Year: 2015

  • Phuket NewsNightclub security guard dies in motorbike crash

    Nightclub security guard dies in motorbike crash

    PHUKET: A security guard at Hollywood Discotheque on Soi Bangla, Patong, died in a motorbike accident this weekend in what police believe was a case of โ€œfalling asleep while ridingโ€. Anuchat Phoemphun, 37, died after sustaining severe head injuries when his motorbike slammed into a tree near the Go-Kart track at the bottom of Patong Hill at about 8:20am onโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsTourist dies during snorkelling tour off Phuket

    Tourist dies during snorkelling tour off Phuket

    PHUKET: A 38-year-old Chinese tourist died during a snorkelling tour at Koh Racha, a popular day-trip island about 25km south of Phuket, yesterday. He Hua was with his family and friends when the tragic incident occurred, explained Phuket Tourist Police Chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit. โ€œThe other tourists were enjoying their lunch on a beach at Koh Racha when Mr He wentโ€ฆ

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  • Thailand NewsYingluck will be arrested if she tries to flee: NACC

    Yingluck will be arrested if she tries to flee: NACC

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH โ€“ Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuketโ€™s international community Yingluck will be arrested if she tries to flee: NACC The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who now faces criminal charges over the rice-pledging scheme, could be arrested if she shows any intention of leaving the country to avoid the courtโ€ฆ

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  • World NewsGreek leftist leader Tsipras claims victory over austerity

    Greek leftist leader Tsipras claims victory over austerity

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH โ€“ World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuketโ€™s international community Greek leftist leader Tsipras claims victory over austerity Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Greek leftist leader Alexis Tsipras promised on Sunday that five years of austerity, โ€œhumiliation and sufferingโ€ imposed by international creditors were over after his Syriza party swept to victory in a snap electionโ€ฆ

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  • World NewsNew York braces for ‘biggest blizzard in its history’

    New York braces for โ€˜biggest blizzard in its historyโ€™

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH โ€“ World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuketโ€™s international community New York braces for โ€˜biggest blizzard in its historyโ€™ Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A swath of the US east coast from Philadelphia to New York City to Maine was bracing for a potentially historic blizzard on Monday expected to dump as much as 3 feetโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsFrenchwoman confesses to false snatch report

    Frenchwoman confesses to false snatch report

    PHUKET: A French tourist has been charged with filing a false police report of a bag snatch in Phuket that never happened in order to claim her lost camera on travel insurance. Delphine Claudia Nicot, 43, yesterday reported to the Chalong Police that she had her bag stolen by two men on a motorbike while she was walking along theโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsNo change in alcohol vending hours, despite new order from PM Prayut

    No change in alcohol vending hours, despite new order from PM Prayut

    PHUKET: A top-ranking police officer and a leading Phuket health official today both confirmed that there has been no change in the hours that alcohol may be sold, despite a new order signed into effect by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha. PM Prayut signed the order on January 6, to be noted in the Government Gazette as coming into effectโ€ฆ

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  • Thai LifeThai oranges and lemons won’t leave you sour

    Thai oranges and lemons wonโ€™t leave you sour

    PHUKET: โ€œOranges and lemons, say the bells of Saint Clementโ€™sโ€, so goes the opening couplet of the childrenโ€™s nursery rhyme about Londonโ€™s church bells dating from 1744. But though the nursery rhyme remains unchanged by time, the real oranges and lemons we knew as kids are not the same as the varieties we now encounter in Phuketโ€™s fresh markets. Whileโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket named Thailand’s poster child for tourism

    Phuket named Thailandโ€™s poster child for tourism

    PHUKET: Phuket was named as the poster child of tourism for Thailand by Tourism and Sport Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul in an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette this week. โ€œPhuket is the image of Thailand. Therefore, if Phuket has a good image, so does Thailand,โ€ Ms Kobkarn said. Minister Kobkarn has become a regular visitor to the island following herโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsBeach chair leniency ends in Phuket (video)

    Beach chair leniency ends in Phuket (video)

    PHUKET: Recent leniency concerning beach loungers on Patong Beach has come to an end to prevent further confusion, Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup has told the Phuket Gazette. The mayor was originally allowing beachgoers to bring onto the beach their own smaller, collapsible sun loungers, as well as other chairs, during the three-month beach-management trial run (stories here and here). โ€œThereโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsDanish tourist, 70, injured in Krabi bus crash

    Danish tourist, 70, injured in Krabi bus crash

    PHUKET: A 70-year-old Danish tourist was injured this morning when the Phuket tour bus he was travelling in hit a central road barrier north of Krabi Town. Suwit Suthimon, the driver of the Pulsiri Travel bus involved in the accident, told police that he swerved to avoid a motorbike that had entered his lane. The emergency maneuver forced him toโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsDrug suspect hunt begins after police blockade dodged

    Drug suspect hunt begins after police blockade dodged

    PHUKET: Police are searching for at least two men who dodged a police blockade and then threw 2,060 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine) from their car while fleeing officers in pursuit early this morning. The suspects failed to stop at the first checkpoint, set up at at Baan Bangla in Pa Khlok, about two kilometers from the Heroinesโ€™ Monument, atโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsNew Cherng Talay top cop promises crackdown on animal touts

    New Cherng Talay top cop promises crackdown on animal touts

    PHUKET: The newly instated Cherng Talay Police superintendent, who took up the position last week, has vowed to crack down on animal touts on Phuketโ€™s beaches. The promise to act follows a report from a concerned Phuket Gazette reader who spotted men on Laem Singh Beach offering tourists the opportunity to be photographed with different animals, including a snake, parrotโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Yacht Show postponed, government support on horizon

    Phuket Yacht Show postponed, government support on horizon

    PHUKET: The organizers of the new yacht charter show for Asia have announced the postponement of the first edition of the Phuket event. The Phuket Yacht Show was scheduled to take place on February 12-15 at Phuket Yacht Haven Marina, which is being extensively re-developed to make it the biggest superyacht marina in Asia. In a joint statement, the marinaโ€ฆ

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  • World NewsISIS deadline on Japanese captives passes with no word on fate

    ISIS deadline on Japanese captives passes with no word on fate

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH โ€“ World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuketโ€™s international community ISIS deadline on Japanese captives passes with no word on fate Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Japan said on Friday it was still trying to secure the release of two Japanese hostages held by Islamic State militants after a deadline to pay ransom for their releaseโ€ฆ

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  • Thailand NewsNo signs of foul play in Briton’s death on Koh Tao | Thaiger

    No signs of foul play in Britonโ€™s death on Koh Tao

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH โ€“ Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuketโ€™s international community No signs of foul play in Britonโ€™s death on Koh Tao The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Initial investigation has found no foul play in the death of a 23-year-old British woman earlier this week in Surat Thaniโ€™s Koh Tao. The body of Christina Annesley, 23,โ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsPolice warn of car robberies through hacked remote controls

    Police warn of car robberies through hacked remote controls

    PHUKET: Police are warning motorists throughout Phuket not to leave valuables in their vehicles after a bizarre incident in Surat Thani left about 20 cars immobilized by what police believe was a โ€œhackingโ€ of the remote control signals. Surat Thani Police on Monday were called to the Central Plaza shopping mall in Wat Pradu, where about two dozen people couldโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Police palm off gender-bender payoff

    Phuket Police palm off gender-bender payoff

    PHUKET: A man was arrested for attempting to pay Phuket police officers a bribe to free three lady boys busted for stealing a gold necklace from an Australian tourist last night. Piyaphan Wongyai, 24, was taken into custody after officers turned down his 30,000 baht bribe. Admittedly looking for money to pay for cosmetics and to party with, Suriyon Supohnok,โ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsArtificial reefs to be deployed off Koh Racha

    Artificial reefs to be deployed off Koh Racha

    PHUKET: Dive and tour boats visiting Koh Racha, an island about 25km south of Phuket, are urged to exercise caution there early next month, as work continues to expand artificial reefs in the area. โ€œWe will deploy artificial-reef modules at Plub Pla Bay and Teu Bay from February 2-7,โ€ said Paitoon Panchaiyaphum, director of the Marine and Coastal Resources Conservationโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsThailand, Malaysia to face off at Aussie Rules match in Phuket

    Thailand, Malaysia to face off at Aussie Rules match in Phuket

    PHUKET: It has been 19 years since the first international match of Australian Rules was played in Thailand, between the Thailand Tigers and the Hong Kong Dragons at Bangkokโ€™s Kasetsart University. Since then, the sport has grown significantly in the Kingdom, and it is now coming to Phuket. Saturday, March 7 will see the first-ever Aussie Rules football match playedโ€ฆ

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  • Business NewsFinance: Advice for my 20-year-old self

    Finance: Advice for my 20-year-old self

    PHUKET: I know most people in their twenties are typically not interested in planning financially for their futures. Often, they are not very interested in planning for anything other than Friday night โ€“ I remember the days when I thought the same way. What advice would I give myself now if I could go back and make decisions based onโ€ฆ

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  • PropertyRoyal Phuket Marina brings luxury to central Phuket

    Royal Phuket Marina brings luxury to central Phuket

    PHUKET: Phuket is changing in front of our eyes. And where some see trouble, others see opportunity. One of the latter is Royal Phuket Marina (RPM), whose latest development, La Reserve, is a luxury condominium property for the new, changing Phuket. โ€œPhuket is turning into a proper city, a proper town,โ€ says Ian Spurdle, RPMโ€™s director of sales and marketingโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsVisa, yacht-charter law changes necessary: Tourism Minister

    Visa, yacht-charter law changes necessary: Tourism Minister

    PHUKET: Changes in visa and chartering legislation to secure the islandโ€™s position as the top yachting destination in the region are necessary, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul told the Phuket Gazette in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. โ€œPrime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha wants to make Thailand a world-class hub for yachts and cruise boats in Southeast Asia โ€“ andโ€ฆ

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  • Thai LifeExcuse Buster: Amalaki – The anti-aging superfood

    Excuse Buster: Amalaki โ€“ The anti-aging superfood

    PHUKET: Thailand is blessed with so many rejuvenating and health-restoring herbs, fruits and foods, and during the next few columns of Excuse Buster, I would like to share my favorites, which I recommend to clients and include in my own diet. I want to start by saying that taking a few herbs or natural supplements to counteract a poor dietโ€ฆ

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  • FoodLocal flavors with a stunning Phuket view

    Local flavors with a stunning Phuket view

    PHUKET: Phuket is a unique island, unlike any other in Thailand, and many consider it to be more of a separate entity with its own culture, history and cuisine. All three can be discovered in the narrow lanes of Old Phuket Town. But, if your main focus is food and you like to dine while enjoying a sea view, Senzeesโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsSuper Bowl XLIX: Seahawks vs Pats in the “Duel in the Desert’

    Super Bowl XLIX: Seahawks vs Pats in the โ€œDuel in the Desertโ€™

    PHUKET: The defending Super Bowl champs and NFC champs the Seattle Seahawks (12-4 regular season) will square off against the New England Patriots (12-4) in Super Bowl XLIX (Super Bowl 49 for those of you whose knowledge of Roman numerals is rusty) at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. [Monday, Feb 2, 6:30am Phuket time on NBC]. Theโ€ฆ

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  • Business NewsLighthouse Market beacon of light for Boat Lagoon Marina Village

    Lighthouse Market beacon of light for Boat Lagoon Marina Village

    PHUKET: Aiming to appeal to a wider audience and expand its market reach, Phuketโ€™s Boat Lagoon Marina is launching the Lighthouse Market. โ€œWe donโ€™t want to focus on one target group or one nationality. This is a market for everyone who enjoys quality โ€“ both expats and local Thais,โ€ explained Kanittha Prasopsirikul from By Kanittha, the company behind the newโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsSuspected Phuket ATM-heist getaway truck found dumped

    Suspected Phuket ATM-heist getaway truck found dumped

    PHUKET: Police believe they have found the pick-up truck used to flee an attempted ATM robbery in Thalang on January 16. The truck was found yesterday abandoned at the entrance of a rubber-tree plantation on the border of Srisoonthorn and Pa Khlok, Lt Suporn Muangkhai of the Thalang Police told the Phuket Gazette. Police began their search for the suspectsโ€ฆ

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  • Thailand NewsBreaking News: NLA votes to impeach Yingluck

    Breaking News: NLA votes to impeach Yingluck

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH โ€“ Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuketโ€™s international community NLA makes history by impeaching Yingluck The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) today voted overwhelmingly, by 190 votes out of a possible 220, to impeach former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the rice-pledging case. Former Parliament president Somsak Kiartsuranon and formerโ€ฆ

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  • World NewsOil prices jump after Saudi king’s death

    Oil prices jump after Saudi kingโ€™s death

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH โ€“ World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuketโ€™s international community Oil prices jump after Saudi kingโ€™s death Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Oil prices jumped in early Asian trading on Friday as news of the death of Saudi Arabiaโ€™s King Abdullah added to uncertainty in energy markets already facing some of the biggest shifts in decades.โ€ฆ

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  • Thailand NewsMan surrenders after being charged with killing dog ‘without reason’

    Man surrenders after being charged with killing dog โ€˜without reasonโ€™

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH โ€“ Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuketโ€™s international community Man surrenders after being charged with killing dog โ€˜without reasonโ€™ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The murder of a dog, even if itโ€™s a stray, will now matter in Thailand thanks to the newly enforced animal protection law. A 32-year-old man gave himself up toโ€ฆ

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  • Thailand NewsJudgment day for Yingluck

    Judgment day for Yingluck

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH โ€“ Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuketโ€™s international community Judgment day for former PM Yingluck The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Pressure is mounting on the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which votes today on whether to impeach former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and two former parliamentary speakers accused of wrongdoings. Supporters and detractors of theโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsBritish backpacker found dead on Koh Tao

    British backpacker found dead on Koh Tao

    PHUKET: A British backpacker has died on Koh Tao, where British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered in September last year. Christina Annesley, 23, from Orpington in south London, was found dead on Wednesday night. Her mother Margaret, 55, announced her death on Facebook, saying: โ€œWe have lost our beautiful daughter Chrissie of natural causes. โ€œWe are totallyโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsLifeguard warns of dangerous conditions at Surin Beach

    Lifeguard warns of dangerous conditions at Surin Beach

    PHUKET: Surin Beach lifeguards have warned beachgoers to exercise caution during the next two days, as a storm system in the Indian Ocean combined with king tides is generating unseasonal waves and dangerous shore break conditions. โ€œConditions will be especially dangerous near high tide for the next two days, between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Swimmers should stay well away from largeโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsSurin Beach plagued by dangerous jet-skiers

    Surin Beach plagued by dangerous jet-skiers

    PHUKET: The dangerous jet-ski antics that continue to plague Surin Beach have forced local officials to consider installing roped-off swimming areas, despite a complete ban on jet-skis already in place at the beach. โ€œFour jet-skis came to Surin from Bang Tao. They came into the surf line, zig-zagging and driving recklessly in the designated swimming area,โ€ a regular beachgoer, whoโ€ฆ

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  • Phuket NewsAsleep-at-the-wheel driver escapes serious injury in Phuket

    Asleep-at-the-wheel driver escapes serious injury in Phuket

    PHUKET: A man crashed into a tree after having allegedly fallen asleep at the wheel on a dangerous southbound curve on Thepkrasattri Road yesterday evening. Pichayakarn Masuk, 22, was taken by rescue workers to Thalang Hospital for minor cuts and bruises. โ€œWe believe Mr Pichayakarn fell asleep at the wheel and lost control of his car, causing him to hitโ€ฆ

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  • OpinionAussie Amb wishes Phuket happy Australia Day

    Aussie Amb wishes Phuket happy Australia Day

    Paul Robilliard has been the Australian Ambassador to Thailand since his appointment in October last year. A senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and currently First Assistant Secretary, South and West Asia Division, Amb Robilliard has served twice as Head of the United Nations Security Council Taskforce (July โ€“ Oct 2013 and Nov 2012โ€ฆ

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