is holding a “No Tobacco Day” event today to provide advice and strategies for island smokers who want to kick the habit. “The event takes place from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Staff will offer advice to those who want to quit smoking,” Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Jessada Chungpaibulpatana told the Phuket Gazette. “Staff from our International Department…

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  • Phuket NewsFederer, Djokovic struggle as Sharapova blazes through in Paris

    Federer, Djokovic struggle as Sharapova blazes through in Paris

    PHUKET: Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic were both put to the test to reach the fourth round of the French Open on Friday while Maria Sharapova continued to blaze through a thinning women’s draw. Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska was knocked out 6-4 6-4 by Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic, becoming the latest victim of a new generation of talent sweeping through…

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  • Phuket NewsShort-circuited incubator burns Phuket baby

    Short-circuited incubator burns Phuket baby

    PHUKET: A newborn Phuket baby suffered burn wounds after a fire started in its incubator, an accident dubbed “unpreventable” by the hospital director. The baby was two days old when a short-circuit in the incubator’s light bulb set fire to the newborn’s swaddling blanket, explained Thana Bookahoot, director of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) Hospital. “Nurses immediately saved the…

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  • Phuket NewsPirate-goods sellers protest being “exploited’ through alleged government extortion

    Pirate-goods sellers protest being “exploited’ through alleged government extortion

    PHUKET: A barrage of complaints were voiced by pirate-goods sellers during a protest against allegedly being forced to pay “too much” extortion money to a variety of government officers based in Bangkok. “They come for money every day, but it’s always a different officer,” said one of the protesters, who declined to be named. “They ask for 3,000 baht or…

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  • Phuket NewsNCPO to keep Phuket radio stations off air, concerned about rogue DJs

    NCPO to keep Phuket radio stations off air, concerned about rogue DJs

    PHUKET: Despite not being under investigation by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), radio stations in Phuket have been ordered to remain off air due to concerns that rogue DJs could cause disharmony, the Phuket Gazette was told. “The private radio stations are to remain off air because we don’t want to chance someone talking on air about…

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  • Thai LifeHold on to your skirt!

    Hold on to your skirt!

    PHUKET: Beware, fellow ladies of Phuket: skirts are not advised at the island’s newest tourist attraction, as you might feel compelled to strike some compromising poses once you walk into Baan Teelanka – otherwise known as the Upside Down House. So, be sure to plan ahead and throw on a pair of pants. Baan Teelanka is a place of dizzying…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket developer concedes B600mn school land grab was a “misunderstanding’

    Phuket developer concedes B600mn school land grab was a “misunderstanding’

    PHUKET: The Phuket developer who earlier this week staked a claim to a huge tract of land belonging to Kathu Wittaya School yesterday admitted that he had “made a mistake”. Named publicly only as “Ko Kim”, the landowner said he would have the Land Office move the boundary markers for his land – which is next to the school –…

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  • Phuket NewsBreaking News: Phuket pirated goods vendors protest paying off officials

    Breaking News: Phuket pirated goods vendors protest paying off officials

    PHUKET: Sellers from about 40 pirated goods shops in Phuket took to the streets today in protest of allegedly being forced to pay “too much” money to a variety of government offices in Bangkok. Protesters are currently on the streets holding signs saying, “Closed because we cannot afford paying extortion money”. — Kritsada Mueanhawong

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket FC take on the Navy TC

    Phuket FC take on the Navy TC

    PHUKET: Seventh place Phuket FC take on fifth place Navy FC at Sattahip Navy Stadium in Chonburi tomorrow evening at 6pm their next Yamaha League One fixture.

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  • Pattaya NewsPhuket rental operator takes stand against undesirable tourists

    Phuket rental operator takes stand against undesirable tourists

    Arnut Lowlarng, 39, is a native of Patong and the new President of the Patong Bike and Car Rent Association. He has a vocational certificate in construction from Phuket Technical College and has been renting vehicles in Patong for more than 22 years. Here, he talks about what kind of tourists he’d like to see in Phuket and the issues…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s low season saviors: Russians, Chinese and Middle Easterners

    Phuket’s low season saviors: Russians, Chinese and Middle Easterners

    PHUKET: The sacred oxen have spoken – the rainy season is upon us – and it will be a year of abundant water and food. The year will also be abundant in Russians, Chinese and Middle Easterners – the financial saviors of Phuket’s low season. Down here on the island, far from the rice-reliant agriculture industry, the Royal Ploughing Ceremony…

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  • Phuket NewsBoycott forces Patong mayor to abandon inaugural council meeting

    Boycott forces Patong mayor to abandon inaugural council meeting

    PHUKET: A boycott by members of Pian Keesin’s Rak Patong Party this morning forced Chalermluck Kebsab to abandon her first council meeting as Patong Mayor. Mayor Chalermluck, a long-standing Phuket Democrat, defeated Mr Pian at the polls by 4,390 votes to 3,330 on April 26 (story here). However, her supporting councilors today failed to form a quorum – the minimum…

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  • Phuket NewsProtect Phuket’s tourism

    Protect Phuket’s tourism

    PHUKET: As the latest edition of the Phuket Gazette hits newsstands this weekend, the nationwide curfew imposed by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has already done considerable harm to Thailand’s all-important tourism sector. Indeed, no province stands to suffer more than Phuket if international confidence in Thailand as a safe tourism destination deteriorates any further. Hence, the…

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  • Phuket NewsNadal masters young apprentice, Murray hits form

    Nadal masters young apprentice, Murray hits form

    PHUKET: Rafa Nadal provided a claycourt lesson for one of the game’s young apprentices at the French Open when he crushed rising Austrian Dominic Thiem with a masterly display to reach the third round on Thursday. The eight-times champion showed flashes of his intimidating best in a 6-2 6-2 6-3 win that was tougher than the scoreline suggested, but was…

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  • Business NewsEconomic outlook positive despite coup

    Economic outlook positive despite coup

    PHUKET: Business and economic leaders have expressed confidence in the economy despite the uncertainty surrounding the direction the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will take in the coming weeks and months. The heads of several leading property development companies, including Italian-Thai Development Plc, Sansiri Plc and Land and House Plc, all of which have large projects underway or…

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  • Phuket NewsLost French tourist rescued from Phuket jungle

    Lost French tourist rescued from Phuket jungle

    PHUKET: A hastily formed search instigated by an expat Phuket Tourist Police Volunteer led to the safe recovery of 25-year-old French tourist Erik Pourier, who became lost in the jungle at the Khao Phra Thaew wildlife sanctuary in Thalang in the dark. On his first trip to Phuket, Mr Pourier had rented a motorbike to explore the island, and decided…

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  • Thailand NewsJunta seeks to block social-media access to ‘inappropriate content’

    Junta seeks to block social-media access to ‘inappropriate content’

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Junta seeks to block social-media access to ‘inappropriate content’ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The junta’s online content monitoring panel will seek cooperation from social-network operators to block accessibility in Thailand to Facebook pages, Line groups and YouTube videos that have inappropriate content, especially those…

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  • World NewsUkraine separatists down army helicopter, 14 killed

    Ukraine separatists down army helicopter, 14 killed

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ukraine separatists down army helicopter, 14 killed Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Pro-Russian separatists shot down a Ukrainian army helicopter on Thursday, killing 14 soldiers including a general, as government forces pressed ahead with an offensive to crush rebellions in the east swiftly following the election…

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  • Phuket NewsLight-rail proposed to trundle through Phuket Town

    Light-rail proposed to trundle through Phuket Town

    PHUKET: Plans proposing that Phuket’s long-awaited light-rail system travel through the heart of Phuket Town will be revealed at a public hearing next Tuesday. The news follows a meeting of high-ranking officials, including Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut, yesterday. Sirigate Apirat of the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning told the Phuket Gazette today that the proposed route for…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket stab victim dies en route to hospital

    Phuket stab victim dies en route to hospital

    PHUKET: A Phuket woman who was stabbed in her garden this afternoon died as her neighbors rushed her to Thalang Hospital. Nongluk Thavorn, 42, was found screaming for help with a knife still lodged in her head. “I climbed over the wall into her garden. I saw her on the ground bleeding with the knife stuck in her head, behind…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket airwaves remain silent

    Phuket airwaves remain silent

    PHUKET: Community radio stations throughout the island remain silent today, four days after orders were handed down from the National Council for Peace and Order [NCPO] on May 25. “It is best to contact the navy about the current situation concerning radio broadcasting,” said Sopon Keimkarn, a Public Relations Department (PRD) staffer in Phuket. The navy today confirmed that there…

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  • Phuket NewsKrabi authorities scramble to have unexploded Japanese torpedo removed from beach

    Krabi authorities scramble to have unexploded Japanese torpedo removed from beach

    PHUKET: Krabi authorities are scrambling to have an explosive torpedo removed from the beach after they were notified by concerned villagers of the washed up wartime weapon on Tuesday. “Koh Jum fisherman left on Tuesday to fish near Koh Sriboya. While they were fishing, they spotted a large metal item about four meters long and 50 centimeters wide floating in…

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  • Phuket NewsUnidentified body washes ashore at Mai Khao Beach

    Unidentified body washes ashore at Mai Khao Beach

    PHUKET: Police are trying to establish the identity of a man whose naked body was found washed up on Mai Khao Beach this morning. A local beach resort staffer notified police after a tourist made the gruesome discovery at about 7am. “From our initial examination of the body, we believe the man died about three days before his body was…

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  • Phuket NewsVideo Report: Winners return to defend their titles at Phuket Raceweek

    Video Report: Winners return to defend their titles at Phuket Raceweek

    PHUKET: The entry list is growing with a strong line-up of local and international boats already signed-up for 2014, including a number of past winners who are back to defend (or reclaim) titles. Last year’s Firefly 850 class winner, Twin Sharks, and past winner Moto Inzi are both back to reignite rivalries. Regular Raceweek competitor Stuart Williamson, who placed second…

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  • Phuket NewsMMA enters Phuket

    MMA enters Phuket

    PHUKET: More than 500 people are expected to show up at Phuket’s first MMA gala, and they are in for a treat. “Thai culture understands combat sports. And the Kingdom is on the cusp of accepting MMA with open arms. We’re just trying to give a little push,” explains Ree Webster, the event’s co-organizer,when asked about the motivations behind his…

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  • Pattaya NewsArmy considers lifting curfew in Phuket

    Army considers lifting curfew in Phuket

    PHUKET: The military is considering lifting the curfew in Phuket and other tourist destinations such as and Pattaya, provided there are no signs of unrest in those areas. The consideration follows National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha being informed of how the nationwide curfew was badly hurting tourism-dependent businesses, NCPO deputy spokesman Col Nattawat Chancharoen…

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  • Phuket NewsMalaysian breath-hold record set for static apnea

    Malaysian breath-hold record set for static apnea

    PHUKET: Contestants and spectators held their breath for some time during the WeFreedive Suunto Series static apnea event when a new Malaysian record was set on May 25. “This month’s static freediving competition had the feel of a young green season: small and relaxed,” explained Association Internationale pour le Développement de l’Apnée (AIDA) judge Richard Wonka. Despite the small turnout…

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  • World NewsFlight MH370: Doubt raised over whether pings came from missing Malaysia jet

    Flight MH370: Doubt raised over whether pings came from missing Malaysia jet

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Doubt raised over whether ‘pings’ came from missing Malaysia jet Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The U.S. Navy described as “speculative and premature” a media report on Thursday that said four acoustic pings at the centre of the search for a missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner are…

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  • Phuket NewsMarina canal dredging resumes despite environmental concerns

    Marina canal dredging resumes despite environmental concerns

    PHUKET: The dredging project to improve access to Koh Kaew marinas, which was halted earlier this month due to environmental concerns, has started again. The decision to continue with the dredging of the Koh Kaew Canal (story here) was reached yesterday after lengthy discussions among the Phuket Governor, the Phuket Marine Office chief, the local subdistrict chief and Jitti Intaracharoen…

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  • Thailand NewsThai junta debunks outrage over Facebook outage

    Thai junta debunks outrage over Facebook outage

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘No policy to block FB’ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) said yesterday that it had no policy to block social media, after there was brief chaos as Facebook faced technical failure at its Internet gateway. Facebook was…

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  • Thailand News10 injured in South hospital bombing

    10 injured in South hospital bombing

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 10 injured in South hospital bombing The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Ten people, including three defence volunteers, were injured yesterday in a motorcycle bomb attack at Pattani’s Khok Pho Hospital, while a subsequent fire damaged dozens of motorcycle parked nearby. The hospital’s director said this…

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  • World NewsEgypt’s Sisi sweeps to victory in presidential vote

    Egypt’s Sisi sweeps to victory in presidential vote

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Egypt’s Sisi sweeps to victory in presidential vote The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general who toppled Egypt’s first freely elected leader, swept to victory in a presidential election, provisional results showed on Thursday, joining a long line of leaders drawn from…

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  • Phuket NewsCurfew checkpoints on Phuket, but no political reconciliation center

    Curfew checkpoints on Phuket, but no political reconciliation center

    PHUKET: Coup leader General Prayuth Chan-ocha yesterday ordered each of the four Army areas to set up reconciliation centers where people could exchange political views and obtain direct information about the junta. However, the closest center to Phuket is at the Royal Thai Army base in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, to which a Phuket reporter and former island official have already…

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  • Phuket NewsVideo Report: Goats go for gold

    Video Report: Goats go for gold

    PHUKET: Crowds of fair-goers hastily gathered last Saturday around the racing lanes at the National Goat Fair in Cherng Talay as anxious farmers corralled their hairy contestants toward the starting line. The ominous, stubborn rain clouds had parted just in time for the long-awaited goat races to begin. Even the sweltering heat could not stifle the excitement among children and…

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  • Phuket NewsFacebook in Phuket not blocked by Army

    Facebook in Phuket not blocked by Army

    PHUKET: Facebook crashing worldwide caused a flurry of tweets in Phuket and Thailand over concern that the popular social media site had been blocked by the junta. Downrightnow.com reported “likely service disruption” across the globe at about 4pm, not isolated incidents in Thailand, as many were worried about. Commanding General of the 41st Military Circle Peerapol Wiriyakul told the Phuket…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Police warn over “new’ ATM skim device

    Phuket Police warn over “new’ ATM skim device

    PHUKET: Police are warning all ATM users to beware of fake covers fitted to the card-insert slots of cash machines after finding a “new” form of card skimmer fitted to an ATM in Patong yesterday evening. The new device was fitted to a Siam Commercial Bank ATM in front of a 7-Eleven convenience store at Malin Plaza, on Prachanukrh Road,…

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  • Phuket NewsVietnam meth mule caught with 3.2kg of ice at Krabi Airport

    Vietnam meth mule caught with 3.2kg of ice at Krabi Airport

    PHUKET: A Vietnamese woman has been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle 3.2 kilograms of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) into Thailand via Krabi International Airport. Customs Department chief Rakhop Srisuppha-at said that the drugs had an estimated street value of 9 million baht. Mr Rakhop told the press yesterday that Vietnamese national Tran Thi Be Hai, 43, arrived in Krabi…

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