Month: June 2016
- Phuket News
‘Friend’ admits to fatal stabbing of teenager
PHUKET: The self-confessed killer of the 18 year-old who was stabbed 18 times in Koh Kaew surrendered to Phuket City Police on Tuesday. Manasanan Bunga was stabbed to death just outside his house on Soi Han Farang late Sunday night (story here). Police named the suspect, who is not yet 18, only as ‘Min’. “After checking CCTV footage and interviewing…
Read More » - Business News
Finance: Keep calm and let’s talk Brexit
PHUKET: The results of the Brexit vote have shocked markets almost as much as it has shocked the global and Brussels’ elites, with plenty of talk of impending doom and gloom for the UK and the markets. For example, the Morgan Stanley strategy team was quick to proclaim they expect European stocks to fall 15 to 20 per cent from…
Read More » - Opinion
Opinion: Implications of TAT’s ‘Month for Women Travellers’
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has a rich and diverse history when it comes to churning out tourism promotion campaigns, so it comes as a bit of a surprise that the agency’s recent designation of August as its ‘Month for Women Travellers’ has managed to raise a few eyebrows. The TAT clearly recognizes that the gender ratio of…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket to benefit from Phang Nga airport
PHUKET: A new airport in the works at Phang Nga will help ease air traffic issues in Phuket, Phang Nga Governor Pakkapong Tawiphat told the Phuket Gazette last week. “The airport is set to be located in Taimuang District. The project is backed by a private company that has asked to remain nameless for the time being,” the governor says.…
Read More » - Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Worship Thai basil pork
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
Read More » - Phuket News
Final demolitions hit Lay Pang and Layan
PHUKET: The last of the buildings found to be built on public beachfront land in Phuket were demolished at Lay Pang and Layan beaches on Tuesday. Ma-Ann Samran, former president of the Cherng Talay Administration Organization (OrBorTor), along with government officials, gathered on the beaches to witness the destruction. “We had earlier demolished 100 buildings across Lay Pang and Layan…
Read More » - Property
Properly maintaining granite counter tops
PHUKET: If you buy new or upgrade, most likely you will choose granite counter tops. First remember that not all granite is equal. Granite is a lot harder than marble and easier to maintain, but experience shows, liquids can soak in to polished granite. If you notice a spill, clean it up right away and you may not be left…
Read More » - Thai Life
Ready, steady, get Footloos
PHUKET: The multi-billion-baht Phuket tourism industry caters to adventurers and wellness seekers from across the globe, with a seemingly endless stream of tour companies offering a multitude of services. Now imagine if you could get all these services in a few clicks on a single platform. That, in short, is the idea behind Footloos, an online marketplace dedicated to an…
Read More » - Phuket News
Men flee and fire at Phuket police checkpoint
PHUKET: Two men were arrested in downtown Phuket last night after allegedly firing at police as they sped away from a checkpoint. The Chiang Mai men were on a motorbike on Phoonpon Road at 7:30pm when police ordered them to stop. While fleeing the checkpoint, one of the men, identified as Wuttichai Rattanaputiwong, 31, allegedly fired a shot from a…
Read More » - Phuket News
Lover’s quarrel leads to Korean tourists dead, missing
PHUKET: A Korean tourist is dead and another is missing after a domestic dispute lead them to fling themselves into the sea last night. Patong police were alerted around 3am that locals had recovered the body of a woman washed ashore on Patong Beach. “At the scene, we found the body of Ms Garam Hong, a 28 year old Korean…
Read More » - Phuket News
Family narrowly escapes being crushed in landslide
KRABI: A family of three narrowly escaped being crushed to death in a landslide in Krabi that completely destroyed their house on Friday. The 56-year-old owner, Rorya Marya, was staying at her house in Baan Thapradoo, Khlong Thom District with her nephew and mentally unstable son when she heard rumbling sounds and went outside to check. “I saw a landslide…
Read More » - Phuket News
Swedish tourist beaten up by Patong tuk tuk driver and friends
PHUKET: A tuk tuk driver and four accomplices were arrested yesterday for ganging up on a Swedish tourist and beating him unconscious in Patong in the early hours of Monday morning. Police responding to reports of the beating found Frederik Gustav Wilhelm Erikson Holm, 32, lying unconscious at the end of Soi Bangla at 3.45am. He was sent to Bangkok…
Read More » - Cannabis News
Phuket drug ring found weapons online
PHUKET: Four Thai men have been arrested after drug raids in Chalong uncovered crystal meth, guns, bullets and marijuana, police confirmed. At a press conference yesterday, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teerapol Thipjaroen and staff announced that the arrests had been made by following online leads. “Mr Teerapong Rithirak, 23, was caught on June 23 in Chalong, while trying to sell…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket karaoke firebombed by angry customer
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a man who allegedly firebombed a Phuket Town karaoke bar yesterday after his phone was seized in lieu of payment for beer and a sing song. Suvann Chaichana, the owner of ‘Fancy Karaoke’ in Phuket Town, reported that her shop had been firebombed just before 2am, says Maj Somchai Nooboon of the Phuket City Police.…
Read More » - Phuket News
18 year old stabbed 18 times outside his house
PHUKET: The body of a teenager, who was stabbed 18 times in the latest incident of violent crime in Phuket, was found outside his house in Koh Kaew late last night. “We received reports from locals about a body found in Soi Han Farang at about 11:55pm,” confirmed Capt Udom Petcharat of the Phuket City Police. The victim was named…
Read More » - Phuket News
Chinese passenger injured in tour bus crash on Patong Hill
PHUKET: One man was injured when a bus loaded with Chinese tourists broke through a roadside barrier and veered off the road on Patong Hill yesterday evening. “We received reports from locals that a bus had crashed in front of the Sea Pearl Hotel,” confirmed Patong Police Lt Jongserm Preecha. “The driver, Tairong Chutai, 30, was returning 25 Chinese tourists…
Read More » - Thai Life
Unemployed primate released into wild due to ‘depression’
PHUKET: Pom, an eight-year-old unemployed monkey raised by a Bang Jo couple since he was two, has been let go because the family who owned him could not bear to see him depressed. Pom used to work as a coconut picker and also helped to peel coconuts at his owner’s coconut oil factory. A few months ago, coconut prices shot…
Read More » - Business News
Lanna hopes to foster Phuket-Chiang Mai trade
PHUKET: Tourism officials from northern provinces are hoping that a scheme to circulate tourists within the country will lead to better trade connections between Chiang Mai and Phuket. Samroeng Chaisen, head of the ‘Office of Strategy Management Upper Northern Provincial Cluster 1’, Supawan Teerarat of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, and other relevant officers met on June 16 to…
Read More » - Property
Boat Pattana announces new luxury villa project
PHUKET: Boat Pattana Co Ltd announced a new ‘limited edition’ high-end villa construction in progress in Phuket on June 13. “The project, named ‘Deva Escape’, will be located on the Bypass Road (Chalermprakiat Ror 9 Road) near IKEA, starting at 34 million baht for villas ranging 1157.6-1642.92 square meters,” said Panupong Kritchanarat, chief executive officer of Boat Pattana Co Ltd.…
Read More » - Pattaya News
On Deck: Large trimarans to the fore
PHUKET: Multihull sailing isn’t something new to Phuket. In fact, some would argue multihulls are the ideal boats for Phuket’s waters. With their shallow draft they can more easily access some areas as compared to their monohull cousins. While everyone has different tastes in terms of size, brand and two hulls or three, what is relatively new to the local…
Read More » - Property
Property Watch: Unanswered questions in the Thai property market
PHUKET: I will admit, to anyone who asks, that consultancy services often involve assisting people with the kind of matters for which they should perhaps go to the authorities to receive assistance and guidance. Nevertheless, for one reason or another, consultancy services often involve providing advice to clear up uncertainties over laws, rules and regulations that are difficult to understand…
Read More » - Thai Life
Smart Life: Foundations of the next technological age
PHUKET: This is the first in a series of articles designed to engage the ultimate architects of smart cities: the mums and dads, the social workers, the councilors, small business owners… really the people that make up the city. The next technology revolution has the potential to manage, and maybe even unwind the damage caused by the last one. Many…
Read More » - Opinion
Governor’s Letter: Evaluating plans to develop Phuket Bay
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has held his current position since September 30, 2015. He is a Phuket native with a master’s degree in political and administrative science from the National Institute of Development Administration. Here, he shares his perspective on plans for the 63-billion-baht Phuket Bay project – a 3,000 rai artificial island proposed as a host venue for…
Read More » - Phuket News
109-year-old grandma oldest person in Krabi
PHUKET: Plaipraya District Chief Paisarn Srithep visited the oldest living person in Krabi on June 21 and was delighted, and surprised, to find her in good health. Pliaw Petchpuang, 109, was born in 1907. “We were surprised to find that Ms Pliaw is in great health, able to walk unassisted, and indeed busy,” said Mr Paisarn. Ms Pliaw stays with…
Read More » - Phuket News
Domestic dispute ends in bloodbath, one stabbed to death
PHUKET: A 49-year-old Myanmar national was stabbed to death in Kathu last night, after a domestic dispute escalated into a bloodbath. Kathu Police received reports of the man’s shirtless body lying on Baan Na Koh Road near Loch Palm Golf Club. Officers arrived at the scene to find the body of the victim, named only as Mr Ta, on the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Newly-arrived tourists injured in Patong bus crash
PHUKET: Five tourists, including a five-year-old boy, were injured when a tourist bus flipped over in Patong this morning. The bus, which was carrying 14 Chinese, was heading toward the Patong Bay Hill Resort & Spa from Phuket International Airport. Patong Police received reports of this the latest tour bus crash at about 8:30am. The injured were taken to Patong…
Read More » - Phuket News
PLTO, taxi reps in stalemate over cutting fares
PHUKET: Following the latest public backlash against high taxi fares, officials from the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) met with drivers’ representatives on Thursday to discuss a new minimum price for their services. The meeting ended with the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers turning down the PLTO’s suggestions. Public outrage erupted after Thai-speaking expat Jack Brown posted a video on Facebook…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Phuket officials, hospitality reps talk safety
PHUKET: Phuket officials met with tourism and hospitality operators yesterday to discuss safety measures and contingency plans in case of emergencies. Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat, as well as officials from the Thai Hotels Association and Ministry of Tourism and Sports Phuket Office (MOTS), met with representatives from private and public sector hospitality businesses at a conference held at the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Fatal crash victim’s family demands B2.1mn in damages
PHUKET: The family of a German man killed in a Phuket road accident in December last year has demanded 1.3 million baht as compensation for his death and 800,000 baht for his partner’s injuries. The suspect, Jakarin Rodpradit, 26, has requested a month to assess the situation, after both sides met for negotiations at Phuket Provincial Court this afternoon. He…
Read More » - Thai Life
Profile: Phuket’s Deputy Chief Judge Boonjuan Panich
PHUKET: Boonjuan Panich from Trang Province is the current deputy chief judge of the Phuket Court. He is also the president of the Trang-Phuket Club – a group of Trang natives living and working in Phuket. Now 49 years old, Mr Boonjuan has achieved much from a humble childhood as the second son of a rubber plantation worker in rural…
Read More » - Opinion
Island View: First street food adventure in Phuket
PHUKET: A friend of mine, who intends to visit Phuket shortly, asked me what the street food was like here. Being a picky eater and mostly cooking for myself at home, I realized I hadn’t tried much in the way of street food for the year that I’ve been in Phuket. Armed with dozens of recommendations from friends and colleagues,…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand tourism faces uncertainty over Brexit fallout
MARKETS across Asia are reeling after it became known this afternoon that Great Britain will exit the European Union. Investors are fleeing to more stable currencies, such as the US dollar, the Swiss Franc and the Japanese Yen, causing major upheavals in Japan whose government has been trying to devalue the Yen in an effort to increase exports and stimulate…
Read More » - Property
Lub d hostel opens in Phuket
PHUKET: Lub d Phuket Patong is a new hostel set to open on July 19 with the aim of attracting modern-day backpackers who are looking for a laid back, affordable and convenient travel experience. Although the concept is a relatively new one for Patong accommodation, it is the latest in a line of similar successful hostels in Bangkok: Lub d…
Read More » - Business News
A closer look at the luxury car market
PHUKET: The exponential increase in the number of cars – particularly high-end ones – in Phuket in the last decade alone, warrants a closer look at some of the factors that make this multi-billion-baht business tick. Millennium Auto, one of the newest luxury car outlets to open on the island, gave an exclusive account of the ins and outs of…
Read More » - Business News
Finance: Defining a financial adviser
PHUKET: If you haven’t yet seen it, there’s a great episode of John Oliver’s ‘Last Week Tonight’ that covers the financial services industry in America. While it is a different beast in Southeast Asia, there were many points he brought up that are very relevant to expats in the region. Go onto YouTube and search for it if you haven’t…
Read More » - Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Welcome to the farang flying club
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.For…
Read More » - Phuket News
Super algae solution for bleached Phi Phi coral
KRABI: Super algae is to be deployed in the Phi Phi national marine park in a world-first attempt to revive bleached coral. Bleaching has affected about 80 per cent of the coral in Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park’s protected area, said the park’s chief Sarayuth Tanthien on June 23. Mr Sarayuth blamed rapid tourism growth…
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