- Phuket News
“Suicide’ of Land Department official now called into question
PHUKET: The autopsy on a former land department official who allegedly hanged himself in custody yesterday revealed that the man suffered an injured liver and internal bleeding, his brother said this afternoon. Tawatchai Anukul, a retired senior official of the Phang Nga Provincial Land Department, was found dead inside a detention room at the Department of Special Investigation yesterday (story…
- Phuket News
Landslide forces airport road closure
PHUKET: Motorists are being warned to stay off the small road that runs parallel to the runway at Phuket International Airport following a landslide. The slide occurred near the air traffic control tower and Aeronautical Radio of Thailand office there. “Continuous rain over the past few days loosened the earth on the 141-meter-tall hill (Khao Bo Sai) next to the…
- Phuket News
Former land official in Phuket DSI case found hanged in cell
PHUKET: A former land department official under investigation in Phuket land-title cases allegedly committed suicide while in official custody yesterday. Tawatchai Anukul, who was under investigation for illegal registration of land deeds for about 1,000 plots in Phuket and Phang Nga, allegedly took his own life. Custody officials said the suspect was found to have hung himself just hours before…
- Phuket News
Public outcry stops demolition of Vachira Hospital buildings
PHUKET: Vachira Hospital administrators have reached an agreement with concerned community members and employees over the proposed demolition of historic 100-year-old buildings and their surrounding mahogany trees. The plans to demolish the existing structures in order to make way for a new 298-bed hospital wing were halted after a public outcry from doctors and community members reached a fever pitch…
- Phuket News
Phuket Town fruit vendors fed up with theft
PHUKET: Fruit vendors in Phuket Town are fed up with fruit from their stalls being stolen overnight and the lack of progress in apprehending the culprits, despite giving police CCTV footage showing teenagers pilfering the produce. Vipharat Na Kling, who owns one of the stalls along Srisana Road, said the thefts have cost her thousands of baht. “I reported the…
- Phuket News
Pick-up slams into pole, splits in half
PHUKET: Police have charged a woman with reckless driving and damage to public property after she lost control of the truck she was trying to drive and slammed into a power pole yesterday. The driver, Pavalee Khamleang, 27, and her Indonesian passenger were injured in the accident. Ms Pavalee sustained injuries to her neck and back. The passenger, Tranggielia Lokon…
- Phuket News
Man in debt found hanged at temple
PHUKET: A 53-year-old Thai man was found hanged by his neck from a concrete pillar in a Phuket Town temple yesterday. Lt Surachart Tongyai of Phuket City Police received word that a body, later identified as Charan Nakhanat, had been found at about 4:30pm and accompanied Kusoldharm Rescue workers to the scene. “We found the body of Mr Charan at…
- Hua Hin News
Police: Europeans behind nationwide ATM scam
PHUKET: Royal Thai Police believe a group of thieves that have so far stolen more than 12 million baht from ATMs around the country to be Europeans based in Phuket. Police believe that an ATM located in Wichit was used to perpetrate the nationwide fraud. Royal Thai Police’s General Panya Maman briefed reporters on the extent of the losses while…
- Business News
Biz Chat: The significance of ‘price’ in marketing
PHUKET: The second element of the ‘4 Ps’ of marketing is price. Price is what your customer pays you in exchange for goods and services received by them. There are many aspects to this deceptively simple element. In setting your price, you must first decide what is the value of the product or service to the buyer. If you set…
- Thai Life
Volunteers clean beaches, reefs in honor of HM’s birthday
PHUKET: Though irreparable damage has been done to many of the reef systems along the Andaman, especially those near major tourist destinations such as Phuket, dive sites in the region continue to offer extraordinary experiences to rookie and veteran divers. Within the Phi Phi archipelago, a popular day-trip destination for dive companies out of Phuket, as well as those based…
- Opinion
Opinion: Promoting sporting events in Phuket
PHUKET: Sirawee Waloh, originally a native of Pattani, was appointed as the new director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Phuket Office (MOTS) on July 25, 2016. She had previously been working as a human resource developer and nurse at Pattani Provincial Public Health Office for 18 years. She is a graduate of the College of Nursing, Songkhla. Here,…
- Pattaya News
Foreign suspects celebrated for rape, theft, debt default and smuggling
PHUKET: Seven foreign suspects were rounded up on charges of rape, tax fraud, smuggling and defaulting on debts last week in Phuket, Pattaya, Songkhla and Bangkok. The seven were then celebrated in a parade in front of the media at the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok yesterday. Three of the suspects were Chinese nationals: Wang Jianlan, 31; Zhang Jingjing, 30; and…
- Thai Life
Profile: Mitr Kokopan – Around the world and back
PHUKET: Mitr Kokapan, or ‘Koko’, as he is better known to his friends and family, may look like your run-of-the-mill Phuket restaurant owner, but his life has been far from ordinary. Born in Isarn, he is the second of eight siblings. After moving to Bangkok at an early age, Koko started working at hotels to support himself and further his…
- Opinion
Island View: Going over to the dark side
PHUKET: After about a year and a half of living in Phuket, I have finally taken the leap and upgraded from a scooter to a loud, notorious ‘big bike’. Cruising on my new ride, with an ear to ear grin plastered on my face, I feel an overwhelming sense of good fortune. The loud hum of the Yokishima exhaust does…
- Cannabis News
Rise in Phuket’s troubled teens
PHUKET: The director of the Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Center (JOPC) said she believes teenagers across Phuket are becoming more aggressive. Rawee Kuhamooka told the Phuket Gazette that every year JOPC staff have to work harder to control their detainees. Ms Rawee’s comments come after a riot at the center earlier this month left the building’s grounds, cafeteria, therapy…
- Phuket News
Burmese busted selling hot phones
PHUKET: Police arrested a Burmese national at Central Festival shopping mall yesterday afternoon when he attempted to sell phones he had stolen from a shop in Karon to undercover police officers. Police cornered Moe Win Ko, 21, at the mall after tracking him down using CCTV footage that had captured him stealing 13 mobile devices from the Olay Phone store…
- Phuket News
Meth dealer pulls grenade on Krabi police
KRABI: An alleged Krabi “drug dealer” was shot dead last night after a police task force cornered him and he attempted to throw a grenade at the officers, the police say. The suspect, who was the target of last night’s joint task force raid in Krabi Town, is named as Chanchaiyuth Krainara, 29. Police are reporting that Mr Chanchaiyuth was…
- Phuket News
Labor minister applauds provincial efforts
PHUKET: Minister of Labor Sirichai Distaku urged Phuket’s officials to increase efforts to combat human trafficking, low wage rates and to increase the number of Thais working in skilled labor positions during his visit to the island on Thursday. Gen Sirichai’s visit comes after a period of escalating tensions between the provincial government and local employers of migrant laborers (story…
- Phuket News
Annual SEACAT 2016 to come to an end tomorrow
PHUKET: Navies from the United States, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Malaysia will conclude their training and conference tomorrow, after spending two weeks at the Royal Thai Navy’s base in Phuket. The drills and conferences are part of the annual Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism 2016 (SEACAT16) and are being held at Cape Panwa. This year’s exercises…
- Property
Supicha targets locals with Sino style
PHUKET: Local developer Supicha Property is set to begin construction of a mixed-use commercial and residential development near the British International School (BIS) in Koh Kaew in December. The construction company has sunk 300 million baht into the Supicha Sino Koh Kaew project, situated on eight rai opposite the international school in Koh Kaew and backing on to a lake.…
- Business News
Finance: Alibaba proves naysayers wrong
PHUKET: It’s not been an easy market for many individual stocks over the last few years. Take the case of Chinese internet and e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA) – a stock I have been watching closely since its debut, when a client wanted to buy some shares. Many western investors do not appreciate just how big of…
- Phuket News
Phuket International Hospital launches new services, expat card
PHUKET: Phuket International Hospital announced the launch of three new departments, as well as its ‘Expat Privilege Card’, last week. Wassana Tipayapongtada, chairwoman of the Provincial Red Cross Phuket Chapter, presided over the grand opening event, that was held under the theme ‘We’re Family’. BDMS Southern Group management and staff, Thai and foreign dignitaries, local authorities and local business representatives…
- Opinion
Opinion: Youth deserves a second chance
PHUKET: The rioting by inmates at the Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Center (JOPC) earlier this month is a reminder of the need to try and steer troubled youth back onto the right track before they reach adulthood. The body of scientific research on what leads youths astray is enormous. But, like most social science research, there always remains that…
- Thai Life
Culinary fest, tourism fair to be held in Phuket
PHUKET: Mark your calendars for two fun festivals coming to Phuket next month. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office is hosting the ‘Phuket Tasty Fest 2016’ and ‘Andaman Hotelier and Tourism Fair 2016’ from September 9-11 at Limelight Avenue. The Tasty Fest will include live cooking demonstrations, as well as celebrity chefs creating their own dishes with local…
- Phuket News
Thai Olympic medalists parade for the people
BANGKOK: Thai Olympic medalists are taking part in a parade today in Bangkok. The parade started at 3pm from Hua Mark Indoor Stadium and will go past Rama 9, Din Daeng and the Victory Monument before coming to an end at the Government House. Sukanya Srisurat and Sopita Tanasan won gold medals in the weightlifting competitions, Tawin Hanprab and Pimsiri…
- Phuket News
Phuket biz: Save our Gov
PHUKET: Eight of the island’s local business organizations have appealed to the central government to reconsider moving the Phuket governor a month from now. The statement, issued in Thai language, was released on August 22 after the announcement to transfer Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada to Nakhon Sri Thammarat on October 1 (story here). The organizations issuing the plea to keep…
- Phuket News
Emergency crews battle airport fires during drill
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport emergency crews battled fires near the main runway yesterday. Firefighters and rescue workers were deployed on the tarmac as part of regular drills aimed at improving response times and emergency response efficiency. This is the fourth such drill at the airport this year. Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan said the emergency crews were timely and effective in…
- Phuket News
Misleading headline sends police on a mad scramble for explosives across the island
PHUKET: Provincial police are seeking to reassure residents of their safety after a popular Thai-language newspaper claimed that there were more than 30 bombs placed across the province on Tuesday. The front-page claim caused public panic as police scrambled to check possible bomb drops in hot spots around Phuket. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teerapol Thipjaroen confirmed with the Phuket Gazette…
- Phuket News
Police recover bomb remnants from scene of Krabi fire
KRABI: Police in Ao Nang recovered two devices yesterday that they suspect were part of the incendiary bombs used to set fire to a souvenir shop in the tourist destination on August 12. Forensic Police Region 8 Colonel Surapol Jaisan said Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) personnel assisted in examining the wreckage of the Ao Nang shop for evidence linking the…
- Phuket News
Police arrest six in another big krathom drug bust
PHANG NGA: Police arrested six members of an alleged krathom drug distribution network on Monday. The gang is charged with possession of 326 kilograms of the category 5 drug, which police estimate has a street value of 300,000 baht. A joint task force comprised of Thalang administrative officers, Khok Kloi police and civil defense volunteers reportedly detained two suspects after…
