Year: 2014
- Phuket News
Phuket water shutoff leaves residents and tourists high and dry
PHUKET: After two months with no running water, life for residents on Phang Muang Sai Kor Road in Phuket returned to normal this morning. “We had no running water for almost two months, since December 25,” said a resident of the Patong road who declined to be named.“We have had to buy water from a water truck every week, which…
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Swedish tourist falls to death from slippery Phuket bar
PHUKET: A Swedish tourist fell to his death early this morning while dancing on top of a bar counter in Patong.“Witnesses in the bar said that the man had been drinking before he decided to climb onto the countertop and dance,” said a Kusoldharm Patong rescue foundation worker.“The bar was wet and slippery. He slipped and hit his head hard…
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Phuket Vice Governor champions Australian’s metered taxi complaint
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada stepped forward to champion a complaint about an airport taxi driver who refused to use his meter to take an Australian expat home to Kamala. The 51-year-old man arrived at Phuket International Airport last Sunday and was met by a metered taxi tout, who explained that it costs 650 baht to go to Kamala.…
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Deaf Ukrainian begging tourist arrested in Central Festival Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket Tourist Police arrested a deaf Ukrainian tourist on Sunday for disturbing restaurant customers in Central Festival Phuket.Mykola Chornyi, 30, was dropping cards on restaurant tables that said he was deaf and asked for patrons to either donate money or purchase an Angry Bird key chain for 100 baht, Wichit Police Superintendent Chawalit Phetsipear explained.“We were notified by a…
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Phuket Gazete World News: Co-pilot hijacks Ethiopian plane, surrenders in Geneva
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Co-pilot hijacks Ethiopian plane to Geneva, exits cockpit by rope Phuket Gazette / ReutersPHUKET: A co-pilot who hijacked an Ethiopian Airlines flight to seek asylum in Switzerland on Monday surrendered to police at Geneva airport after jumping out of a cockpit window and scrambling down an emergency…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Snow causes building collapse in South Korea, 10 killed
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Building collapse at South Korean resort kills 10 Phuket Gazette/ ReutersPHUKET: Ten people attending a welcoming party for new university students were killed when a building at a South Korean mountain resort collapsed late on Monday, emergency officials said, trapping dozens in snow and rubble for several…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Rice, bank runs and elections
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Most banks say deposits normal after Bt30 billion pulled from GSB accounts Phuket Gazette / The NationPHUKET: Major private banks have not detected a wave of deposits, even though 30 billion baht in cash was withdrawn by customers of the Government Savings Bank (GSB) yesterday. Weidt Nuchjalearn,…
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Phuket residents close accounts in protest of massive loan for rice-pledging scheme
PHUKET: Phuket residents flocked to several branches of the Government Savings Bank (GSB) today to withdraw money and close accounts after the bank lent 20 billion baht to the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) on Sunday.“Monday is always a busy day, since it is the first of the week. However, we admit that 10 per cent of our…
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Phuket Tourist Police help Chinese bag-snatch victims arrange for new passports
PHUKET: A Chinese couple who lost their passports to a bag snatcher yesterday are en route to their embassy in Bangkok today, with a little help from the Phuket Tourist Police.After the couple were robbed while walking to a market along the Baan Don-Kok Tanod Road, Thalang Police got in touch with the Tourist Police.“We contacted the Chinese Embassy for…
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Missing Phuket woman with Alzheimer’s killed in hit-and-run
PHUKET: A woman with Alzheimer’s disease who had wandered away from home was killed in a hit-and-run motorbike accident in Thalang last night.Pranit Parteep Na Talang, 75, first went missing from her home in Ban Don at about 2pm yesterday afternoon.“My mother had Alzheimer’s, but she could walk well for her age and often went missing because of her illness,”…
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Phuket woman with Alzheimer’s killed in hit-and-run
PHUKET: A woman with Alzheimer’s Disease who had wandered away from home was killed in a hit-and-run motorbike accident in Thalang last night. Pranit Parteep Na Talang, 75, first went missing from her home in Ban Don at about 2pm that afternoon. “My mother had Alzheimer’s, but she could walk well for her age and often went missing because of…
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Thailand downs Hong Kong in Phuket Davis Cup
PHUKET: The Thai Davis Cup team triumphed against Hong Kong 4-1 in the regional (Asia/Oceania) matchup at Thanyapura Phuket yesterday. After an uncertain start (story here) which saw Thailand’s Warit Sornbutnark defeated in the opening match against Hong Kong’s Phillip King, the home team rallied to win the following four matches over the weekend to triumph with an impressive margin.…
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New ports to be developed for popular island gateways north of Phuket
PHUKET: The Marine Department on Friday announced plans to develop two major seaports at Phang Nga jump-off points to the popular Similan and Surin islands. “Our aim is to promote sustainable tourism for Phang Nga’s Andaman islands. We also want to promote it as another diving location,” said Marine Office 5 Director Wichai Khamkong. The news follows two public hearings…
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Phuket Police arrest scissor-wielding French thief
PHUKET: Police arrested a Frenchman for threatening a Phuket convenience store clerk with a pair of scissors in an attempt to get a refund on Saturday.Riad Lahkim, 37, bought a mobile phone at a 7-eleven on Thursday. Dissatisfied, he took it back to the store two days later – at 4:30am.“He bought the phone for 1,200 baht and asked for…
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Phuket baby born with rare condition out of ICU, finally home
PHUKET: A Phuket baby who survived surgery after being born with her intestines protruding from her abdomen was discharged from the hospital this weekend. Ornpreeya “Ang-Sing” Saisrikosol was born earlier this month with a rare condition called gastroschisis, and immediately underwent emergency surgery (story here), explained Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Jessada Chungpaibulpatana. Ang-Sing’s parents, at first devastated by their daughter’s…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Kerry calls climate change ‘weapon of mass destruction’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Kerry calls climate change ‘weapon of mass destruction’ Phuket Gazette / ReutersUS Secretary of State John Kerry warned Indonesians on Sunday that man-made climate change could threaten their entire way of life, deriding those who doubted the existence of “perhaps the world’s most fearsome weapon of mass…
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Phuket Gazette World News: At least three killed in Egyptian tour bus blast
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Two Koreans and Egyptian driver die in Sinai tourist bus blast Phuket Gazette / ReutersPHUKET: A bomb on a tourist bus in Egypt’s Sinai killed at least two South Koreans and the Egyptian driver on Sunday, army and security sources said, in the first attack on tourists…
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Phuket Police pounce on booze ban violator
PHUKET: Police discovered one shop in Phuket Town illegally selling alcohol during the celebration of Makha Bucha Day. The bust yesterday was made by Phuket City Police, who arrested two other vendors for trading after hours, said Phuket City Police Superintendent Sermphan Sirikong. “We apprehended three local shop owners: one in Phuket Town near Surin Circle at 11pm and two…
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Déjà vu for Phuket Passport Office
PHUKET: The Phuket Passport Office had a false start this week as it re-opened its doors for service on Monday, just to close them again on Friday. Protesting has forced the second closure of the Passport Division in Bangkok, the first of which closed the Phuket office for nearly a month (story here). The headquarters in the capital terminated its…
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Thailand tied with Hong Kong after first Davis Cup matches
PHUKET: Thailand and Hong Kong are now tied, one win each, following the opening matches of the Davis Cup (Asia/Oceania region group 2) at Thanyapura yesterday. The first match of the day saw Thailand’s Warit Sornbutnark (ranked number 1,258 in the world for singles) lose three straight sets to Hong Kong’s Phillip King (2-6, 6-7, 3-6). However, Thailand’s players redeemed…
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Phuket City Police arrest two men brandishing illegal firearm
PHUKET: Two men arrested on Thursday for brandishing a firearm at Phuket City Police officers and attempting to flee the scene were not charged for attempted murder. First reports alleged that the two 18-year-olds, Weerasak Bangroy and Chaiyuth Siriboon, had been hired to make a pre-Valentine’s Day hit by an ex-girlfriend. Tinnakorn Suwan, 21, reported the duo to police after…
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Mixed holiday keeps Phuket temples and shop owners busy
PHUKET: Reverence for Makha Bucha Day outshined Valentine’s Day in Phuket, but flower shop owners benefited from the lovers’ day rush. Local temples and flower shops had a busy day as Phuket residents flocked to make merit for Makha Bucha Day and ordered flowers for their loved ones. Wat Wichit Sangkaram on Narisorn Road saw a high volume of visitors…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Operation Valentine a success says CMPO; Rice farmers told to take out loans to ease distress
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Chalerm vows non-stop campaign to clear sites Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The man in charge of the government’s Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) yesterday vowed to step up the operation to evict anti-government protesters, while the protest groups remained defiant about continuing their…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Kerry says China willing to pressure North Korea on nuclear plans
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Kerry says China willing to pressure North Korea on nuclear plans Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that China is willing to exert more pressure to get North Korea to give up its nuclear programme. He told reporters…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Russia, NATO plan joint operation on Syria’s chemical weapons
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Russia, NATO plan joint operation on Syria’s chemical weapons Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Russia and NATO are drawing up plans for a rare joint naval operation in the Mediterranean to protect the U.S. ship that will destroy Syria’s deadliest chemical weapons, officials and other sources…
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Volcanic ash forces Australia-Phuket flight cancellations
PHUKET: Ash fall from a volcano that erupted late last night on the heavily populated Indonesian island of Java has forced an Australian airline to cancel flights to Phuket, Denpasar, Christmas Island and Cocos Island today.“We are sorry for the inconvenience. However, the safety of our customers is our highest priority,” Virgin Australia airline said in a statement on their…
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Patong Bay’s brown water is safe, says Phuket expert
PHUKET: Despite its brown color and stench, Patong Bay is clean and safe, Suppakorn Meekaew, Patong Municipality’s Sanitation Department Chief, told the Phuket Gazette on Tuesday. “People swimming and enjoying the beach should not panic about the color of the water. They can swim as usual – it will not affect their health,” Mr Suppakorn said. “The brown color doesn’t…
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Phuket Opinion: Taking the higher path to reporting
Boonrat Apiwanthanakorn, 56, from Haad Yai, is the new president of the Phuket Press Club. He has a BA from the Teacher College in Songkhla and over 20 years experience in journalism, working for Kietibhumi and Chaotai newspapers and Thai TV Channels 3 and 5. He now works for Khaosod newspaper and the Phuket Andaman, which he owns.Here, he talks…
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Phuket Opinion: Just give it time
PHUKET: Enough was enough. After nearly being run down by a mechanical dinosaur, I made my way through glass doors to the car park. The overbearing cacophony that apparently is a necessary companion to the modern shopping experience – or at least of the Games Zone on the basement level of the Big C shopping complex on the bypass road…
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Phuket Opinion: Clean up time for Tourist Police
PHUKET: A recent protest in Patong against alleged corruption by Tourist Police officers (story here) will likely go unnoticed nationally given the current state of affairs in the country, yet the issues and the outcry raised offer valuable insights into the serious problems that confront us nationally, locally and individually. The broader issue is how a democracy can function, let…
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Four Saturday night Phuket booze bans in sight as elections loom
PHUKET: Phuket will see four Saturday night alcohol bans in coming months, as polls open for senator and MP selection in March and April. The four dates selected for voting, March 23 and 30 for the senator election and April 20 and 27 for the MP election, fall on Sundays. In accordance with the law, alcohol bans will begin at…
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All invited to save the ocean with Laguna Phuket’s 20th annual Sea Turtle Release
PHUKET: There comes a point in life when it’s time to let go… of some turtles. To help you do that, Laguna Phuket is hosting the 20th Sea Turtle Release event at XANA Beach Club next Friday from 4:30 to 6:30pm. There will be 80 juvenile green sea turtles available for release (first come, first served). To release a sea…
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Norwegian man in ICU saved by Phuket blood donors
PHUKET: The life of a critically ill Norwegian man was saved when O-negative blood donors stepped up last week to provide the three units of blood he desperately needed. “He received the blood he required and is stable now,” Corporate Social Responsibility Project Manager for Bangkok Hospital Phuket Pareeya Jullaphong told the Phuket Gazette on Tuesday. Five days earlier, the…
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Phuket Governor continues stampede of visits to support agricultural strategy
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut’s charge into the province’s agricultural tourism sector led him to an elephant ranch Wednesday morning. “The inspection of this elephant ranch is a continuation of our inspection of a pineapple garden (story here), goat farm (video story here) and vegetable farm. We are visiting them to raise awareness of Phuket’s potential for agricultural tourism,” Gov…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Police launch Operation Valentine to clear Rajdamnoen rally site
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police launch Operation Valentine to clear Rajdamnoen rally site Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: Police this morning launched Operation Valentine to “reclaim public space” from protesters led by the ‘Students and People Network for Thailand’s Reform’ (STR). Dozens of companies of policemen gathered at the…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Karzai rejects U.S. warnings over freed Afghan detainees
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Karzai rejects U.S. warnings over freed Afghan detainees Phuket Gazette / ReutersPHUKET: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday rejected criticism of his government’s release of 65 detainees viewed by Washington as dangerous militants, further fanning tensions with the United States as the international mission in Afghanistan winds…
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Nothing as sweet as incentives for Phuket pineapples
PHUKET Governor Maitri Inthusut has underlined his commitment to developing the island’s pineapple industry, having confirmed a budget of 1.1 million baht to train local farmers and expand the available growing area in Thalang. On January 31, Governor Maitri led officers on an inspection tour to harvest and sample pineapples from the plantation of Wichai Saetun at Baan Bang Roang…
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