Year: 2016
- World News
France pays tribute to 2015 terrorism victims in silent ceremony
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community France pays tribute to 2015 terrorism victims in silent ceremony Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: France honored the victims of Islamist militant attacks last year in a thinly attended silent ceremony on Sunday, almost a year to the day when more than a million people marched…
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No winner of record Powerball jackpot, next draw put at $1.3 billion
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community No winner of record Powerball jackpot, next draw put at $1.3 billion Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Jan 9 No one won Saturday’s record jackpot of nearly $950 million in the multi-state Powerball lottery, officials said, driving the haul for a winning ticket in the next…
Read More » - Phuket News
Officials mull waste management policies in Phuket
PHUKET: In an effort to improve waste management on the island, Phuket officials are working toward implementing more efficient rubbish disposal policies. “Waste management in Phuket is centralized in Phuket Town at the Saphan Hin incinerators. Currently, they are only able to handle up to 700 tonnes per day,” Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana said. Mayor Somjai noted that the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Australian Embassy announces consular outreach services for Phuket
PHUKET: The Consular Section of the Australian Embassy in Bangkok has announced that its staff will be in Phuket on January 18 to provide consular outreach services. The consulate staff will be available from 9:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 3:00pm at the Australian Consulate Office at 77/77 Unit 6D Moo 5, Chalermprakiat Rama 9 (bypass road) in Rassada. For…
Read More » - Phuket News
Killer Whale spotted in Phuket bay [video]
PHUKET: An English family holidaying in Phuket spotted a Killer Whale off Freedom Beach in Patong Bay yesterday morning. Susan and Thomas Halleron were on a longtail boat with their son Joe when they spotted the unusual sight. “We went for a one hour trip around the island, and on the way back we saw the whale [Orca]… it was…
Read More » - Phuket News
German tourist’s bag returned after Facebook post goes viral
PHUKET: A German tourist lucked out this week after a Facebook post by a fellow traveller helped reunite her with her lost bag. Polish national Ewelina Moszczynska, 31, found the handbag next to her bungalow on Phi Phi Island on Thursday morning. “It was the morning after a party that I found the bag next to my bungalow,” Ms Moszczynska…
Read More » - Phuket News
Triple circumnavigation of Phuket proves too much for Aussie
PHUKET: An Australian living and training on Phuket came to a staggering halt at about 6 kilometers from the end of his epic three-day, 430km challenge. The endurance sport attempt began on January 3 as Damien Rider, 40, set out to circumnavigate Phuket by prone paddleboarding, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and running. After deciding to combine prone and SUP, Mr Rider…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket police arrest ladyboy for pimping 15-year-old
PHUKET: Police arrested a ladyboy for pimping children in Phuket Town yesterday evening. Boonsong Saetan, 23, was arrested after she received 1,500 baht given to a 15-year-old that she had lined up to offer sexual services to an undercover police officer. “The officer confirmed an appointment at a hotel in the Poonpon area at 5pm with a 15-year-old girl,” explained…
Read More » - Phuket News
Deadly roads: The fight to make island roads safe
PHUKET: Despite the devastating death toll during the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ annual road-safety campaign – reaching seven this year, more than triple last year’s total – the number of fatalities from road accidents on the island have gradually declined throughout the last seven years, confirmed the Thai Road Safety Network (RSN). The number of road deaths has reduced from…
Read More » - Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: If no one sees, it didn’t happen
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 » - Property
Property Watch: Thailand: North vs South
PHUKET: The divide exists in many places worldwide, and it exists in Thailand too. As I holiday regularly in Chiang Mai, I wonder whether the grass is greener up here in the North. Should I up sticks with my family, sell my Phuket property, relocate my business to a more modest micro-economic environment, and ‘escape’ the throngs of sun-lotion embalmed…
Read More » - Phuket News
A Decade Ago: Tsunami heroes, safe-sex battles and deadly roads
PHUKET: Ten years ago, the United Kingdom honored four British nationals in Phuket for their efforts in helping tsunami victims, by making them Members of the Order of the British Empire. They were Cynthia Ratcliffe, then president of the Phuket International Women’s Club; Martin Carpenter, chairman of the British Business Association of Phuket; Alan Cooke, the British honorary consul to…
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New US diet rules would take 20 per cent bite out of American sugar use
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New US diet rules would take 20 per cent bite out of American sugar use Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: If the US government has its way, Americans would cut their consumption of sugar and corn syrup by more than 2 million tonnes a year, the…
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U.S. firm blames Russian ‘Sandworm’ hackers for Ukraine outage
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. firm blames Russian ‘Sandworm’ hackers for Ukraine outage Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: U.S. cyber intelligence firm iSight Partners said on Thursday it has determined that a Russian hacking group known as ‘Sandworm’ caused last month’s unprecedented power outage in Ukraine. “We believe that Sandworm…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket police propose quick solutions to traffic congestion
PHUKET: Police have banned parking during rush hour in a number of locations on the island in order to decrease traffic congestion. “Vehicles won’t be allowed to park along Thepkrasattri Road near the Heroines’ Monument or the Koh Kaew Intersection, as well as along the bypass road, Chao Fa East Road and Chao Fa West Road from 7am-9am and 4pm-7pm,”…
Read More » - Opinion
Opinion: Taking Patong to greater heights
Chalermluck Kebsup is a native of Phuket and has served as the mayor of Patong since May 2014. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Law at Ramkhamhaeng University and received her master’s in Political Science at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. Here she talks about the problems Patong faces due to the limited availability of area for development and how…
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Island View: Fear may save more lives
PHUKET: As disheartening as it is to see our hopes of having zero deaths on the roads dashed during the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road-safety campaign this year, the reality of the situation is that the goal is so unreasonable that officials are simply setting themselves up for failure. Last year, there was a total of 108 road deaths in…
Read More » - Pattaya News
On Deck: When only a fraction is enough
PHUKET: What happened to fractional boat ownership? In the not-too-distant past, shared ownership of boats seemed to be the ‘thing’. A great way to introduce non-boaters into boating, and then retaining leisure boaters, with a cost-effective form of ownership. A panacea. In Phuket the concept caught on, but was short-lived. Early pioneers included Simon James, Royal Phuket Marina and Twinpalms,…
Read More » - Opinion
Opinion: Phuket, drive defensively
PHUKET: Despite some positive developments with law enforcement, the sobering results of this year’s ‘Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign shows that Phuket still has a long way to go before the island’s road safety is at an international standard befitting a world-class tourist destination. The introduction of more proactive law enforcement measures to catch motorists for moving violations is…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Gateway to get some much-needed love
PHUKET: The dilapidated, mostly ignored Phuket Gateway in Mai Khao is slated for a facelift, confirmed officials. “The renovation is necessary to make the site more attractive, so that it becomes a popular stopping point for tourists on the island,” said Phuket Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul. The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) started building the Phuket Gateway, just before the…
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Speedboat driver charged for death of French snorkeller
KRABI: The speedboat driver who killed a French snorkeller in Krabi on Tuesday has been charged with reckless driving causing death, confirmed Maj Sophon Kongthong of the Krabi City Police. “Yothin Suebsak is currently out on bail while we collect additional evidence to be handed over to the public prosecutor,” said Maj Sophon. Sylvie Thiebau, 52, was snorkelling off Koh…
Read More » - Phuket News
Krabi man dies collecting snails
PHUKET: A Krabi man died while collecting snails with a friend on Wednesday Suthep Inthanu, 38, was recovered from Klongthom Pond by rescue workers with a bag full of river snails, which are often collected for personal consumption or to be sold at local markets. “Our investigation revealed that Mr Suthep and his friend Dolmard Wangsop, 46, were diving at…
Read More » - Phuket News
Underage Phuket jet-ski rentals under fire
PHUKET: Concerns about operators allowing minors to rent out jet-skis in Phuket were raised at the monthly consulate meeting with the Governor on Wednesday. Seven Smulders, the Dutch honorary consul for Phuket, told meeting members that he was worried about the potentially dangerous situations created by allowing minors to operate jet-skis. Mr Smulders’ concerns come fast on the heels of…
Read More » - Thai Life
Gardening: Choosing the right insecticide
PHUKET: A good friend, Graham, an airline captain, asks “Can you recommend an all-round weed-killer, not for the garden but for the grass and weeds out in the road by my house?” He adds: “For the last two months, we have fed the pretty caterpillar population (green with blue eyes) and love the butterflies into which they develop, but we…
Read More » - Business News
Business Buzz: How much is a “like’ worth?
PHUKET: A ‘like’ is a measure on Facebook of how popular a page or a post is with other Facebook users. Someone recently asked me what a ‘like’ on Facebook was worth to a business. It started me thinking, could an actual value be placed on a ‘like’? The answer of course is yes, but for each business this value…
Read More » - Business News
Finance: The ‘not so sexy’ New Year’s resolution
PHUKET: Many people like to make New Year’s resolutions, and the most common ones tend to deal with health. Sadly, most people do not stick with their resolutions for very long, and I will get to one of the main reasons for this in a bit, as well as how to avoid falling into this trap. But let’s consider a…
Read More » - Food
Fusion food gets down in town at Surf & Turf
PHUKET: December ushered in a new air of excitement to the island. The start of the holiday season brought the streets to an even busier bustle, as did the large number of arrivals at Phuket International Airport. Along with those arrivals was the appearance of new shops and restaurants open and ready to please the hungriest of patrons for the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Full Metal Dojo ready to kick off at Seduction nightclub
PHUKET: Thailand’s leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion, Full Metal Dojo (FMD), is returning to the island with its 8th event ‘FMD8: Return of the Mack’ on January 10 at Seduction nightclub in Patong. After launching its first two events in Phuket in 2014 (story here), FMD moved to Bangkok and has now returned to the Pearl of the Andaman,…
Read More » - Phuket News
Navy conducts SAREX on Patong Beach
PHUKET: A Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) was conducted at Loma Park on Patong Beach yesterday by the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command. The SAREX featured air and sea rescue drills, as well as exhibitions on maritime safety. Demonstrations and reenactments performed as part of the training were meant to emulate real-life maritime accidents, giving officers the opportunity to…
Read More » - Phuket News
Brothers arrested for role in Thalang Police Station riot
PHUKET: Officials arrested two additional suspects yesterday, wanted in connection with October’s Thalang Police Station riot that saw more than 6 million baht worth of damage to the station and nearby vehicles (story here). Brothers Manop Promkaew, 30, and Manit Promkaew, 27, were apprehended at their home in Thalang after police began to pursue 83 unserved riot-related arrest warrants issued…
Read More » - Phuket News
DDPM reports additional death during road-safety campaign
PHUKET: Despite the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Office’s closing statistic of six road fatalities during the recent ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road-safety campaign (story here), last-minute data has forced them into a correction to their information, adding one more death to this year’s total. The December 31 death of Jordanian Yazeed Munieb Mustafa, 28, was not…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket serial thief arrested – again
PHUKET: Police arrested a serial thief on Tuesday after footage of his escapades was caught on several of his victims’ personal CCTV cameras in Phuket Town. Chatchai Klanpakdee, 26, was tracked down to his rental room in Cherng Talay where he was found in possession of eight notebook computers, an electric guitar and clothes worn during the crimes. “Mr Chatchai…
Read More » - Phuket News
Russian expat found dead in Nai Harn hotel room
PHUKET: A Russian expat was found dead in his hotel room in Nai Harn yesterday morning, with a head wound he had reportedly received two days earlier. Alexander Sharkova, 47, was found by his wife, Marina Sharkova, when she came to pick him up to go to the hospital. Ms Sharkova told officers that on Monday her husband had informed…
Read More » - Phuket News
Island readies for annual Children’s Day
PHUKET: Prepare for the hustle and bustle of a day full of entertainment and fun activities as Phuket celebrates Children’s Day this Saturday. The first Children’s Day in Thailand was in 1956, since then government leaders have annually branded the event with a slogan. This year, the slogan created by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is ‘knowledge and virtue together…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket Red Cross Fair grand prize winner yet to claim Toyota Vios
PHUKET: The winner of the Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw grand prize has yet to claim their Toyota Vios after the winning ticket was announced on January 4. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, along with his wife Vassana Tipayapongtada, president of the Phuket Red Cross, led the lucky draw center stage at Saphan Hin at about 11:00pm, closing the annual…
Read More » - Phuket News
Drunk restaurant patrons beat down by waiters in parking lot [video]
PHUKET: A group of waiters have turned themselves in to police today after a video of them brutally beating three restaurant patrons went viral on the popular ‘Youlike’ Facebook page. Four staff members of the Baan See Khao restaurant in Phuket Town were filmed kicking and punching three men to the ground outside of the establishment on Sunday evening. Police…
Read More » - Phuket News
Charges yet to be filed against killer speedboat driver
PHUKET: Police have yet to press charges against the speedboat driver who killed a French snorkeller in Krabi yesterday afternoon. Yothin Suebsak, 29, and Myanmar national Maling El @ Aee, 29, who were working on the speedboat at the time of the accident are to be questioned further in Krabi, confirmed Maj Jarun Nabphet of the Krabi City Police. “I…
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