Month: July 2017
- News
Boats collide off James Bond island (Koh Ta Poo). 16 injured.
Two boats have collided off James Bond Island. A tour boat carrying 20 passengers, including tour guides and crew, were heading back from Koh Ta Poo, better known as James Bond Island, to Koh Panyi for lunch yesterday (Monday, July 31). On the way the ‘Wararat’ crashed into what’s been described as a long tail boat carrying 12 Chinese tourists.…
Read More » - News
Sakon Nakhon floods easing. Authorities worried about more rain.
The country’s disaster warning system needs to be reformed, experts emphasized yesterday, as there was no warning for the recent flash flood in Sakon Nakhon that resulted from heavy downpours and leakage in a local reservoir. Meanwhile, experts have reassured the public that there will be no big flood similar to the disaster in 2011, because there was no indication…
Read More » - Other News
Phuket hotel registration remains a challenge
Phuket is attracting an ever-increasing number of international visitors to our golden beaches and turquoise seas. But many of the millions of travellers who visit Phuket each year could be staying in unlicensed – and effectively illegal – hotels. According to a new report by hospitality consulting group C9 Hotelworks, less than a quarter of hotels in Phuket (429 out…
Read More » - Travel
Jeju. A quick introduction to the South Korean holiday island.
Jejudo, known in English as Jeju Island is the largest island off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, and the main island of Jeju Province of South Korea. The island lies in the Korea Strait, south of South Jeolla Province. The island contains the natural World Heritage Site Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes. Jejudo has a moderate climate; even…
Read More » - Travel
The Silk Road. The road less travelled.
The Silk Road – the ancient trade route linking China to Europe – passes through some of the least-visited and mysterious countries in the world. And if you’re thinking about exploring the road, you should read John Brenson’s guide, Silk Road Traveller: In The Heart Of Central Asia, for his insight and knowledge of the region. The Silk Road passes…
Read More » - Food Scene
Top 10 Hamburgers in Phuket
The winner was Thavorn Beach Village & Spa, Phuket Thailand 2. 2nd place Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort & Spa (Photo by real Life) 3. 3rd place Pullman Phuket Arcadia Naithon Beach 4. Kata Rocks 5. Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa 6. Dewa Nai Yang Resort Phuket 7. Diamond Cliff Resort & Spa 8. Two Chefs Bar & Grill 9.…
Read More » - Property
Malaysia considers restricting foreign property purchases
A hot topic over the past month has been the Malaysian government’s review and possible increase of the set minimum of investment in property by foreign buyers.Currently the level for the most part is RM1 million (approximately USD225,000), The trigger of the issue has been the weakening Malaysian currency, the ringgit, which has been on the slide for a continued…
Read More » - News
Congratulations Mareeya Poonlertlarp, our new Miss Thailand 2017
25 year old Mareeya Poonlertlarp is a half-Thai, half-Swedish model, and has been crowned Miss Thailand Universe 2017 at Siam Paragon Hall in Bangkok. Marayee is 183cm tall, a postgraduate in marketing from the Stockholm Business School and claims to be fluent in four languages – Thai, Swedish, English and Mandarin. She has won one million baht, a diamond tiara…
Read More » - Thai Life
Island hopping in The Philippines
I’m never at my best at 5 o’clock in the morning. But here I am, bumping along the streets of Dumaguete in the Philippines, clinging to the seat of an open-sided bus as the sun tries to poke up over the houses and shops flashing by. Why? I’ve been promised leaping dolphins and a community on stilts in the sea.…
Read More » - Other News
‘World Day against Trafficking in Persons’. Thailand in the middle of the world’s human trafficking hot spot.
Today is ‘World Day against Trafficking in Persons’ – a day where we reflect on the many victims of trafficking who live among us, but have been forced into silence due to threats to their life, retaliation against their family, feelings of hopelessness, or being enslaved and physically unable to speak out. The day has special meaning in Thailand where…
Read More » - Property
Smart solar roofs. Is this the start of free electricity?
There’s always plenty of sun here in Phuket, even in the wet season and particularly in the dry season. For owners of villas and condominiums the changes in weather signal a sharp escalation of electric bills which continue to be one of the leading costs of living in paradise. One new innovation that has caught my eye is the new…
Read More » - News
Don’t feed the fish. Illegal South Korean guide nabbed.
An illegal Korean tour guide was arrested at Koh Racha Yai yesterday for allowing Korean tourists to feed fish. Kanchit Klingclip, a business operator and conservationist on Racha Island, posted a video clip on line showing the tour guide taking tourists to dive and feed fish, which is a violation of the law under the Department of Marine and Coastal…
Read More » - Opinion
Letter to Thai Immigration
Congratulations to the Thai Immigration Department for its forward thinking on helping to attract additional tourists by waving visa fees for some countries and halving the visa-on-arrival cost for others. A stroke of genius. I’m not sure how you will inform the citizens of these countries of your cunning plan to lure back the tourists in the wake of the…
Read More » - Thai Life
Mixing drinking with Facebook
A recent statement by Pol Gen Verachai Songmetta and its subsequent reporting by Thai Rath and the Bangkok Post has created an uproar. The police officer stated that anyone posting photos of alcohol on social media could face legal action resulting in a maximum fine of 50,000 baht. Some people joked that they deleted half of their facebook photos after…
Read More » - News
Boom Boom on the Border
On one side of the Thai/Malaysian border is Sungai Golok, on the Malaysian side it’s the town of Rantau Panjang. The two towns are separated by the Golok River and decades of furious fighting between Muslim separatists who want to reclaim some of the southern areas in Thailand under the Malaysian flag. The Thai Buddhists on the other side are…
Read More » - Phuket
B300,000 of pirated goods confiscated in OTOP raid
PHUKET: A Patong vendor was apprehended, while two others escaped after police raided the ‘One Tambon, One Product’ (OTOP) market in Patong yesterday. Officers seized 458 pirated items valued at about 300,000 baht. “Due to the provincial policy of continuously fighting pirated goods, especially in Patong, we decided to inspect shops at the OTOP market, one of the high traffic…
Read More » - Phuket
Russian stabbed in Phuket home
PHUKET: Police are searching for a ladyboy (transsexual) who is suspected of stabbing her Russian boyfriend in Phuket early yesterday morning. Gennadii Khlopotov, 31, works for a company based in Koh Kaew and lives in Rassada. So far, police know that he previously used to live with his Russian girlfriend in an apartment in Rassada, but then ended relations with…
Read More » - Thai Life
Hooper Trips Asia – Inle Lake Sunset
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette has been a rock and a large part of documenting the island’s news and culture for many years. I have been an avid reader since the day I arrived in Phuket 13 years ago. I am so honored to have finally been a tiny part of it as it takes it’s final bow. So many of…
Read More » - Phuket
The global costs of human trafficking
PHUKET: Tomorrow is ‘World Day against Trafficking in Persons’ – a day where we give a voice to the many victims of trafficking who live among us, but have been forced into silence due to threats to their life, retaliation against their family, feelings of hopelessness, or being enslaved and physically unable to speak out. Human trafficking is big business.…
Read More » - Phuket
Another Chinese tourist drowns in Phuket
PHUKET: A Chinese tourist died after she was overcome by strong waves that threw her off a rock and drew her into the sea at Kamala Beach this morning. Pan Ying, 32, reportedly fell in at about 11:30am. Rescue workers and lifeguards quickly took action to bring her back to shore. However, they were unable to resuscitate her and she…
Read More » - Phuket
Stranger Danger: Police vow to catch creepy peeper
PHUKET: Foreigners in Chalong and Kata have asked police for help, claiming that a mysterious man has entered their homes on several occasions. Facebook user ‘Sanna Hakala’ yesterday posted pictures and a video of a man on her page with both Thai and English captions as follows: “[People in] Chalong, Phuket area – beware of this creeper! This man has…
Read More » - Phuket
87-year-old escapes Phuket Town house fire
PHUKET: An 87-year-old lady is safe after her Phuket Town house caught fire last night, causing damages estimated at 100,000 baht. The house, which is located near the Government Savings Bank in Talad Yai, caught fire at about 8:20pm. Firefighters from Phuket City Municipality were called in to help. “A total of four fire trucks were at the scene doing…
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