Month: November 2016
- Phuket
Songkhla to Phuket drug line busted
PHUKET: A joint task force charged a drug peddler on Monday after they seized 10,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills valued at 2 million baht at the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint on Saturday. The operation was led by Border Patrol Police Captain Aumpon Samorthai and Tah Chat Chai Police Lieutenant Pisithkorn Maswichien. “We received information early Saturday morning that a drug…
Read More » - Phuket
Missing Russian turns up, can’t remember a thing
PHUKET: A Russian tourist who went missing after diving into the sea while drunk at Kamala Beach late Monday night resurfaced yesterday afternoon with no recollection of the incident. Officials and rescue workers spent several hours searching for Mikhail Korneev after he was reported missing by a friend early yesterday morning (story here). The search – which also involved local…
Read More » - Phuket
Foreign fishing boats seized for faking nationality
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy yesterday afternoon seized seven tuna fishing boats at Tha Sri Thai pier in Rassada for faking nationality documents to enter Thailand. The investigations are being conducted by a joint task force of the Navy, Immigration, the Marine Office, the Employment Office, the Marine Police and other officers, and led by Vice Admiral Suraphol Kuptaphan, commander…
Read More » - Thailand
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to become King Rama X
BANGKOK: The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai convened a special meeting today and has now announced acknowledgment of the Cabinet’s resolution to invite HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to accede to the throne. “The NLA, which now functions as the Parliament, has received the Cabinet’s resolution. The NLA president will now invite the Crown Prince to accede to…
Read More » - Phuket
Russian missing after drunken midnight plunge
PHUKET: Police are searching for a Russian tourist who reportedly went missing after diving into the sea in a drunken state at Kamala Beach late last night. The man was named as Mikhail Korneev, 39, by a friend who reported the incident to police a little after midnight, adding that Mr Mikhail had been drinking heavily that night. “The incident…
Read More » - Phuket
Phuket tour guides, bus drivers demand action for lost jobs
PHUKET: A group of local tour guides and a group of local tour bus operators simultaneously submitted letters at Phuket Provincial Hall today demanding that action be taken against illegal tour guides and operations “stealing” their jobs. About 50 members of the Andaman Tour Guide Association (Phuket-Phang Nga-Krabi) led by Mr Krit Thepbamrung gathered at Provincial Hall at 9.30am to…
Read More » - Phuket
Top officials discuss major Phuket woes
PHUKET: Five of Phuket’s most influential lawmen met at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning in order to discuss what they named as the top five issues plaguing the island. The officials included Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan; Vice Admiral Surapol Kuptaphan, commander of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command; Maj Gen Akom Pongprom, commander of the 41st Military Circle; Phuket…
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Busload of Russians injured as ‘brakes fail’
PHUKET: Three Russian tourists were seriously injured, and 39 others less so, when the bus they were taking to Phuket ended up in a ditch in Phang Nga yesterday. Lt Thavorn Thongkam of Takuathung Police received reports of the incident from Kok Kloi District, Phang Nga at 2pm. The driver of the bus belonging to MKR Transport, Nithakorn Jamrasklang, 26,…
Read More » - Phuket
Man on the run after shooting boss in the head
PHUKET: Police are searching for a man suspected of shooting his employer in the head in Koh Kaew early this morning. “We found Pisekpong Oonwan, 38, behind the Isuzu showroom in the area, bleeding profusely from a head wound. He had a .22mm bullet lodged inside his head,” confirmed Lt Col Naruebadin Pangleesen of Phuket City Police. “He was taken…
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Tim Reed triumphs in Phuket’s Foremost Ironman 70.3
PHUKET: Australian athlete Tim Reed was the overall winner of the Foremost Ironman 70.3 held at Bangtao Beach yesterday, crossing the finish line with a time of 3 hours 48 minutes and 33 seconds. The grueling course comprised a 1.9km swim, followed by a 90km bike race from the beach up to the Sarasin Bridge and back, and then a…
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Marine Office prepares to tackle Mai Khao encroachment
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office yesterday vowed to take action against a business owner who has allegedly constructed a building on public beach land in Mai Khao. Earlier this month, the building owner, Somboon Pakdee, was summoned for discussions to allow him to clarify his position. “Locals from Moo 5, Baan Laem La, filed a complaint that Mr Somboon had…
Read More » - Thai Life
First ‘Superyacht Winner’s Cup’ up for grabs at 2016 rendezvous
PHUKET: Elite sail and motor superyachts are meeting at the prestigious 16th annual Asia Superyacht Rendezvous (ASR) at SALA Resort & Spa on December 16-18. ASR 2016 co-sponsor Benetti Yachts, along with Asia Pacific Superyachts, Lux Media Group and a range of high-end sponsors, as well as global and national media partners, join organizers in announcing the first ever ‘Rendezvous…
Read More » - Thai Life
Diving: Curate diving with kind words
PHUKET: You’re going to be hard pressed to find an easily accessible, warm water dive site anywhere in the world that wasn’t more glorious ten, twenty years ago. However, shallow tropical water sites, which have been most heavily transformed from global warming and other human impacts, are still capable of inspiring, mesmerizing and filling a diver’s heart and mind with…
Read More » - Pattaya
On Deck: Ready for a wet ‘n’ wild year end?
PHUKET: Are you ready for the busiest time of the year? Not Christmas and New Year, but the six or so weeks of marine industry madness that is upon us. Kicking things off is the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show. From 24th to 27th November, eyes are on the Gulf of Thailand as boat brands from around the world join…
Read More » - Opinion
Opinion: Taking care of society’s unwanted
PHUKET: Noppadol Poungpun is the Project Manager of the Life Home Project Foundation, a non-profit organization with the goal of offering children, women and patients suffering from HIV (Human Immuno-deficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) a more dignified life. Originally from Surat Thani, Mr Noppadol has lived in Phuket and worked for the foundation since 2002. He graduated…
Read More » - Opinion
Island View: Never at a standstill
PHUKET: I have lived in Phuket for about 12 years now and seen plenty of things come and go. While some things have changed for the better, others perhaps not so much. Anyone who last visited Phuket a decade ago would be faced with a very different spectacle today. One thing I have noticed in the past few years is…
Read More » - Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Seduce a sexy Thai lady
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 » - Opinion
Opinion: Security systems go at Phuket International Airport
PHUKET: Ongoing infrastructure improvements at the newly-expanded Phuket International Airport (HKT) have resulted in some long delays for passengers arriving at peak hours. One area, however, where systems were fully in place at the time of launch is Airport security. The Phuket Gazette commends Airports of Thailand (AoT) and their subcontractors for their dedicated work to get security staff at…
Read More » - Thai Life
Keep it green: A big world on a small planet
PHUKET: Louts and hooligans are often accused of ‘behaving like animals’. Unlike most cliches, the expression is a complete fabrication and does a grave disservice to animals everywhere. The world is full of human beings behaving badly. Homo sapiens, not your wild creature, are the louts mindlessly bent on destruction, not only of others but ultimately of themselves. Animals kill…
Read More » - Phuket
Safety First: Phuket Airport security meets international standards
PHUKET: News about the grand opening of the international terminal at Phuket International Airport (PIA) has littered the airwaves since its official ceremony in September. Like every new, large-scale project in Phuket, and indeed elsewhere in the world, the new terminal has had its fair share of teething problems – something the public has been quick to notice, criticize and…
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Speedboat sinks longtail at Maya Bay
PHUKET: A minor was injured yesterday after a speedboat smashed into a longtail boat at Phi Phi Island’s Maya Bay. Krabi Marine officials say they “now” plan to boost safety standards in the area after two similar “incidents” over just the past two days, and at least ten such crashes, some of them fatal, at Phi Phi over the past…
Read More » - Phuket
Freedom Beach land battle heats up
PHUKET: Department of Forestry officers yesterday morning checked up on land at Freedom Beach after some titles were revoked back in May, while the alleged owner threatened to sue them. Foresty and Navy personnel were led by Boonsueb Samakwet, director of Forestry Division 12, at about 11am at the site. These are the long-debated four-billion-baht titles covering 65 rai of…
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