Legacy Phuket Gazette

Archiving articles from the Phuket Gazette circa 1998 - 2017. View the Phuket Gazette online archive and Digital Gazette PDF Prints.
  • Thailand NewsPhuket Gazette Thailand News: Deep South strategy wins support; Human trafficking reports slammed; Monk’s millions mount; White Masks to dance July 14

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Deep South strategy wins support; Human trafficking reports slammed; Monk’s millions mount; White Masks to dance July 14

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Yingluck’s Deep South strategy wins support The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Measures introduced by the military to end insurgency in the deep South are well underway and should make good progress under Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s concurrent role as defence minister, Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Thanathip Sawangsaeng…

  • Thai LifePhuket’s Thanyapura serves chef weight loss

    Phuket’s Thanyapura serves chef weight loss

    PHUKET: Successful restaurateur Eduardo Vargas is a man who enjoys the finer things in life, and this includes food. Originally from Peru, he left South America in 1989 to embark on a journey that took him to cooking school in Toronto; Georgetown University, America where he aquired a Business Administration degree; Singapore and now Shanghai as a restaurant owner. When…

  • Phuket NewsWaves take man to sea, return his body the next day

    Waves take man to sea, return his body the next day

    PHUKET: The body of a man who disappeared while fishing with friends in Phuket yesterday was found washed ashore at Kalim Beach, north of Patong, this morning. “Villagers called us at about 9am to say they had found a body on Kalim Beach,” said Patong Police officer Thawatchai Srimai. “He has been identified as Jittakorn Kerdrit, 32, from Surat Thani,”…

  • Phuket NewsSarong unravels mystery of body dumped near Phuket school

    Sarong unravels mystery of body dumped near Phuket school

    PHUKET: The sarong wrapped around the head of the man found dead in a field near a prominent Phuket school has led police to arrest a murder suspect. Police have declined to reveal any information about the suspect, except that he was male. “This is an ongoing investigation. We believe more than two people were involved in the murder and…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Airshow & Family Picnic ready for takeoff

    Phuket Airshow & Family Picnic ready for takeoff

    PHUKET: On behalf of the U.S. Navy League, the organizers, suppliers, sponsors,pilots, cooks, clowns, face painters and the scores of others engaged in presenting the Airshow & Family Picnic at Phuket Airpark this weekend, we at the Phuket Gazette would like to invite you to join us. Phuket has never seen anything like this. Entry is FREE; the shows are…

  • Phuket NewsLocal fisherman’s body found in Phuket lagoon

    Local fisherman’s body found in Phuket lagoon

    PHUKET: The body of a local fisherman feared drowned was pulled out of a lagoon by rescue divers in Cherng Talay yesterday.Daorueng Lekon, 41, was last seen at about 5pm on Wednesday, walking into the water to place a fish trap in the pond, said Sub Lt Prasert Tongphrom of the Cherng Talay Police.“Villagers said he always went fishing at…

  • Phuket NewsSeminar aims to develop potential of Phuket Muslim women

    Seminar aims to develop potential of Phuket Muslim women

    PHUKET: Recognizing the importance of women’s role in the family and in society, Phuket officials this week held a two-day seminar aimed at developing the leadership potential of Phuket Muslim women.The seminar, held on Wednesday and Thursday and organized by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO), aimed to improve Muslim women’s knowledge about their rights, roles and responsibilities, and to…

  • Phuket NewsCorpse found by the road in Rawai

    Corpse found by the road in Rawai

    PHUKET: The body of a man believed to have been murdered was found wrapped in a blanket by the roadside in Rawai just after midnight on July 4.“His skull was broken – it looked like it had been hit with a hard object. His face was bloodied and covered with a black plastic bag,” said Chalong Police Captain Thada Sodarak.“We…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Navy resumes sea-rescue search for Bangladeshi crew

    Phuket Navy resumes sea-rescue search for Bangladeshi crew

    PHUKET: Officers from the Royal Thai Navy Phuket base resumed their search this morning for 11 crewmen still missing from the Bangladeshi cargo ship MV Hope, which remains foundering in the Andaman Sea south of Phuket. “We sent out two helicopters and the HTMS Pattani at 6am,” Capt Thammawat Malaisukkarin, Director of the Naval Civil Affairs told the Phuket Gazette.…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Vice Governor donates blood for Buddhist holiday

    Phuket Vice Governor donates blood for Buddhist holiday

    PHUKET: Phuket’s Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa this week donated blood to help publicize a special blood drive in honor of Asarnha Bucha Day, which marks the day the Buddha outlined the four noble truths that form the basis of Buddhist thought. The blood drive is scheduled for July 20-23. “We will accept donations from 9am to 3pm at the Phuket…

  • World NewsPhuket Gazette World News: Egypt interim president sworn in; Mandela hangs on; Vatican high-life; Ecuador dour on bugs

    Phuket Gazette World News: Egypt interim president sworn in; Mandela hangs on; Vatican high-life; Ecuador dour on bugs

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Brotherhood leader arrested as Egypt interim leader sworn in Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The leader of the Muslim Brotherhood was arrested by Egyptian security forces on Thursday in a crackdown against the Islamist movement after the army ousted the country’s first democratically elected president.The dramatic exit of…

  • Thailand NewsPhuket Gazette Thailand News: Chalerm chides ice cream gang; Gov’t pushes B2 trillion loan; Liquid cigarettes inflame health officials

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Chalerm chides ice cream gang; Gov’t pushes B2 trillion loan; Liquid cigarettes inflame health officials

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Chalerm warns Yingluck of her ‘ice-cream gang’ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A disaffected Labour Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday warned Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra that she was setting her government up for an early demise thanks to her new “ice-cream gang”. Chalerm was apparently referring…

  • Business NewsThai smartphone sales ringing up big numbers

    Thai smartphone sales ringing up big numbers

    PHUKET: Smartphone sales in Thailand more than doubled in the first four months of 2013, a report by one of the world’s largest research companies reveals. The GfK Thailand office reports that communication consumer electronics went from being just one in every five handsets less than two years ago to more than two in five or 42% of overall unit…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket receives new Honorary Consul for Italy

    Phuket receives new Honorary Consul for Italy

    PHUKET: Dr Francesco Pensato has been proclaimed the Honorary Consul of Italy for Phuket and the rest of South Thailand. Dr Pensato, a lifelong patron of the arts and himself a composer of music, is also a director of the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce (TICC, website here) and chairman of TICC’s Phuket and Southern Region of Thailand Committee. Nominated for…

  • Phuket NewsRohingya rape suspect handed over to court

    Rohingya rape suspect handed over to court

    PHUKET: The Rohingya man charged by police with holding a 25-year-old Rohingya woman captive and raping her repeatedly over three days has been handed over to the Takuapa Court. Kuraburi Police relinquished custody of Korlimula Ramahatu yesterday after he conducted a re-enactment of the alleged crimes on Tuesday. “The suspect denied the rape charge,” Kuraburi Deputy Police Superintendent Chalerm Wannasathid…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket manhunt for rapist who impregnated handicapped stepdaughter

    Phuket manhunt for rapist who impregnated handicapped stepdaughter

    PHUKET: Police are searching for a man who repeatedly raped his 15-year-old handicapped stepdaughter, leaving her pregnant before he ran away. The 40-year-old man, originally from Laos, has been at large since June 29, when his wife discovered what he had done. Police have not released a description of the man or a photograph. Patong Police received the report yesterday…

  • Business NewsPhuket Business: A Swiss sip of homely bliss

    Phuket Business: A Swiss sip of homely bliss

    PHUKET: Operators of hotels, restaurants, cafes and especially Swiss expats wanting a taste of home, can now purchase Caffe’ Chicco d’Oro and many other imported food products from Switzerland in Phuket. Patty Bamert together with Samai and Fredy Reutlinger, have recently opened their ‘Caffe’ Chicco d’Oro’ coffee and bistro shop in Kathu, serving the popular Swiss coffee brand of the…

  • PropertyIndustrial real estate demand on rise

    Industrial real estate demand on rise

    PHUKET: This fiscal year, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has forecasted sales and rentals to cover between 3,600 to 3,800 rai (1,440 to 1,520 acres) of land in both its own and privately owned industrial estates. The 2013 Thai fiscal year began on October 1, 2012 and will last until the end of September, this year. IEAT governor…

  • Phuket NewsRussian tourist dies in ICU after fateful Phuket swim

    Russian tourist dies in ICU after fateful Phuket swim

    PHUKET: The Russian tourist who was comatose after being pulled from the water at Karon Beach on June 23 died on Tuesday at Vachira Phuket Hospital. Kho Khay Gym, 31, had gone swimming with friends at Karon Beach when he was struck by big waves and dragged out to sea. His friends called for help and he was rescued by…

  • PropertyHow to legally own Thai land

    How to legally own Thai land

    PHUKET: I think there is a common misconception in Phuket, and in Thailand generally, that is often reinforced by many long term expats, who are always very eager to give their opinions to new-comers. It goes like this: As long as you remain a foreigner in this country, you will always have to use one of the available loopholes to…

  • Phuket NewsLady Sevenstar will be manned by Phuket Raceweek’s first all female crew

    Lady Sevenstar will be manned by Phuket Raceweek’s first all female crew

    PHUKET: Popular all women’s sailing team Lady Sevenstar has officially entered Asia’s most exciting regatta, the Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Race Week (click here for map, held from 17 – 21 July. “It looked liked we were going to miss the race this time as our usual boat, FireFly Lady Sevenstar /aka the Frog, was not available. Miraculously, in the…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket raid nets B100mn of pirated goods in Patong

    Phuket raid nets B100mn of pirated goods in Patong

    PHUKET: A Department of Special Investigation (DSI) task force in Phuket yesterday arrested seven people and seized pirated goods with an estimated street value of more than 100 million baht. Armed with a search warrant and joined by officers from the Patong Police, the DSI agents raided two three-story shophouses in Soi Sukcharoen, off Phang Muang Sai Kor Road in…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket rescue launched for Bangladeshi cargo ship: 17 crew rescued, 13 missing

    Phuket rescue launched for Bangladeshi cargo ship: 17 crew rescued, 13 missing

    PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy has launched an air-sea rescue effort to recover the missing crew from Bangladeshi cargo ship MV Hope after the vessel capsized in heavy seas south of Phuket early this morning.The MV Hope, registered at 97 meters long, started taking on water in heavy seas at about 1:10am, reported Capt Thammawat Malaisukkarin, Director of the Naval…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket road work forces motorists to seek bypass road bypass

    Phuket road work forces motorists to seek bypass road bypass

    PHUKET: The long tailbacks on Thepkrasattri Road caused by the resurfacing of the bypass road at the Bang Khu Intersection in Koh Kaew has forced police to urge motorists to use alternative routes. “We need to resurface about 1.5km of the [bypass] road, starting at the Bang Khu intersection,” said Phuket Highways Office Director Samak Luedwonghad. “The road surface is…

  • World NewsPhuket Gazette World News: Egypt celebrates Independence Day; Putin bans gay adoption; Ex-Taliban now in favor of women; Mexican drug lord slays school bullies

    Phuket Gazette World News: Egypt celebrates Independence Day; Putin bans gay adoption; Ex-Taliban now in favor of women; Mexican drug lord slays school bullies

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Egypt army topples Mursi, suspends constitution Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Egypt’s armed forces overthrew elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi on Wednesday and announced a political transition with the support of a wide range of political, religious and youth leaders.After a day of drama in which tanks and…

  • Thailand NewsPhuket Gazette Thailand News: World Peace under fire; Cabinet wows with vows; Five supercars seized; White masks suspend protest

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: World Peace under fire; Cabinet wows with vows; Five supercars seized; White masks suspend protest

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community World Peace chief welcomes DSI probe The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The World Peace University (WPU) yesterday denied any wrongdoing in the wake of emerging evidence that it has never been accorded the status of a “higher-education institute”.“We don’t cause any trouble. We just confer honorary doctorates,”…

  • Phuket NewsMore rain forecast as Phuket housing estate goes underwater

    More rain forecast as Phuket housing estate goes underwater

    PHUKET: More rain is forecast for the coming days as Phuket suffers heavy deluges causing minor flooding at locations across the island. More than 68mm of rainfall was recorded at Phuket International Airport yesterday and 56mm fell on Phuket Town, with both locales recording more than 25mm within a three-hour period. A three-hour rainstorm on Tuesday brought flooding again to…

  • PropertyPhuket airport’s expansion progress to ease overcrowding

    Phuket airport’s expansion progress to ease overcrowding

    PHUKET: The Airport Authority of Thailand (AoT) has accelerated the construction of a temporary terminal building at Phuket International Airport (HKT) in order to ease passenger overload ahead of the next tourism high season. Quoted in a recent report by BangkokBizNews, AoT Board Director Sitha Tiwaree announced that the construction schedule for the temporary terminal had been tightened due to…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket unveils plans for Chalong underpass

    Phuket unveils plans for Chalong underpass

    PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut has unveiled six routes being considered for a new underpass to be built at Chalong Circle, by far the busiest junction in the south of the island.The new underpass will need to serve about 53,000 cars per day, accounting for about 60 per cent of all traffic in Muang District, he told the press at…

  • PropertyPhuket Property Watch: Just how real is real?

    Phuket Property Watch: Just how real is real?

    Phuket Property Watch: It’s Wednesday and far too early in the day for an epiphany. I’ve just been online trying to book a trip to Nirvana and even my trusty sidekick Jimmy Zen can’t help. No leap of faith here, no walking on water, just an aisle seat on the big bus. In the whole wired world of travel, more…