- Phuket News
Phuket boy, 12, home alone escapes as blaze engulfs slum
PHUKET: A 12-year-old boy home alone had a lucky escape from his house on Tuesday morning, as fire broke out in the poor Soi Kingkaew community in Rassada, north of Phuket Town, destroying two homes. Suriya Inkaew was home alone while his mother, 56-year-old Gaysorn Yungyeun, was out collecting recyclables from trash to make a living. “I woke up to…
- Phuket News
Phuket guard in coma after arson attack
PHUKET: A security guard at ‘Phuket Healthy Nutriment and Snake Show’ remains unconscious in hospital after being knocked out by attackers and having his workplace being set afire early Monday morning. Anuchit Chaithongngarm, 25, is currently in a coma at Vachira Hospital Phuket after being hit on the back of the head with a heavy object, said Kongpol Phanuek, chief…
- Phuket News
Architect to deliver free Phuket seminar on “Seismic Design & Building’
PHUKET: Dr Amorn Pimanmas, Chairman of the Project Committee at the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) and alumnus of the University of Tokyo, will lead a free seminar on “Seismic Design & Building” at the Boat Lagoon Resort in Koh Kaew this afternoon. Jointly organized by the Phuket Architectural Society and the Phuket Real Estate Association, the seminar, to be…
- Phuket News
Phuket Customs seize B21mn of illegal diesel
PHUKET: Phuket Customs officials have seized 47,000 liters of smuggled diesel hidden on board two Taiwanese boats off the east coast of Phuket Sunday. Officials estimated the total value of the smuggled diesel seized at 21 million baht. The two boats, the ChingChunFa 168 and the Chi Tsai 16, were seized one to two nautical miles north of Taphao Yai…
- Phuket News
Expert calls for NDWC to revise tsunami warning protocol
PHUKET: Lertsin Raksaskulwong, director of the Environmental Geology and Geohazard Bureau under the Department of Mineral Resources, yesterday called for the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) to revise its procedure for issuing tsunami warnings. Speaking at a meeting at Provincial Hall held to review Phuket’s tsunami-response procedures, Mr Lertsin said, “The events of April 11 were chaos. It seemed they…
- Phuket News
Phuket Gazette Reader’s Poll: How tolerant is Phuket to gay tourists?
PHUKET: A week-long Phuket Pride Festival that officially began yesterday is expected to attract thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) tourists from around the region. In the latest Phuket Gazette online readers poll, we ask how tolerant is Phuket society of LGBT lifestyles compared with other places readers have lived in or visited? To have your say vote…
- Phuket News
Phuket Bike Week rolls to a close
PHUKET: After being moved forward a few weeks, the 18th Annual Phuket Bike Week was a success over the weekend, despite heavy rains that threatened to wash out festivities. Among those in attendance were Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukbal, Royal Thai Navy officials and representatives of sponsor Chang beer. As in years past, most activities took place along the beach…
- Phuket News
Phuket go-go bars in Soi Bangla pass the AHTD test
PHUKET: Officers from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTD) of the Royal Thai Police and Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) on Friday night inspected go-go bars in Soi Sea Dragon, off Soi Bangla in Patong, but failed to uncover any evidence of lewd behavior. Twelve officers from the AHTD Region 5 and ISOC, commanded by AHTD Region 5 Deputy Inspector Pol…
- Thailand News
Weird World News: Serving surf ‘n’ turf – from love to six feet under
PHUKET: This week’s Weird World News round-up serves up an awkward and dangerous mix of surf ‘n’ turf, taking you from cheap love, to a fishy and possibly untimely death and finally wrapping you up like a filet mignon and burying you. Japanese chefs balloon up over new blowfish laws A NEW law coming into affect in October is cutting…
- Phuket News
Airlines voice confidence in Phuket Airport emergency evacuation measures
PHUKET: Following the evacuation of Phuket International Airport after the 8.6-Richter earthquake on April 11, several airlines on Friday expressed their confidence in how officials handle the emergency exercise. At a press conference at the airport chaired by Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham, Thai Airways representative Jittrapong Narongwanich said all airlines that use Phuket Airport remain confident in the evacuation procedures…
- Opinion
Phuket Opinion: Tsunami evacuation shortfalls resurface
PHUKET: THE pair of powerful earthquakes that struck off the coast of Sumatra on April 11 served as the perfect ‘live test’ of Thailand’s preparedness to conduct emergency evacuation of tsunami risk areas, exposing, once again, serious shortcomings in the government’s ability to relay important information to the public in a timely fashion. The 8.6-magnitude quake that hit at 3:38pm…
- Phuket News
FC Phuket 0 – 0 Suphanburi FC
PHUKET: FC Phuket played Suphanburi FC to a scoreless draw on soggy pitch at Surakul Stadium yesterday afternoon. Just over 1,700 turned up for the match, including a busload of orange-clad Suphanburi supporers who turned up for the match. FC Phuket’s best chance of the match came at 13 minutes, when Suphanburi keeper Prasit Nuamsala dived to his right to…
- Phuket News
Phuket to be ‘Atlantis of the East’? Not on Gov Tri’s watch
PHUKET: In the face of widespread rumors of Phuket becoming the “Atlantis of the East”, Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha has jokingly declared that he would be happy to resign his position if the island sinks into the Andaman Sea. “Rumors are rumors,” Gov Tri said. “I don’t think Phuket will sink. In fact, I’ll stake my position as a guarantee.…
- Phuket News
FC Phuket ready for Suphanburi elephant charge
PHUKET: FC Phuket are back into action with a tough match against Suphanburi FC this afternoon at Surakul Stadium. The field should be sloppy, as the stadium was hit with heavy rains last night and again this afternoon. Coming into the sixth fixture for the 2012 Thai Yamaha 1 league, Phuket are in 10th place with a win, three draws…
- Phuket News
Phuket pickup crash: Thalang trembles
PHUKET: A speeding pickup truck crashed into a pedestrian footbridge in Phuket last night, spreading fear of yet another earthquake tremor and causing a one-hour traffic tailback. Thalang Police were notified of the crash in front of the Muang Thalang School on Thepkrasattri Road northbound at 5:45pm yesterday. Arriving at the scene, Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers found the wreckage…
- Phuket News
Phuket Bike Week comes of age
PHUKET: It was postponed for a couple of weeks, but now Phuket Bike Week is on and raring to go. The 18th Phuket Bike Week kicked off today with a shed-load of activities in Patong. The festival started at 3pm at Patong Beach football field where the Motorcycle Exhibition Festival will carry on until midnight. However there’s plenty of other…
- Phuket News
Phuket Airport included in B4bn upgrade
PHUKET: Aerothai, the state enterprise that operates air traffic control at airports throughout Thailand, including Suvarnabhumi and Phuket International Airport, will spend 4 billion baht on upgrading its computer and communications network. The upgrade to replace outdated equipment will be privately funded, said Aphinun Vannangkura, Aerothai Vice President for Air Traffic Management. “The upgrade will introduce more computer systems into…
- Phuket News
ICT Ministry plans disaster communications fix for Phuket
PHUKET: A team of Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) experts yesterday consulted with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha on how to improve communications during future disaster evacuations. The team, led by ICT communications expert Chaiyun Pengkiatpairot, aims to prevent a mobile phone network overload, such as that which hindered communications during the evacuation of tsunami-risk areas on April 11.…
- Phuket News
Brother claims sister’s body from Phuket hospital
PHUKET: A relative of the young Burmese construction worker whose body was left unidentified at Thalang Hospital has come to claim her remains, Phuket Police have confirmed. Thalang Police duty officer Patiwat Yodkwan told the Phuket Gazette that the body of the woman, identified only as “Ms Way”, was claimed by a man named “Mr Jorso”, her brother. Ms Way,…
- Phuket News
Tesco Lotus launches “green bag’ campaign in Phuket
PHUKET: Tesco Lotus is gearing up for Earth Day 2012 on Saturday with a special event at its Tesco Thalang mall this afternoon to launch a new campaign to reduce the use of plastic bags at all Tesco stores in Phuket. Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak will officially open the event at 2pm. In addition to fun activities promoting “green…
- Phuket News
Phuket fishmeal factory probe takes a twist
PHUKET: Phuket officials investigating a complaint about foul smells emanating from a fishmeal factory yesterday found little amiss – and now suspect that the complaint may be more about business than bad odors. Led by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak and Phuket Damrongtham Center Director Prapan Kanprasang, the officials toured the Saeng Aroon fishmeal factory on the banks of Klong…
- Phuket News
Phuket opens ‘village watch’ earthquake monitoring center
PHUKET: Srisoonthorn Municipality have set up an ‘earthquake monitoring center’ after discovering that Thalang was at the epicenter of the recent aftershocks that rattled Phuket. The center aims to provide accurate information and to warn local villagers in the case of an emergency, said Srisoonthorn Mayor Worawut Songyot. “The earthquake monitoring center has been established to coordinate efforts in the…
- Phuket News
Phuket gears up for opening of new bus terminal
PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) is in the process of negotiating set fares for all forms of local transportation that will operate out of the new Phuket bus terminal in Rassada, which will open on Saturday. “We will set standard fares for all types of local transportation, with tickets that passengers can buy at a counter in the…
- Business News
Phuket Business: Transit proposals keep coming
PHUKET: Two more parties have engaged the Phuket provincial government about the prospect of developing the island’s multi-billion baht light rail and tunnel mega projects. A multinational delegation from the Chinese construction giant China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) visited with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha recently. “We are the biggest company in China and the 80th largest company of the top…
- Phuket News
Phuket Police seek help in identifying dead hospital patient
PHUKET: Phuket Police are trying to identify the body of a woman, thought to be from Myanmar, who died in the emergency ward of Thalang Hospital yesterday. Thalang Police duty officer Patiwat Yodkhwan was notified of the woman’s death at 7:30am by staff at Thalang Hospital, who asked officers to assist in identifying the body. The woman’s body was left…
- Thai Life
Phuket Lifestyle: It’s all go for Hugo
PHUKET: It’s Saturday night at the Hard Rock Cafe in Patong and a young man steps out onto the stage armed with his trademark stetson hat, a Gibson guitar, a new band and some sultry killer tracks from his first solo album. On March 24 Hugo was back home in Thailand and performing for the first time here since 2005.…
- Phuket News
Stay calm and enjoy your holiday, says Phuket tourism chief
PHUKET: Phuket tourism industry leaders are calling on the local media not to exaggerate in their reporting of the recent seismic activity in Phuket, as doing so could adversely affect the local economy. Phuket Tourist Association President Somboon Jirayus said yesterday that tourists from places like Japan and parts of Europe where earthquakes are common were more likely to view…
- Phuket News
Phuket Songkran road toll ends: 3 dead, 43 injured
PHUKET: The “Seven Days of Danger” Songkran road-safety campaign ended in Phuket yesterday with no road fatalities over the final four days, resulting in a final tally of three dead and 43 injured in 44 reported accidents. As anticipated by many, the most dangerous day was April 13, when two people died and 10 others were injured in 11 reported…
- Phuket News
Phuket dam passes post-quake safety inspection
PHUKET: Phuket officials have declared the dam at Bang Neaw Dum Reservoir in Thalang structurally sound following a safety inspection earlier today. The inspection was prompted by a series earthquakes centered in Thalang over the past few days, including a 4.3 Richter tremor yesterday morning. That quake left local residents living downstream fearing the structural integrity of the dam might…
- Phuket News
Phuket residents seek assistance for earthquake damage
PHUKET: Srisoonthorn Municipal engineers today visited homes in Baan Bangkham in Thalang to survey the damage caused by yesterday’s earthquake. Assistant village headman Somnuek Jaturacoopkullapong reported today that the earthquake, felt by most Phuket residents yesterday, damaged more than 30 houses in the village, four severely. “We were inside at about 4:30pm when we heard a loud noise and then…
