Legacy Phuket Gazette

Archiving articles from the Phuket Gazette circa 1998 - 2017. View the Phuket Gazette online archive and Digital Gazette PDF Prints.
  • PropertyProperty Watch: New chapter for Vietnam property

    Property Watch: New chapter for Vietnam property

    PHUKET: A few weeks ago I found myself, once again, on the central coast of Vietnam in Danang. Over the past decade, the city has undergone a massive transformation and despite the old school charm of tree-lined avenues and the penultimate buzz of Asian-flavored street life, towering skyscrapers are starting to dot the horizon. My first journey to Vietnam was…

  • Thai LifePhuket Business: Old money with new visions

    Phuket Business: Old money with new visions

    PHUKET: Born to one of Phuket’s wealthiest families, yet successfully cruising ahead in new business directions, is none other than Boon Yongsakul, the brains and muscle behind the success of the Boat Avenue Community Mall, along with some very well-received housing projects. His grandfather, a Hokkien Chinese migrant who came to Phuket, laid the foundation for the Yongsakul family’s business…

  • Phuket NewsA Decade Ago: Tsunami warning issued in Phuket

    A Decade Ago: Tsunami warning issued in Phuket

    PHUKET: More than seven months after the devastation of the tsunami tore apart communities along the Andaman coast and swept away entire villages in Indonesia, Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) issued a tsunami warning. An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale had struck the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, only 664 kilometers from Phuket, but no tsunami rose from…

  • World NewsThailand arrests five for trafficking women into sex slavery in China | Thaiger

    Thailand arrests five for trafficking women into sex slavery in China

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand arrests five for trafficking women into sex slavery in China Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Thailand has arrested five people suspected of trafficking Thai women into sex slavery in China and believed to be part of a ring that has also trafficked women into Malaysia…

  • Phuket NewsUnique Four Regions Fair’ to start on Mother’s Day

    Unique Four Regions Fair’ to start on Mother’s Day

    PHUKET: A special ‘Unique Four Regions Fair’ will take place on Mother’s Day, HM Queen Sirikit’s birthday, on August 12 and continue through August 16 at Sanam Chai Park in Phuket Town. Organized by the Royal Thai Navy’s Phuket-based Third Area Internal Security Operations Command [ISOC] and sponsored by the provincial police and municipality, this nationwide event is the fourth…

  • World NewsAustralian weather bureau: El Nino has emerged and is expected to strengthen | Thaiger

    Australian weather bureau: El Nino has emerged and is expected to strengthen

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community El Nino has emerged and expected to strengthen – Australian weather bureau Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: An El Nino is now well established and continues to strengthen, the Australian Bureau ofMeteorology (BOM) says, with models indicating that sea-surface temperature anomalies in the central Pacific Ocean…

  • World NewsJapan A-bomb survivors speak out against nuclear power, decry Abe’s view of war | Thaiger

    Japan A-bomb survivors speak out against nuclear power, decry Abe’s view of war

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Japan A-bomb survivors speak out against nuclear power, decry Abe’s view of war Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: When Atsushi Hoshino set out to revive a group representing atomic bomb survivors in the rural northeast Japanese prefecture of Fukushima 30 years ago, one topic was taboo…

  • World NewsIdaho woman comes under fire for celebrating her killing of giraffe | Thaiger

    Idaho woman comes under fire for celebrating her killing of giraffe

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Idaho woman comes under fire for celebrating her killing of giraffe Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A big-game trophy collector from Idaho has ignited a firestorm of criticism fromanimal-rights activists for flaunting online images of herself posed with the carcasses of a giraffe and other wildlife…

  • Phuket NewsSwedish tourist falls from Phuket hotel

    Swedish tourist falls from Phuket hotel

    PHUKET: A Swedish tourist and a Thai woman took a tumble from the balcony of their room at the Phuket Paradise Hotel in Patong early this morning. “When we arrived at the scene, Dahlin Erik Conny, 33, was unconscious and Numpueng Kumpuong, 26, was crying out in pain on the ground,” said Lt Col Jessada Saengsuree of the Patong Police.…

  • Phuket NewsKratom user takes anger out on ATM

    Kratom user takes anger out on ATM

    PHUKET: An unruly kratom user was arrested at his apartment in Rawai this morning after CCTV footage showed him smashing the screen of an ATM on his way home from Phuket Town. “We received the report of the broken ATM at about 4am this morning. At the scene, we found a big piece of concrete, as well as a smashed…

  • Phuket NewsHigh ranking officials mourn death of “Pink Panther’

    High ranking officials mourn death of “Pink Panther’

    PHUKET: Numerous Phuket officials showed up to pay their respects to former Phuket senator and Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) President Paiboon ‘The Pink Panther’ Upatising, who lost his battle against cancer Sunday morning (story here). The well-established politician had been dubbed Phuket’s ‘Pink Panther’ for his use of pink to brand his public projects and his ability to turn…

  • World NewsRescuers in Myanmar struggle to reach flood-hit areas, toll seen rising | Thaiger

    Rescuers in Myanmar struggle to reach flood-hit areas, toll seen rising

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Rescuers in Myanmar struggle to reach flood-hit areas, toll seen rising Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A death toll of 27 from flooding across Myanmar was expected to rise as rescue workers struggled on Monday to reach some of the hardest-hit and most remote inundated areas,…

  • World NewsSyrian jet crashes into market, 12 killed | Thaiger

    Syrian jet crashes into market, 12 killed

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Syrian jet crashes into market, 12 killed Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: At least 12 people were killed when a Syrian army fighter jet crashed into a busy marketplacein the rebel-held northwestern town of Ariha on Monday, a monitor said. Most of the dead were civilians…

  • Phuket NewsTMD fails to issue weather warning

    TMD fails to issue weather warning

    PHUKET: Despite today’s torrential rains, which led to flash flooding in several parts of the island, the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has yet to issue any weather warning for Phuket. “The TMD did report that there would be rain fall all day, which could cause landslides. However, no warnings have been issued,” Santhawat Riwleung, chief of the Department of Disaster…

  • Phuket NewsMobile phone thieves knock over Phuket shop

    Mobile phone thieves knock over Phuket shop

    PHUKET: Police are searching for a team of thieves that made off with more than 30 mobile phones and about 10,000 baht in cash early Saturday morning. The thieves created a key for the shop shutter of Sapum Mobile on Thepkasattri Road in order to break in. However, they were unable to access the more expensive mobile devices, such as…

  • Phuket NewsMonster monitor lizard sneaks into Phuket home [video] | Thaiger

    Monster monitor lizard sneaks into Phuket home [video]

    PHUKET: Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers captured a 20 kilogram monitor lizard at a house in Phuket, as heavy rains inundated the island this morning. “It was quite a big monitor; about one-meter long,” Kasun Naepnean, a rescue worker, told the Phuket Gazette. “It was very strong, and difficult to catch.” It took the team about 30 minutes to capture the…

  • Business NewsCruising through “Green Season’

    Cruising through “Green Season’

    PHUKET: Phuket has been recognized as a world-class cruising destination for many years, with the majority of sailors visiting during the ‘high’ season months. This period is noted for its favorable weather that keep the skies clear, cruising grounds sheltered and beaches packed. However, it is the ‘green season’, from June to October, that is becoming a popular alternative, offering…

  • OpinionOpinion: Taking up space

    Opinion: Taking up space

    PHUKET: If you have ever been to Tesco Lotus or Big C – I will go out on a limb to say that most of us on the island have – did you ever park your vehicle in a handicapped parking spot if you are not handicapped? I hope not. If you have, stop being selfish and give the spot…

  • Bangkok NewsUp in the air: Bangkok Airways flies to Hat Yai

    Up in the air: Bangkok Airways flies to Hat Yai

    PHUKET: Bangkok Airways will launch a new service between Phuket International Airport (HKT) and Hat Yai International Airport (HDY) starting in late October. Tasara Taksinapan, the carrier’s media relations manager, recently confirmed the new route with the Gazette’s ‘Up in the Air’, but said that the carrier had yet to issue an official press statement about the service, which will…

  • Phuket NewsSmall vehicles warned of Phuket flash floods

    Small vehicles warned of Phuket flash floods

    PHUKET: Flash floods are causing long tailbacks and leaving many motorists pushing their scooters through deep water in Chalong and Patong, as well as at the Samkong underpass construction site, today. “Small vehicles should avoid roads where flooding has occurred,” Santhawat Riwleung, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office, told the Phuket Gazette. “The rate…

  • Phuket NewsFuneral rites announced as Phuket mourns the death of Paiboon Upatising

    Funeral rites announced as Phuket mourns the death of Paiboon Upatising

    PHUKET: Former Phuket senator and Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) President Paiboon Upatising died this morning at Bangkok’s Thonburi hospital. Mr Paiboon had been fighting colon cancer for several years, succumbing to it at 1.09am today. Funeral rights for Mr Paiboon will begin at 3pm tomorrow, Monday, August 3, at his family home on Vichitsongkram Road, near Surakul Stadium. Many…

  • Phuket NewsPolice arrest driver for death of 12-year-old

    Police arrest driver for death of 12-year-old

    PHUKET: Police arrested the driver of an 18-wheeled truck that hit and dragged a 12-year-old girl to death just south of the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint yesterday morning (story here). The truck allegedly struck the motorbike that the girl and her mother were riding, causing minimal damage, but knocking the mother-daughter pair to the concrete. Nong Latthaporn fell under the…

  • Phuket NewsPolice hunt Phuket gambling organizer

    Police hunt Phuket gambling organizer

    PHUKET: Police are hunting the organizer of a gambling event in Phuket who managed to evade arrest during a raid in Thalang last night. “There were more than 10 of them taking part in a gambling game known as Gung-pla [literally, ‘shrimp-fish’]. However, many of them managed to scramble free during the raid,” Thalang Police Superintendent Chanuchan Cholsuwat said. Nonetheless,…

  • PropertyChinese funds trickle down to Phuket

    Chinese funds trickle down to Phuket

    PHUKET: The expected rush of Chinese money to overseas safe-haven properties after the recent crash of Shanghai’s stock market is an unlikely surge for this popular resort island, which will continue attracting some of the outflow, but less than what people might expect, Robert Collins, managing director of Savills (Thailand), says. It is clear that Thailand is not the preferred…

  • Business NewsBusiness Buzz: The benefits of websites | Thaiger

    Business Buzz: The benefits of websites

    PHUKET: Almost every business has a website now, but what are the real reasons for having one and are people using them effectively? When I ask many business owners, they often reply that they need one because everyone else has one. But do most people really understand the reasons a website is so important and how they can add real…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket police officer found shot in head

    Phuket police officer found shot in head

    PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of a fellow officer who was found in his home with a gunshot wound to the head and a 9mm handgun still in his hand. “When we arrived at the scene yesterday, we had to break down the door, as it was locked from the inside,” explained Lt Peerasit Nhupayan of the Cherng Talay…

  • Business NewsFinance: Get smart with cyber security stocks

    Finance: Get smart with cyber security stocks

    PHUKET: The recent New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) trading halt triggered a brief rush into cyber security stocks on renewed fears of yet another serious hack attack. While that incident was apparently caused by a computer malfunction, it shows just how jumpy investors are when it comes to the possibility of a new high-profile hack similar to the one that…

  • Phuket NewsWorld number 45 golfer swings by Laguna Phuket Golf Club

    World number 45 golfer swings by Laguna Phuket Golf Club

    PHUKET: Prominent golfer, current Asian Tour Order-of-Merit leader and world number 45 golf player Anirban Lahiri recently visited Phuket, where he conducted a golf clinic and played nine holes with three young and promising island-based golfers at Laguna Phuket Golf Club. On the way to the US Open in Seattle, Mr Lahiri stayed at Laguna Phuket’s Banyan Tree Resort and…

  • World NewsEleven Colombian military personnel killed in plane crash | Thaiger

    Eleven Colombian military personnel killed in plane crash

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Eleven Colombian military personnel killed in plane crash Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Eleven Colombian military personnel were killed on Friday when their transport plane suffered engine failure and crashed in the northern province of Cesar, killing all on board, according to a statement from the…

  • World NewsDonald Trump’s companies have sought visas to import at least 1,100 workers | Thaiger

    Donald Trump’s companies have sought visas to import at least 1,100 workers

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Donald Trump’s companies have sought visas to import at least 1,100 workers Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET:Donald Trump is staking his run for U.S. president in part on a vow to protect Americanjobs. But this month, one of his companies, the elite Mar-a-Lago Club resort in…