Year: 2015
- Property
Phuket Pads: Nai Harn condo goes big
PHUKET: Nai Harn Beach, which some say is one of the most popular on the island with the nearby lake attracting many tourists and locals who regularly walk or exercise around it, is getting the biggest condo development in the south of the island, due for completion in 2017. This is a much welcomed addition to Nai Harn and the…
Read More » - Business News
Dermatology stakes claim in Thai medical tourism industry
PHUKET: Dermatology is staking its claim in Thailand’s developing medical-tourism sector, a growth which is due in part to an increasing number of highly qualified dermatologists, state-of-the-art treatments and affordable services. Romrawin Clinic, with two of its branches located in Phuket, has taken advantage of the demand for dermatological procedures and is now at the forefront of the business with…
Read More » - Business News
Business Buzz: The beauty of Instagram
HUKET: Instagram as we know it is changing, but that can be a good thing if you are a business looking to increase your exposure. Instagram is a photo-sharing app that reportedly has more than 300 million monthly users. It is very popular with people born in the 80s and 90s, who account for more than 37% per cent of…
Read More » - Phuket News
Busted: Paying gambling debt as drug mule
PHUKET: Two men were caught in Phang Nga attempting to smuggle more than 25,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills into Surat Thani on Wednesday. Sophon ‘Khong’ Suwannarat, 37, confessed to police that he had agreed to transport the drugs in order to pay off a 50,000-baht gambling debt, while Paisarn Ratmanee, 40, denied any knowledge of the drugs. “Police were tipped…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket told to conserve power ahead of energy shortage
PHUKET: The Energy Ministry alerted all residents on Phuket to conserve power to prevent outages from July 21 to July 25, as a major gas field supply line in the Gulf of Thailand will be upgraded during this period. Director-General of the Energy Policy and Planning Office Chavalit Pichalai revealed that the country will be losing around 420 million standard…
Read More » - Phuket News
TCT dominates over Phuket Asian Cricket Team
PHUKET: The Outrigger T20 cricket league commenced on Sunday at the Alan Cooke Ground with the Thalang Cricket Team (TCT) having an easy win over the newly formed Phuket Asian Cricket Team (PACT). PACT won the toss and made the unusual decision to field first with their team only having seven players present. The new side, who is representing the…
Read More » - Opinion
Opinion: Uphill safety battles
PHUKET: Accidents happen every day on the island – whether they are caused by drunk driving, running a red light or something else. I argue that the most serious accidents on our island occur during the rainy season on the hills in Patong, Kamala, Surin and Kata. Maybe some of these accidents are caused by ‘slippery roads’, as is often…
Read More » - Phuket News
Proposed sweeping alcohol-sales ban worries Phuket officials
PHUKET: Island officials have expressed concern about an alcohol sales ban expected to take effect next week that will affect all businesses within a 300-meter radius of academic institutions. Despite their concerns, local authorities have noted that they will have to obey and enforce the new regulation, although some believe it will have a negative effect on businesses. “The draft…
Read More » - Thai Life
Health: Dodging bullets with agility
PHUKET: Agility ladders, a staple of sports training when victory can hang on the athlete’s ability to turn quickly, have moved into mainstream gyms where fitness experts say they are helping everyday exercisers be nimble and quick. Jumping, running, marching and hopscotching through the grids on the floor have become an added feature in personal training and group fitness classes.…
Read More » - Phuket News
Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek underway
PHUKET: The Race Management team had a busy few hours looking for wind on day one of the 2015 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek. Motoring around the southeast coast of Phuket, Simon James and his team had to postpone the start as they tracked down the breeze. Despite the storm clouds over the island’s south, the rains held off and…
Read More » - Thai Life
Looking back: Gambling through the decades
PHUKET: Gambling, in all its forms, is illegal in Thailand. But despite the fact that it has been outlawed for several decades, it is still a popular ‘recreation’ for many Thais. Underground gambling dens throughout the country do very well, and casinos, located in towns like Poipet, just over the Cambodian border, are mainly Thai owned and often packed with…
Read More » - Property
Property: Middlemen scuttle many large property deals
PHUKET: After 12 years in Thailand helping international investment funds and property groups to buy big-ticket real estate, particularly hotels and resorts, the founder of ThaiEstate Asia Group knows too well that it is the middlemen who have ruined many a good transaction. Lars Lang chose his words carefully in voicing his frustration with middlemen and the way the market…
Read More » - Phuket News
Official denies knowledge of two-month illegal fishing grace period
PHUKET: The head of Phuket’s Port In-Port Out Center (PIPO) has denied knowledge of a reported two-month grace period during which unregistered fishing boats can continue to fish while they become legal. “I have spoken with relevant officers today, and no one has received any official notice informing us that we should allow unregistered vessels to take to sea to…
Read More » - Business News
Finance: Rising interest rates won’t kill REITs
PHUKET: Many investors looking for yields and exposure to real estate have piled into Real Estate Income Trusts (REITs) despite the prevailing investment wisdom being any eventual rise in interest rates will be a disaster for the sector. After all, REITs rely heavily on borrowing to acquire real estate with interest payments on this debt usually being their biggest expense.…
Read More » - Phuket News
Man on the run after shooting father-in-law
PHUKET: Police are searching for a man who allegedly shot his father-in-law on Wednesday at about noon. Thanyawat Matchiwong, 28, is on the run after he allegedly shot and injured his father-in-law Juang Chuayboonchu, 77, at his home. “We had an argument on the phone about an hour beforehand. Thanyawat said he would kill my family and I, and then…
Read More » - Phuket News
Kbank services unavailable for 48 hours starting tomorrow
PHUKET: Kasikorn Bank (Kbank) is urging its customers to prepare for a 48-hour suspension of most of its services, which starts tomorrow night. The plan to pause banking services for 48 hours to improve the bank system was announced early last week (story here). “Kasikorn Bank branches will be open per usual on Friday, but we will temporarily close from…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket lifeguards build bluebottle warning signs after sightings
PHUKET: The Phuket Lifeguard Club (PLC) is in the process of creating signs to warn tourists about the dangers of bluebottle ‘jellyfish’, which have recently been found on several of the island’s west-coast beaches. Dozens of bluebottles, also known as Portuguese man o’ war, were found at Mai Khao, Nai Thon, Nai Harn and Patong Beach on Tuesday. Though rarely…
Read More » - Thai Life
Tank Returns: Phuket’s beloved DJ back on the scene
PHUKET: One of the island’s most beloved residents, Tom Saharut Somsanuk, perhaps more well known as ‘DJ Tank’, has been taking it easy after a health scare in April, but now he is all juiced up, ready to rock and raring to come back – harder, better, faster, stronger – to the Phuket party scene. With a larger-than-life personality and…
Read More » - Phuket News
Uprooted banyan tree damages school
PHUKET: Strong winds uprooted a banyan tree, causing it to fall on a wall of Plukpanya School early yesterday morning. No one was hurt in the incident. The banyan tree was quickly removed after Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana and municipality officials rushed to the school. “The was growing in Pavilions Phuket Hotel’s compound, which is next door to the…
Read More » - Opinion
Opinion: Use Article 44 to take down the dolphinarium
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette endorses the recent call by SKAL and several other groups in petitioning Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul to put to an end, once and for all, to the plans to open a “dolphinarium” in Chalong. In their letter to the minister, SKAL makes a succinct yet highly compelling 12-point argument against the dolphinarium, which has…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Police seize 70kg kratom in two busts
For an in-depth look at kratom culture in Phuket and Thailand, pick up a copy of the Phuket Gazette hard-copy newspaper, available in Phuket, Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Koh Samui on Saturday. PHUKET: Three suspects were arrested in two separate operations in Phuket Town and Thalang this week for allegedly having a total of 70 kilograms of kratom leaves…
Read More » - Cannabis News
Alleged Aussie drug dealer netted in Patong
PHUKET: An Australian alleged drug dealer was arrested in Patong on Tuesday in possession of cocaine and marijuana. Named by police as Miki Michael Lee, 48, the Aussie was caught in a rented room on Soi Nanai with 1 gram of cocaine and 29.3g of marijuana. “Our undercover officers informed us that Mr Lee was selling cocaine and marijuana to…
Read More » - Phuket News
Muslims gear up for major festival
PHUKET: The sighting of the new moon will signal the end of the Ramadan fasting month and usher in Eid-al Fitr celebrations, as well as the start of Shawwal fasts.Eid-al Fitr is one of the most important days for practicing Muslims, as it marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. “This year all mosques in Phuket, and…
Read More » - Phuket News
Business Buzz: Australian visa free information night
PHUKET: Australians have always loved Thailand, and many come here regularly and develop business and personal relationships. That, over time, leads to the desire to travel to Australia and see what the place is truly like. Unfortunately there has been a lot of confusion and myths over who is eligible for an Australian visa, and the process required to get…
Read More » - Phuket News
Turtle found on Mai Khao Beach with severed flipper
PHUKET: An olive ridley sea turtle was found with a severed front flipper on Mai Khao Beach yesterday evening. Officers from the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) and rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation went to the scene at about 7pm after being notified of the turtle by a beach guard. “The front left flipper was severed. We believe the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket officials probe sewage pipeline project
PHUKET: About 20 disgruntled Koh Sireh residents filed a complaint with Damrongtham Center on Monday urging Governor Nisit Jansomwong to investigate a sewage pipeline project in Rassada. The villagers argued that the construction has narrowed a local road, thus substantially increasing traffic congestion and accident risks. “We knew that this is a Rassada Municipality project and we fully cooperated the…
Read More » - Phuket News
International media flock to PhuketWan Computer Crimes Act trial
PHUKET: Members of the international media, including Reporters Without Borders, crammed into the Phuket courthouse today as the trial of Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian, of local news blog PhuketWan, began. The suspects, as well as Big Island Media (PhuketWan), face charges of criminal defamation and violations of the Computer Crimes Act. The four prosecution witnesses that gave their testimony…
Read More » - Phuket News
Expat runs to help fight HIV in Phuket
PHUKET: A local English lecturer at Prince of Songkla University (PSU) raised more than 150,000 baht for the Phuket Loves You Club (PLU) during the Laguna International Marathon last month. Colin Gallagher had originally hoped to raise 50,000 baht for PLU, which organizes Phuket Pride Week and raises funds to fight HIV on the island. However, as the campaign picked…
Read More » - Phuket News
Myanmar man held in drug bust
PHUKET: A Myanmar national was arrested on a Hat Yai-Phuket minibus in possession of 2,178 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine) early this morning. The 30-year-old man, who police named as Kyaw Soe Miw, was nabbed after Tah Chat Chai Police set up a checkpoint at about 4:15am today to screen passengers coming to Phuket from other provinces. “We suspected that…
Read More » - Phuket News
Five teens hit by out-of-control van
PHUKET: Five teenagers on two motorbikes were injured after a van driver leaving Phuket International Airport lost control of his vehicle on wet roads and crashed into the adolescents yesterday evening. “Teerapong Boonteng, 24, passed over the median and struck the teens who were on their motorbikes,” said Maj Santi Prakobpran of the Tah Chat Chai Police. One teen suffered…
Read More » - Phuket News
Dolphin washes ashore in Phang Nga
PHUKET: A female spinner dolphin has been taken to the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) after it was found beached in Phang Nga yesterday morning. At about 8:30am, officers from the PMBC Endangered Species Unit received a call from locals that the marine mammal washed ashore at Ban Tha Noon Beach. When officers arrived, they found villagers holding the dolphin…
Read More » - Phuket News
Cape Panwa Hotel Raceweek kicks off tomorrow
PHUKET: The first event of the 2015 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek is set to take place tomorrow. The kick-off event falls in the middle of Phuket’s southwest monsoon season – a time when some of the best sailing and racing conditions can be expected – and will welcome a competitive line-up of IRC racers, cruisers, multihulls and a growing…
Read More » - Phuket News
Police consider foul play, reward offered for missing American diver
PHUKET: Police have yet to rule out foul play as the family of an American scuba diver who vanished from a Similans-bound, liveaboard boat in April offers a 170,000-baht reward for any information that will lead to the discovery of his whereabouts. Joshua Michael Devine, 36, a civilian IT operative working at a United States military base in Kuwait, was…
Read More » - Phuket News
Handsy ladyboy nabbed for digging into Indian pocket
PHUKET: Police promptly arrested a ‘friendly’ ladyboy after she picked the pocket of an Indian tourist in front of Soi Paradise in Patong last night. “Montree Srichantra, 24, had gone up to Amit Mahendra Shah, 34, and given him a big hug pretending to greet him. However, she had swiped his wallet,” Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police…
Read More » - Food
Confessions of a Caffeine addict
PHUKET: Located on the very busy Wichitsongkram Road, near Prince of Songkhla University in Kathu, is one of the best places in Phuket to satisfy all Italian cravings. Caffeine Food and Coffee Bar has been part of the Kathu community since October 2013. Opened by Andrea Capucci and his wife Kui, Caffeine offers up some of the best authentic Italian…
Read More » - Thai Life
On Deck: Economic benefits of regattas
PHUKET: Sailing: the sport of Kings. Or is that Polo? This famous resort island is challenging that old perception…at least the sailing one anyway. Purchasing a boat can be pricey, sure, but you do not have to be a boat owner to enjoy sailing. There are plenty of chances for residents and visitors to enjoy sailing in Phuket. The same…
Read More » - Property
Across the Land: Designing creative domiciles
PHUKET: It is interesting every year to see the new season’s designer-wear on the runways of Milan, New York, London and other haute couture centers. Creative designers show off their very latest fashions to the world on those runways and instantaneously these new designs are considered the hottest fashion trends. Designing clothes is of course very different from designing a…
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