Year: 2016

  • Phuket NewsProposed light rail delayed yet again

    Proposed light rail delayed yet again

    PHUKET: Phuket’s multi-billion-baht light rail project is being given another month to revise its plans yet again. Planners are revising arrangements that would ensure the safety of motorists using roads running alongside the proposed track routes and the airport’s connecting train station. The Ministry of Transport has requested that the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTPP) modify…

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  • Phuket NewsCrackdown on condo owners confirmed

    Crackdown on condo owners confirmed

    PHUKET: Condominium owners in Phuket caught renting out their units on a daily basis face fines and jail time if they do not register their properties as hotels. Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat reaffirmed today a renewed crackdown on owners of condominium complexes and individual unit owners who are operating illegally as hotels, after the provincial land office issued a…

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  • Phuket NewsRaging bull elephant tears apart owner

    Raging bull elephant tears apart owner

    KRABI: An enraged bull elephant crushed his 64-year-old mahout to death while working at a rubber plantation in Krabi yesterday afternoon. The 26-year-old elephant, named Plai Khai, was in musth and had been chained to a tree for two days before the attack. He turned on his mahout, Sawai Lantee, when he went to check on the chains. “The elephant…

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  • Bangkok NewsBangkok Broadcasting charging for beach access

    Bangkok Broadcasting charging for beach access

    PHUKET: Bangkok Broadcasting & Television Co Ltd (BBTV), the company that broadcasts Thai national television Channel 7, and now claims to own access to Laem Singh Beach, started charging beachgoers 100 baht in entrance fees on Friday. BBTV installed a sign at the entrance to the beach, stating that the company owns the land, and that the entrance fee is…

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  • Phuket NewsAsleep at the wheel: driver rams into shophouses in Krabi

    Asleep at the wheel: driver rams into shophouses in Krabi

    KRABI: Residents in Krabi Town had a lucky escape when the driver of a pick-up truck fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into a row of shophouses last night. The driver, Surin Sukkawit, 54, a Krabi native, caused extensive damage to the row of shops along Krabi-Kaothong Road when he lost control of his vehicle after nodding off around…

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  • Phuket NewsThailand to raise water transport safety standards in Andaman Sea

    Thailand to raise water transport safety standards in Andaman Sea

    PHUKET: Transportation and Marine Department officials have agreed to adopt additional water transportation safety measures in Phuket. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, Deputy Transport Minister Ormsin Chivapruck, Marine Department Director-General Sorasak Saensombat and representatives from six tour agencies based in provinces along the Andaman Sea ratified the agreement last Monday. The agreement aims to establish a water transportation safety center and…

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  • Phuket NewsBody of Korean found at sea 5 days after disappearance

    Body of Korean found at sea 5 days after disappearance

    PHUKET: The body of a man believed to be that of a Korean tourist who went missing after entering the sea to save his girlfriend at Patong beach last Wednesday was found by fishermen off the northwest coast of Phuket yesterday. Korean nationals Siwoo Park, 25, and his partner Garam Hong, 28, disappeared in the surf off Patong Beach around…

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  • Phuket News‘Fish are scarce’ report Krabi fishermen

    ‘Fish are scarce’ report Krabi fishermen

    PHUKET: Fishermen from Krabi returned to shore yesterday disappointed with the meager quantities caught on the first day of fishing following a three-month hiatus. Yesterday was the first day that large fishing vessels were allowed to return to fish in the Andaman Sea after 4,696 square kilometers between Phuket and Trang were closed off so as not to deplete fish…

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  • PropertyLand & Houses brings new residential project to Koh Kaew

    Land & Houses brings new residential project to Koh Kaew

    PHUKET: Property developer Land & Houses has opened new doors for families in Phuket with the residential development ’88 Land & Houses Koh Kaew’. Construction of the gated community is set to be completed by 2018. About 50 per cent of the 140 units have already been sold and new owners have started to move in. Located on Thepkrassatri Road,…

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  • Thai LifeHair-raising experience at Hollow Mountain

    Hair-raising experience at Hollow Mountain

    PHUKET: Hollow Mountain Extreme Adventure Park in Krabi has a perfect score on Trip Advisor, with 54 five-star ratings out of 54 ratings. That’s no feat to scoff at – particularly not these days when everyone wants free wireless internet and zero mosquitoes wherever they go – and it’s especially impressive considering that they’ve only been open for one year.…

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  • Thai LifeThai animal cruelty campaign wins top honors at Cannes

    Thai animal cruelty campaign wins top honors at Cannes

    PHUKET: An awareness campaign by Bangkok-based advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather won five awards at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity held late last month. Their video shows ‘Leatherworks’, a typical pop-up shop of luxury goods located inside a large shopping center in Bangkok. Unsuspecting shoppers are filmed browsing through rows of snake-skin shoes and crocodile-skin handbags, but once…

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  • Thai LifeDiving: To splurge or not to splurge

    Diving: To splurge or not to splurge

    PHUKET: Like most people new to freediving, as well as many experienced divers, I have a desire to go deeper to set new personal bests. Also, like many divers, my head is so full of inaccurate and misleading information that a faulty premise on how to do this is floating in my mind: “I need to buy stiff, carbon fiber…

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  • Business NewsTai Ping comes to town

    Tai Ping comes to town

    PHUKET: Bangkok based fabric designer and manufacturer Thailand Carpet Manufacturing Plc opened its first satellite store in Phuket on June 25 to cater to growing demand in the province for high-quality custom- design flooring. Targeting Phuket’s hospitality industry, the company, under the brand name Tai Ping, expects to earn about 20 million baht in revenue in their first year. Located…

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  • Phuket NewsReturn of the Rajabhat roboteers [video] | Thaiger

    Return of the Rajabhat roboteers [video]

    PHUKET: Two teams of students from Phuket have made it through to the national level of the World Robot Olympiad 2016. The Refresh Team and the Reboot Team, both from Kathu Wittya School, are among the tech-savvy youngsters who competed in the first leg of the international contest held as Phuket Rajabhat University (PKRU) June 23-24. The competition was organized…

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  • Phuket NewsKrabi police snare drug dealers with 52,000 pills worth B10mn

    Krabi police snare drug dealers with 52,000 pills worth B10mn

    KRABI: A sting operation in Krabi yielded more than 10-million-baht worth of hard drugs and led to the arrest of two suspected drug dealers on Wednesday. The two suspects were named as Amnat-ittirit Lueanloy, 34 and Yuthana Sangkachoti, 39. Both are from Nakhon Sri Thammarat. The operation was led by Region 8 Police Headquarters Commander Lt Gen Tesa Siriwato and…

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  • Phuket NewsPolice clear Chalong traffic for baby who wouldn’t wait

    Police clear Chalong traffic for baby who wouldn’t wait

    PHUKET: A heavily pregnant teenage mother almost gave birth while stuck in traffic at Chalong Circle this morning. Ms Bee, the 18-year-old mother-to-be, called a relative to take her to the hospital when she felt labor pains. “By the time we reached Chalong Circle, the baby’s head was already out,” said Royah Kiewsot, the relative who accompanied her to the…

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  • OpinionOpinion: Improving communication to prevent accidents

    Opinion: Improving communication to prevent accidents

    PHUKET: Wang Huijuan is the Chinese vice consul general and head of the Chinese Consular Office in Phuket. Originally from Beijing, she has been working in this position since 2014. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Nankai University in China. Here, she talks about her suggestions to solve the problem of unexpected incidents and accidents involving…

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  • Thai LifeProfile: Adisak Pitakrojananont – working his away atop the hospitality ladder

    Profile: Adisak Pitakrojananont – working his away atop the hospitality ladder

    PHUKET: PHUKET: Adisak Pitakrojananont hails from Ratchaburi and is currently the general manager of Mom Tri’s Villa Royale at Kata Noi Beach, Phuket. He graduated from Ramkhamhaeng University with a Bachelor’s degree in hotel management and has more than 10 years of experience in the hospitality business, eight of which have been in management. “I was not born to be…

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  • OpinionOpinion: Leisurely stroll through Old Town

    Opinion: Leisurely stroll through Old Town

    PHUKET: As a first time traveller to Thailand, I’ve spent some time aimlessly wandering around Old Phuket Town, which, despite the constant buzzing of crowded telephone wires and motorbikes, can actually be quite peaceful. This town isn’t really intended for the casual stroller. Locals will hop on a motorbike just to cross the street and if they have to walk,…

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  • Phuket NewsRussian tourist dies in red flag zone at Nai Harn

    Russian tourist dies in red flag zone at Nai Harn

    PHUKET: A Russian tourist died at Nai Harn Beach yesterday evening after he ignored the red warning flags and went swimming. “We found the body of Leonid Petrov, 28, lying face up on the sand. He was shirtless, with no signs of struggle on his body,” said Capt Wuthiwat Leangboonjinda of the Chalong Police. “We questioned his friend, Vladimir Avdeev,…

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  • Phuket NewsConstruction worker killed in scaffold fall

    Construction worker killed in scaffold fall

    PHUKET: A Thai laborer fell to his death at a construction site in Phuket Town this morning. Kraisorn Kongngam, 49, died after falling from scaffolding while working on a three-storey building in Talad Yai about 9am. According to witnesses, Mr Kraisorn lost his balance and fell while climbing up the scaffolding carrying tools to a platform about two meters off…

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  • Phuket NewsBurmese migrants ‘better off’, says employment chief

    Burmese migrants ‘better off’, says employment chief

    PHUKET: Nothing much will change for the 100,000 migrant Myanmar nationals currently living and working on the island, Phuket Employment Office director Pitoon Damsakorn told the Phuket Gazette, shortly after the visit to Thailand by the State Counselor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi last week. Ms Suu Kyi’s arrival in Thailand last week for a three-day visit to meet…

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  • Phuket News‘Friend’ admits to fatal stabbing of teenager

    ‘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…

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  • Business NewsFinance: Keep calm and let’s talk Brexit

    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…

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  • OpinionOpinion: Implications of TAT’s ‘Month for Women Travellers’

    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…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket to benefit from Phang Nga airport

    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.…

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  • OpinionMinistry of Farang Affairs: Worship Thai basil pork

    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.…

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  • Phuket NewsFinal demolitions hit Lay Pang and Layan

    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…

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  • PropertyProperly maintaining granite counter tops

    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…

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  • Thai LifeReady, steady, get Footloos

    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…

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  • Phuket NewsMen flee and fire at Phuket police checkpoint

    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…

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  • Phuket NewsLover’s quarrel leads to Korean tourists dead, missing

    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…

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  • Phuket NewsFamily narrowly escapes being crushed in landslide

    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…

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  • Phuket NewsSwedish tourist beaten up by Patong tuk tuk driver and friends

    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…

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  • Cannabis NewsPhuket drug ring found weapons online

    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…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket karaoke firebombed by angry customer

    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.…

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  • Phuket News18 year old stabbed 18 times outside his house

    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…

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