Month: May 2018
- News
More bombs rock the South – three injured
Three people have been injured following suspected insurgent attacks in the South yesterday. Explosives were placed in or near to ATM machines and bank branches in 14 locations in Yala, Songkhla, Pattani and Narathiwat. At this stage, as with most attacks in the deep south, there has been no claim of responsibility. The fasting month of Ramadan started last week. Video…
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Thai Airways profits up nearly 50% for Q1
Thai Airways International and its subsidiaries have been able to notch up an operating profit of 3,836 million baht for the first quarter of 2018. This represents a 49.4% improvement over the same period last year, despite rising fuel costs. That cashes out as a net profit of 2,737 million baht, still 432 million baht (13.6%) short of last year’s Q1…
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Pattani school lifts ban on wearing hijab
The Education Ministry has defused a dress-code row at a school in Pattani province by giving the green light for Muslim students there to wear the hijab and long trousers in line with their religious beliefs. Starting today, Muslim students at the Anuban Pattani School can wear hijab and long trousers. “It’s just that they also must respect school rules…
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‘It is not the whale shark’s baby’ – Fishing boat captain
On Saturday (May 19) officials at the Phuket Fisheries Port In-Port Out Control Centre (PiPo) says, “There were 13 boat crews on Sang Samut 3 fishing boat on which Somsamai Meejom is the captain. They departed from the pier on May 11 and scheduled to return on May 22.” “We were informed that the boat will be back early on…
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Emerald Group says it will continue with its developments
(Translated from Thai) A press conference held at Dara Hotel on Saturday afternoon (May 19) was hosted by Emeral Development Group’s Sawit ‘Mai’ Ketroj. Mr Sawit says, “News about Phuket Future Group Co.,Ltd. real estate projects, which is one of companies in Emerald Group located at Kalim Patong, has damaged us. The news has affected the Phuket real estate business…
Read More » - Property
Renting out rooms daily or weekly? You better read this.
SCREENGRAB: AirBnB website Illegal short-term holiday rentals, advertised and promoted by online portals like AirBnB, are coming under increasing scrutiny from authorities. Although there has been laws preventing short-term property rentals acting as ‘hotels’, the law has been loosely enforced with some condo developments around the country acting as defacto hotels and listing in many online booking websites. In May…
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PHAB 2 raises 4.5 million baht for local scholarships
The Phuket Hotels Association recently hosted a hugely successful benefit evening and raised a total of 4.5 million baht for young hospitality professionals in Phuket. On April 28 the “Phuket Hotels Association Benefit 2 (PHAB 2) – Glam, Glitz and Glitter” event was held at Latitude Laguna. This marked the second annual edition of the benefit, following the inaugural event…
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Five years of commitment to keep Phuket’s beaches clean
Phuket’s Clean the Beach Boot Camp (CBBC) has been cleaning the island’s beaches for five years. Each two weeks, on a Saturday morning, volunteers assemble for a free beach workout from island fitness leader Krix Luther and then, in return, they put on their gloves, grab a big bag and pick up rubbish on the beaches. Yesterday the team assembled…
Read More » - Thai Life
The cheapest places in the world to live – Is Thailand on the list?
PHOTO: Sam Kittner Compared to what you’re paying in the west, in some countries you can have a palatial house, a maid, personal chef, good health care and a driver for the same cost of a struggling life in your home country. Thailand has long been seen as a retirement haven with its low cost of living, great food and…
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Trawler captains face fines after catching whale shark
By Pratch Rudijanarom and Salinee Prab The captains of two trawlers accused of having fished an endangered pregnant whale shark off the coast of Phuket potentially face a heavy fine of up to 3 million baht and confiscation of their vessels, according to authorities. Fisheries Department and Marine and Coastal Resources Department yesterday promised to take swift action against the…
Read More » - Travel
Maya Bay – let the healing begin
By Piyaporn Wongruang – The Sunday Nation It was around 10 in the morning. There was peace and tranquility at Maya Bay and its beach with just a few speedboats docking in front of the bay. The crystal clear deep blue turquoise sea water filled the vision of Plianprasop Khaonual, a long-time park ranger and among the first who explored…
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Emerald Development Group addresses accusations of fraud and mismanagement
CEO of the Emerald Development Group Sawit ‘Mai’ Ketroj held a press conference yesterday (Saturday) at the Dara Hotel to address accusations of fraud and mismanagement. In reports to the Court the amounts involved in the alleged fraud case mount up to more than a billion baht with more than 300 buyers filing complaints with the Emerald Development Group. He opened…
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Official report filed to police about the whale shark caught by fishermen
In relation to the video of a whale shark caught up on a fishing boat net just off Koh Racha yesterday, Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong says, “Officials from the Phuket Fisheries Port In-Port Out Control Centre (PiPo) have filed a report to the Phuket City Police. The owner of the fishing boat is being accused of an offence to the…
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Fly cheap to Oz with AIS on QANTAS
Use AIS mobile. You could be flying to Australia with a discount. QANTAS is offering AIS mobile phone users in the capital an 8% discount on airfares on all routes from Bangkok to Australia, or New Zealand, until 31 July. The offer is valid on routes Bangkok to Australia (Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne) and Bangkok to New Zealand (Auckland,…
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Investigation ordered over the Phuket whale shark caught by fishermen
Video of a pregnant whale shark caught by fishermen has gone viral and caused outrage on social media. Read the story and watch the video HERE. Lt-General Jaruwat Waisaya, Chief of the Office of Legal Affairs and Litigation says, “I have ordered officials to question every person involved in the incident. If they are found guilty, legal action must be taken.…
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4-month breathing space – DNP officially closes down Maya Bay
Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has officially announced that Maya Bay in Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park will not allow visitors during a much-needed four-month rejuvenation period from June 1 to September 30 this year. The DNP announced at a press conference held on May 15 that access to Maya Bay will…
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Video of pregnant whale shark caught by fishermen goes viral on social media
PHOTOS AND VIDEOS: Go-Eco Phuket Facebook user ‘Go-Eco Phuket’ local conservation group yesterday (May 18) posted a video clip with 1.11 minutes long with a message read “#RIP whale shark mother at Phuket. Why catching small fish. Catching a big fish is better with its babies. Cr.Aqua centre.” The video clip shows a whale shark being hung on the side of…
Read More » - Food
Ginja Taste Restaurant named one of Thailand Tatler Best Restaurants 2018
Executive Chef Dietmar Spitzer (5nd from right) alongside with Mr. Libor Secka (7th from left), Director of Food & Beverage posed together with their dedicated Food & Beverage team JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa in Mai Khao has added to its global reputation with its authentic Thai restaurant. Ginja Taste recently receiving the gastronomic award in an annual Thailand…
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Airport warns of taking photos of landing aircraft at Nai Yang Beach
A meeting was held yesterday (May 17), led by the Phuket International Airport General Manager Petch Chancharoen, to discuss a YouTube post. The meeting follows a ‘youtube’ channel user, ‘donprozento’, posting a video on March 10. The video shows tourists taking photos of an aircraft landing. The aircraft was landing on the runway 09. The meeting was to address measures to…
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900,000 baht to move ‘some’ monkeys
Phuket’s Governor Norraphat says, “We have studied all the possibilities and issues, such as food and water, to move some monkeys to islands off the coast of Phuket – Koh Ngam, Koh Pa Yu, Koh Mali, Koh Pae and Koh Tanan.” “From previous public hearings we have found that the most critical areas for monkey mischief is at Baan Yamu…
Read More » - Thai Life
April tourist arrivals in Thailand up nearly 10%
Thailand’s tourism racks up 13,701,411 visitors arriving in the first four months of 2018 – a 14% increase, year on year. For the same four months last year the passenger arrivals increased 3.35%. In April alone arrivals were 3,092,725. This is up 9.38% year on year according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Permanent Secretary, Pongpanu Svetarundra. The top ten…
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Phuket airport launches ‘Take off HKT ready for ASQ’ event
An event was launched today (May 18) at the The Slate Phuket Hotel in Thalang, hosted by the Phuket International Airport General Manager Petch Chancharoen (between fixing the air-conditioning at the domestic terminal). The event was aimed to present the readiness of the airport to join the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) of Airport Council International (ACI) for airport ranking. Phuket Airport is…
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73% of Thais are buying online – Experian
Three quarters of Thai consumers are making online purchases, with Beauty and Fashion, and Electronics being the top categories. However, as consumers continue to look towards convenience, fraud exposure will likely increase – these are the findings of the Digital Consumer Insights 2018 by the world’s leading information services company Experian, co-authored with leading ICT market research and advisory firm…
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Suspect arrested with over 100,000 meth pills after road accident in Krabi
Krabi Police have arrested 36 year old Supat ‘Bao’ Pueaksom. Police seized 115,150 methamphetamine pills along with a handgun and 10 bullets. The arrest came after Tuesday (May 5) when Plai Phraya Police in Krabi were notified of that a car collided with a kilometre marker on the side of the Route 44 Southern Seaboard road in Krabi. The car…
Read More » - Koh Samui News
French cybercrime suspect arrested in police raid – Samui
PHOTOS: Samui Police Frenchman Jonathan Verron, an alleged leader of a hacker group that stole data from a British financial institution and demanded a ransom to keep it secure, has been arrested on Koh Samui this morning (Friday). Crime Suppression Division Fifth Command and Technology Crime Suppression Division police had French embassy staff on hand when they raided a house…
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New Kusoldharm rescue office branch launched at base of Patong Hill
An opening ceremony was hosted by Phuket’s Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok for the new Kusoldharm Office Kwuan Yang branch on Patong Hill. The President of the Kusoldharm Foundation Benjawan Tampanuwat says, “Kusoldharm Foundation was officially established in September 27, 1976. The foundation’s main office remains on Poonpon Road in Phuket Town. We have established Kusoldarm rescue office braches in three…
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Seven arrested in Phuket loan shark crackdown
Phuket Provincial Deputy Commander Col Sermpan Sirikong says, “We’ve arrested four male and two female suspects in a loan shark crackdown on May 15 and 16.” “The five male suspects are 41 year old Adiraek Henghoo, 21 year old Ratanapon Haemtong, 26 year old Taechit Eakkanaprat, 23 year old Chawankorn Sukpan and 38 year old Kittisak Wongsamai. Two female suspects are…
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EU maintains yellow card over Thai fishing
Continuing systemic flaws in the protection of the rights of workers and sustainable fishing policies has kept Thailand on the European Union’s “yellow flag” watch list for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. A source at the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry revealed that the EU has decided to maintain Thaialnd’s yellow flag for on IUU fishing. Activists from the Civil…
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Three suspects arrested over April arson
A team of Phuket police and soldiers have arrested 18 year old Wiwat Singkaha, 19 year old Purachart Jitchamnan and a 52 year old woman known as ‘One’. Wiwat and Purachart were arrested at different houses in Mai Khao while ‘One’ was arrested at a house in Sakoo. Wiwat and Purachart were charged with arson while ‘One’ was charged with…
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Two vehicles catch fire after collision with power pole
Officials of the Phuket Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation in Rassada were notified of an incident in front of Baan Kuku School in Rassada on Thursday (May 17) at 5am. Firefighters with three fire trucks arrived at the scene to find a Nissan car ablaze. Behind the Nissan police found an Isuzu pickup truck. Official at the Phuket Provincial…
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Army denies orders to shoot down drones in South
The fourth Army Region is denying there is a standing order for aerial drones to be shot down in the southern border provinces but it pointed out there were rules governing drone flights. Colonel Pramote Prom-in, spokesman for the forward command at Internal Security Operations Command Region 4, said drones could not be flown in aviation zones or near military…
Read More » - Thai Life
Phuket teacher turned away in Penang applying for visa
PHOTO: TielandtoThailand.com According to a British EFL teacher based in Phuket, officials in Penang are requiring a criminal background check from Thai police when applying for a Non-immigrant B visa associated with teaching. As reported in a Facebook post on the morning of May 17, Jay (who asked we omit his surname) stated the first thing embassy staff asked was,…
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Phuket’s Governor inspects coral area in Paklok – Marina proposed
The issue of potential damage to coral reefs has been raised after local residents near Koh Hei, in the Ao Kung area of Paklok, has been brought up with the Phuket Governor today. Along with conservationists, they worry that there will be damage to the coral if construction of a marina is started along with the dredging of a channel…
Read More » - Health
Thanking those who dug the well
How do you repay interest on your debt? Seventeen years of compound interest that can add up pretty quickly. Seventeen years of recovery. Cocaine and alcohol were not my problem and they were merely a solution to my problem. My problem is MYSELF. Recovery of myself; from all the layers of my self imposed toxic crap. The story under the…
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Three escape burning vehicle in Wichit
Officials from the Phuket Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM Phuket) were notified of an incident near Laem Chan Intersection on Chao Fa East Road in Wichit this morning at 7.20am. Firefighters with two fire trucks along with Wichit Police arrived at scene to find a Toyota car ablaze. It took about 30 minutes to control the fire. The…
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‘Furious Aunties’ receive 1.47 million baht compensation, pending appeal
A Bangkok family could receive more than 1.47 million baht compensation for inconvenience because of the authorities’ failure to prevent “illegal markets” from operating around their house if the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) loses its appeal against a lower court verdict. The Central Administrative Court on Wednesday decided to award compensation to the Saengyoktrakarn family and also ordered the relevant…
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Phuket hosts Andaman marine rescue ‘brainstorm’
This morning (May 17) Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong joined in a brainstorming meeting at Pavillion Queen’s Bay Ao Nang in Krabi whilst working on a marine rescue centre project for the Andaman provinces. Joining him were officials from Krabi, Phuket, Phang Nga, Ranong and Trang. Deputy Prime Minister Gen Chatchai Salikanlaya was present to suggest ideas and to hear from…
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