Year: 2015
- Phuket News
A Decade Ago: Renewed spark of hope
PHUKET: A decade ago on page one, the Phuket Gazette told the story of a renewed spark of hope that filled the souls of Sascha and Patchara Meissmer, as they re-launched the search for their young daughter, Solitaire, who went missing in the 2004 tsunami. “On December 26, I held onto Solitaire as tightly as I could, but the second…
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Opinion: Finding common ground with GMO Bill
Somchai Sakulchit is a Phuket native and current president of the Phuket Farmers Council. He graduated from Phuket Rajabhat University with a master’s degree in Crop Sciences. Here he talks about the negative effects that the new bill regarding Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) will have on Phuket and ways to amend it in order to minimize the impact on small…
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Community at the core of success for Natthakanya ‘Apple’ Saengpho
PHUKET: It’s been a stellar year – and then some – for Natthakanya ‘Apple’ Saengpho, CEO of the Paradise Group. Andara Signature – the latest project from Andamandara Development, the company she runs with Dr Allan Zeman – won best Phuket villa development, best Thailand villa development, best residential architectural design and best landscape architectural design at the Thailand Property…
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Island View: Always something new in Phuket
PHUKET: Settling down in a new place can sometimes be unnerving, but it’s usually outweighed by all the little things that attracted you to it in the first place. I’m drawn to Phuket because it’s very multi-faceted and there’s no lack of activities to enjoy, no matter what time of year it is and regardless of whether you’re alone or…
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Opinion: Phuket says farewell to great man
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette joins with the entire Phuket community in mourning the passing of one of the island’s most well-known and respected expats, Brad Kenny, who died at the age of 59 on December 11. Brad lived an exemplary life of self-sacrifice and service to the less fortunate, both independently and through the many charitable organizations of which he…
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“Missing’ British backpacker gone diving on Phi Phi
PHUKET: Phi Phi Police located a British backpacker, who was reported missing by deeply-concerned family members after an unnerving ‘final’ phone call, as he was signing up for a scuba diving course on the tropical island at about 4pm yesterday. Jordan Lewis Jacobs, 21, has been on the road since September 2014, having postponed his return to the United Kingdom…
Read More » - Thai Life
Up in the air: THAI not banned from European airspace
PHUKET: After a slew of bad news for Thai commercial aviation abroad, the industry finally got a much needed piece of good news with the December 10 announcement by the European Commission (EC) that no Thai airlines were included on the updated Air Safety List drawn up by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Some industry analysts had mistakenly feared…
Read More » - Property
New resort appeals to source markets with ‘Thainess’
PHUKET: Kata is prime real estate for those in the hospitality industry who are catering to the free independent traveller (FIT) market segment, explained Watanyu Asawabenjang, owner of the recently-opened Nook Dee Kata Beach Phuket Resort. “Kata Beach is where those people want to be. It’s the top choice for the FIT market, as well as couples and families,” Mr…
Read More » - Business News
Business Buzz: Social media year in review
PHUKET: This has been a big year for social media, so I thought it worthwhile to review some of the interesting facts and figures. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in the United States were the leading platforms, and the amount of time, effort and money spent in social media marketing has risen rapidly. Social media are now well and truly established,…
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Finance: Market crash or merely correction?
PHUKET: The recent market volatility and media hype surrounding it may have you panicking that another stock market crash (or bear market) is coming. After all, there are serious geopolitical and economic concerns ranging from a migrant crisis in Europe, to Putin on the march in Eastern Europe and Syria, to concerns about the overall health of the Chinese economy…
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Three killed in Krabi plantation dispute
KRABI: One police officer and two other people were killed when they attempted to evict a group of squatters from a heavily-disputed, 8,200-rai oil palm plantation in Krabi on Tuesday. The men were named as 45-year-old Payaprasit Suvannman of the Thungsong Police in Nakhorn Sri Thammarat; Veerasak Kuekaew, 50; and Preecha Kuedam, 44. A fourth man found at the scene,…
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Hilltribe member arrested after impersonating tourist police officer
PHUKET: Police arrested a man belonging to a northern hilltribe on Tuesday, after receiving several complaints about him impersonating a tourist police officer. Police were informed that Kersiv SaeJang, 35, was going to different hotels in the area and asking for discounts. “We were able to track down Mr Kersiv with a phone number that he had left with one…
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PEA moves forward with underground cables for Patong
PHUKET: The project to bury the unsightly power cables stretching along Patong’s beachfront road is slated for June next year. The start date of the project was announced during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Patong Municipality and the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) yesterday. “The PEA chose to work with Patong Municipality because it is a primary…
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Asia News Network, Phuket Gazette win Google gold for tsunami publication
PHUKET: The Asia News Network / Phuket Gazette joint publication on the 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami won a gold medal at the 6th Digital Media Awards, presented in Hong Kong on November 18 by Google and the World Association of Newspapers and Publishers. The publication, entitled “Ocean’s Fury: Are We Ready?” was presented and submitted by The…
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Phuket complaint center rolls out mobile unit
PHUKET: In an effort to quickly resolve complaints made to the Damrongdhama Center (ombudsman’s office), the Phuket governor launched the ‘Rapid Damrongdhama Unit’ yesterday. Currently, complaints filed with the office are forwarded to relevant officials. It then takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for residents to see results. However, the new unit is designed to expedite…
Read More » - World News
Vietnam arrests lawyer for ‘propaganda’, 10 days after beating
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Vietnam arrests lawyer for ‘propaganda’, 10 days after beating Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A Vietnamese lawyer badly beaten 10 days ago by unknown attackers was arrested by police on Wednesday for anti-state “propaganda”, the latest incident in what rights groups are calling an alarming crackdown…
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North Korea sentences Canadian pastor to hard labour for life
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community North Korea sentences Canadian pastor to hard labour for life Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: North Korea’s highest court has sentenced a South Korea-born Canadian pastor to hard labor for life for subversion, the North’s official KCNA news agency reported on Wednesday, a punishment Canada condemned…
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Singapore seizes huge shipment of elephant tusks, pangolin scales
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Singapore seizes huge shipment of elephant tusks, pangolin scales Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Singapore authorities have impounded half a tonne of elephant tusks in one of the largest ivory seizures made in the city-state in over a decade. The tusks, weighing 505 kg, were found…
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Superyacht Rendezvous drops anchor
PHUKET: It’s full steam ahead for the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous as an eclectic fleet of yachts line up to drop anchor in Kata Bay on December 16-18. This is Asia’s largest invitation only gathering of superyachts where the fun of luxury yacht ownership is celebrated. This year’s lineup consists of S/Y Lamima, a stunning 65-meter gaff rigged Indonesian Phinisi; S/Y…
Read More » - Cannabis News
Police pursue 83 arrest warrants for Phuket riots
PHUKET: Police are pursuing those named in the 83 unserved arrest warrants issued last month for suspects wanted in connection with the Thalang Police Station riot in October (story here). Officials have been collecting videographic and photographic evidence against the suspects, resulting in charges for assaulting officers, blockading traffic and arson, confirmed Region 8 Police Commander Tesa Siriwato on Tuesday.…
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Deaths that sparked Phuket police station riot ruled accident
PHUKET: Police have ruled that two men killed in a police chase, the alleged catalyst for the Thalang Police Station riot in October, was an accident. Patomwat Panarak, 22, and Teerapong Srisamut, 17, were killed after fleeing a police check point on October 9. Officers crashed their car into the men’s motorbike in an attempt to stop and apprehend them…
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Hope for British backpacker missing on Phi Phi
PHUKET: The family of a British backpacker reported missing five days ago from Phi Phi Don remain worried about his safety and whereabouts following a brief Facebook message he sent during a social media campaign launched to find him. Jordan Lewis Jacobs, 21, has been on the road since September 2014, having postponed his return to the United Kingdom by…
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DSI hunt three suspects in B2.4bn land encroachment case
PHUKET: The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is hunting down three men for their alleged involvement in land encroachment cases involving more than 2.4 billion baht of Sirinath National Park land. “We are searching for Ghao Naknam and Ti Nahnam, who illegally acquired a SorKor1 in Thalang for 2bn baht worth of national park land,” Lt Col Prawut Wongseenin, director…
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Phuket gang stabs man to death
PHUKET: Police are hunting for members of a gang who jumped two men, stabbing one to death, outside of the Suwan Phu-Pha Hotel in Kathu last night. “We have already arrested three of the gang members responsible for the attack. However, the alleged killer is reportedly on the run,” said Maj Chawalit Petchsripia of Thung Thong police station. According to…
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Phuket driver yet to be charged for British woman’s death
PHUKET: Police have yet to charge the truck driver who killed a British woman and injured her friend on Phuket’s infamous Patong Hill on Saturday. Nattaphon Glompan, 26, allegedly slammed into the two women on their motorbike as they exited a small soi onto the main road (story here). Rebecca Leanne Shaw, 32, who was wearing a helmet at the…
Read More » - World News
Facebook, Google, Twitter agree to delete hate speech in 24 hours – Germany
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Facebook, Google, Twitter agree to delete hate speech in 24 hours – Germany Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Germany said on Tuesday that Facebook, Google and Twitter have agreed to delete hate speech from their websites within 24 hours, a new step in the fight against…
Read More » - World News
Billionaire women on the rise, especially in Asia
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Billionaire women on the rise, especially in Asia Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The number of women billionaires in the world is rising fast, with a growing number of them from Asia and self-made, Swiss bank UBS Group AG said in a study released on Tuesday.…
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Facebook debuts Yelp-like feature to find local businesses
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Facebook debuts Yelp-like feature to find local businesses Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Facebook Inc has quietly debuted a feature that helps users find local businesses based on customer reviews, bringing it in direct competition with similar services from Yelp Inc and Angie’s List Inc. The…
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Conservative S.Korea backs unwed couples, single parents to lift birth rate
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Conservative S.Korea backs unwed couples, single parents to lift birth rate Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: South Korea wants to root out age-old prejudices against single parents and unmarried couples who live together, encouraging more people to have children in the battle against its stubbornly low…
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Cosmetic shop raid seizes 100,000 baht worth of unlabelled products
PHUKET: Officials from the Consumer Protection Police Division seized nearly 100,000 baht worth of unlabelled and mislabelled products during a raid on a cosmetic shop in Phuket yesterday. The investigation followed a tip-off from concerned consumers alleging that Tawatchai Wannoon, 30, was selling unlabelled products, such as cosmetics, soaps and teas at his shop,” explained Maj Payorm Pamoonketnil of the…
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Alleged ‘flying’ land document lands on Naka Noi Island
PHUKET: The Department of Special Investigations (DSI) yesterday investigated a complaint alleging that a ‘Flying’ SorKor 1 land document had managed to glide from Naka Yai Island to Naka Noi Island, just off Phuket’s east coast. Thai actor Puri Hiranpruk, whose family owns 60 rai of Naka Noi, along with a concession that secures the first 200 meters of a…
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Ironman announces 70.3 Phuket triathlon
PHUKET: Ironman announced today that Philippines-based Sunrise Events and Thailand-based SportMaster will team up to deliver Ironman 70.3 in Phuket on November 27, 2016. The Ironman 70.3 Thailand will offer a US$15,000 professional prize purse and 30 age-group qualifying slots for the 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championship taking place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. “This race is further evidence of the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Island’s “Bike for Dad’ a success
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada proudly led 5,635 participants during Phuket’s 29-kilometer ‘Bike For Dad’ event in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej on December 11. Cyclists started the circuit at Phuket Provincial Hall at about 3.30pm and rode the course through Phuket (story here), stopping by Chalong Temple to plant 88 Cassia trees in honor of HM The King’s…
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Swiss arrested at Phuket airport for carrying ammo
PHUKET: A Swiss man carrying live ammunition was arrested at Phuket International Airport yesterday. Officials discovered two rounds of ammunition and a firearm magazine in the bag of Andre Steinemann, 39, when he attempted to pass it through airport security. “Security officials first asked if he had a licence to possess the bullets. When he wasn’t able to produce the…
Read More » - World News
TAM Airlines Madrid-Sao Paulo flight diverted on bomb threat
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community TAM Airlines Madrid-Sao Paulo flight diverted on bomb threat Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A flight operated by Brazilian flag carrier TAM Airlines was forced to return to Madrid late Monday after a bomb threat, the company said in a statement. Flight JJ8065, a Boeing 777-32W…
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5-meter-long python found at Phuket resort
PHUKET: Rescue workers caught a 5-meter-long python at a Phuket resort yesterday. “It took five members of our team about an hour and a half to catch the 90-kilogram snake,” said Phuket Ruamjai Rescue Foundation Chief Saiyan Thamaphan. Hotel employees called on rescue workers to help, fearing that the enormous reptile might make its way into the the hotel building.…
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Meth-head breaks into Kazakhstani’s safe, steals millions in valuables
PHUKET: Police arrested a man who broke into a foreigner’s safe and stole more than 2mn baht’s worth of valuables, including US$12,000 cash and numerous pieces of jewellery, in Phuket on November 26. Maitree Suebviset, 22, was arrested on Thursday and confessed to stealing about 2.4mn baht invaluables and cash, as well as passports and credit cards, from the family…
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