- Thai Life
Phuket Books – Through the gun smoke of Wyatt Earp’s wild life
PHUKET: Resident bookworm for the Phuket Gazette, James Eckardt reviews Jeff Guinn’s The Last Gunfight (Simon & Schuster, New York, 2011, 392 pp), the latest in a long line of books and articles about October 26, 1881, the day when Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp along with Doc Holliday squared off against the four cowboys of the Clanton and McLaury…
- Property
Island Investor – eighteen year property cycle
PHUKET: The holiday season is fast approaching and some of us will soon be heading back to colder climes to enjoy the festive period with our loved ones. Many of you will remain in Phuket enjoying your Christmas dinner in a tropical climate, whilst for those of us jetting back to the UK we hope to be able to put…
- Phuket News
Time running out for Phuket Convention Center
PHUKET: Time is running out on the plan to build a world-class conference and exhibition center in Phuket. The project has been stalled by a single strand of red tape as the deadline to use the 2.6 billion baht in approved funding draws near. Naris Chaiyasoot, Director-General of the Treasury Department, which has been tasked with building the mega-project, was…
- Phuket News
Phuket Live Wire – reusing passwords is an expensive bad habit
PHUKET: Here’s a question I see with alarming frequency: Woody, somebody just broke into my Hotmail account. The creep sent messages out to everybody in my Hotmail address book, saying I was in the hospital and needed money sent to me (by Western Union) immediately. What can I do about it? You’ve been hacked, and there’s precious little that can…
- Thai Life
Mixed messages: Phuket short on teachers, or schools short on job ads?
PHUKET: Last month the Gazette ran a headline that read, “Phuket schools relax rules for hiring English teachers“. The opening sentence of that story read, “The Phuket Primary Education Area Office has relaxed the requirements for foreigners to be hired as English-language teachers at government schools in Phuket.” Almost immediately after publishing the story, optimistic job seekers flooded the Gazette‘s…
- Thai Life
Phuket Gardening – beautiful bauhinias
PHUKET: I was recently asked to offer my advice about landscaping the entrance area to an up-scale estate. After studying photographs of the site area and making a long list of possible plants, I paid a visit to my favorite nursery to discuss tactics, availability and prices with the Thai owner. She knows what she is talking about as her…
- Phuket News
Ironkids nail second successful event
PHUKET: Eight corporate sponsors answered the call for race fees and support of over 90 children at the second IronKids Phuket event held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) recently. The results were as follows: in first place – Quest Laguna Phuket who also sponsored a team of three kids from Ban Manik School. In second place – Team…
- Phuket News
Traffic warning: Phuket Provincial Youth Games today
PHUKET: Motorists be warned: today is the busiest day of the year at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town, where hundreds of primary and secondary school students from all over the province will amass to take part in the annual provincial youth games. The fun got underway yesterday, with kindergarten-age athletes as young as four taking part in running races, long…
- World News
Saudi rapist faces 2,080 lashes; Police hunt poisoner; Plane crash kills 4
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Saudi man who raped daughter sentenced to 2,080 lashes Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: A Saudi man who repeatedly raped his daughter over a seven year period has been sentenced to 13 years in prison and more than 2,000 lashes, a local newspaper reported yesterday.…
- Phuket News
Man on ledge claims being Phuket hitman target for two days
PHUKET: Traffic screeched to a halt on Phisit Gorani Road near Patong Temple about 7pm yesterday as motorists and other passers-by watched a team of Phuket rescue workers snatch a man from the ledge of a three-story building while he was preparing himself to jump. The man, 25-year-old tattoo artist Surasak Buranaphanit, later told Phuket police he was being hunted…
- Opinion
Phuket Opinion: Time to rein in the beach cowboys, and those who do not govern them
PHUKET: Given the events that have occurred at Phuket’s beaches in recent weeks, it is difficult to ascertain which is the greater maritime threat: natural phenomena such as the rough monsoon seas that claim the lives of scores of overconfident swimmers every year – or the juvenile carnival that gets underway when the winds subside and the beach business operators…
- Phuket News
Team Premier wins Phuket King’s Cup Regatta
PHUKET: The strongest winds of the week at the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta boded well for skipper Hannes Weimer and his Team Premier crew as they scored a first place and a second place finish in their two races yesterday to win the IRC Zero Class with 13 points. “We’ve raced in 10 [Phuket] King’s Cups now, but this is…
- Phuket News
Lunar eclipse tonight, with supernatural warning
PHUKET: Skies are partly cloudy over Phuket this afternoon, but stargazers should stand a good chance to enjoy tonight’s lunar eclipse – if they dare. While lunar eclipses are far easier on the eye than their solar counterparts, a famous Thai astrologer is warning people born on Sunday, Monday or Wednesday nights that viewing the celestial phenomenon could bring them…
- Phuket News
Pre-match primer: FC Phuket at Buriram on Sunday
PHUKET: A busload of FC Phuket football players and team executives arrived in Buriram yesterday in preparation for their showdown with Thai Premier League Division One leaders Buriram FC tomorrow night. Having already clinched promotion to the elite Thai Premier League, the Buriram “Volcanoes” (27-7-1) look to maintain their undefeated-at-home slate, while Phuket (11-10-7) will strive to be the first…
- Thailand News
Weird World News: Money, money, money”¦ makes us act a bit funny
PHUKET: Men of money made headlines this week with outrageously-outlandish expenditures, financial flops and the odd smart investment. Sweet heavens… how much is the dessert? THE record for the world’s most expensive dessert was gobbled up by a British diamond merchant this week. Carl Weininger spent UK£22,000 (about1.063 million baht) on a chocolate pudding with strawberry champagne caviar and glazed…
- Phuket News
Phuket mangrove land grab allegations continue
PHUKET: About 50 local residents yesterday morning protested over alleged encroachment onto eight rai of mangrove forest land in Rassada, on the east coast of Phuket. Despite the fact that trees had already been cleared, the protesters were today trying to prevent Phuket Land Office surveyor Thanawut Jiarabutr from surveying the land, ownership of which is claimed under a Sor…
- Phuket News
Phuket expat saved in beach rescue – again
PHUKET: An emotionally distraught man was saved from drowning at Phuket’s Nai Harn Beach this afternoon. It was the fourth time in recent weeks that the man has been rescued from drowning in the same fashion. Beach vendor Song “Dui” Sa-ingtong told the Phuket Gazette that the Belgian man, aged in his 40s and a regular visitor to the beach,…
- Phuket News
Phuket’s Sniffer and Shark put best foot forward for World Record attempt
PHUKET: Athletes of the highest caliber have graced Phuket over the past two weekends at Laguna’s week-long triathlon festival, but their efforts pale in comparison to what lies ahead for Russell Distance Russell and Jay leShark on Saturday. At 1pm on December 10, Russell (aka “Sniffer”) and Jay will begin their attempt to stomp their mark on history by walking…
- Phuket News
Poll: What is Phuket’s top tourist attraction?
PHUKET: Let’s face it, Phuket has so many tourist attractions that most visitors to the island do not have enough time to see them all during their stay. Given this fact, the latest Phuket Gazette online poll asks our esteemed readers which of five very popular tourist destinations on the island they think the number one “must see” attraction. And…
- Phuket News
Phuket, Krabi road show ‘refloats’ tourism from Middle East
PHUKET: A consortium of Phuket and Krabi tourism representatives have just returned from the Middle East where they spearheaded a road show to boost tourists’ confidence in visiting Thailand.“The floods scared so many tourists who planned to visit Thailand. Many of them even canceled their trips since they thought it was that bad,” said Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President…
- Phuket News
Phuket schoolgirl vanishes after Facebook session
PHUKET: A distressed mother is appealing to the Phuket public for help in finding her 12-year-old daughter, who has been missing since Tuesday. The mother, 43-year-old Samruay Saenthaweesuk, reported her daughter Samudchaya “Nong Pin” Yanpunya missing with the Phuket City Police on Tuesday. Mrs Samruay also contacted the Phuket Reporters’ Club at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday asking for help. She…
- Phuket News
Are United’s modern glory days over?
PHUKET: “It is embarrassing to be in the Europa League. I play for Manchester United to be in the Champions League.” Patrice Evra, Manchester United’s 30-year-old France defender, is dismayed at his side’s shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Swiss team FC Basel.The financial impact could mean a £20m loss in revenue due to UEFA’s secondary competition [Europa League]…
- Phuket News
Bill Gasson and the origins of Phuket’s King’s Cup Regatta
PHUKET: With race day four hosted by AIA Thailand and Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket underway, we take a look at one of the personalities that has contributed to the success of the King’s Cup Regatta. Three sailors hold the distinction of winning the racing division of the Phuket King’s Cup four times in its 25 year history. These stalwarts…
- Thai Life
Phuket Lifestyle – Executive Chef Puwin has heart
PHUKET: Mr Puwin Chunesiri, new executive chef of the Sawaddi Patong Resort on Phuket’s west coast, has traveled the globe gaining experience in the culinary arts. Chef Puwin’s career started at age 16 with no experience in cooking but plenty of passion. “I always found the art of cooking fascinating. I was born and raised in a Chinese-Hainanese family, and…
- Thai Life
Phuket lifestyle – organic fashion is cool
PHUKET: Most people know that organic food is good for our health and great for the environment. This idea is spreading quickly from our pantries to our closets as more consumers become aware of the benefits of organic fashion. Major labels are now offering organic lines and top designers are hitting the runways with eco-friendly fibers. By participating in this…
- Phuket News
Patong cricket clinic open for Phuket league
PHUKET: The fourth match of the Island Furniture League season saw last year’s champions, Patong, take on Island Cricket Club (ICC) on Sunday at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG).Following an upset against Laguna in the first match of the season, Patong were determined to get their league campaign back on track.However, a number of key players were not on the…
- Phuket News
Royal Pardon: 155 released from Phuket Prison today
PHUKET: Over 150 inmates were released from Phuket Provincial Prison this morning following the Royal Pardon decreed by HM The King on the occasion of his 84th birthday on December 5. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and Phuket Provincial Prison Director Rapin Nichanon presided over the release ceremony this morning, when 155 inmates were freed. A Buddhist monk was on hand…
- Thai Life
Phuket cinema – purrfect family fun
PHUKET: From the Shrek movies comes the popular Puss in Boots character voiced by Antonio Banderas with the addition of Kitty Softpaws (Selma Hayek) and Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zack Galifianakis) who are trying to avoid Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris). The usual funny scenes and lines with cat references are there, but there are also many dramatic,…
- Thai Life
Phuket Books – Tortured Hemingway
PHUKET: Paul Hendrickson, a veteran journalist at the Washington Post, has written books on people involved in the Vietnam war and the civil rights movement. His first book, Seminarian, is a favorite of mine because I was a Catholic seminarian too and empathize with his insights about the long-term effects such rigorous training has on character. His latest book is…
- Phuket News
Phuket Media: Gazette iPad App goes ‘top of chart’ for Phuket
PHUKET: With close to 4,000 downloads since it’s launch, the Phuket Gazette‘s latest iPad App has soared to the top of the App store’s search results for “Phuket”. The new version (1.1), launched just ten days ago, on November 28, is rated 4.5 and boasts greatly expanded content over its predecessor (1.0) launched in March of this year. Among the…
