- Phuket News
Body with land title found in pond
PHUKET: A Phuket man carrying a bag with a land title deed and personal items was found dead in a coastal pond on Koh Maphrao today. Chalermpon Cheuanaka, 56, lived with his wife on the edge of a mangrove forest on the small island just off of Phuket. “Inside his bag, we found shoes, a shirt, a helmet, a Chanote…
- Phuket News
Officials confirm raw, stinking wastewater in Samkong canal
PHUKET: Officials have confirmed that the foul-smelling water seen flowing into the Bang Yai Canal in Samkong on Friday, was in fact wastewater. Phuket City Deputy Mayor Thavorn Jirapattanasophon was alerted to the situation after a video posted by Facebook user Kanawut Boonsong, showing black water flowing into the canal, went viral. “I had already assigned the responsibility of examining…
- Phuket News
Phuket FC management walks after division drop
PHUKET: The president of the Phuket Football Club (Phuket FC) stepped down yesterday, following the team’s downgrade to Division 2. Departing with Pramookpisitt Achariyachai will be two other key members of the management team: Tunyaratt Achariyachai, a former Phuket senator, and Team Manager Pariyawis Achariyachai. “Our family has put more than 200 million baht into Phuket FC. Nonetheless, my management…
- Phuket News
Grand opening of Phuket airport expansion slated for May
PHUKET: The highly-anticipated expansion of the Phuket International Airport will be celebrated with a grand opening in May, confirmed the airport director. “We are now 83.69 per cent done. There will be an additional 10 bays and four aerobridges,” explained Phuket International Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan on Wednesday. A soft opening of the 5.7-billion-baht expansion will be held on Valentine’s…
- World News
Vandals attack Facebook building in Germany
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Vandals attack Facebook building in Germany Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Vandals have damaged a building housing Facebook’s offices in Hamburg, smashing glass, throwing paint and spraying “Facebook dislike” on a wall, police in the northern German city said on Sunday. The overnight attack on the…
- Phuket News
Thalang homeowner cries foul
PHUKET: Local ‘quacks’ have forced officials from the Damrongdhama Center (ombudsman’s office) to appease a disgruntled Thalang homeowner on Friday, after she filed a handful of complaints to local authorities that remained unanswered. In the complaint, Christy Kay Sweet, 50, claimed that several chickens and ducks have been wandering around her garden, waking her up during the early hours. “Ms…
- Thailand News
Gen Paween’s allegations cause stir among officials
PHUKET: Supervisors of the former chief investigator probing a high-profile human-trafficking case reacted angrily on Friday to his accusation that he received no protection from them despite facing death threats. Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin quit the police force last month and is now seeking political asylum in Australia. He told Australian media that he feared for his life because influential…
- Phuket News
Immigration to tap into Interpol database to fight crime
PHUKET: Immigration police in Thailand are attempting to link their system with Interpol’s database of stolen and revoked passports as part of the crackdown on transnational criminals that saw a Russian wanted for human smuggling in his homeland arrested in Phuket (story here). “Interpol’s database contains about 47 million cancelled and stolen passports,” said Maj Gen Apichat Suriboonya, commander of…
- Pattaya News
Serious class warfare on final day of King’s Cup
PHUKET: On the final day of the 29th Phuket King’s Cup Regatta 2015 there was some serious class warfare played out in Kata Bay. Keelboats and multihulls hit the water for one last run, as teams fought for the honor to claim Phuket King’s Cup victory in the name of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. In IRC0, Windsikher II skippered by…
- Phuket News
Safer Roads Foundation to fund construction of new roundabout
PHUKET: The UK-based non-profit Safer Roads Foundation will fund the construction of a roundabout at the island’s deadly Narisorn-Surin intersection in a bid to reduce accidents. Phuket had 108 road deaths last year and is in Thailand’s top five provinces for road casualties over the past decade. The intersection near Phuket Provincial Hall in Muang district has claimed five lives…
- Phuket News
British national dies in Patong Hill crash
PHUKET: A British national died and another was injured after pick-up truck hit their motorbike on the notoriously dangerous Patong Hill this morning. According to rescuer workers at the scene, the motorbike carrying the two women exited a small soi onto the main road when the pick-up truck slammed into them. The two women were taken to Patong Hospital. One…
- Phuket News
Four arrested in Chalong land raid
PHUKET: Officials apprehended four men last night after a complaint was filed with Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada claiming that a Chalong land plot was being developed illegally. The raid, led by a team of Provincial, Navy and Chalong Police officers, yielded the arrests of Watcharin Laongthong, 30; Kanit Sookjai, 27; Somprach Choothong, 46; and Panya Taiying, 42, as well as…
- Phuket News
Army officer under investigation for threatening Navy lieutenant
PHUKET: An Army colonel is under investigation after he was allegedly recorded threatening a Navy officer for breaking up an underground casino in Chalong on Sunday (story here). Lt Somphop Kamkana of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command was one of the Navy officers that aided in the raid that saw more than 40 suspects apprehended. “At the police…
- Pattaya News
International Dinghy Classes Race wraps up
PHUKET: The International Dinghy Classes Race 2015, a part of the 29th annual Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, wrapped up after four days of racing on Thursday, a lay-day for keelboats and multihulls, as young sailors tried to seal Regatta victory in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The growing number of fleet entries from 45 last year to 78 dinghies…
- Thailand News
Former Thai General seeks asylum in Australia
BANGKOK: A former high-ranking police officer, who headed a human-trafficking investigation that led to the arrests of state officials, is seeking political asylum in Australia, he disclosed yesterday. Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin said he was seeking asylum, as he felt unsafe in Thailand. “If I remained in the police force, I would be in danger. I sought help from my…
- Phuket News
PRBC seeks blood donations for holiday season
PHUKET: As the holiday season draws closer, the Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) is asking residents to donate blood to ensure an adequate supply is available for hospitals to deal with emergencies. “We believe that blood supply will be not be able to meet demand, especially due to an anticipated increase in injuries from accidents during the holidays,” said Pornthip…
- Phuket News
Phuket jet-ski operator pulls firearm during beach argument
PHUKET: Phuket police are hunting a jet-ski operator who pulled out a firearm yesterday right in the middle of Patong Beach. “We arrived at the beach after receiving a report of an argument between two jet-ski operators. However, Banyong Thonghorm, 46, had already fled the scene,” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police. “Witnesses led us back to…
- Thai Life
On Deck: Sailing through high season blues
PHUKET: Phuket’s high season is underway. It traditionally starts in November, running through to 30th April, with the peak consisting of Christmas, New Year and the January period. Confused? The reality is Phuket has visitors all year round and the Low Season of old is not quite as ‘low’ as it used to be, at least in terms of visitor…
- Property
Property Watch: Real estate agents: good, bad or ugly?
PHUKET: Has anybody noticed that the same properties can be listed on different websites with different descriptions and in some cases feel like completely different properties? Well, one of our readers did, and has brought to notice two listings about the same property. Is it fair for a buyer or seller to be subjected to this type of behavior, assuming…
- Phuket News
A Decade Ago: Immigration launches hospital visa visits
PHUKET: The recent push in Phuket for a national-level policy to force foreign travellers entering Thailand to have some sort of health insurance is just the latest drive in ensuring better hospital experiences for those who do succumb to misfortune on this island of wonder – a place that has seen more than its fair share of dreams come true,…
- Phuket News
Phuket couple busted with 741 bundles of kratom
PHUKET: Provincial Police apprehended a couple on Wednesday in possession of nearly 143 kilograms of kratom in Kathu. The arrests of Jamjun Kosai, 36, and his wife Urai Siriwong, 28, followed a tip-off from a police source that the pair had been selling drugs to teenagers and laborers out of a rented house in the area, confirmed Pinit Sirichai, Phuket…
- Opinion
Opinion: Government school obstacles
Anurak Rungrueng is the acting director of the Phuket Primary Education Service Office. He took on the position on November 23, after having worked as the deputy director since 2012. He graduated from Thaksin University with a master’s degree in educational management. Here he calls on the private sector to help shore-up the biggest issues facing government educational institutes. PHUKET:…
- Business News
China base rakes in FIT market for Phuket
PHUKET: It is easy to get caught up with how the hospitality industry in Phuket should adjust to a shift in source markets toward a dependency on China. But what is forgotten is that it’s not just Phuket – it’s a worldwide phenomenon that requires the industry to adopt new marketing strategies and platforms. “Chinese outbound travel is a key…
- Phuket News
Phuket farmers denounce GMO bill
PHUKET: More than 30 members of the Phuket Farmer Association submitted a letter at Phuket Provincial Hall asking that Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha suspend the Biological Safety Bill until it is properly amended. The bill is set to allow genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to damage the nation’s ecology, with farmers being the ones to suffer the most, Somchai Ratanasuesakul,…
- World News
Facebook service aimed at professionals to launch in coming months
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Facebook service aimed at professionals to launch in coming months Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Facebook at Work, Facebook Inc’s professional version of its social network, is expected to launch in the coming months, after spending a year in tests, a company executive said. The new…
- World News
First planeload of Syrian refugees headed to Canada
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community First planeload of Syrian refugees headed to Canada Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: After months of promises and weeks of preparation, the first planeload of Syrian refugees was headed to Canada on Thursday, aboard a military plane to be met at Toronto’s airport by Prime Minister…
- Opinion
Island View: A perfect drunken storm
PHUKET: It is wonderful to see local police instilling a little fear of the law in those who are tempted to down a few alcoholic beverages and then get on a motorbike or inside one of the deadliest weapons in the world – a four-wheeled automobile. Drunk driving is, without a doubt, a culturally acceptable way of getting from one…
- Business News
Business Buzz: Local customers key to successful business
PHUKET: One of the common mistakes a business can make in a location like Phuket is to forget who is really important. In a holiday location it is very easy to focus on the tourist market, because the perception is they are the ones who are here spending without a care in the world and that there is an endless…
- Business News
Finance: Reduce risks while playing market
PHUKET: I am asked all the time, by those who know I am patiently waiting for the next crash to re-enter equity markets, if there is some way they can participate now while reducing downside risk. If we are talking about funds that will need to be liquidated any time within the next five or ten years, I would say…
- Opinion
Opinion: Fanning the flames of intolerance
PHUKET: With so much media attention being placed on developments surrounding terrorism and the Islamic State (IS), it is important for us here in Phuket not to get sucked into all the anti-Islamic fear-mongering and religious intolerance sweeping through many western nations these days. As the current edition of the Gazette went to press, firebrand United States presidential candidate Donald…
