Year: 2015

  • Phuket NewsPhuket shaman arrested on pedophile charges

    Phuket shaman arrested on pedophile charges

    PHUKET: A shaman wanted for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl during a ritual in Patong last year has denied the charges after evading police for months. Police arrested Wasu Kumprayoon, 45, in Phang Nga at about 11pm yesterday on a warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on November 14. “The girl’s mother explained that Mr Wasu had persuaded her…

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  • Phuket NewsEmployment Office denies delays in issuing Phuket work permits

    Employment Office denies delays in issuing Phuket work permits

    PHUKET: The new chief of the Phuket Employment Office has denied allegations that his office is taking up to two months to process work permits. The Phuket Gazette was tipped-off by a concerned foreigner about an alleged backlog that was causing long delays in the issuance of work permits – a process that usually takes seven working days. However, Pitool…

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  • OpinionOpinion: The future of the Andaman’s coral reefs is in the hands of Phuket tourists

    Opinion: The future of the Andaman’s coral reefs is in the hands of Phuket tourists

    PHUKET: A recent comment made by a high-ranking government official that seawalking tourists should be allowed to continue hand-feeding bread crumbs to reef fish is a serious cause for concern. Ministry of Tourism and Sports Phuket Office Director Santi Pawai recently went on a fact-finding mission to investigate claims that a marine tourism operator’s seawalker tours off the coast of…

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  • Phuket NewsSnatch thieves nabbed within 24 hours of gold necklace rip ‘n’ run

    Snatch thieves nabbed within 24 hours of gold necklace rip ‘n’ run

    PHUKET: Police in Karon Tuesday took only 24 hours to track down and arrested a 21-year-old man and his 13-year-old accomplice for a snatch-and-run that relieved a tourist of his 38,000-baht gold necklace. Danish national Preben Andersen, 66, told police that he first noticed two youths following him from Karon Circle, as he and his wife rode their motorbike to…

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  • Thai LifeIsland Fever: I Drove All Night

    Island Fever: I Drove All Night

    PHUKET: Here we go again, some 38,000 feet up in the heavens, headed for Seoul and beyond. My noise-canceling headphones are weathering sonic booms and the chainsaw buzz of Iggy Pop. The “Ig” has become a man for all ages. Instead of dying young in a pool of blood up there on stage, he’s made it through to the other…

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  • Phuket NewsCement truck takes out parked car, small restaurant

    Cement truck takes out parked car, small restaurant

    PHUKET: The driver of a cement truck that slammed into a parked pick-up truck, a motorcycle and a small restaurant on Tuesday in central Phuket, has been charged with reckless driving and will be tested for drug use. The cement truck was en route from Cherng Talay to the Heroines Monument in Thalang at about 3pm when the accident occurred,…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket sailors shine at Langkawi regatta

    Phuket sailors shine at Langkawi regatta

    PHUKET sailors dominated the Multihull class in blustery conditions at the Royal Langkawi International Regatta (click here) this week to claim the top two podium positions in the division. Grenville Fordham and Bob Mott co-skippered Andaman Cabriolet Nina well in winds of up to 25 knots to claim overall honors in the Multihull class. Nina is a regular in the…

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  • Hua Hin NewsUNHCR to help settle Rohingya trafficking victims

    UNHCR to help settle Rohingya trafficking victims

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community UNHCR to help settle Rohingya trafficking victims The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would coordinate with related parties to move some Rohingya refugees in Thailand on a voluntary basis to a third country, initially set as the United…

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  • World NewsUkraine talks reach agreement on cease-fire line

    Ukraine talks reach agreement on cease-fire line

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ukraine talks reach agreement on cease-fire line Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Diplomatic progress was made during four-way talks on the Ukraine crisis and an agreement was reached on establishing security zones between pro-Russian fighters and Kiev’s forces, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. “Finally there…

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  • Phuket NewsLighthouse Market fully booked at Boat Lagoon – join the fun

    Lighthouse Market fully booked at Boat Lagoon – join the fun

    PHUKET: All available space for the inaugural Lighthouse Market at the Boat Lagoon is sold, bringing the island two nights of quality shopping, food and fun from about 60 vendors. The fun gets underway at 3pm on Saturday and continues until the close at 9pm, returning at the same time on Sunday for five more hours of festivities. Live performances,…

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  • Phuket NewsBreaking News: Police seize Phuket tourists’ beach umbrellas, chairs

    Breaking News: Police seize Phuket tourists’ beach umbrellas, chairs

    PHUKET: Confusion reigned at Patong Police Station this morning when a group of tourists arrived to reclaim their beach chairs and umbrellas, which were mistakenly confiscated by officers trying to ensure that vendors were not encroaching outside the recently established special beach zones. About 15 tourists arrived at the station, Lt Col Sutthichai Tianpho of the Patong Police confirmed. “Police…

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  • Pattaya NewsPhuket Pads: The island’s chalk and cheese

    Phuket Pads: The island’s chalk and cheese

    PHUKET: Phuket is, in many ways, becoming similar to Pattaya, with more and more cheap condos popping up in Patong, Kathu and other areas of the island. One-bedroom units from 1-3 million baht are becoming the norm to cater to the once-a-year tourist, and Thai investors are becoming eager to make an investment in Phuket’s booming property market. CHALK AND…

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  • OpinionTackling drug use among Phuket’s Muslim youths

    Tackling drug use among Phuket’s Muslim youths

    Pol Sen Sgt Maj Komon Dumluck, president of Narcotics Protection and Suppression of the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand, was born in Phuket on April 5, 1967. He graduated from Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok with a BA and MA from the Faculty of Political Science. He then want on to secure a PhD from Bangkok’s Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University in…

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  • Thailand NewsProsecutors agree to indict Yingluck | Thaiger

    Prosecutors agree to indict Yingluck

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nails in Yingluck’s coffin? The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Former PM Yingluck Shinawatra’s chances of avoiding impeachment on Friday got a lot slimmer yesterday after a joint working group of anti-graft officials and public prosecutors agreed to indict her on a long-standing criminal case. The…

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  • Thailand NewsExchange-rate volatility prompts call for urgent meet on baht

    Exchange-rate volatility prompts call for urgent meet on baht

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Urgent meet sought on baht The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: In the wake of global currency volatility, the Board of Trade of Thailand and the Thai Chamber of Commerce will soon call for a meeting with the Bank of Thailand to discuss currency risk and…

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  • Thailand NewsDSI nabs two suspects for human-trafficking of Thais

    DSI nabs two suspects for human-trafficking of Thais

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community DSI nabs two suspects for human-trafficking of Thais The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said yesterday that two human-trafficking suspects were arrested for luring Thai men into exploitative work on fishing trawlers in Indonesian waters. At the press conference, DSI…

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  • World NewsNo evidence so far of terrorism in AirAsia crash

    No evidence so far of terrorism in AirAsia crash

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community No evidence so far of terrorism in AirAsia crash Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Indonesian investigators said on Monday they had not found any evidence so far that terrorism was involved in the crash of an AirAsia passenger jet last month that killed all 162 people…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket fishing boat raid nets Myanmar illegals in human trafficking raid

    Phuket fishing boat raid nets Myanmar illegals in human trafficking raid

    PHUKET: A task force of officials from six government agencies today selected just three fishing boats at Rassada Pier to raid in a search for illegal migrant workers. The team found four suspects, who were all charged with entering and working in the country illegally. “They will be deported,” confirmed Phuket Immigration chief Col Sunchai Chokkajaykij. The task force was…

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  • Phuket NewsStar performers grace Phuket Food Fair [video] | Thaiger

    Star performers grace Phuket Food Fair [video]

    PHUKET: A host of Thai celebrities are performing live in concert at the seventh annual Phuket Local Food Festival, which got underway at Saphan Hin tonight and will continue through Saturday. Governor Nisit Jansomwong helped cook up a monster batch of local dessert tu boh this evening as part of an official opening ceremony. Paiboon Upatising, president of the Phuket…

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  • Thai LifeWoolf in shepherd’s clothing: Renowned clairvoyant stops in Phuket for a “look’

    Woolf in shepherd’s clothing: Renowned clairvoyant stops in Phuket for a “look’

    PHUKET: Lynda Woolf is a celebrated seer, clairvoyant and mystic who is currently visiting the Atsumi Health and Wellness Center in Rawai to dispense wisdom to those in need of her extraordinary services. Hailing from a stunningly beautiful corner of the US, Lake Tahoe, Lynda has called Singapore home since 1996, largely to facilitate her work as a psychic practitioner…

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  • Phuket NewsSecurity concerns threaten Phuket concert for Myanmar nationals

    Security concerns threaten Phuket concert for Myanmar nationals

    PHUKET: The very first concert in Phuket dedicated to entertaining Myanmar nationals may yet be canceled for security reasons. Posters and billboards erected around Phuket Town promote the “Myanmar – Thai Cultural Relationship Concert” to be held in a field behind Bus Terminal 1 on Phang Nga Road on January 31. The event is to feature Myanmar celebrities R Zarni,…

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  • Phuket NewsPhang Nga Bay Regatta calls for cruisers to take sail

    Phang Nga Bay Regatta calls for cruisers to take sail

    PHUKET: The iconic Phang Nga Bay Regatta returns for its 18th edition this year, with a move to March and calls for cruisers to take sail on the bay. The annual regatta, informally dubbed “the party regatta” from its reputation in its founding years, has for more than a decade been held, or at least started, in February. This year,…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket, give blood out of love

    Phuket, give blood out of love

    PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) has invited all qualified island residents to make a blood donation in February – which holds Valentine’s Day dearly in its bosom. “We want people to donate their blood in this month of love, so that they can share their brotherly love for their fellow human beings,” said PRBC acting chief Pornthip Rattajak.…

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  • OpinionPhuket transport saga: A long, strange trip

    Phuket transport saga: A long, strange trip

    PHUKET: Even as my bus was drawing into the new Phuket bus terminal, predators were circling the bus full of unsuspecting, defenceless, bus-lagged tourists who were dying for a fresh shower or a chance to jump straight into the sea. Little did they know that their short remaining journeys would cost them half as much – if not the full…

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  • Thailand NewsAstrologer arrested for Haad Yai slaying, charged for second murder

    Astrologer arrested for Haad Yai slaying, charged for second murder

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Astrologer arrested for Haad Yai slaying, charged for second murder The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend six years ago in Saraburi has been arrested again, this time on suspicion of killing Doungkhae Khunthongphetch, director of Wiriya Thian Witthaya School,…

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  • Thailand NewsPrayut urged to act on gold mine, villagers face contamination tests

    Prayut urged to act on gold mine, villagers face contamination tests

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Prayut urged to act on gold mine, villagers face contamination tests The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: People living near a gold mine in the central north are calling for Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to urgently intervene after hundreds of villagers were found to have…

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  • Thailand NewsPrayut denies ordering NLA to impeach Yingluck

    Prayut denies ordering NLA to impeach Yingluck

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Prayut denies ordering NLA to impeach Yingluck The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday angrily denied an allegation that the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly had been ordered to impeach former PM Yingluck Shinawatra. Gen Prayut was asked to comment on the…

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  • World NewsArgentine prosecutor who accused Fernandez of Iran plot found dead

    Argentine prosecutor who accused Fernandez of Iran plot found dead

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Argentine prosecutor who accused Fernandez of Iran plot found dead Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Argentine prosecutor whoaccused President Cristina Fernandez of orchestrating a cover-upin the investigation of Iran over the 1994 bombing of a Jewishcommunity center was found dead in his apartment, authoritiessaid on…

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  • Phuket NewsHousewife wins new car in Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw

    Housewife wins new car in Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw

    PHUKET: Chalong housewife Sompit Khaopong claimed a brand-new Toyota Altis 1.6, valued at more than 800,000 baht, as the grand prize in the annual Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw. Governor Nisit Jansomwong and his wife Mrs Nutsaree, who is the president of the Phuket Red Cross, presented the car to Mrs Sompit at the Phuket Red Cross head office…

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  • Phuket NewsYokohama FC arrives ahead of Phuket friendlies

    Yokohama FC arrives ahead of Phuket friendlies

    PHUKET: About 50 players and support staff from the Japanese football club Yokohama FC arrived in Phuket this morning, ahead of their two friendly matches against Phuket FC at Surakul Stadium on January 22 and 25. The squad will be here until January 26. They will train at the Republic Phuket football field at Chaofa Thani housing estate on Chao…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket Aussies unite to provide mobility scooter for disabled Bangla vendor

    Phuket Aussies unite to provide mobility scooter for disabled Bangla vendor

    PHUKET: A group of Australians in Patong will hold a fund-raising event at the Kangaroo Bar on Soi Bangla Friday night in order to provide a mobility scooter for long-term street merchant Wilaiwan “Wan” Damnui. “Wan works in Patong, around the Bangla Road area, selling various wares. She’s been here as long as I can remember, which is more than…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s Munchy Machine almost totalled in hit-and-run [video] | Thaiger

    Phuket’s Munchy Machine almost totalled in hit-and-run [video]

    PHUKET: The Munchy Machine, part of Phuket’s Tuk-Tuk Diner fleet (story here), was almost totalled in a hit-and-run accident near the TX Soccer Stadium in Samkong at about 4am yesterday. “We arrived at the scene and spoke to eye-witnesses, but nobody was able to describe the vehicle that slammed into the tuk-tuk before careening off into the support pole of…

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  • Phuket NewsMan injured in Phuket teen drive-by shooting

    Man injured in Phuket teen drive-by shooting

    PHUKET: Police are struggling to establish a motive in the drive-by shooting of a man in Thalang this morning, allegedly carried out by Phuket teenagers. Officers arrived at the scene, on the Baan Ya-Baan Don Road, at about 7am to find a motorbike parked in front of a resident’s house and a blood stain on the ground. “The 49-year-old victim,…

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  • Phuket NewsBryde’s whale spotted north of Phuket

    Bryde’s whale spotted north of Phuket

    PHUKET: The sighting of a Bryde’s whale by tourists in the Surin Islands National Park off the coast of Phang Nga, north of Phuket, has raised hopes that the marine environment off the Andaman coast is improving. The whale was spotted swimming alongside a boat operated by Kuraburi-based Sabina Tours. “The tourists, who came from Phuket and Phang Nga to…

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  • World NewsAustralia foreshadows diplomatic action if Indonesia executes ‘Bali 9’ pair

    Australia foreshadows diplomatic action if Indonesia executes ‘Bali 9’ pair

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australia foreshadows diplomatic action if Indonesia executes ‘Bali 9’ pair Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Australia could recall its ambassador to Indonesia if Jakarta executes two Australian citizens convicted of drug trafficking, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Monday, further straining fragile relations between the two…

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  • PropertyPhuket’s property of tomorrow

    Phuket’s property of tomorrow

    PHUKET: The year 2014 saw a number of new property developments – most noticeably condominiums – emerge on the Phuket map, fundamentally changing the Phuket landscape. To find out what tomorrow holds for the island’s property market, the Phuket Gazette‘s Maciek Klimowicz talked to Uthai Uthaisangsuk, senior executive vice president of Business Development and Project Development Division at Sansiri, one…

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  • Business NewsFinance: Five bad investments to avoid

    Finance: Five bad investments to avoid

    PHUKET: While there are good investments that can turn into bad investments along with bad investments that can eventually turn into good investments, there are some that are generally always bad for investors. With that in mind, the following investments are ones you should either avoid or limit your exposure to: 1) Your employer’s stock: Legendary fund manager Peter Lynch…

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