Month: September 2015
- Phuket News
Unemployed, debt-ridden Austrian expat found dead
PHUKET: An Austrian expat, allegedly suffering from gambling issues and a drinking problem, took his own life yesterday morning after failing to have enough money to extend his visa in Thailand, a voice message left by the man explained. Walter Edhofer, 53, was found by neighbors at about 7am in a parking lot in Kathu, confirmed Lt Sawanya Eiadtrong of…
Read More » - Pattaya News
On Deck: United front for greater good
PHUKET: Thailand’s marine industry has received intermittent support from the Royal Thai Government over the years – sporadic and rarely strategic. In 2004, when the astronomical taxes on importing boats to Thailand was reduced from more than 200% of the value of the boat to 0%, this happened on the back of a concerted effort by the marine industry to…
Read More » - Phuket News
Draft charter rejection meaningless to Phuket tourism, says official
PHUKET: The rejection of the draft charter voted on by the National Reform Council (NRC) will not have any impact on the tourism industry in Phuket, confirmed Phuket Tourism Association (PTA) Vice President Bhuritt Maswongssa. “Tourists simply don’t care about Thai politics,” Mr Bhuritt said. A majority of the NRC – 135 members – voted against the draft, compared to…
Read More » - Thai Life
Profile: Signs that real art still exists
PHUKET: Despite new technology and graphic design paving the way for creative printing reaching the masses, the art of hand-making signs is still alive and well. Pete Child, 59, from Atherstone, England, is a Phuket expat who has been keeping this art form alive since 1975. After moving to the island eight years ago with his sharp skills and handmade…
Read More » - Phuket News
A Decade Ago: Buses zoom around, as do katoeys
PHUKET: When was public transport not an issue on the island? It seems to sneak into headlines week in and week out with the occasional big splash when authorities attempt to launch a new initiative. This week, it’s the 50-baht Phuket Town to Patong van service – which deserves the butts and bahts of those going from the island’s cultural…
Read More » - Opinion
First Person: Weeding out touts
Suwat Suksiri, 43, has been Chief of the Thung Talay Non Hunting Zone since 2010. He is originally from Chumphon Province and earned his bachelor’s degree in Forestry from Sukhothai Thammathirat University. He has been working in the forestry field since 1993. Here he talks about why animal touting is a serious problem for foreigners and not locals, and how…
Read More » - Property
Luxury real estate prospers
PHUKET: One thing that I love about Phuket is the ability for luxury to live side by side with abject casualness. You could be sitting next to a multi-millionaire or a packaged tourist on the bar stool, as the ties that bind are the flip-flops adorning your respective feet. Islands tend to have little social stratification, which can probably be…
Read More » - Phuket News
Airport extension to finish on time
PHUKET: The Phuket Airport Authority has confirmed that the 5.7-billion-baht expansion of the international terminal will be completed by its February 14, 2016 deadline, as promised. “The latest update from the contractor states that the building is almost 80 per cent finished and that construction is flowing steadily as the rainy season clears up,” said Amnuay Sarachart, executive vice president…
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Phuket drug fugitive nabbed in Songkhla
PHUKET: A fugitive wanted for possession of more than 5 million baht’s worth of drugs and related assets was arrested in Songkhla on Thursday. Anuwat ‘Obie’ Thongtan, 31, escaped from his Phuket home last month just before police arrived (story here). “On August 5, the Phuket Provincial Police went to search Mr Anuwat’s house at Si Suchat Grand View 5…
Read More » - Thai Life
Keep it Green: Going to the zoo – part one
PHUKET: Today, I took the advice offered in the children’s nursery rhyme ‘Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo / How about you?’ It’s a long time since I did so. My last visit to Phuket Zoo some seven years ago resulted in my penning a piece which, while critical of some aspects of the place, made encouraging noises about others.…
Read More » - Phuket News
Navy settles beach vending squabble
PHUKET: A ‘misunderstanding’ about vendors on Kata Beach garnered a visit from Navy personnel and Damrongtham Center Chief Prapan Kanprasang on Thursday. About 40 officials, assembled by the Royal Thai Navy’s Phuket-based Third Area Command and Phuket Provincial civil defense volunteers, were on hand after the Damrongtham Center (ombudsman’s office) received a complaint about old vendors prohibiting new vendors and…
Read More » - Phuket News
Asian Weightlifting Championships start tomorrow
PHUKET: Due to the devastating earthquake in Nepal, the 26th Senior Women’s and 45th Senior Men’s Asian Weightlifting Championships are now taking place in Phuket starting tomorrow. Between September 6 and 11, almost 400 athletes from 38 countries will be flexing their muscles as they battle against gravity at Saphan Hin’s 4,000-seat Indoor Sports Complex. The event’s opening ceremony, chaired…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Yacht Show dates confirmed
PHUKET: Dates for the first edition of the Phuket Yacht Show, now known as the Thailand Yacht Show, have finally been confirmed by organizers Singapore Yacht Events Pte Ltd (SYE) following a partnership agreement signed recently with the Marine Department of Thailand’s Ministry of Transport. The event is destined to become the focal point of the luxury charter yacht business…
Read More » - Phuket News
Vegetarian Festival dates announced
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has announced the dates for this year’s Vegetarian Festival with the new addition of a parade in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The nine-day festival is slated to take place from October 13 to 21. “The parade to honor HM the King will take place on Wednesday, October 14 at Chai Field. There will also…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket shark bite confirmed
PHUKET: The animal that bit a pregnant Australian at Karon Beach on Tuesday is a shark, confirmed shark expert David Martin, who has more than 25 years of experience filming sharks for BBC, the National Geographic and a number of other publications. “In this kind of case, it is very important to look at all the facts before making any…
Read More » - Opinion
Island View: End of circus show
PHUKET: I was deeply relieved to see justice served when the court in Phuket delivered a ‘not guilty’ verdict last week in the case against Chutima Sidasathian and Alan Morison of local news blog PhuketWan. Though there was a great amount of grandstanding, showboating and circus entertainment for the international media leading up to the trial, it was important that…
Read More » - Phuket News
New food fair comes to Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket will play host for the first ever ‘Amazing Tastes of Thailand’ food fair from September 19 to 20, confirmed Anoma Wongyai, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket. Selected food from across the nation, as well as popular Phuket dishes, will be available for visitors to enjoy on Thalang Road in Phuket Town. “There will also…
Read More » - Thai Life
On your Mind: Phubbing phenomenon decoded
PHUKET: Ever had the unpleasant experience of seeing your dish of Pad Thai sitting at a pick-up window while your waiter spends time on his smartphone? How about lying barely clothed in a frosty room while your masseuse ‘preps’ for you by texting friends? Or maybe you’ve just gone to the local KFC with your buddies and are enthusiastically trying…
Read More » - Phuket News
Bargains galore at Boat Arcade Garage Sale this weekend
PHUKET: Bargain hunters can rummage through a treasure trove of used and second-hand items at the first East Meets West Weekend Garage Sale to be held at the new Boat Arcade community mall this weekend from 10:00am to 4:00pm. About 100 stalls will be popping up to offer everything from household items and furniture to boat parts, books, toys and,…
Read More » - Property
Across the Land: Container homes anyone?
PHUKET: Researching shipping container homes on the internet was an eye opener and it was fascinating how cool and creative some of these homes can be. There are definitely sustainable benefits from building a home with recycled shipping containers, but can it be a real home? Well, it looks like some countries have taken shipping containers to another level. Out…
Read More » - Business News
Business Buzz: Five tips for content creation for your business
PHUKET: The first priority in marketing through social media is to decide what you want to achieve. Is it for people to find out about a new service; to get them to visit your Facebook page; to educate them on something unknown; to be funny; or to shock with facts; or just to create brand awareness? Also think about where…
Read More » - Opinion
Opinion: Monkey business
PHUKET: The recent arrest of a number of touts for the illegal possession of gibbons on Phi Phi Don Island reveals, yet again, the continuation of the pathetic practice of using exotic animals as props to make money from uneducated tourists in Thailand. On a somewhat brighter note, the fact that the arrest followed images being sent to the Gazette…
Read More » - Phuket News
Frenchman busted for passing counterfeit euros
PHUKET: A French national was arrested while attempting to exchange a counterfeit 100 euro banknote on Soi Bangla yesterday. Rene Louis Regrault, 59, was apprehended by Tourist Police after the bill he went to exchange at the Shino Money Exchange counter was flagged by an employee. “After confirming that the banknote was fake, we accompanied Mr Regrault back to his…
Read More » - Phuket News
Khao Sok diving ban maybe lifted
PHUKET: In a knee-jerk reaction, national park officers enforced a ban on all diving in the Chio Lan Reservoir, the center piece to the extraordinary Khao Sok National Park, following the death of two experienced cave divers in a diving accident on technical rebreathers last year (story here). However, the ban might not last, Khao Sok National Park Chief Chaichana…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket flyover plans grounded by locals
PHUKET: Locals rejected two government approved 100-million-baht flyover plans that were designed to reduce traffic congestion on Thepkasattri Road. The flyovers were planned for the u-turn at the first set of traffic lights just north of Thalang Town and the Baan Koh Kaew Tha Ruea u-turn in front of Baan Jee Teng (story here). About 180 people joined the public…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket academic institute’s booze ban gets wider
PHUKET: The booze belt around academic institutes (story here) in Phuket is set to get significantly wider after it was announced yesterday that the ban would be applied to all businesses within a kilometer of Phuket Rajabhat University. The university is the province’s pilot project for the national ‘Campus Safety Zone’ campaign, which will see security measures ramped up around…
Read More » - Phuket News
Ministry of Interior blocks beach restaurant demolition
PHUKET: The Ministry of Interior yesterday blocked the demolition of a Phuket restaurant that is allegedly on public, beachfront land. “The restaurant had previously been demolished. However, the owners just moved the business to nearby land,” said Lt Sompop Kamkana of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command. “They are living on public land without a land title and the…
Read More » - Thai Life
Close encounter with the highly beautiful
PHUKET: In 1968, Jean-Claude Forest’s French comics were brought to the silver screen in the French-Italian science fiction film Barbarella: In the far future, a highly sexual woman is assigned to find and stop the evil Durand-Durand. Along the way, she encounters various unusual people. Nearly fifty years later, in Phuket, Thailand, Earth, a threesome of equally beautiful, futuristic space…
Read More » - Business News
Phuket’s infamous inflation linked to economic growth
PHUKET: Phuket inflation grew at a rate of 4.1 per cent in 2014, according to data released in C9 Hotelwork’s new Economic Overview of the island. What is clearly demonstrated in the numbers is how important tourism is as a driver of the economy. Using Gross Provincial Product (GPP) as the lead indicator, tourism directly accounts for 35.6 per cent…
Read More » - Business News
Finance: Cut to chase: advice or pitch
PHUKET: How do you know if the financial advice you are receiving is solid, or if it is a sales pitch in disguise? The first line of due diligence you should always employ is to check the educational background of the advisor. Ask where they did their financial studies and then verify with the institution that they do have the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Experts divided over Phuket “shark bite’ culprit
PHUKET: Experts are split, with many on the fence, about what species of marine animal is the culprit in the recent non-fatal ‘attack’ on an Australian tourist in shallow Phuket waters (story here). At the forefront of suspected species is the bull shark. However, black tipped reef sharks, giant barracuda, trigger fish and even puffer fish have been tabled as…
Read More » - Phuket News
Understanding the PhuketWan “not guilty’ verdict
PHUKET: All charges filed by the Royal Thai Navy against Big Island Media, Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian were dismissed yesterday. However, the Navy’s right to file those charges was upheld. Judge Chaipawat Chayaanantapat addressed a courtroom packed with international journalists, but was noticeably devoid of members of the navy and the prosecuting team. According to the court hearing, the…
Read More » - Phuket News
New initiative: Phuket Town to Patong for 50 baht
PHUKET: A new public transport initiative was set into motion yesterday with the launch of 50-baht van rides from the Old Phuket Town bus station on Phang Nga Road to Patong Beach. The 15 seat vans will stop at previously established bus stops at Phuket Provincial Hall, Phuket Prison, Satree Phuket School, Vachira Phuket Hospital, Bangkok Hospital, Tessaban Baan Samkong…
Read More » - Phuket News
Pregnant Aussie’s tendons severed in “shark attack’
PHUKET: The pregnant Queenslander who was attacked in the shallow waters of Phuket, by what experts believe was most likely a shark, will remain in the care of doctors for several more days. Bangkok Hospital Phuket doctors have explained to Jane Neame, 6-months pregnant, that she needs to remain under observation to ensure there are no infections following her surgery.…
Read More » - Phuket News
Australian “most likely’ attacked by shark, says expert
PHUKET: An Australian tourist in Phuket sustained a non-life threatening injury from an unidentified marine animal, believed by experts to be a shark, while swimming at Karon Beach this morning. Jane Neame, 37, shouted for help about 200 meters from shore after she felt like she had been bitten twice, explained Karon Municipality Tourist Rescue Center Chief Supachai Janpen. “When…
Read More » - Phuket News
A Decade Ago: Parched ground trembles and Big Buddha construction starts
PHUKET: Ground was broken a decade ago for the iconic Big Buddha image, which has already become a reassuring and dominating fixture on the skyline of southern Phuket. “The world’s biggest meditating Buddha [Pang Manravichai] should be finished in the next three years,” Suporn Vanichakul, who remains the head of the project committee, told the Gazette in 2005. Ten years…
Read More » - Phuket News
Police arrest Chalong killer
PHUKET: Police have arrested the gunman who shot and killed a man in the Chalong Pier parking lot on Friday. Kanawat Thingwai, 21, and his two accomplices, 18-year-old Ekkasit Kongsomot and a 17-year-old minor named by police only as ‘Don’, were arrested yesterday at a house in Rawai, Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit said this morning. The three men drove…
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