Year: 2015
- Property
Sansiri Plc’s ‘The Deck’ said to be selling hot
PHUKET: Mega property developer Sansiri Plc’s latest project in Phuket, The Deck, is now 100 per cent complete, with only 30 per cent of the units still available for purchase. Of the 270 units in two seven-storey buildings, 60 per cent were sold by July, with 35 per cent taken by Thais and the remainder going to foreigners, including many…
Read More » - Phuket News
Squirrel hunter finds hanged Cambodian near Phuket retreat
PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of a Cambodian national found hanged with his hands bound in a Phuket jungle area yesterday. A 36-year-old Myanmar national discovered the body when he was setting squirrel traps in the wooded area in the vicinity of the Pitak Samanakij Dhamma retreat in Phuket Town. The victim was identified only as Mr Wit, explained…
Read More » - Phuket News
Korean honeymooner dies after diving lesson
PHUKET: Officials are investigating the death of a Korean honeymooner who died after an introductory diving lesson at Koh Hei on Tuesday. Hyunju Ahn, 36, was in about one meter of water with her new husband Minchul Shin, 33, when she informed instructors that she was having trouble. “Diving instructors and staff helped Ms Ahn out of the water. She…
Read More » - Phuket News
Police arrest 13 in kratom bus-delivery bust
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police arrested 13 suspects as they picked up packages containing 41 kilograms of kratom from a bus company office on Tuesday morning. Officers waited at the office of Srisuchart Transport (1989) Co Ltd on bypass road after receiving a tip-off from one of their sources that packages of kratom would be transported from Bangkok on one of…
Read More » - Phuket News
Thanyapura athletes win big at World Travel Joy
PHUKET: It was a clean podium sweep for Thanyapura at the World Travel Joy East Coast Challenge in Ranong last weekend where their athletes won HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Cup in the 151 kilometer race. Phuket’s former Tour de France cyclist Nick Gates triumphed in first place, followed shortly by four-time World Champion Chris McCormack. Clint Kimmins came in…
Read More » - Thai Life
Blazing Saddles: Cycling to great heights
PHUKET: Since the Mingmongkol Buddha was completed on top of Phuket’s Nakkerd Hills in 2010, I’ve felt the spiritual presence of the Gautama watching over me. That may sound rather outlandish, but as I can look westward and see the Buddha from my back bedroom window, it also has some rational underpinning. I particularly feel the Buddha watching whenever I…
Read More » - Phuket News
Paris attack suspect reportedly sighted in Phuket
PHUKET: A man wanted in connection to the devastating terrorist attacks in Paris that left 129 people dead and more than 240 injured was reportedly seen in Phuket earlier this year, a well-informed source within Phuket’s French-speaking community revealed to the Phuket Gazette. Police forces in Europe are currently hunting 26-year-old Brussels-born Abdeslam Salah for his alleged involvement in the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Video Report: Light up the night with Loy Krathong
PHUKET: Tourists and island residents don’t have to go far to explore the wonders of Thailand’s rich cultural heritage as one of the country’s most romantic, tranquil and beautiful holidays is just around the corner. Loy Krathong, the ‘Festival of Light’, takes place on the full moon of the 12th lunar month of the year, falling this year on November…
Read More » - Phuket News
Thalang Police Station rioter arrested for unrelated crime
PHUKET: A teen wanted for his role in the Phuket police station riot last month was arrested for an unrelated crime two weeks ago. The 16-year-old, who police declined to identify, was arrested for possession of kratom in Thalang, explained Thalang Police Superintendent Chanuchan Cholsuwat. “When we ran his name in the system, an arrest warrant for his alleged involvement…
Read More » - World News
Uber can’t appeal class certification order in U.S. driver lawsuit
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Uber can’t appeal class certification order in U.S. driver lawsuit Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday denied ride service Uber’s request to immediately appealan order approving class certification in a lawsuit filed by drivers who wish to be deemed employees. The…
Read More » - Property
Property Watch: Phuket reality versus hype
PHUKET: Phuketians and long-term expatriates will recall the days when moving between beaches and Phuket Town required a scrambler bike due to the lack of roads. Umbrellas were occasionally sighted in Patong near the sandy Bangla Road track. The property market in Phuket and the reasons for Thais and foreigners to invest in Phuket have radically changed, as has the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket to host southern region Bike for Mom photo exhibition
PHUKET: Phuket has been chosen as the southern region’s venue for the Bike for Mom photo exhibition, which will be held November 21-24 at Limelight Avenue. “The exhibition will display the best photos from the Bike for Mom nationwide photo contest and about 1,000 other memorable images for the people of Phuket and the southern region to enjoy,” said Limelight…
Read More » - World News
Myanmar parliament chief asks losing lawmakers to play fair
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar parliament chief asks losing lawmakers to play fair Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Myanmar’s parliament chairman on Monday urged lawmakers from the ruling partythrashed at the polls to play fair in the outgoing legislature’s remaining debates, which could determine the budget a new opposition-led government…
Read More » - World News
Fingerprints from Paris bomber match man registered in Greece – prosecutor
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fingerprints from Paris bomber match man registered in Greece – prosecutor Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Fingerprints from one of the suicide bombers behind the attacks at the Stade de France inParis matched the prints of a man registered in Greece in October, a French prosecutor…
Read More » - World News
On World Toilet Day, one billion people have nowhere to go
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community On World Toilet Day, one billion people have nowhere to go Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Some 2.4 billion people around the world don’t have access to decent sanitation and more than a billion are forced to defecate in the open, risking disease and other dangers,…
Read More » - Cannabis News
A Decade Ago: Chasing the white dragon
PHUKET: Headlines about methamphetamine, kratom, marijuana and even a little cocaine find their way into the Phuket Gazette fairly regularly. But, heroin… that’s a beast that rarely surfaces on this paradise island. There was of course 22-year-old John Cawley, who was busted for running ‘birdie powder’ from Phuket to Koh Samui in 2013, but smack in general is either very…
Read More » - Property
Marriott to buy Starwood to create world’s biggest hotel chain
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international communityMarriott to buy Starwood to create world’s biggest hotel chainPhuket Gazette / ReutersPHUKET: Marriott International Inc (MAR.O) will buy Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc (HOT.N) for $12.2 billion to create the world’s largest hotel chain with top brands including Sheraton, Ritz Carlton and the Autograph Collection. The…
Read More » - Opinion
Opinion: Positive effects of alcohol zones
Pairuch Kulima, 54, has been the chief of the Phuket Excise Office (PEO) since 2011. He is a Phuket native and graduated with a master’s degree in public administration from The National Institute of Development Administration. Here he talks about the responsibilities of the PEO, the pros and cons of selling alcohol and the positive effects that the new alcohol…
Read More » - Business News
Phuket RevPAR takes hit with source market transition
PHUKET: Differences in source markets and government spending have forced Bali and Phuket to take dramatically different approaches to adjusting to the recent tourism climate with regards to balancing occupancy and rates. Hotels and resorts in Bali have taken a mostly unified approach by holding rates and allowing occupancy to dip. In Phuket, however, even within market segments, a number…
Read More » - Phuket News
Kratom package seized at Phuket Town Post Office
PHUKET: Phuket Marine police seized a 5-kilogram package of kratom leaves at the Phuket Town Post Office this afternoon. “After receiving a tip-off about the delivery from our source, we arrived at the post office at 9am,” Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana told Phuket Gazette. “However, when no one showed up by 3pm to claim the package, we seized…
Read More » - World News
Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya see glimmer of hope in Suu Kyi victory
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya see glimmer of hope in Suu Kyi victory Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Noor Bagum would have to have been able to vote for Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) but, like the majority of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority,…
Read More » - Phuket News
Illegal migrant workers, boat captain arrested
PHUKET: Three illegal migrant workers were arrested on a fishing boat during a random check by the Phuket Marine Police and the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command on Friday. “Myanmar nationals Jor Heng, 30; Nai, 25; and Mong Pu, 24, were arrested on Choksarawut 18 at Ao Makham port, along with the boat’s captain Kittisak Limwattanakpat, 37,” confirmed Phuket…
Read More » - Opinion
Island View: Facebook an invaluable moving tool
PHUKET: Being a newcomer to the island, I can’t help but marvel at the relative ease with which the transition was made. I had visited Phuket a few years ago as a tourist and fallen in love with it. This year, I decided to move here to pursue certification for Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). After a quick…
Read More » - Phuket News
First Aid Center opens on Koh Racha
PHUKET: A First Aid Center was officially opened on Koh Racha yesterday in an effort to provide medical facilities to sick or injured tourists. “The reason we started one on Koh Racha was that the island is quite far from the nearest hospital,” said Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Phuket Office. “We plan on eventually…
Read More » - World News
Regional tensions, Paris attacks hang over APEC summit
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Regional tensions, Paris attacks hang over APEC summit Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Regional tensions over the South China Sea and security concerns after the attack by Islamistmilitants on Paris could eclipse efforts by Pacific-rim leaders this week to boost trade and growth across a region…
Read More » - Phuket News
Mobile units to tackle Phuket speed demons
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Government has asked that the Royal Highway Police step in to help bring the deadly chaos on Phuket’s roads to a potentially manageable level. “There are three types of factors that lead to the number of accidents on our roads: the driver, the vehicle and road conditions,” said Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat last week. “We are…
Read More » - World News
France in shock after Islamist attacks
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community France in shock after Islamist attacksPhuket Gazette / ReutersPHUKET: French prosecutors said on Saturday that three coordinated teams of gunmen and suicide bombers carried out a wave of attacks across Paris that killed 129 people in what President Francois Hollande called an “act of war” by Islamic…
Read More » - Thailand News
Over 600,000 riders registered for Bike for Dad
BANGKOK: More than 600,000 people throughout Thailand and overseas have registered for the upcoming Bike for Dad event – the historic cycling parade to mark the 88th birthday of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Krisda Boonraj, permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, said about 100,000 of the registered participants were from Bangkok, with the majority of the rest being from the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Oil smuggler busted in Phuket waters
PHUKET: An oil smuggler was busted in Phuket yesterday after officials discovered 500 liters of illegal oil in a hold on a fishing vessel. “Acting on a tip-off, we tracked down Kor Sinsomboon 2 at about 11:30am. The captain was unable to produce his captain’s licence. However, the sea was too rough to search the vessel, so we escorted Manoon…
Read More » - Phuket News
Three Phuket “virgin beaches’ revealed
PHUKET: Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat announced the designation of the island’s first three “virgin beaches” last week, after revealing the plan to have such beaches to the public on October 31 (story here). Freedom Beach, Nui Beach and Lay Pang Beach were all named by Vice Governor Chokdee as beaches that will soon return to their natural state. “There are…
Read More » - Phuket News
University aids in Phuket safe-sex campaign
PHUKET: University students helped the Phuket Loves You Club (PLU) with a safe-sex campaign in which they distributed thousands of condoms to locations on Soi Paradise in Patong and Prince of Songkla University (PSU). About 200 PSU students packed 20,000 of the 100,000 condoms donated to PLU by Carex into individual packages with lubricant and a safe-sex message written in…
Read More » - Property
Residing in the luxury of a steadfast market
PHUKET: While those involved in many segments of the Phuket property market are having to carefully navigate through times, those in the luxury residential market continue to enjoy smooth sailing. “Premium luxury residential markets across the world are not directly impacted by market fluctuations in domestic housing sectors,” explains Micah Tamthai, vice president – real estate, Minor International, ahead of…
Read More » - Business News
Business Buzz: Learning from industry leaders
PHUKET: While recently I talked about focusing on your customer, not your competitor, it is also a very good idea to see what the leaders in your industry are doing and get creative ideas and inspiration from the best. If you are a small to medium enterprise, then there is a very high chance that you do not have a…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket moment of silence for Paris attack victims
PHUKET: The French Consulate in Phuket has invited the public to come together in a moment of silence at 6 tonight for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris (story here). “It is requested from the French Embassy in Bangkok to call on all French nationals who live in the area to join in the moment of silence,” French…
Read More » - Phuket News
Violence breaks out at Krabi Airport
KRABI: Violence broke out at Krabi International Airport yesterday between locals and squatters protesting their removal from a palm oil plantation earlier that day (story here). Dozens of locals were upset at the protesters, who had moved from the plantation to the airport after being forced off the land by Krabi police and related officials, stating that it gave Krabi…
Read More » - Phuket News
Patong restaurant fire quickly extinguished
PHUKET: Municipality workers were able to quickly extinguish a restaurant fire on Taweewong Road in Patong this morning. A firetruck and three water trucks put out the flames in about 5 minutes, Patong Municipality Fire Department Officer Sampawat Wannasangkam told the Phuket Gazette. The fire started in the kitchen of Chabadang at about 10am. The structure incurred only minor damages.…
Read More » - Phuket News
Umbrella zones pop up on Kata, Karon and Surin beaches
PHUKET: The 10 per cent beach management zone policy first established in Patong (see here) was expanded to Kata, Karon and Surin this week. “Each local government has already measured and decided where the zones will be,” Vice Governor Chokdee said, as he led a team that was establishing temporary landmarks for the zones. Two umbrella zones were set up…
Read More »
