Month: April 2015
- Phuket News
Phuket airport taxi slams into 18-wheeler
PHUKET: An airport taxi driver faces charges of reckless driving after his car slammed into an 18-wheeled truck near Mai Khao Temple, in northern Phuket, this morning. The taxi rammed the trailer broadside, but luckily for taxi driver Vichan Artharn, 35, the car spun out from under the trailer and came to rest in roadside bushes next to a house.…
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Seniors swing at Phuket ITF Open
PHUKET: More than 80 international players from 24 countries competed in the Phuket ITF Seniors Open 2015 contested at Thanyapura last week. Timothy Alcos of the Philippines took top honors in V35 Men’s Singles after dispatching Arjun Varma of Singapore in straight sets (6-1 6-1) in the final last Saturday. Right-handed Daniel Rajsky of the Czech Republic, playing with his…
Read More » - Food
A Phuket high from Smokin’ Fish
PHUKET: THERE has been a lot of buzz lately about new and upcoming restaurants popping up all over Phuket Town, but there is one restaurant that made its mark long ago and has locals and expats alike lined up at the door. Smokin’ Fish on Phang Nga Road is a sight for sore eyes and a haven for the hungry.…
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Police hunt men for stoning Swede’s car
PHUKET: Kamala Police are hunting two motorbike-riding men* who chased down and threw rocks at a Swedish man’s car in Phuket on Monday. Bo Jonas Daniel Svegsjo, 38, and his passenger, Chaiyanan Boonpa, were driving from Cherng Talay to Kamala when a motorbike carrying two men overtook his vehicle on a narrow road. “Mr Svegsjo honked at the men, as…
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Video Report: Phuket fishing boats raided for human trafficking, IUUs
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong yesterday joined a random inspection of three Phuket fishing boats near Rassada Pier as part of a nationwide crackdown on illegal trawlers and human-trafficking of migrant workers in the industry. The boarding party comprised officers from the Phuket Marine Police, Royal Thai Navy and other government agencies, accompanied Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Pinit Sirichai. “The…
Read More » - Thai Life
Blazing Saddles: Rudy rides against cancer in global cycling tour
PHUKET: ‘INSPIRATIONAL’ is the word I would use to describe many of my fellow cyclists who I met when I cycled Bangkok to Phuket last December with Siam Bike Tours. However, one individual stood out above all others for his sheer bravery, tenacity and individualism – a 55-year-old Canadian Fire Department Captain named Rudy Pospisil. Fifteen years ago, Rudy was…
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Phuket immigration, government offices take four-day weekend
PHUKET: The Phuket Immigration Office, along with other government offices on the island, will be closed from Saturday through Tuesday, confirmed Phuket Immigration Chief Sunchai Chokkajaykij today. However, they will remain open for the Labor Day holiday tomorrow. “Our office and the Patong Immigration Office will be closed for four days, starting from Saturday May 2,” Col Sunchai told the…
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Cricket: Thalang surge to vie for place in semi-finals
PHUKET: Thalang (TCT) claimed an unlikely outright victory by an innings and 93 runs over a heavily depleted Village Cricket Team at the Alan Cooke Ground last Sunday. Both teams had multiple changes for their last match of the regular season. TCT regained their captain Bill Stahmer, opening bowler Barrie Buck and debutant Hossain Sylar. Village were without the ir…
Read More » - Property
Island Fever: Lost and found in Eden
PHUKET: As many jaded expats living in Thailand for any length of time know, the search for enduring values in a littered landscape is often a bottomless pit. Perhaps it was that herd of stampeding elephants which obliterated those rose-colored glasses. In the heat of a sunny tropical landscape, blindness is inevitable. In some ways, it might even be comforting…
Read More » - Thailand News
Official is a land-grabber: reform chief
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Official is a land-grabber: reform chief The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The chief of the Nakhon Ratchasima Agricultural Land Reform Office (Alro) has recommended that an investigation be launched against a local official over suspicions that she might have engaged in land encroachment herself. “I…
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Thai man arrested with 26 migrant workers in his car
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai man arrested with 26 migrant workers in his car The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Highway Police early yesterday morning rounded up 26 migrant workers packed into an SUV in Kanchanaburi’s Phanom Tuan district and arrested the Thai driver. Following a tip-off, police near the…
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Referendum up to NRC and CDC, says Prayut
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Referendum up to NRC and CDC: PM The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The decision on whether to hold a referendum on the new draft constitution lies with the National Reform Council (NRC) and the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC), Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday.…
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Marine police alert for EU fishing checks
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Marine police alert for EU fishing checks The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: In a bid to improve Thailand’s illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing problems ahead of the upcoming inspection by representatives from the European Union (EU), coastal provinces such as Chon Buri and Songkhla…
Read More » - World News
Tired of waiting for aid, angry Nepalis block roads
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Tired of waiting for aid, angry Nepalis block roads Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Nepali villagers blocked trucks carrying supplies for earthquake victims on Wednesday, demanding the government do more to help after last week’s disaster left more than 5,200 people dead and tens of thousands…
Read More » - Business News
Finance: Cashing in on retirement
PHUKET: Generating an income in retirement beyond any pension or government-sponsored retirement plan has become much harder in today’s low-interest-rate environment. The income from defined pensions and even retirement benefits from government-sponsored plans are no longer a sure thing. However, there are strategies that help to maximize income during retirement: Dividend-paying stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) Dividend paying stocks are…
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GPS tracker sparks Phuket hotel bomb scare
PHUKET: The provincial Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit cleared the car park at the Royal Phuket City Hotel in Phuket Town in response to a reported potential bomb threat this afternoon. The EOD unit arrived at about 2:10pm, after receiving a call from the Phuket City Police. “A security guard found an object in the open area of the car…
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Video Report: Rank canal water not polluted wastewater, says Phuket official
PHUKET: Tests conducted by environment officers have confirmed that the foul canal water that washed onto Nai Yang Beach this week is in fact not polluted wastewater, the Thalang District Chief told the Phuket Gazette today. The tests, conducted yesterday, were prompted by villagers complaining of rank-smelling water emanating from a blocked canal that overflowed and seeped across Nai Yang…
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Phuket donations roll in to aid Nepal earthquake victims
PHUKET: Donations for victims of the disastrous earthquake in Nepal continue to roll in, with more than 1 million baht already having been raised for the ‘Phuket Together For Nepal Disaster Victims’ fund. As of this morning, the devastating quake had claimed more than 4,400 lives. The fund’s donation total more than doubled after two donors handed over more than…
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Divers clear marine trash to protect new Phuket reef
PHUKET: More than 100 volunteer divers yesterday recovered more than 200 kilograms of trash from the waters off Nai Yang Beach in an underwater cleanup operation aimed at protecting a new reef system there. The divers hail from Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Trang, explained Monrudee Gettuphan, director of Phuket International Airport. “Yesterday, the divers cleaned the area in front…
Read More » - Thailand News
Former national security chief denies forced dispersal of red shirts in 2010
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Former national security chief denies forced dispersal of red shirts in 2010 The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: There was no forced dispersal of anti-government protesters back in 2010 – they just left by themselves, Thawil Pliensri, then secretary-general of the National Security Council, testified yesterday.…
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Govt earmarks B100mn for Nepal; emergency team flies out
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt earmarks B100mn for Nepal; emergency team flies out The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The government yesterday earmarked 100 million baht for agencies to use for relief efforts in Nepal, while 56mn baht was collected in donations from the public as of yesterday via different…
Read More » - Koh Samui News
Two new suspects sought over bomb blast in Koh Samui
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Two new suspects sought over bomb blast in Koh Samui The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police will soon obtain arrest warrants for another two suspects believed to have played a part in the bomb attack in Koh Samui after announcing the names of six wanted…
Read More » - World News
Nepal quake victims still stranded, PM says toll could be 10,000
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nepal quake victims still stranded, PM says toll could be 10,000 Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: People stranded in remote villages and towns across Nepal were still waiting for aid and relief to arrive on Tuesday, four days after a devastating earthquake destroyed buildings and roads…
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Indonesia executes drug convicts, sparks anger from Australia, Brazil
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indonesia executes drug convicts, sparks anger from Australia, Brazil Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Indonesian firing squad executed eight convicted drug-traffickers from several countries today, prompting Australia to recall its envoy to Jakarta and bringing an angry reaction from Brazil. The leaders of Australia and…
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Thousands of police descend on Baltimore to enforce curfew after riots
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thousands of police descend on Baltimore to enforce curfew after riots Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: As night falls on Baltimore on Tuesday, thousands of police and National Guard troops fanned out to enforce a new curfew and prevent further violence as the mayor fended off…
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Tour company pulls down Phuket “marine life abuse’ video
PHUKET: Intense public criticism has forced a Bangkok tour company to remove a video showing sea-walking tourists handling marine creatures at Coral Island, off Phuket’s southeastern coast, from its Facebook page. Gift Box Travel, which sells package tours to Phuket, posted the controversial video on its Facebook page (click here) last Friday. The video showed tourists on a sea-walking tour…
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Phuket scrambles to raise funds for Nepal
PHUKET: Donations to the ‘Phuket Together For Nepal Disaster Victims’ fund can now be made directly to a joint bank account held by the Phuket Governor and the President of the Phuket branch of the Thai-Nepalese Foundation. The Phuket branch of the Thai-Nepalese Foundation, officially called the Shree Bhagawat Dhaam Sanatan Mandir Foundation, has already raised more than 400,000 baht…
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Phuket’s notorious Patong Hill road gets B25mn safety makeover
PHUKET: The Phuket Highways Office will close a 200-meter section of the outside westbound lane over the top of Patong Hill in order to repave the road and complete safety improvements at the notorious site. The lane will be closed from tomorrow through Sunday, confirmed Samak Luedwonghad, director of the Phuket Highways Office. “Warning signs have been installed to inform…
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Broken Phuket CCTV fail to capture footage of fatal hit-and-run suspect
PHUKET: The CCTV network at the Heroines’ Monument is undergoing maintenance following the failure to capture the licence plate number of a white pick-up truck that was involved in a fatal hit-and-run in Phuket on Saturday night. “The entire CCTV system there was broken, so we have no clues as to where the truck went or what its licence plate…
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Inside job: Police arrest Phuket spa robbers
PHUKET: Four suspects, including one spa employee, have been arrested for their involvement in the armed robbery of Imperial Spa earlier this month in Phuket Town. Two armed men stormed into the spa on April 5, robbing the staff at gunpoint and knifepoint of 500,000 baht before riding off on a motorbike with a third accomplice (story here). About 10…
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Phuket beachfront roadside vendors given eviction order
PHUKET: Vendors with stalls along the beachfront road at Nai Thon have been given two weeks to leave, or face legal action. The move follows Tah Chat Chai Police officers delivering verbal warnings yesterday. Formal eviction orders are expected to be issued today, Surachuai Sannoo, chief of Sirinath National Park, told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “Once they receive the…
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Phuket tourist dies in fall from hotel balcony
PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of a Chinese tourist who plunged from his fifth-floor hotel room balcony in Karon early yesterday morning. Wang Anjun, 41, died at Patong Hospital after succumbing to injuries sustained in the fall at Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort, said Capt Channarong Prakongkua of the Karon Police. “Mr Wang was drinking beer with friends on…
Read More » - World News
Baltimore erupts in riots, National Guard called in
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Baltimore erupts in riots, National Guard called in Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Baltimore erupted in violence on Monday as hundreds of rioters looted stores, burned buildings and injured at least 15 police officers following the funeral of a 25-year-old black man who died after he…
Read More » - Thailand News
B200mn of African tusks seized in raid
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community B200mn of African tusks seized in bonded warehouse raid The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Customs Department seized a total of 511 tusks, weighing 3.1 tonnes and worth 200 million baht, from a Laos-bound container at a private company’s bonded warehouse on Saturday. Natural Resources…
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Phuket gold buyer dodges counterfeit money charge
PHUKET: No charges are being pressed after a counterfeit note was used by a local business owner in the purchase of 180,000 baht worth of gold. Weerachai Apichattakul, 36, who regularly buys gold bars for trade, withdrew 200,000 baht from the Kasikorn bank Thepkrasattri branch this morning. “I had no idea that the banknote was fake,” Mr Weeachai told the…
Read More » - World News
Nepalis flee aftershocks, quake dead reaches 3,700
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nepalis flee Kathmandu aftershocks, quake dead reaches 3,700 Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thousands of Nepalis began fleeing the capital Kathmandu on Monday, terror-stricken by two days of powerful aftershocks and looming shortages of food and water after an earthquake that killed more than 3,700 people.…
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Rank canal water overflows onto Phuket beach
PHUKET: Officials are scrambling to minimize the damage of rank-smelling water from a blocked canal that is overflowing and seeping across Nai Yang Beach into the sea. “The locals say that the canal water has become foul because untreated wastewater was being discharged directly into the canal by business owners,” Thalang District chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol told the Phuket Gazette this…
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