Year: 2015
- Phuket News
Saphan Hin curfew starts Monday
PHUKET: Phuket Municipality, in conjunction with the Phuket City Police, have announced new curfews for Sapan Hin in an effort to reduce teen violence in the area. The new policy follows orders from the Phuket Provincial Office to strengthen security at Saphan Hin after gang violence led to the shooting death of a 15-year-old bystander during the final hours of…
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Navy steps in to untangle fishing conflicts
PHUKET: The water around Phuket started to heat up when two groups with dramatically different commercial fishing practices clashed this week. To bring order to the situation, the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center Area 3 was forced to step in and establish a tentative plan to resolve the conflict between Satun and Phuket fishermen. “The first complaint I received was…
Read More » - World News
At least 120 killed in Paris attacks
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community At least 120 people killed in Paris ‘terror’ attacks Phuket Gazette/The Nation PARIS: Police in the French capital are reporting that at least 80 people were killed in a mass hostage-taking at a Paris concert hall Friday evening, with many more feared dead after a series…
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Finance: Untangling international pensions
PHUKET: I have never had so many questions and so many misunderstandings of the current options with regard to pensions for international expats as have arisen over the last year. It doesn’t help that governments are changing their rules faster than ever. Today I will give a brief overview of the current situation for UK expats. First I will address…
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Opinion: Phuket beach confusion never ceases to amaze
PHUKET: The establishment of Patong Beach as the first strand to implement the ’10 per cent’ rule on beach use brings yet another surprising development in the utterly confusing and unpredictable effort to restore some semblance of order and predictability to Phuket’s beaches. When the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) took power more than a year ago, the…
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Phuket King’s Cup Regatta to set sail
PHUKET: One of the standout international sporting events in the Asia region, the 29th annual Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Under Royal Patronage, prepares to set sail once again, swelling Phuket visitor numbers and making a large contribution to overall tourism performance. The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta 2015 will be held at Kata Beach Resort and Spa from December 5 to…
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Police slap Facebook ranter with Computer Crimes Act
KRABI: Police hit a Krabi woman with the Computer Crimes Act after she posted a Facebook video of herself verbally attacking the quality of police officers. Sukanya Laiban, 23, recorded the video clip after Sen Sgt Maj Pratum Srichana of the Krabi City Police forced her to move her car from a no parking zone. “In the video, she claims…
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Squatters flee plantation fearing forceful removal by government
KRABI: About 200 squatters fled a Krabi oil palm plantation in fear that excessive force would be used to remove them today. A letter signed by Krabi Governor Pinij Boonlert explained that previous negotiations that failed to move the protesters off the land had led to violent attacks by the squatters. He did not address claims of excessive force being…
Read More » - Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Secret masochists
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
Read More » - Thai Life
Books: Sally Mann’s treasure trove of memorabilia
PHUKET: Eloquent, exasperating, pretentious, earthy, fustian, laugh-out-loud funny, Sally Mann’s Hold Still (Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2015, 482pp) – billed as ‘A Memoir with Photographs’ – is very much a mixed bag. Unlike other photographers who roam the world, Sally Mann found her material at home in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Lugging around a 100-year-old rosewood box-camera mounted on…
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Captain severely burned in boat fire
PHUKET: A speedboat captain was severely burned after a fire broke out on a vessel in Pa Khlok yesterday. Rainbow Runner captain Narong Looklek, 42, was cleaning the back of the boat at Jandara Pier when the fire started. All passengers had already disembarked. The fire caused a small explosion, during which Mr Narong suffered burns to about 40 per…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Bangkok bomb suspects set to be indicted
BANGKOK: The Military Court’s prosecutors are expected to indict the two suspects accused of involvement in the two bomb explosions in Bangkok in August, the lawyer for one of the suspects said yesterday. Kanchai Choochart, representing Bilal Muhammed, 24, said he would outline the defense plan once his client had been indicted. He was speaking at the Military Court after…
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Phuket teen dies in crash with parked truck
PHUKET: One teenager died and another was seriously injured when their motorbike crashed into a parked pick-up truck in Thalang early this morning. Natchanon Boonjan, 17, died at the scene while his 17-year-old passenger, Preechaporn Sae Eung, was rushed to Thalang Hospital with severe head injuries. “We received the report at about 3:30am,” confirmed Lt Col Sanit Nukong of the…
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Thailand returns rescued orangutans to Indonesia
BANGKOK: A group of smuggled orangutans were returned from Thailand to Indonesia yesterday following years of diplomatic wrangling over who will care for them after the majority were discovered abandoned on a roadside. Previous Thai governments sought compensation from Indonesia for the cost of housing and treating the 14 apes, but the junta government in Bangkok recently waived those demands…
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Navy denies taking Phuket beach bribes
PHUKET: The Navy denied yesterday that officers had taken bribes to secure jobs for Phuket beach vendors. “We received a complaint that someone was using our name to extort money from the island’s beach vendors,” said Sayan Prasongsamrej, commander of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command. “We will track down whoever is falsely presenting themselves as a member of…
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Phuket airport taxi driver fired for selling tour packages
PHUKET: The airport taxi driver who was under investigation after a social media post from a passenger went viral last week has been fired, confirmed Phuket Land and Transport (PLTO) Chief Policy Adviser Jaturong Kaewkasi. Montira Sakorn’s Facebook post alleged that the taxi she hired from the airport to Patong failed to bring her and her boyfriend to their destination.…
Read More » - World News
Where are the world’s child brides?
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Where are the world’s child brides? Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Guatemala has raised the minimum age for marriage, but worldwide one in fourgirls are married before the age of 18. A global push to end child marriage has seen the rates of child marriage slowly…
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Facebook reports spike in government requests for data
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Facebook reports spike in government requests for data Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Facebook Inc said in a report on Wednesday that government demands for its user data surged in the first half of 2015, taking a trend that began at least two years ago when…
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Millions more using contraception, especially in South Asia, Africa: Report
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Millions more using contraception, especially in South Asia, Africa-report Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A record 290.6 million women and girls in the world’s poorest nations are using modern methods of contraception, averting millions of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, a global family planning rights group…
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Obama calls Myanmar president, endorses election as Suu Kyi eyes majority
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obama calls Myanmar president, endorses election as Suu Kyi eyes majority Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: U.S. President Barack Obama called Myanmar President Thein Sein on Thursday to congratulate him on successfully staging a historic general election in which democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi trounced…
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Woman attacked by hotel guards left to die
KRABI: A Krabi woman escaped death after two hotel security guards brutally stabbed her 20 times early Monday morning. Siriporn Jongrak, 29, was driving home from night work in Ao Nang when she was kicked off her bike, robbed and attacked near Chang See cave in Tai Sai. The two suspects got away with her iPhone and cash, leaving Ms…
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East Meets West Garage Sale pulls into port at Boat Arcade
PHUKET: Treasure hunters should start clearing their calendars for this Saturday as the 2nd East Meets West Garage Sale lands at the new Boat Arcade edutainment and family center in the Phuket Boat Lagoon. The 70-plus stalls featured at the venue will be providing treasure troves of high-quality second hand items, plus a selection of top fashion brands. The last…
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Hundreds to gather for charity bike ride for slain officer
PHUKET: Hundreds of Phuket’s bikers will join together for a charity bike ride to raise funds for the family of the Tah Chat Chai police officer who was killed by a drunk driver on Monday (story here). Captain Suthat Songmuang was preparing for his role as part of the security team for the visit of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn…
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PEA announces more long term blackouts
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has announced yet another disheartening wave of blackouts to carry out maintenance work on high-voltage power lines from November 17-27, confirmed PEA staff member Veera Rairub. “We are sorry for any inconvenience. However, this is our ‘monthly checkup and maintenance period’ and these power outages are necessary in order to continue to provide…
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Highway police bust four people at checkpoint with 13 bags of kratom
KRABI: Phang Nga Highway Police arrested four people, including one minor, at a Krabi checkpoint yesterday for the possession of 130 kilograms of kratom. Kitti Kongderm, 33; Chalee Kongderm, 30; Nuchanat Chorfai, 27 and a 17-year-old minor referred to by police only as ‘Daeng’, were driving two separate cars, carrying a total of 13 bags of fresh kratom leaves. “During…
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Tourists rescued from sinking speedboat
KRABI: A speedboat captain was forced to beach his boat full of Chinese tourists after it started taking on water in Phang Nga Bay yesterday. “The boat, Nong Hong Te, started taking on water at about 6:20pm near Koh Kai [Chicken Island] during a day-trip from Krabi,” explained Krabi Marine Police Chief Anurak Parinyasathiragul. “The captain decided that the best…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Anni Flynn set to take on world of flowboarding
PHUKET: Phuket’s own surf superstar, Annissa Flynn, is about to take on the world. Already a well-respected pro on Asia’s surf scene, for the past two year’s Anni has been working her way up the rankings for the new water-bound sport, flowboarding, where the surf runs uphill. The flowboarding phenomenon is spreading across Asia, with artificial surf machines popping up…
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Phuket receives big budget for CCTV cameras
PHUKET: The Department of Tourism has approved a 117-million-baht budget for Phuket to set up 120 new CCTV cameras throughout the island. Under the campaign ‘Phuket, a peaceful city’, the installation of the cameras aims to boost island security, as well as to assure the safety of locals and tourists, confirmed Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. The budget has been utilized…
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Nai Harn museum re-designed to save pine grove
PHUKET: The Nai Harn Movie Museum will be re-designed to ensure that none of the pine trees along the beach front will be cut down. The change in plans to the 40-million-baht facility comes after locals tied pieces of saffron fabric around the trees, threatening to have hundreds protest. “We planned to cut down the trees because the roots can…
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Cop-slaying drunk driver hit with civil case
PHUKET: A civil case was brought against the drunk minivan driver who killed an on-duty police officer on Monday. Sen Sgt Maj Suthat Songmuang, father of two, was promoted to Captain postmortem before he was buried yesterday. Region 8 Police gave 100,000 baht to his family. However, a civil lawsuit for further compensation was filed against the driver, 25-year-old Pichitpol…
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“Missing’ Irish teacher locked up for drunk driving
PHUKET: The Phuket Tourist Police search for an Irish teacher who disappeared Saturday night came to a screeching halt after the Patong Police revealed that the 35-year-old man had been locked up for drunk driving. Eion Cahill, a teacher at Satree Phuket School, was released on bail at 10:30 this morning. “Mr Cahill’s friends last saw him at Tai Pan…
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Officials table banning destructive diving practice
PHUKET: Authorities are looking to ban destructive dive practices that have been developed on Phi Phi Island to cater to mass tourism. Officials are specifically looking to ban a practice they are calling ‘Try Diving’. “In this case, ‘Try Diving’ is where people with no dive experience at all are brought to a shallow reef to walk around and see…
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Wastewater flow on Karon Beach not hotels’ fault, says official
PHUKET: The foul black water that flowed across Karon Beach on Thursday was not connected to any hotel in the area improperly discharging untreated wastewater, confirmed officials. However, it was untreated wastewater. “The problem, which was caused by officers fixing some pipes, was blown out of proportion by people sharing photos and spreading rumors on social media sites,” Wanchai Saetan,…
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HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn welcomed to the island
PHUKET: HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn arrived on the island to chair the formal opening of two of Vachira Phuket Hospital’s new buildings yesterday. The ceremony highlighted both the Chalermprakiat 59 Pansa and the Baan Khun Poom buildings. The Khun Poom building was constructed under the request of Princess Sirindhorn in memory of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s grandson, Bhumi Jensen,…
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Participants lining up for next year’s Raceweek
PHUKET: Participants and sponsors are already signing up for next year’s Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek, booking their rooms well in advance at host resorts Cape Panwa Hotel and Kantary Bay Phuket. Returning in 2016 are sponsors Sailescapes, who last year entered a boat and provided charter opportunities for local and international sailors. Joining them are mixed-used developers Absolute World…
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Drunk minivan driver kills Phuket police officer [video]
PHUKET: A drunk minivan driver killed a Phuket police officer after jumping the curb and running over him at a u-turn near Phuket International Airport this morning. Sen Sgt Maj Suthat Songmuang of the Tah Chat Chai Police was on duty at the time and preparing for his role as part of the security team for the visit of HRH…
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Sea Shepherd hunts Interpol-wanted poacher that escaped Phuket
PHUKET: The hunt is back on for the internationally black-listed illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing vessel that slipped through the fingers of Phuket officials earlier this year, confirmed Captain Siddharth Chakravarty of the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin. “The summer fishing season for toothfish starts now, so we have launched this campaign before the Kunlun can do further damage,” Capt…
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