Year: 2016
- Phuket News
Krabi police scoop up reef thieves
KRABI: Krabi officials arrested three men yesterday after they were apprehended illegally collecting coral and sea anemone near Koh Pu. Samart Janlamoon, 39, Natthapol Watjinda, 21, and Somrit Suksai, 41, were found in possession of 15 boxes of the precious marine life after officers inspected their boat, confirmed Jaroenchai Srisuwan, chief of the Krabi Fishery Management Center. “Last night, five…
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Police commander assures island safety amid foiled gang plot
PHUKET: Local officials are assuring the island’s safety after a member of the gang that attempted to rob a Bangkok gun shop revealed that the weapons may have been destined for either Chiang Mai or Phuket. Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee this morning reaffirmed that all necessary security measures were already in place on the island. “We have…
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Public asked not to rely on social media for tsunami warnings
PHUKET: Officials are warning the public not to rely too heavily on social media when it comes to earthquake and tsunami warnings. There are currently 40 seismometers throughout the Kingdom, which alert the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) in Bangkok of any seismic activity in the area, confirmed Deputy Director-General of the Meteorological Department Burin Wechbunthung. “The NDWC evaluates data…
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Experts unable to confirm species of Kata jellyfish
PHUKET: A Phuket diver photographed what he believed to be a box jellyfish while diving off of Kata Beach last Sunday. The photo was supplied to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Region 5 by Kanawut Krongraksa, who spotted the creature at a depth of about eight meters. However, experts have yet to confirm the exact species. “I…
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Blood donations flow in for injured American teacher
PHUKET: At least 20 people have donated blood following an urgent call this morning for O-negative blood for an American woman requiring emergency surgery after a road accident, confirmed the Phuket Regional Blood Center (story here). “Chonita Michelle Cleary, 24, and two of her friends – who declined to be named – were involved in a collision with a taxi…
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Foreign tenants ask Phuket Governor to mediate property dispute
PHUKET: A contingent of tenants leasing rooms at a luxury resort in Kata met with the governor at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday to hand him a letter demanding an investigation into issues over the property’s management. Leading the ten foreign tenants from The Aspasia Phuket resort was Dutch national Jan Cornelis van Zuilekom. Mr Zuilekom, who referred to himself as…
Read More » - Business News
Finance: Tech stocks are still dangerous
PHUKET: You would think the lessons learned in the dotcom bubble and subsequent crash would not be so quickly forgotten, but last year’s purchase by Facebook of the free smartphone app Whatsapp for 22 billion dollars was a very good reminder of how quickly we forget. There is no reason to put your life savings at risk with individual stocks…
Read More » - Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Fighting a katoey
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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Open-air cinema part of Boat Lagoon Lighthouse Market tonight, tomorrow
PHUKET: It’s another day of perfect weather in Phuket, so grab your family and friends and head over to the Phuket Lighthouse Market at Boat Lagoon for an evening of eating, chilling and shopping. To keep the air buzzing, there will be a medley of music at 6pm starting with pop music, and then taking it down a notch hour…
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Opinion: Time for a jet-ski-free Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette applauds the Central Investigation Bureau’s (CIB’s) recent crackdown on illegal jet-ski rental operators and the coincidental transfer of the industry’s long-time ‘champion’ to a relatively inactive post. We hope whoever is assigned to replace former Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut will make tourist safety a real priority and begin to clamp down. The problems that…
Read More » - Thai Life
Gardening: Moving pageant in your garden
PHUKET: We all know how denuded of mammals Thailand is. Most have long since been hunted down for food. And while the same is not true of most insects or reptiles, it is still the case that anything remotely edible will probably end up fried or barbecued on someone’s dinner plate. Insects, such as water scorpions, crickets and locusts, tokay…
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Governor’s ‘dream road’ one step closer to reality
PHUKET: Plans for the multi-billion baht ‘dream road’ project that will connect Sakoo and Koh Kaew are now being drawn up by consulting firms, confirmed Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. The 15-month design contract between the Department of Highways, MAA Consultants Co Ltd and Pre Development Consultant Co Ltd was signed in late January. Governor Chamroen revealed the plans Wednesday morning,…
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Suspected teenage arsonists allegedly burn Phuket motorbike
PHUKET: Police are tracking down suspected teenage arsonists wanted for allegedly setting fire to a motorbike Wednesday evening in Phuket Town. The motorbike, belonging to a 25-year-old Myanmar national, named only as Musor, was completely destroyed, confirmed Lt Col Chana Suthimas of the Phuket City Police. “Locals told officers that they saw about four or five teenagers sitting near the…
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India denies visas to U.S. religious freedom body
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community India denies visas to U.S. religious freedom body Phuket Gazette / Reuters WASHINGTON: India has denied visas for a delegation from the U.S. government agency charged with monitoring international religious freedom, the agency said on Thursday. The delegation from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom…
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German court rules Facebook may block pseudonyms
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community German court rules Facebook may block pseudonyms Phuket Gazette / Reuters BERLIN: Facebook may prevent its users from using fake names, a German court said on Thursday, overturning a previous order from the Hamburg data protection authority. The ruling is a coup for the social network…
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German police arrest doctor suspected of recruiting suicide bomber for IS
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community German police arrest doctor suspected of recruiting suicide bomber for IS Phuket Gazette / Reuters BERLIN: German police on Thursday arrested a doctor in Berlin suspected of convincing a young man to join Islamic State in Iraq, where he carried out a suicide bombing on behalf…
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Urgent: Blood needed to save American, 24
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) has issued an urgent call for O-negative blood to save the life of a 24-year-old American woman involved in a road accident in Phuket. “The patient is being treated at Bangkok Hospital Phuket,” said PRBC Chief Pornthip Rattajak. “They have completed one operation. However, more blood is needed for a second one.” Only…
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Island View: Old Town done right [video]
PHUKET: When a dance choreographer based in Manhattan, New York, finds the splendor of the Old Town Festival magical, engaging and fulfilling, then you know Phuket is doing something right to promote cultural tourism on the island. She was here for the sun, sand and sea – like the vast majority of Phuket tourists – so I hadn’t planned on…
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Day 3: Rowers battle seasickness, sleep deprivation in Atlantic crossing
PHUKET: Only three days into an estimated 2-month voyage of rowing across the Atlantic, the Row2Rio team is already facing enormous physical and mental challenges. “It was a brutal first day and night, sea sickness had three of us spewing all at once, only Jake seemed unaffected. I was sure I was about to die,” wrote Australian expat and head…
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Phi Phi Island releases 83% wastewater untreated
PHUKET: About 83 per cent of wastewater on the popular tourist island of Phi Phi Don is flowing directly into the ocean untreated, confirmed officials today. A stink about the untreated wastewater was raised after it was revealed that about 1,800 cubic meters of wastewater was produced on the island each day, but only 300 cubic meters could be handled…
Read More » - Thailand News
Student loan debt to be deducted from salaries
BANGKOK: This year, some 2 million overdue student-loan debtors will face deductions from their salaries to pay off outstanding debt, as the new Student Loan Bill comes into effect, the Student Loan Office disclosed on Tuesday. The Cabinet approved the Student Loan Bill, which makes it binding on business owners to collect student-loan debts for the Student Loan Office in…
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Plans for Koh Kaew pedestrian bridge on hold
PHUKET: Plans to build a pedestrian bridge at the ever-busy Koh Kaew intersection have been put on hold, confirmed a Highways Department official on Tuesday. Italian-Thai Development Co Ltd, the construction company currently developing the Bang Khu underpass, was originally slated to build the pedestrian bridge on the north side of the junction’s traffic lights. “However, the Koh Kaew Tambon…
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Navy officer charged for armed bank robbery in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Police arrested a Royal Thai Navy officer yesterday for the armed robbery of a Phuket Town bank. The suspect, petty officer Sahapracha Chadawong, allegedly made off with about 470,000 baht from the Krungthai Bank branch on Sakdidet Road on Friday afternoon (story here). After threatening a bank teller with a firearm and exiting the building, the suspect fired one…
Read More » - Koh Samui News
International teams prepare for 2016 Samui Regatta
SAMUI: Boat owners and sailors throughout Asia and the world have the 2016 Samui Regatta firmly marked on their calendars, as boats ranging in size from 23 to 72 feet head to Thailand’s second largest island to compete in the event’s 15th edition. The marine event, which sees the finale of the AsianYachting Grand Prix Championship, will be held at…
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Phuket safe after tsunami warning
PHUKET: Provincial authorities are keeping a close eye on developments today, after a tsunami warning in Phuket last night following a 7.9 magnitude earthquake off Sumatra at 7:49pm [Phuket time]. The announcement, issued by the National Disaster Warning Center, was later cancelled, but local authorities have remained on high alert throughout the night and this morning to monitor the situation…
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Italian mafia earnings from drugs rival Fiat with cars
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Italian mafia earnings from drugs rival Fiat with cars Phuket Gazette / Reuters ROME: Italian mobsters make as much money trafficking narcotics in Italy as Fiat does selling cars, but without having to pay taxes, the anti-mafia prosecutors office said on Wednesday. Citing estimates by the…
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Malaysia says high possibility that debris in Mozambique belongs to a Boeing 777
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Malaysia says high possibility that debris in Mozambique belongs to a Boeing 777 Phuket Gazette / Reuters KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s transport minister said on Wednesday that based on early reports there is a high possibility that a piece of debris found in Mozambique belongs to a…
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Philippine officials say China blocked access to disputed S. China Sea atoll
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Philippine officials say China blocked access to disputed S. China Sea atoll Phuket Gazette / Reuters MANILA: China sent several ships to a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, preventing Filipino fishermen from accessing traditional fishing grounds and raising tensions in the volatile region, Philippine…
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Quality tourism trending
PHUKET: Last year was a favorable one for tourism in Phuket, boosting confidence throughout the hospitality and property sectors with a rise in ‘quality’ tourists and investors – a trend that appears set to continue in 2016. Arrivals at Phuket International Airport soared to 6.4 million – a record number of passengers passing through the province, according to the latest…
Read More » - Thai Life
Blazing Saddles: Dealing with the blazing heat
PHUKET: Whether we Phuket-based cyclists like it or not, the 2016 season is going to be one of the hottest on record with the El Nino effect continuing to bring the Andaman region all sorts of problems. To keep on enjoying your riding throughout 2016, there are a number of simple responses that local cyclists should make to the extreme…
Read More » - Property
By the Book: What is property valuation?
PHUKET: Valuation is a process of estimation of the most probable price that would be paid for a property under typical market conditions applicable at the date of valuation. The value of a property is the present value of all future benefits expected to be obtained from possession of the property. The ability to provide a professional and accurate valuation…
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Opinion: Promoting gastronomy [video]
Rangsiman Kingkaew is a Phuket native and the Secretary-General of the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) He holds a master’s and bachelor’s degree in economics from Thammasat University. Here he talks about his ideas on improving the standards of local eateries to live up to the province’s new title as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. PHUKET: Phuket was awarded the title…
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Governor turns up the heat on drug-pushers in Kathu
PHUKET: Drug dealers and users in Kathu are feeling the heat with the latest crackdown ordered by the Phuket governor, who is on a mission to clean up the district. There are drug dealers at large and addicts that need to be cured, said Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada at the Kathu District Office yesterday. The governor also joined law enforcement…
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Airport-to-Patong speedboat shuttle service passes EIA
PHUKET: The proposed project to offer a speedboat shuttle service from Phuket International Airport to Patong has passed the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), confirmed the governor today. “We are glad to have the support of the central government for the ‘From the Boat to the Plane’ project,” said Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. “It’s an excellent idea as an alternative transport…
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Phuket flyover project racks up huge fines, opens this month
PHUKET: After suffering months of daily 200,000-baht fines, the construction company of the highly anticipated Klong Koh Pee Flyover will have the project ready to present to the public for the grand opening on April 6. “Locals have been waiting a long time for this project, which has been named ‘Thep Srisin Bridge’,” explained Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada during an…
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A Decade Ago: Jet-ski and guide woes
PHUKET: There is a reason that old-dog expats are jaded and sound like MP3 players with less than half a dozen songs playing on shuffle. That’s because, like it or not, they’ve seen the mangling and crushing of that beautiful idea us newbies to the island think will be the catalyst for ‘real’ change. When it comes to what have…
Read More » - World News
Philippine poll agency may block broadcasts of Pacquiao’s last fight
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Philippine poll agency may block broadcasts of Pacquiao’s last fight Phuket Gazette / Reuters MANILA: The Philippines’ election commission on Tuesday said it may bar local broadcasts of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao’s bid to win back the world welterweight title next month because it could give…
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