Month: March 2015

  • Property

    Property Watch: Battle of the properties

    PHUKET: I was a big fan of the ideas behind Planet of the Apes and the subsequent movies, even the remakes. “Don’t touch the filthy humans!” had a good ring to it and penetrated straight through our general human – though often misplaced – feeling of superiority. In Phuket, I have witnessed a battle between warring factions of owners within…

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  • Property

    Property: Working a wider Angle

    PHUKET: One picture is worth a thousand words. Make it a panoramic picture or a virtual tour, and it becomes even more valuable, especially in the competitive world of property sales. Geoff Whitlie of Panoramas Thailand has proved this formula successful in Koh Samui – now he is expanding to Phuket. Before the internet, the real estate business involved a…

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  • Phuket News

    Dry-season fire warning issued for Phuket

    PHUKET: Phuket firefighters issued a fire warning yesterday, following a field blaze south of the Heroines’ Monument on Thepkrasattri Road. “This time of year, during the drought season, the grass fields get very dry and become fire hazards. People must be very aware of this and not throw away anything that could start a fire, such as cigarette butts,” Amnach…

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  • Business News

    Finance: Demystifying the ever-ending UK pension reforms

    PHUKET: Since radical UK pension reforms were announced last year, the changes just keep on coming. For those retiring in Phuket with pension rights that they have accumulated over the course of their career, the situation can be very confusing. Indeed, even for a professional in the industry, keeping pace and getting your head around what all the changes means…

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  • Thai Life

    Gardening: Dealing with dry spells

    PHUKET: While we are used to the onset of the dry season in Phuket every November, this year has been a bit different, as the monsoon was more prolonged and the drought, once it did arrive, has been more extreme. Not a drop of rain since New Year’s Day in my bit of the island means that we are having…

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  • Thai Life

    Books: Enjoying horrific greatness

    PHUKET: For many years on Anzac Day, memorial services for the prisoners of war (POWs) killed on the Death Railway in Kanchanaburi would be presided over by Colonel Edward “Weary” Dunlop, a heroic surgeon and camp commander. Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2014, 334pp) is a highly fictionalized account of his…

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  • Phuket News

    Slot machine stash discovered in Phuket Town

    PHUKET: Police are hunting for the owner of 40 illegal slot machines, worth about 2 million baht, which were discovered in Phuket yesterday. The gambling devices were found packed into a small rental house on Yaowarat Road by the owner of the rental property, who police declined to name. “The owner of the property said that a Myanmar woman had…

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  • Business NewsLuxury lifestyle makes Phuket heavy hitter in Asia yachting scene [video] | Thaiger

    Luxury lifestyle makes Phuket heavy hitter in Asia yachting scene [video]

    PHUKET: Phuket’s marine industry is tapping global growth in the lucrative superyacht segment thanks to the unique luxury lifestyle the island offers and a sharp rise in the number of such vessels coming to Asia. Thailand’s largest island is already well established on the regional and global sailing circuits. However, industry players say increased investment in specialist facilities could see…

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  • Phuket News

    Patong’s bowling puts them on top against ICC

    PHUKET: Island Cricket Club (ICC) hosted Patong Cricket Club (PCC) at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) in Thalang last Sunday, kicking off the first game of March. ICC won the toss and sent Patong into bat, in playing conditions that were unexpectedly warm and dry – unusual for this time of year in Phuket. Patong openers Imtiyaz Mustaq and Waseem…

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  • Thai Life

    Excuse Buster: Six common mistakes keeping you from a killer body

    PHUKET: For those who are trying to get back into the fitness game, or who are just stepping up to the plate for the first time, it is essential that good habits are formed right from the get go. Too many people start a fitness regime and fail to see it through. There are many reasons that people fall off…

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  • Phuket News

    Opinion: Jessie Vard Fighting for fairy-tale ending

    PHUKET: Reaction on social media to pleas for justice from Jessie Vard through a series of recent Facebook videos that went viral, should serve as an interesting case in observing the extent to which social media can impact the Thai criminal justice system. It goes without saying that there are two sides to every story and that what is known…

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  • Bangkok News

    “Missing’ Austrian tourist in Phi Phi surfaces in Bangkok

    PHUKET: An Austrian tourist reported missing on Phi Phi island has surfaced safe and sound in Bangkok. Mario Schatz, 23, was reported missing to Krabi Tourist Police yesterday. “He came to Ton Sai with three friends on Wednesday. His friends told us that at about 2pm he went to do some laundry and never came back,” a Krabi Tourist Police…

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  • Phuket News

    Felling of century-old banyan tree outrages local conservation group

    PHUKET: The felling of a more than 100-year-old banyan tree has outraged a local Phuket conservation group, with members vowing to find the culprits behind the act. Members of the Big Tree Club – a group of local engineers and architects who fight against the felling of old trees in Phuket – contacted the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) and…

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  • Bangkok News

    Phuket governor remains calm despite beach protest in Bangkok

    PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has asked that all information about the beach vendor protests in Bangkok be sent to him in Germany. “Governor Nisit has not made any comment or instructed us to take any direct action at this point. I believe we will discuss this problem together after he flies back to Phuket,” Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak told the…

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  • Phuket News

    Heroines’ Memorial Festival kicks off tomorrow

    PHUKET: This year’s Heroines’ Memorial Festival, which kicks off on Saturday, is sure to impress all in attendance with its cultural and historical activities to honor Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Srisoonthorn. “The purpose of this event is to honor the heroism of Lady Thepkrasattri and Lady Srisoonthorn, who sacrificed their blood and lives for generations to come,” Governor Nisit Jansomwong…

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  • Phuket News

    Phi Phi police hunt gibbon tout after Instagram post

    PHUKET: Phi Phi Island Police are investigating the exploitation of animals on the island following former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova posting a photograph of her posing with a gibbon in Ton Sai on Instagram on Monday. The photograph posted on the popular photo-sharing site showed Mr Glebova smiling and holding the baby gibbon, which had been dressed up in a…

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  • Phuket News

    Aussie tourist attempts suicide in Patong hotel room

    PHUKET: An Australian tourist remains in hospital today after he attempted to commit suicide in his Patong hotel room yesterday morning. A hotel staffer found the 42-year-old man in his room with a knife wound to his neck. “The man had made an appointment for a taxi to take him to the airport yesterday morning. When it came time to…

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  • Thai Life

    Booming business of silicone mermaid tails

    PHUKET: She might have been Melanie Long’s role model growing up, but the one thing the Little Mermaid got wrong was that a woman can’t get too far by flipping her fins. Melanie, also known as Mermaid Melanie, recently completed an enormous one-year undertaking – designing and constructing her own silicone mermaid tail. In the mer-world, tails are a big…

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  • Phuket News

    Phuket public urged to donate blood this month

    PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) has invited all qualified members of the public to donate blood this month in honor of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s 60th birthday on April 2. “While we have enough blood stocks in Phuket, supplies are needed in Bangkok,” said acting PRBC chief Pornthip Rattajak. The Thai Red Cross Society posted a message…

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  • Phuket News

    Phuket runner goes the distance – aiming for 100km race

    PHUKET: What were your plans last weekend? Did you see a girl running the 61-kilometer road distance from Rawai to Sarasin Bridge? Rest assured her upcoming plans are fixed as well – she’s preparing for her next long-distance run. Meet Kiranee Narabal, possibly Phuket’s most passionate long-distance runner, whose love for her chosen sport has taken her for a 100km…

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  • Food

    Teeing up a new menu at Banyan Cafe

    PHUKET: If you’re looking for a change from all the sea-view dining on the island, head for Banyan Tree in Laguna Phuket and grab a table at the Banyan Cafe. A meal with a lush-green golf-course view will surely provide a break from the norm. Even if you are one of the many returning customers of the Banyan Cafe, there…

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  • Thai Life

    Blazing Saddles: How to stay young for longer

    PHUKET: Phuket is one of the globe’s most desirable retirement havens, drawing thousands of retirees to its sandy shores. In addition, the demographics of the local Thai populace indicate that Thailand is a rapidly aging society, with 21 per cent of the population already over the age of 55. While many of us think that the effects of aging are…

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  • Pattaya News

    Making safe property investments in Phuket

    PHUKET: At a time of year when many property sales are taking place in hotspot investment destinations, such as Phuket, it seems now is an appropriate time to recap the types of legitimate investment for foreigners interested in property in Thailand, and to note that there are some very straightforward methods of avoiding complicated and cumbersome transactions. Aside from land…

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  • Phuket News

    Unidentified body found with kratom leaves in Chalong

    PHUKET: A man believed to be collecting kratom leaves in the wild was found dead with burn wounds in Phuket this morning, said Lt Chollada Chokdeesrijun of the Chalong Police. “We have been unable to identify the man, who appears to have been in his 20s, or to determine the cause of death,” Lt Chollada told the Phuket Gazette. “There…

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  • Phuket News

    Eight Thais, one illegal alien caught in Phuket gambling raid

    PHUKET: Eight Thai nationals and one illegal Laotian were arrested for gambling in Patong on Tuesday. Police raided a rented room on Phra Metta Road after having been tipped off by locals about a group of people who were gathered there to gamble, Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. “There were nine people…

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  • Phuket News

    Sukhothai FC stomps Phuket FC in high-scoring match

    PHUKET: A high-scoring match saw Sukhothai FC beat Phuket FC 5-2 at Thungtalayluang Stadium last night. Sukhothai FC was forced to start the match without their superstar John Baggio. However, the rest of the squad was full, and they opened the game with confidence, almost taking an early lead in minute 7. Sukhothai FC nearly put another point on the…

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  • Phuket News

    Shocked Myanmar worker falls from scaffolding

    PHUKET: A Myanmar worker was seriously injured after coming into contact with high-voltage power cables and falling from the scaffolding where he was working yesterday afternoon. Khan Soe, 22, was working on a building inside Wat Khuan in Phuket Town when the accident occurred. “He was working on the top of the new temple hall, next to some high-voltage cables.…

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  • Phuket News

    German tourist hit by jet-ski to leave hospital today

    PHUKET: A German tourist who was hit by a French jet-skier on February 28 is expected to be discharged from hospital today. Erich Heim, 55, was swimming about 200 meters from the shore of Paradise Beach, south of Patong Beach, when Chadd Attard, 20, struck him with a jet-ski, rendering him unconscious (story here). Mr Attard was charged with reckless…

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  • Phuket News

    Bundle of slow lorises seized in Phuket

    PHUKET: A man was arrested on Tuesday in possession of a bundle of slow lorises and two iguanas after police were tipped off about him using them for photo opportunities with tourists on Naka Island. Phuket local Kiettisak Senkaew, 45, was arrested at his home in Pa Khlok at about 5:30pm in possession of six slow lorises and two iguanas.…

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  • Phuket News

    Suspected kill-squad contractor denies charges

    PHUKET: The suspect accused of hiring a group of hitmen to kill a man over a Phuket land deal gone sour last month turned himself into police on Monday, but denied the charges. Phang Nga local Anuthep Tanwera, 70, showed up at Thalang Police Station with an arrest warrant from the court in hand. The warrant charged him with hiring…

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  • Phuket News

    Makha Bucha Day alcohol ban in effect until midnight

    PHUKET: A nationwide ban on the sale and purchase of alcohol took effect at midnight, and will last all day, out of respect for Makha Bucha Day. “We sent a letter to night entertainment business operators to inform them of the ban, which took effect at midnight,” Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee told the Phuket Gazette this morning.…

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  • Phuket News

    Bay Regatta kicks off in Phuket

    PHUKET: The Bay Regatta takes to the sea in Phuket tomorrow, with more than 30 sailing yachts and 250 competitors joining this year’s race. Unlike most other sailing regattas, this event takes the fleet from Phuket through the spectacular scenery of Phang Nga Bay to a new anchorage each evening, with awards parties held in a wide variety of locales.…

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  • Phuket News

    Phuket beach vendors implore PM Prayut for help

    PHUKET: A group of about 150 Phuket beach vendors today took their complaints all the way to Bangkok, where they submitted a letter imploring Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to revise the current beach management system. The letter accused Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong of ignoring the requests of local beach vendors and going ahead with bans on beach chair rentals…

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  • Phuket News

    Five Frenchmen arrested for ATM skimming

    PHUKET: Police this week arrested five Frenchmen, one who was wanted by Interpol, for skimming ATMs in Kamala and Chalong. The men – Kevin Tahiango Theodore Okito, 29; Mel Duval Poaty, 29; Accel Jonathan Poaty Pambou, 26; Samir Maruof, 29; and Jessy Bianvenu Vincence, 33 – were presented at a press conference at Phuket Provincial Police Station this morning. The…

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  • Phuket News

    Superintendent investigates Phuket police corruption, extortion allegation

    PHUKET: Karon Police are investigating allegations of bag men working in Kata for the Phuket City Police, extorting money from more than 100 bars and restaurants. “We are now trying to identify those who have been illegally collecting money from businesses in the name of the police,” Karon Police Superintendent Sompong Boonrat told the Phuket Gazette today. “We cannot provide…

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  • Pattaya News

    Phuket a top choice for inaugural Thailand yacht show

    PHUKET: Phuket has been named as a top choice for the launch of a Thailand Yacht Show, to be organized by the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS). The location for the yacht show, planned for the end of this year, has been narrowed down to Phuket and Pattaya, explained Deputy Minister of Transport Akom Termpittayapisit…

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  • Phuket News

    Charter-flight passengers forced to hike at Phuket airport

    PHUKET: Airports of Thailand (AoT) officers are scrambling to take care of passengers arriving on charter flights at Phuket International Airport, as the tourists’ buses are now being forced to park at one of the unfinished parking buildings. “Due to the airport expansion, buses have to park quite far away from the terminal,” said Pakin Sirijun, deputy vice president of…

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