Year: 2015
- Phuket News
Phuket’s Eva Beach responds to probe into legality of beachfront resort
PHUKET: The management of The Eva Group has issued a statement in response to an inspection carried out earlier this year by a chief judge and a team of experts into an upscale property project under construction in Rawai. Tawatchai Sontiwanit, chief judge of the recently formed environmental division of the regional Administrative Court responsible for Phuket, led the inspection…
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Video Report: Phuket United unveil 2015 Futsal League lineup
PHUKET: The island’s sole team in the national Futsal League, Phuket United FC, unveiled their squad for 2015 Futsal League lineup, which gets underway on Saturday. The team, unveiled by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak last weekend, includes two Brazilians: 26-year-old defender Francisco Da Silva Soares, and Jackson Santos, 29, who plays pivot. Headed by coach Chalermpong Saengdee, just 27…
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German tourist recovering after propeller slashes head
PHUKET: A German tourist who was struck in the head by the propeller of a longtail boat off Karon Beach on Wednesday (story here) is recovering well, a tourism official has confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Phuket office, visited the injured tourist, 54-year-old Rudi Dann, at Bangkok Hospital Phuket…
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Phuket officials charge captain of illegal Antarctic toothfish vessel
PHUKET: Officials have charged the Peruvian captain of an illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing vessel for falsely reporting the cargo of his ship as he attempted to offload 182 tonnes of Antarctic toothfish illegally caught in the Southern Ocean. The ship, which recently had its name changed from Kunlun to Taishan, had already fled from the navies of New Zealand…
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No Phuket tsunami warning after 4.9 earthquake off Sumatra
PHUKET: The National Disaster Warning Center has not issued a tsunami warning or alert after an earthquake measuring 4.9 in magnitude struck west of Sumatra this morning. “We are aware of the earthquake, and a tsunami warning has not been issued,” confirmed Trakul Thotham, director of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Region 8 office, based in Phuket.…
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Gardening: Tales of the understory
PHUKET: A few weeks ago two men, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, free-climbed El Capitan (The Chief), a sheer rock face in Yosemite Park, California. Nothing special about that, you might say. But consider the circumstances. The rock is composed of granite and is 3,000-feet high. Climbing the monolith has been likened to scaling three Empire State Buildings while gripping…
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Phuket expat murder charge: Police to hand Pendlebury case to prosecutor in late April
PHUKET: Patong Police expect to hand over their case against Mark Pendlebury, a long-time expat accused of murdering a Thai nightclub bouncer on March 11 (story here), by the end of April. “I think I will be able to compile all evidence and complete the investigation by late April. Then, we will handle to case to public prosecutor,” Lt Col…
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Opinion: Save and protect our fellow earth dwellers
Wanchai Supanaus, 56, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, is the head of the Phang Nga Wildlife Nursery Station. He graduated from Phrae Forestry School in 1979, where he earned a vocational certificate for forestry. He has been head of the station for 15 years. Here, he discusses the illegal trade of touting protected species, which is prevalent in Phuket and other…
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Opinion: Keeping Phuket’s guns out of range
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette joins the rest of the island in extending its condolences to the family of young Scotsman Liam Colven, who died at a newly-opened shooting range in Thalang from a gunshot to the head last weekend (story here). News of the death has resonated in the social media as the story touches on so many relevant issues…
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Phuket Pads: Take to the hills for stunning views
PHUKET: Aside from the wishful thinkers who request beachfront properties, the majority of inquiries for properties in Phuket are for those with a sea view. Thankfully, as the island boasts 70 per cent hillside coverage, there are many properties on the island that fit this criteria. It all really depends on how close of a view you wish to have.…
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PM mulls alternative to martial law
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM mulls alternative to martial law The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday he was thinking of replacing martial law with other laws including giving himself “absolute power”. “I have been thinking [that] for a long time,” PM Prayut pointed…
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Slain insurgents were plotting attacks: Isoc
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Slain insurgents were plotting attacks: Isoc The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Following Wednesday’s operation in which four suspected insurgents were killed and 22 others arrested in Pattani’s Thung Yang Dang district, the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc)’s 4th Region Front Command yesterday told the press…
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Democracy activist arrested, charged with violating junta’s order
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Democracy activist arrested, charged with violating junta’s order The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Pro-democracy activist Pansak Srithep was arrested early yesterday and charged with three offences, including violating the order of the military’s ruling National Council for Peace and Order forbidding political gatherings of more…
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Human trafficking to carry death penalty
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Human trafficking to carry death penalty The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Parliament voted overwhelmingly yesterday to introduce harsher punishments for human traffickers, including life imprisonment and the death penalty in cases where their victims had died. The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) voted to amend the…
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Co-pilot suspected of deliberately crashing Germanwings jet
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Co-pilot suspected of deliberately crashing Germanwings jet Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A young German co-pilot barricaded himself alone in the cockpit of Germanwings flight 9525 and apparently set it on course to crash into an Alpine mountain, killing all 150 people on board including himself,…
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Phuket police ordered to follow up on taxi mafia, billion-baht-beach scheme cases
PHUKET: A group of high-ranking police officers and island officials met with Phuket Public Prosecutor Pisitpol Phumsawat yesterday to follow up on the progress in the island’s high-profile taxi mafia and billion-baht-beach scheme cases. “I have been ordered by the Royal Thai Police and the National Council for Peace and Order to follow up on these cases, as they have…
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No lifeguards on Phuket beaches tomorrow
PHUKET: There will be no lifeguards on Phuket’s beaches starting tomorrow, as the annual government contract comes to an end. No party has come forward to bid on the 22-million-baht concession to sign the new contract – not even the Phuket Lifeguard Club (PLC), who have guarded the beaches for years. The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) offered a concession…
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Phuket’s Lighthouse Weekend Market returns with a taste of Fantasia
PHUKET: Phuket’s liveliest marina is going Fantasia for this month’s Lighthouse Weekend Market at the Boat Lagoon with world-class acrobatic performances and live acoustic vibes from one of the country’s top guitarists to accompany the smorgasbord of street-side treats from local vendors and boutique stores. Bring the entire family for a fun-filled evening in ‘Never Never Land’ from 5pm to…
Read More » - Thai Life
Diving: All aglow down below
PHUKET: Most divers remember taking a crash course in the color spectrum and light waves from their advanced diving course. Notably, that we see short wavelength colors, such as red, yellow and orange, quickly disappear as we descend on a dive. The lesson is usually combined with a color-comparisons activity on our first deep dive to about 30* meters. There…
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German tourist struck in the head by Phuket longtail propeller
PHUKET: A German tourist who was struck in the head by the propeller of a longtail boat off Karon Beach yesterday morning is now receiving treatment at Bangkok Hospital Phuket. Kata-Karon chief lifeguard Uten Singsom told the Phuket Gazette today that his staff rescued the tourist, who was swimming about 60 meters from shore. The man’s name and condition has…
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Two dead as ghost-driving pick-up slams head-on into six-wheeler
PHUKET: A ghost-driving pick-up truck driver travelling in the wrong direction on the one-way road leaving the island slammed into a six-wheeled cargo truck early this morning, killing himself and his passenger and injuring two others. Police were called to the scene at about 4am, where they found a white six-wheeled SuperCheap truck and a demolished pick-up truck on the…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Phuket’s Kingdom crew fly high at Platu TransWorld
PHUKET: Phuket-based yachtsman Scott Duncanson and his crew Trent Pedersen, Alfie Rowson, Tony Harman and Paul Burke on Kingdom Property have won second place in the inaugural Platu TransWorld Invitational. The four-day international competition based at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Pattaya featured crews from Sweden, Russia, Singapore, Japan, Holland, the United Kingdom and Australia, but was ultimately won…
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Euro tour golfer Spilkova swings by Laguna
PHUKET: Ladies European Tour player Klara Spilkova recently visited Laguna Phuket Golf Club’s newly upgraded course, designed by renowned golf architect Paul Jansen, to practice ahead of her first event of the 2015 season. As part of her stay, Spilkova conducted a golf demonstration, showcasing her golf talents to Laguna Phuket Golf Club’s lucky lady members. “It was such a…
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Phuket readies for Earth Hour
PHUKET: The chief of the Phuket office of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) is urging people to join the Earth Hour 2015 event this Saturday to show their support for saving the world’s energy. “It is a very good campaign that everyone can join. You can take part while at home or work, by simply turning off unnecessary lights,” PPEA…
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PM fumes over report on slave trawlers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM fumes over report on slave trawlers The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday warned a journalist from Channel 3 to speak to officials before spreading news about Thais forced to work on trawlers near Indonesia to avoid damaging exports of…
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Hired gunman confesses to slaying revered monk
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hired gunman confesses to slaying revered monk The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police have arrested a janitor who allegedly was hired to kill the revered monk from Udon Thani who was found shot dead this month. They also named a junior policeman as an accomplice…
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Bangkok governor takes the blame for flash floods
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bangkok governor takes the blame for flash floods The Nation/ Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Fuming from the public and social media griping over the flash flood that paralysed much of the capital on Tuesday, Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra yesterday confessed to failing to take precautionary measures like…
Read More » - World News
Pilot locked out of cockpit in Germanwings Airbus crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Pilot locked out of cockpit in Germanwings Airbus crash Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Investigators have retrieved cockpit voice recordings from one of the black boxes of the German Airbus plane that crashed into the Alps, killing everyone onboard, officials said on Wednesday. The New York…
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Cricket: Patong CC take Thalang to town
PHUKET: Patong CC proved too hot to handle last Sunday with a clean defeat of visitors Thalang Cricket Team in the Phuket Cricket Group 40-over league competition. Hot, sunny conditions usual for this time of year prevailed, with a brown grassy outfield and the wicket still sporting surplus sand from a recent AFL match. Patong captain Seemant Raju won the…
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Phuket tour bus crash: 3 Chinese tourists dead, driver blames brake failure
PHUKET: Three Chinese tourists were killed and 15 others injured, three seriously, when the tour bus they were riding in tumbled off the road and rolled down Kata Hill on the way to Chalong this afternoon (story here). Initially, 11 of the injured tourists were taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital after the accident, and four were taken to Patong Hospital…
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Breaking News: Three dead in Phuket bus crash
PHUKET: Three people were killed after a Phuket tour bus crashed on Kata Hill as it headed toward Chalong Circle at about noon today. First reports at the accident site say that 18 tourists were on board the Morning Sun tour bus when it tumbled off the road and rolled down the hill. Concerns were raised in January last year…
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Eight netted in Phuket gambling, drug raid
PHUKET: Eight people were arrested for drug use and gambling following a joint police-navy raid in Phuket Town last night. “We received a report from neighbors that there was gambling and regular disturbances at the house,” Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Khunnadet Nanongkhai told the Phuket Gazette. “There were eight people, two women and six men, at the house on…
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Adrenaline opens Phuket yacht race series with a bullet
PHUKET: Mark Horwood and his crew on Adrenaline opened their campaign in the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC) Keelboat and Multihull Race Series for the year with a bullet in the first race, held on Chalong Bay last Sunday. The Formula 40 trimaran, famed for its “rocking outer hulls” (wonky training wheels), outpaced Kirill Stashevskiy’s Stealth Cat Galeforce, which placed…
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Govt rejects Amnesty allegations on torture
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt rejects Amnesty allegations on torture The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Foreign Ministry will defend the government against allegations that suspects behind grenade attacks were tortured while in military custody. It will also explain while the country remains under martial law, PM’s Office deputy…
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Abhisit wants Anupong, Thawil to testify
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Abhisit wants Anupong, Thawil to testify The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday petitioned the NACC (National Anti-Corruption Commission) to question two more witnesses with key roles in the deadly 2010 crackdown on protesters when he was prime minister. The two…
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Earthquake rattles Phuket
PHUKET: An earthquake measuring 3.8 in magnitude rattled the east coast of Phuket before dawn this morning. The Thai Meteorological Department reported the quake as striking at 5:32am, with its epicenter halfway between Phuket and Koh Yao Yai island in Phang Nga Bay (click here). The epicenter of the quake was centered in the same area where a 4.0 quake…
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‘Kamnan Sia’ and wife get 11 years jail for seizing state land
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘Kamnan Sia’ and wife get 11 years jail for seizing state land The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Former Democrat Party candidate Pracha “Kamnan Sia” Phophiphit and his wife were yesterday sentenced to 11 years jail for seizing state land. They had encroached on a large…
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