Month: February 2017
- Phuket News
Phuket’s Bypass Road ripped up for repairs
PHUKET: A 9 million baht budget has been set aside for repair work on the northbound Bypass Road leading up to Thepkrasattri Road. Locals are having trouble maneuvering on the road, as it has now become slippery and dusty. They asked officers why a section of the road that was in good enough condition is being fixed. Phuket Highways officer…
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Man presumed “dead’ found to be drunk
PHUKET: A drunk man gave everyone a scare yesterday when he appeared to be dead to passersby in Chalong. Capt Prasert Srita of Chalong Police received a call at about 4:55pm to check on the ‘dead’ body of a Myanmar man, lying by an electric pole on Soi Sai Nam Yen. “We went there to check and found that he…
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Another teenager killed, and a second seriously injured in Phuket road crash
PHUKET: A 15-year-old biker was killed and his passenger, also 15, was seriously injured when a van driver cut them off, causing a three-vehicle collision yesterday evening in Chalong. Both boys were still in school uniform with their schoolbags across their shoulders. “Rescue workers provided CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to the driver, Wasin Thongsom, but his injuries were too severe and…
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Frenchman, Russians arrested in Phuket brawl
PHUKET: Two Russian tourists and a French expat were arrested after they were seen armed and fighting in Patong this afternoon. The incident happened near a bike rental shop run by the Frenchman, named by police as Gerard Pecherstorfer, 63, and his wife Suvan Paiwansao, on Sirirat Road. Ms Suvan told police that the argument was about a bike rental…
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Another suspect in million-baht drug deal arrested
PHUKET: A suspected drug dealer, part of a million-baht drug operation cracked in December, was arrested yesterday afternoon. Police in December had initially apprehended four suspects, including a minor (story here), with more than 4,000 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine) and 200 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) in their possession. The drugs were shipped into Phuket from Bangkok using…
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American found dead in Phuket hotel room
PHUKET: An American man was found dead at a hotel room in Patong yesterday afternoon. “We received a report of the incident at about 3:30pm. The deceased was 58 years old and staying at the Orange Hotel,” said Maj Pattapee Srichai of Patong Police. “We found him lying face up on his bed with no wounds or marks on his…
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Phuket-bound speedboat crashes into longtail at Maya Bay
PHUKET: Three people escaped serious injuries after a speedboat crashed into a longtail off Phi Phi yesterday afternoon. Capt Paramin Maikul of Phi Phi Police received reports of the collision at about 2pm. “The incident occurred near Maya Bay. The longtail had two Japanese tourists and a captain, named Somsak Sangpaen, 30, on board. The captain sustained minor injuries, while…
Read More » - Thai Life
Gardening: Two valuable Mexican climbers
PHUKET: I am not talking about social climbers or even those intrepid fellows who scale up the sheer cliffs at Railay. Rather, I’m referring to two members of the vine brigade who have received less than their due footage in these columns. I was reminded of the value of the garlic vine when I visited an estate, the common parts…
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Deadly crash kills one near Central Festival Phuket
PHUKET: A Rawai local was killed early this morning when his truck crashed into an electricity pole in front of Central Festival Phuket. Lt Patcharee Wongboon of Wichit Police received reports of the incident at about 4:30am. “We arrived with rescue workers to find the heavily-damaged brown Toyota Vigo pick-up truck flipped over to its left side and smashed into…
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Holiday nightmare: Aussie tourist killed in Phuket jet-ski collision
PHUKET: A 20-year-old Australian woman was killed in a jet-ski collision with her husband at Kata Beach yesterday evening. The victim, named Emily Collie, suffered severe injuries to her head, neck and shoulders. “Other beachgoers came to her aid and lifeguards administered CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) while waiting for police and rescue workers to arrive,” said Lt Col Patiwat Yordsuan of…
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Phuket hospitals reject migrant insurance
PHUKET: Financial difficulties in the healthcare system is leading to pregnant migrant workers in Phuket Province being denied access to Universal Coverage (UC) health insurance scheme when they deliver babies. Usually migrant workers in Thailand are allowed to buy health insurance in order to get access to affordable services while living in the Kingdom, paying 2,100 baht annually for UC…
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Hotel Report: Russians back, zero-baht backlash, crackdown on illegal hotels
PHUKET: Russian arrivals are back to pre-crisis level while the zero-baht tourism ban curbed Q4 growth, the newly released C9 Hotelworks ‘Phuket Hotel Market Update’ for February says. With total airport arrivals surpassing 7.5 million passengers, Phuket experienced a sharp year-on-year rise of 18 per cent, compared to 13 per cent the previous year. This is largely attributed to the…
Read More » - Thailand News
CIA executive unfit due to alleged torture links in Thailand, says Amnesty
BANGKOK: Amnesty International has called for the review of the appointment of Gina Haspel as deputy director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) because of her alleged torture links in Thailand. Erika Guevara-Rosas, Director of the Americas at Amnesty International, issued a press statement that Ms Haspel’s appointment could hamper investigations into alleged torture and enforced disappearance at…
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Two killed by electrocution in Phuket
PHUKET: Two 27-year-old men were killed in two separate incidents of electrocution in Patong yesterday afternoon. The first victim was an elevator engineer named Detch Gamlhong, who was called in to fix an elevator at a hotel on Prachanukror Road. “We received a report of the incident from staff at Patong Hospital at about 1pm. The victim was rushed to…
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Abandoned luggage causes bomb scare in Phuket Town
PHUKET: The Explosive Ordnance Unit (EoU) responded to a bomb scare at Yi Teng Intersection in Phuket Town at about 8:30 last night. Phuket City Police officers received reports of an abandoned suitcase that had been left near a garbage bin. Traffic came to a standstill as police arrived at the scene and blocked all incoming traffic to the area…
Read More » - Business News
Finance: A good time to invest in Phuket
PHUKET: I am asked so often about Phuket real estate that I find it a good topic to address from time to time. Of course, there are legal hurdles to consider, but I will leave that aside for today and focus simply on the issue of timing. Is now a time to be buying or fleeing the island? As with…
Read More » - Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Internal Thai clock
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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Opinion: Taking better care of Phuket’s snakes
PHUKET: Reports that a record number of large snakes were captured by emergency rescue workers in Phuket last month are just the latest indicator of how badly the remaining natural habitats on the island are being destroyed by the relentless ‘development’ that Phuket has undergone in recent decades. Snakes do not rate highly in our anthropomorphic view, which tends to…
Read More » - Phuket News
Two teenagers stabbed by youth gang in Phuket
PHUKET: Two teenage boys were stabbed by a gang of teenagers who allegedly tried to rob them at Bang Niew Dam Reservoir in Thalang yesterday evening. Police and rescue teams arrived at the scene to find the two boys injured and bleeding. Worrayuth Kahapana, 18, had stab wounds to his left arm and lower rib. The second victim,16, had multiple…
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Phuket Gov says nightlife issue to be taken up with PM
PHUKET: A proposal to extend the operating times for nightlife entertainment venues in Phuket will be prepared and presented to Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha, Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan has confirmed. The Governor has not revealed an exact date, but asked for strict cooperation from restaurant and bar owners in the ‘meantime’. More than 20 night entertainment venue owners met…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Party it up like you’re in Ibiza
PHUKET: Did you know that the Balearic island of Ibiza and the Andaman island of Phuket are within a few square miles of being the same size? There are other connections too: quite a large chunk of Ibiza has UNESCO World Heritage status, while Phuket cuisine recently picked up the UNESCO seal of approval. Additionally, a significant and growing chunk…
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Phuket lifeguard quits to protest vendor takeover
PHUKET: A Laem Singh lifeguard quit his job last month after a group of angry umbrella vendors reportedly asked him to remove his government-issued lifeguard tent, claiming the space as theirs. The vendors said they were ‘locals’ and were authorized to use the space to set up umbrellas and mats for rent. Almost exactly a year ago, former Phuket Vice…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thai PM receives death threats, orders manhunt
BANGKOK: Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan o cha today said that his government has launched a manhunt for people posting death threats against him and his Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. “I want to ask them [who posted] where they got the information. I think Thai expatriates overseas who regularly insult the Monarchy mentioned the assassination first,”…
Read More » - Phuket News
Foreigner stabbed to death in Phuket last night
PHUKET: Confusion prevailed at Phuket’s Rassada port when a Burmese man ran amok with a deep knife wound in his back last night. The 28-year-old man, named only as ‘Mutesui’, was part of a fishing boat crew and was seen running from a boat docked at the pier at about 11:45pm. “A witness told us that he was walking past…
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Another foreign tourist killed on Phuket’s roads
PHUKET: Another foreign tourist in Phuket, this time a young Turkish man, died in a motorbike crash in Kathu District at about 10pm last night. The incident occurred near the Red Mountain Golf Course. Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene to find Hussain Cengiz Coskun, 24, lying on the road next to an electric pole with severe head…
Read More » - Phuket News
British man found suffocated in Phuket
PHUKET: A British man from Liverpool was found dead with a plastic bag taped around his neck at a house in Rawai yesterday afternoon. His partner, Rasamee Khaigarb, contacted Capt Somkiet Sarasit of Chalong Police to report the incident at about 4pm. The policeman arrived at the scene with rescue teams. “We found the 55-year-old man lying face up with…
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Video: Lovelorn student asks to be shot at Phuket police station
PHUKET: A student from Phuket Wittayalai School ran into Phuket City Police Station wielding a two-inch knife yesterday evening and urging officers to “shoot me”. “Reports from officers and other witnesses at the station, as well as evidence from CCTV footage, shows that the boy approached the counter and pointed the knife at himself,” said Col Komon Osiri of Phuket…
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‘Most beautiful’ girl in Krabi crowned
KRABI: Pamela Pasinetti won the Miss Grand Krabi 2017 beauty pageant last weekend, and is on her way to compete in Miss Grand Thailand 2017. The Miss Grand competition involves the selection of the ‘most beautiful’ girl in a particular province. Once the girl is chosen, she gets a chance to compete in the larger Miss Grand Thailand competition –…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket swimmers treated with plant paste for jellyfish stings
PHUKET: A quick-thinking Surin lifeguard used his basic knowledge of beach vegetation to treat a young boy and two adults stung by jellyfish this morning. Sayan Bureerak, head of Surin Beach Lifeguards, received reports of the incident at about 11am. “The tourists – two adults and one 10-year-old boy – were in a lot pain when I arrived. Since I…
Read More » - Phuket News
100,000 baht found on Phuket temple beggar
PHUKET: A crippled Thai beggar with a hidden ‘money-belt’ was arrested last night after police received complaints from visitors at the Chalong Temple Fair. Lt Col Parinya Tanthasuwan of Chalong Police received reports of the 67-year-old man harassing locals and foreigners at about 7pm, and called in Supparuek Pinyo from the Phuket Province Social Development and Society office. “We first…
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Phuket school assembly disrupted by parked car
PHUKET: A picture of a car parked in the middle of a school assembly in Phuket is making the rounds on the internet this morning. The Facebook post was originally shared by Pairat Kamliang, deputy director of Baan Samkong Municipality School, asking the public to help locate the owner of the car, which is a Toyota Camry Hybrid. Mr Pairat…
Read More » - Thailand News
Police cadet orientation marred by exam-cheating arrests
BANGKOK: TEN people suspected to have cheated in a police entrance exam in December were arrested on Tuesday morning as they attended cadet orientation at a Police Club in Bangkok. Arrest warrants were issued for at least 51 students regarding the case last month (story here). “The 10 men, accused of copying exam answers from others, were wanted on charges…
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