Year: 2017
- Phuket News
Former tour company staff member wanted for deceiving Malaysian travellers
KRABI: Police are hunting for a former employee of a tour company who escaped after allegedly scamming 23 Malaysian tourists in Krabi. Yesterday, a team of officers from the Krabi Tourist Police, led by Sub Lt Suwan Tuamsri, helped temporarily accommodate a teacher and 22 university students after their tour agent disappeared upon their arrival in Krabi on Tuesday. โTheโฆ
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Video: Two arrested for dragging woman behind motorbike during botched robbery attempt
SAMUI: Two motorcyclists who dragged a woman behind their motorbike while attempting to steal her bag at Chaweng Beach in Koh Samui last week were arrested early yesterday morning. The CCTV footage of the incident, which featured Kanitta Krawwer, 32, being dragged by her bagโs shoulder strap as the two men attempted to steal it from around her neck, wentโฆ
Read More ยป - Phuket News
โIllegally-plantedโ coconut trees found on disputed Naka Noi land
PHUKET: Royal Forestry Department officers yesterday responded to a complaint regarding a plantation of coconut trees on public land at Naka Noi island, the ownership of which the Land Department had already revoked last year. The land dispute on the island first began in December 2015, when the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) responded to a complaint alleging the landโsโฆ
Read More ยป - Phuket News
National park chief blows whistle on his own staff for scamming tourists
KRABI: Ao Nang Police officers revealed yesterday that the Koh Phi Phi chief of park protection asked them to arrest his own staff on Sunday for selling used island tour tickets to unsuspecting tourists. Ao Nang Police Lt Songphon Boonchai informed Phuket Gazette reporters of the development at 11am. โThe Chief of the Hat Noppharat Thara โ Mu Ko Phiโฆ
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Songkran ends with four dead, 70 injured in Phuket
PHUKET: The annual Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign during Songkran ended last night with a total of 67 accidents injuring 70 and killing four. The first death was on Saturday, when 37-year-old Bussaba Banviset fell from a tri-motorbike in Cherng Talay. She was riding without a helmet, and pronounced dead at Thalang Hospital. Yesterday, however, three were killed inโฆ
Read More ยป - Phuket News
Special Report: Phuket hospitals facing huge losses from uninsured patients
PHUKET: There is no lack of evidence about the alarming number of tourist deaths in the โLand of Smilesโ. According to the โBureau of Prevention and Assistance in Tourist Fraudโ, there was a whopping 54 per cent increase in tourist deaths in 2015 (latest data available) as compared to 2014. This figure includes tourists only. The actual number including expatsโฆ
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Little Phuket girl rewarded for returning bag full of cash and gold
PHUKET: A nine-year-old girl received a reward for returning a bag containing 130,000 baht in cash and 90 grams of gold yesterday afternoon. Piyarat Boonkek and her parents met with 55-year-old Nukhlia Sangkaew, the owner of the bag at Kamala Police Station to return it. Ms Nukhlia told Police officers that at about 2:30pm she withdrew the cash from theโฆ
Read More ยป - Koh Samui News
Samui Taxi driver wins 30 million baht lottery
SAMUI: A taxi driver yesterday won 30 million baht in lottery winnings in Koh Samui. Sittichai Samthong, 40, was surrounded by friends and family to celebrate his good fortune. โI was confused at first because I did not expect to win. I have now notified Samui Police,โ Mr Sittichai told the Phuket Gazette. โI will continue to drive my taxiโฆ
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B116mn expansion planned for Phuket deep sea port
PHUKET: The transport and marine departments last week announced plans for a 116-million-baht expansion at Phuket deep sea port in Vichit. Deputy Minister of Transport Pichit Akrathit and Marine Department Director-General Sorasak Sansombat held a conference to reveal details of the planned project. โThe current port is about 360 meters wide and unable to handle big cargo ships and passengerโฆ
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Suspect crashes into motorbike, injures one and shoots at cops
SAMUI: Police in Koh Samui are hunting for a hit and run suspect who injured a motorcyclist and shot at police officers before escaping last night. Lt Col Denduang Thongsrisook of Bor Put Police said traffic police officers were in the area and went to check. โA golden brown pick-up truck crashed into a motorbike in Chaweng at about 11:50pm,โฆ
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Foreigners, local arrested in Krabi credit card scam
KRABI: Police in Krabi arrested five suspects and are looking for two more involved in alleged credit card fraud to purchase a hotel this weekend. โLast Wednesday, staff of a Bangkok Bank branch in Ao Nang notified us that three men and two women were attempting to purchase the 700 million baht Krabi Heritage Hotel on a 300mn baht contractโฆ
Read More ยป - Phuket News
Traditional Songkran festivities held in Chalong, Phuket Town
PHUKET: Unlike Songkran celebrations in tourist-heavy areas, Chalong and Phuket Town underwent an alcohol cleanse to host a more traditional commemoration of the holiday up until yesterday. Chalong Mayor Samran Jindapon with the general public made offerings of food to monks at Soi Ta-iad at about 7am. Since it was also official โOld age Dayโ on Thursday, members of theโฆ
Read More ยป - Business News
Finance: Market pullback nothing to worry about
PHUKET: As of late March, US stocks appear to be cooling after strong gains since the US elections. Over the next 1-3 months, I expect further market consolidation with a pullback by major market indices to the 50-day moving averages level being a real possibility. The Dow Jones could fall below 20,000, while for the S&P 500 index, a 3-5โฆ
Read More ยป - Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Hibernate during Songkran
PHUKET: 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, weโre not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. Weโre 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 Ministerโฆ
Read More ยป - Opinion
Opinion: Challenges confronting the new governor
PHUKET: The sudden and unexpected transfer to Bangkok of former Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan (story here) certainly comes as a surprise to many of us in the local media โ and once again begs the question of whether a directly-elected governor might be a better option for the province at some point in the future. It goes without saying thatโฆ
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Phuket tour bus crashes in Patong
PHUKET: A tour bus full of Chinese nationals crashed into several cars on Patong Hill road last night, creating a massive traffic jam due to additional Songkran visitors. Lt Col Pattapee Srichai of the Patong Police received reports of the incident at about 7pm. โWe arrived to see a โSomsak Transport Companyโ bus with a broken front windscreen and severalโฆ
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Two arrested with more than 250,000 baht worth of krathom
PHUKET: Police arrested two Burmese workers with about 200 kilograms of krathom in Patong yesterday. Col Chaiwat Auikam of Patong Police handled the case. โWe same a man, who we later learned was called โPiewโ, acting suspicious in front of SuperCheap Patong. He tried to escape when we approached him. He was clean, but upon inspecting his motorbike we foundโฆ
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Long term Phuket expat David Ratcliffe passes away at 75
PHUKET: Popular Phuket expat David Simon Ratcliffe has passed away at the age of 75, on April 6. He will be sorely missed by his loving wife Cindy, his three daughters โ Sian, Claire and Sarah โ and his ten grandchildren. He is survived also by his two older sisters, Ann and Elizabeth. Born on 18 October 1942 in Cardiffโฆ
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Songkran festivities hit Patong, police warn against sexual harassment
PHUKET: Patong is now heaving with tourists as the much anticipated Songkran festivities kicked off prematurely this morning. Despite warnings by officials to restrict water-throwing activities to tomorrow, April 13, Phuket locals and tourists jumped the gun and began celebrating the holiday today. Lt Col Seksan Komsakorn of Patong Police notified Phuket Gazette reporters that three main checkpoints for theโฆ
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New Phuket Governor meets with officials, orders โorganizedโ disbursements
PHUKET: New Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong met with local officials at Provincial Hall for the first time this morning. He was welcomed onto the island this Monday (story here), and ordered authorities to work smart and โmanageโ expenditures related to local government projects. โI am ready to help Phuket move forward and become stronger. I also intend to continue developmentโฆ
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University students killed in horrific Phuket crash
PHUKET: Two university students were killed in a horrifying crash when a garbage truck ran over them in Chalong on Monday. Lt Chanat Hongsittichaikul of Chalong Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene at about 6pm. โPrince of Songkla University (PSU) studenta Passatorn Chaicharoensun, 20, from Hat Yai, and Panicha Mingkanitkul, 19, from Trang, were heading toward town onโฆ
Read More ยป - Thai Life
A different style of celebration in Phuket
PHUKET has its own riotous version of Songkran, Thailandโs most important public holiday. Primarily a water festival, it celebrates the Thai lunar New Year and is held annually on April 13. Mostly an occasion for youthful exuberance, the whole island is turned into a war zone, as young people spend the day getting into water fights with anything from pumpโฆ
Read More ยป - Thai Life
Law, Life & Society: Have fun, but donโt break the law
PHUKET: Songkran was originally a Thai religious festival marking the beginning of the Buddhist New Year. Now it has morphed into a week-long holiday, water fights and parties. Large numbers of tourists come to Thailand to join in the festivities. It is a time where people let loose and civility is secondary. In response, Thai police are present in largeโฆ
Read More ยป - Phuket News
Businesses hiring 1,700 students for school break
PHUKET: More than 1,700 students can spend their school break earning a wage and gaining experience in a program arranged by the governmentโs Employment Department. Waranon Pitiwan, the departmentโs director-general, said 243 businesses have offered to temporarily take on 1,760 students aged 15 and up, in jobs such as customer service, cashiers and sales assistants. They include Ek-Chai Distribution Systemsโฆ
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Nok Air apologizes for cancelled weekend flight, blames bad weather
PHUKET: Numerous complaints by passengers of a grounded Nok Airplane this weekend resulted in an official public apology by the airline via social media yesterday. At least 150 passengers were affected by the cancellation of flight DD7525, which was slated to leave Phuket International Airport at 10:50pm on Saturday and land at Don Muang in Bangkok at 12:12am on Sunday.โฆ
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Officials say Phuket ready to deal with Songkran influx
PHUKET: The islandโs officials are preparing to manage the influx of visitors, both local and foreign, who swarm into Phuket during Songkran, which is being celebrated nationwide this week. Phuket International Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan has confirmed that an in-line screening system was recently added to the airport, which will help ease passenger congestion, make processing times faster and highlightingโฆ
Read More ยป - Thai Life
Handy tips for online shopping in Phuket
PHUKET: Online shopping is so easily accessible these days that even those residing on islands can benefit from its perks while enjoying island life to the maximum. While websites like eBay and Amazon are dominating the West, e-commerce is only starting to grow here in Southeast Asia. According to Statista, the number of users in Thailandโs e-commerce market is expectedโฆ
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New Phuket governor arrives on the island
PHUKET: Newly-appointed Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong arrived in Phuket this morning, a week after ex-Governor Chokchai Dejamornthanโs transfer was announced by the National Council for Peace and Order (story here). Governor Norraphat visited Wat Phra Thong, or the โTemple of the Golden Buddhaโ, and paid his respects at the Heroinesโ Monument before arriving at Provincial Hall. โMy first priority isโฆ
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Phuket gold thief arrested in Songkhla
PHUKET: A Chiang Mai woman who stole items from two gold shops last month in Phuket was arrested this Saturday in Songkhla. The woman had reportedly entered gold shops in Wichit and Talad Nue and was seen stealing items on CCTV footage before escaping (story here). Region 8 Police led by Lt Col Prawit Engchuan of Ao Nang Police wereโฆ
Read More ยป - Business News
Finance: What interest rate hikes mean for investors
PHUKET: Early last month, the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates, with the market largely ignoring the long-expected move. With at least a couple of more rate increases expected in the near future, I would still not expect the market to suddenly turn bearish. If the Fed thought the US economy was still too weak, they would not be raisingโฆ
Read More ยป - Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Taking Songkran too seriously
PHUKET: 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, weโre not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. Weโre 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 Ministerโฆ
Read More ยป - Phuket News
One arrested, one on the run in B1.2mn Phuket drug bust
PHUKET: Police seized more than 300g of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine), a bomb and car from a rented room in Patong today. One suspect was arrested while another is on the run. The bust was conducted at Phra Metta Road and the haul was valued at 1.2 million baht. โWe received complaints from locals that a woman named Urai Haha,โฆ
Read More ยป - Opinion
Gearing up for the Songkran holidays in Phuket
PHUKET: The recent death of a โghost ridingโ Thai motorcyclist along Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang (story here) should serve as a sobering reminder to all motorists of the need to be on full alert during the upcoming Songkran holiday period. As noted in this space numerous times in the past, Phuket seldom experiences the kind of spikes in road accidents,โฆ
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Brunei minister unveils new mosque in Phuket
PHUKET: Bruneiโs Interior Minister visited Phuket to officially launch a new mosque at Saphan Ruam in Rassada yesterday. โIt is a great pleasure to welcome Minister Pehin Seri Kerna Dato H Abu Baker as a special guest. The building is sponsored by Brunei officials and others,โ said Kitti Islam, a member of the Phuket Islamic Council. Mr Kitti revealed thatโฆ
Read More ยป - Koh Samui News
Patients treated in hallways at overcrowded Samui Hospital
SAMUI: Locals in Samui have lodged complaints about overcrowding at Samui Hospital leading to makeshift arrangements to accommodate patients in the hospitalโs hallways. Patients and their families say that the hallway is hot, uncomfortable and mosquito ridden. โCurrently, we only have 133 beds, but about 160 patients to cater to,โ said Samui Hospital Director Dr Theerasak Virtanon. โAdditionally, we haveโฆ
Read More ยป - Thailand News
His Majesty the King signs Thailandโs new constitution
BANGKOK: His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn yesterday signed the countryโs new constitution โ the 20th โ giving it royal endorsement and setting in motion a process for the next general election, which is expected late next year. Through a court secretary, HM proclaimed the new charterโs promulgation in a televised royal ceremony that included local and foreign dignitaries, including Primeโฆ
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British expat believed to have died of electrocution in Phuket
PHUKET: Officials have been instructed to examine a power pole that may have electrocuted and caused the death of a British expat at his house yesterday afternoon. โWe received reports of the incident in Rawai and went there to investigate further. At the scene, we found the unconscious body of Paul Wilkinson, 55,โ said Lt Col Kanan Somrak of Chalongโฆ
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