Month: October 2015
- Phuket News
Phuket Riot: Police deny planting drugs
PHUKET: Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit this morning denied that officers planted drugs on the bodies of the two men killed in a police chase on Saturday. Patomwat Panarak, 22, and Teerapong Srisamut, 17, allegedly refused to be searched at a checkpoint and fled the scene. They were brought to a stop after their motorbike and a police vehicle collided.…
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Police delay seeking arrest warrants for Phuket rioters
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police have identified nine people as instigators in the violent attack on Thalang Police Station last week. “We are very clear on who these individuals are and where they live. However, we will be collecting more evidence before asking the court to issue arrest warrants,” Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit said this morning. “We will seek the…
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Phuket bouncers’ conduct to be reviewed after brutal beating
PHUKET: President of the Patong Entertainment Business Association Weerawit Kurasombat has called on representatives from nightlife venues in Patong to gather tomorrow to review policies concerning the conduct of bouncers. “I plan to implement strict rules about the use of violence by security,” Mr Weerawit said. “If any bouncer at any club is violent with a tourist, the club will…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Riot: Cause of motorists’ deaths confirmed, intent under investigation
PHUKET: The cause for the two men’s deaths that was the catalyst for the Phuket riot has been confirmed. However, Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat will continue his investigation for the Ministry of Interior on whether or not the officers who crashed into the men’s motorbike were using excessive force. “A doctor has verified that Patomwat Panarak, 22, and Teerapong…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Bangkok Airways’ Phuket-Hat Yai route launched
PHUKET: Bangkok Airways officially launched its daily direct flights between Phuket and Hat Yai on Sunday. Bangkok Airways will serve daily flights between Phuket and Hat Yai, on a 70-seat ATR72-500/600, with flights from Phuket to Hat Yai departing at 7:25am and arriving in Hat Yai at 8:30am and Hat Yai to Phuket departing at 9:10am and arriving in Phuket…
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Go Teng poles raised, Phuket Vegetarian Festival underway
PHUKET: Vegetarian Festival participants raised Go Teng poles at every Chinese shrine in Phuket at sunset yesterday to allow the Jade Emperor, one of the Nine Emperor Gods, to descend from the heavens – marking the start of the 2015 festivities. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada was one of hundreds of white-clad observers who attended the pole raising at the Jui…
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Injured police say no force used against protesters
PHUKET: Some police officers injured during the Phuket riot testified yesterday that they did not respond violently when protesters attacked them. About 20 policemen were injured when protesters threw rocks, bricks and wooden objects at them, Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat explained. Mueang Police Superintendent Sompong Boonyarat, Kamala Police Deputy Superintendent Boriboon Yusuksomboon and Lt Col Akanit all gave…
Read More » - Opinion
Opinion: Government, police, families have much to answer for after riot
PHUKET: Violence of any kind, regardless of who is involved, should be condemned in the strongest terms. But in the case of the 12-hour riot on Phuket over the weekend, it’s hard not to have at least some sympathy for those who instigated it. The mayhem was the direct result of the killing of two alleged drug dealers who were…
Read More » - Thai Life
Life of a ma song
PHUKET: One of the most famous ceremonies that is synonymous with Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival, or Jia Chai, is the soul-stirring parade of ‘ma song’ (‘spirit mediums), who are often seen stabbing objects through their cheeks or slashing their tongues with knives, as they believe this sacrifice will take away bad fortune, sickness and danger from those who take part in…
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One dead as mob blockade delays rescue efforts
PHUKET: A Phuket rescue worker believes that the rioters who attacked Thalang Police Station and blockaded Thepkrasattri Road (story here) might have played a role in the death of a patient who was being transferred from a hospital in Krabi to a better equipped Phuket hospital. “An ambulance from Krabi was blocked from going to Bangkok Hospital Phuket by the…
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Violent Phuket rioters to be hunted down
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada today swore to bring to justice the rioters who attacked Thalang Police Station on Saturday night. “I am sorry for the deaths of the two men; they were Phuket people. However, anyone who breaks the law must face justice. The people who set fire to the cars will not escape,” Governor Chamroen said. The investigation…
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Flash floods hit Chalong
PHUKET: Heavy rains drenched Chalong, causing flash floods, while other parts of the island have remained sunny today. Lt Chollada Chokdeesrijun of the Chalong Police warned motorists to beware of flooding in the area after nearly an hour of heavy rain fall. “Small vehicles have started to be able to pass the area, as the water level is getting lower,”…
Read More » - Business News
Laguna Tri-Fest draws Chinese numbers
PHUKET: Rising Chinese numbers at the Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest bodes well for years ahead, as the classic Phuket event looks to generate more than 90 million baht this year. “In the past two years, we’ve seen more than 50 per cent growth [in the number] of athletes from China, both at the Laguna Phuket International Marathon in June and…
Read More » - Opinion
Island View: Indication of the inconsiderate
PHUKET: A few weeks back, driving from the Heroines Monument to Phuket Town, I was nearly run off the road half a dozen times by drivers who – other than not paying attention to their wing mirrors – failed to indicate while changing lanes. By the time I made it home, I was pretty much a nervous wreck. And, since…
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Phuket-Satun bus fire claims life of 12-year-old
PHUKET: A fire that broke out on a Phuket-Satun bus on Wednesday claimed the life of a 12-year-old girl on Saturday, confirmed Lt Sorasak Jandee of the Takua Thung Police. The girl, named by police only as Panida, is the second of four victims admitted to the Phang Nga Hospital ICU to die from smoke inhalation. The other two victims…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Phuket real estate shrugs off Bangkok slowdown
PHUKET: In terms of property, Phuket seems to be worlds away from Bangkok, where the market has experienced a slowdown, mostly because the island is more affected by events outside of Thailand than inside the Kingdom, Robert Collins, managing director of Savills (Thailand), said earlier this week. Because the Bangkok market has dipped, three real-estate associations recently urged the government…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket mob attack on police yields results
PHUKET: Tension between police and local residents in Phuket province that escalated into a riot at a local police station on Saturday evening appeared to ease after an inquiry panel was formed to look into the death of two young men during a police pursuit. Police representatives met with families and relatives of Pathomwat Panarak, 22 and a 17-year-old teen,…
Read More » - Business News
Business Buzz: Test to see if social media will work for your business
PHUKET: One of the most common objections people have about using social media is that, while they understand it works for other people, they think their business is different and it will not work for them. So I have put together a quick test to see if social media would benefit you: Do you have a website?Do you need more…
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Investment strategies for large sums of cash
PHUKET: Consider the following investing dilemma: You have recently received a large sum of money (from a pension payout, inheritance, the sale of property or a business) and you want to put this money to work for you. However, interest rates and returns on what are considered to be the safest investments (for example US and European bank deposits and…
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Locals attack Phuket police station, set fire to cop cars
PHUKET: An angry mob attacked Thalang Police Station and blockaded Thepkrasattri Road in an attempt to get to Superintendent Amnuay Kraiwuttianan last night. The group of about 60 of the protesters descended on the station at about 6pm, setting fire to at least six police vehicles. The outraged mob claimed that police used excessive force in their attempt to arrest…
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Police arrest minivan driver for drug running
PHUKET: Police last night arrested a van driver at the Tah Chat Chai Checkpoint after officers discovered 3,921 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and four grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) in the vehicle he was driving. The driver, Sutthichai Kongsamut, 34, told police that he was running methamphetamine for a drug lord operating out of a prison in Nakhon Sri…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket-Satun bus fire claims second life
PHUKET: One of the four victims admitted to Phang Nga Hospital ICU from a Phuket-Satun bus fire died from smoke inhalation on Thursday. Sunisa Chookaew, 25, was the second person to die from injuries sustained in the fire. Daeng Thaharat, 76, was pronounced dead at the scene. Three others remain in comas at the hospital. On Wednesday, a total of…
Read More » - Phuket News
Gov disbands Phuket haze committee
PHUKET: The committee monitoring the Indonesian haze that descended on Phuket earlier this week was disbanded by Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada yesterday. “Even though we have officially closed down the committee, all officers remain on call in case the issue arises again,” Governor Chamroen said. “At this stage, we will continue to monitor the air pollution levels – it is…
Read More » - Property
Castlewood Group to open Phuket flagship, luxury hotel
PHUKET: Singapore commercial real estate developer Castlewood Group has announced the launch of their flagship luxury hotel development in Phuket, the Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa. This is the first project cementing the recently established strategic partnership with Début Hotel Group – a part of the New York-based Hampshire Brand, Hotel and Asset Management – for the development and operation…
Read More » - Phuket News
Gazette’s Vegetarian Festival’s must sees [video]
PHUKET: As the sun sets on Phuket on October 12, all Chinese shrines taking part in the annual Vegetarian Festival will raise their go-teng poles so that the Jade Emperor, among the Nine Emperor Gods, can descend from the heavens, heralding the beginning of this year’s event. It can all be overwhelming for first timers. So, here at the Gazette,…
Read More » - Phuket News
A Decade Ago: Do you remember the TTVI Center?
PHUKET: Those new to the island – relatively speaking – might not have the visceral churning in their guts when they hear the name ‘TTVI center’. However, island residents who were here at least a decade ago know that TTVI stands for Thai Tsunami Victim Identification. The center was tasked with identifying 3,777 of the bodies recovered from the six…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Town meth network unraveled, guns seized
PHUKET: Police confiscated four firearms, 194 rounds of ammunition, 3,507 ya ba (methamphetamine) pills and 31 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) during a two-day raid on a Phuket Town drug network. “The contraband seized was in the possession of the four suspects we arrested,” Lt Col Prawit Engchuan of Phuket Provincial Police said yesterday. The string of arrests started…
Read More » - Opinion
Opinion: Action against smog
PHUKET: The unprecedented expanse of smog blanketing Phuket in recent months has quite rightly trained the spotlight on Indonesia, where out-of-control forest fires continue to belch smoke into the atmosphere at a dangerous rate. Although illegal in Indonesia, ‘slash-and-burn’ land clearing techniques that set off these annual conflagrations have long been a source of friction between Indonesia and its neighbors,…
Read More » - Thai Life
Looking Back: Turmoil in the Rakhine State part II
PHUKET: Let’s pick up the story of the Rohingya were we left off last month In year 1826, the British invaded and took control of Arakan after the first Anglo-Burmese War. By this time the Arakan region, plagued by war, was critically depopulated. Farms had been left untended for many years. The British encouraged native Bengali farmers as well as…
Read More » - Thai Life
Excuse Buster: Digging into intermittent fasting
PHUKET: Intermittent fasting is all the rage at the moment with diets such as the 5:2 Diet going mainstream and becoming a big hit. Could temporarily abstaining from food be healthy, or is this practice potentially setting a person up for trouble? As a nutritionist, it goes against one of the original rules we were taught to preach such as:…
Read More » - Phuket News
Cobra caught in Phuket expat’s shoe rack
PHUKET: An expat and his wife received quite a surprise when they discovered a 1.5 meter cobra relaxing in a shoe rack inside their Ao Yon home this morning. The pair called Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers as the snake made its way out of the house and into an old broken boat in their garden. Rescue workers spent about 40…
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Phuket air pollution back to safe level
PHUKET: Air pollution levels in Phuket have dropped back down to safe levels today, following the Indonesian haze descending on Phuket this week. “The 24-hour average was down to 89 micrograms [PM10] per cubic meter, which is already within safe limits,” said Pornsri Suthanarak, the director of the Regional Environmental Office. Average air pollution levels climbed up to 201 earlier…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Governor cautious, but ready to demolish Surin beach clubs
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada vowed to be cautious in his dealings with the numerous beach businesses, including several iconic beach clubs, occupying government buildings along Surin Beach. “If it was up to me, I would have them torn down,” Governor Chamroen said yesterday. “However, I don’t have the authority to do that. We will need to review the appropriate…
Read More » - Phuket News
Haze causes more delays for flights at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: All flights were back on schedule by noon today after seven planes were delayed due to the dense Indonesian haze, confirmed Amnuay Sarachart, deputy director of the AoT Phuket Office. “However, we are worried about the conditions tonight and will be monitoring visibility closely,” said Mr Amnuay. This morning, pollution levels from the haze continued to climb with an…
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Phuket night club fires bouncers after brutal beating of Aussie tourists
PHUKET: Management from the White Room Night Club in Patong today denounced the violent actions of five of their bouncers in a confrontation with six Australian tourists last night. A video of security guards brutally beating two of the Australian tourists was shared on Facebook and quickly went viral. “We, the management of White Room Night Club, are shocked and…
Read More » - Phuket News
Aircraft fleet to combat fires, Indonesia consul tells Phuket Governor
PHUKET: A multi-national fleet of aircraft are expected to arrive in Indonesia today or tomorrow to help combat the forest fires that are belching haze across the region, Indonesian Consul Triyogo Jatmiko told Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada today. “We are very aware of the serious impact that the forest fires are having. So, as ordered by President Joko Widodo, we…
Read More » - Thai Life
Temptations galore at Baba Iki
PHUKET: Iki is best described as an expression of simplicity, sophistication, spontaneity, and originality. The phrase iki is generally used in Japanese culture to describe qualities that are aesthetically appealing, and when applied to a person, what they do or have, constitutes a high compliment. It is a broad term that encompasses various characteristics related to refinement with flair. The…
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