Legacy Phuket Gazette

Legacy Phuket Gazette

Archiving articles from the Phuket Gazette circa 1998 - 2017. View the Phuket Gazette online archive and Digital Gazette PDF Prints.
  • Phuket News

    Video: Two arrested for dragging woman behind motorbike during botched robbery attempt

    SAMUI: Two motorcyclists who dragged a woman behind their motorbike while attempting to steal her bag at Chaweng Beach in Koh Samui last week were arrested early yesterday morning. The CCTV footage of the incident, which featured Kanitta Krawwer, 32, being dragged by her bag’s shoulder strap as the two men attempted to steal it from around her neck, went…

  • Phuket News

    “Illegally-planted’ coconut trees found on disputed Naka Noi land

    PHUKET: Royal Forestry Department officers yesterday responded to a complaint regarding a plantation of coconut trees on public land at Naka Noi island, the ownership of which the Land Department had already revoked last year. The land dispute on the island first began in December 2015, when the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) responded to a complaint alleging the land’s…

  • Phuket News

    National park chief blows whistle on his own staff for scamming tourists

    KRABI: Ao Nang Police officers revealed yesterday that the Koh Phi Phi chief of park protection asked them to arrest his own staff on Sunday for selling used island tour tickets to unsuspecting tourists. Ao Nang Police Lt Songphon Boonchai informed Phuket Gazette reporters of the development at 11am. “The Chief of the Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi…

  • Phuket News

    Songkran ends with four dead, 70 injured in Phuket

    PHUKET: The annual Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign during Songkran ended last night with a total of 67 accidents injuring 70 and killing four. The first death was on Saturday, when 37-year-old Bussaba Banviset fell from a tri-motorbike in Cherng Talay. She was riding without a helmet, and pronounced dead at Thalang Hospital. Yesterday, however, three were killed in…

  • Phuket News

    Little Phuket girl rewarded for returning bag full of cash and gold

    PHUKET: A nine-year-old girl received a reward for returning a bag containing 130,000 baht in cash and 90 grams of gold yesterday afternoon. Piyarat Boonkek and her parents met with 55-year-old Nukhlia Sangkaew, the owner of the bag at Kamala Police Station to return it. Ms Nukhlia told Police officers that at about 2:30pm she withdrew the cash from the…

  • Koh Samui News

    Samui Taxi driver wins 30 million baht lottery

    SAMUI: A taxi driver yesterday won 30 million baht in lottery winnings in Koh Samui. Sittichai Samthong, 40, was surrounded by friends and family to celebrate his good fortune. “I was confused at first because I did not expect to win. I have now notified Samui Police,” Mr Sittichai told the Phuket Gazette. “I will continue to drive my taxi…

  • Phuket News

    B116mn expansion planned for Phuket deep sea port

    PHUKET: The transport and marine departments last week announced plans for a 116-million-baht expansion at Phuket deep sea port in Vichit. Deputy Minister of Transport Pichit Akrathit and Marine Department Director-General Sorasak Sansombat held a conference to reveal details of the planned project. “The current port is about 360 meters wide and unable to handle big cargo ships and passenger…

  • Phuket News

    Suspect crashes into motorbike, injures one and shoots at cops

    SAMUI: Police in Koh Samui are hunting for a hit and run suspect who injured a motorcyclist and shot at police officers before escaping last night. Lt Col Denduang Thongsrisook of Bor Put Police said traffic police officers were in the area and went to check. “A golden brown pick-up truck crashed into a motorbike in Chaweng at about 11:50pm,…

  • Phuket News

    Traditional Songkran festivities held in Chalong, Phuket Town

    PHUKET: Unlike Songkran celebrations in tourist-heavy areas, Chalong and Phuket Town underwent an alcohol cleanse to host a more traditional commemoration of the holiday up until yesterday. Chalong Mayor Samran Jindapon with the general public made offerings of food to monks at Soi Ta-iad at about 7am. Since it was also official ‘Old age Day’ on Thursday, members of the…

  • Business News

    Finance: Market pullback nothing to worry about

    PHUKET: As of late March, US stocks appear to be cooling after strong gains since the US elections. Over the next 1-3 months, I expect further market consolidation with a pullback by major market indices to the 50-day moving averages level being a real possibility. The Dow Jones could fall below 20,000, while for the S&P 500 index, a 3-5…

  • Opinion

    Ministry of Farang Affairs: Hibernate during Songkran

    PHUKET: The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister…

  • Opinion

    Opinion: Challenges confronting the new governor

    PHUKET: The sudden and unexpected transfer to Bangkok of former Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan (story here) certainly comes as a surprise to many of us in the local media – and once again begs the question of whether a directly-elected governor might be a better option for the province at some point in the future. It goes without saying that…

  • Phuket News

    Two arrested with more than 250,000 baht worth of krathom

    PHUKET: Police arrested two Burmese workers with about 200 kilograms of krathom in Patong yesterday. Col Chaiwat Auikam of Patong Police handled the case. “We same a man, who we later learned was called ‘Piew’, acting suspicious in front of SuperCheap Patong. He tried to escape when we approached him. He was clean, but upon inspecting his motorbike we found…

  • Phuket News

    Long term Phuket expat David Ratcliffe passes away at 75

    PHUKET: Popular Phuket expat David Simon Ratcliffe has passed away at the age of 75, on April 6. He will be sorely missed by his loving wife Cindy, his three daughters – Sian, Claire and Sarah – and his ten grandchildren. He is survived also by his two older sisters, Ann and Elizabeth. Born on 18 October 1942 in Cardiff…

  • Phuket News

    Songkran festivities hit Patong, police warn against sexual harassment

    PHUKET: Patong is now heaving with tourists as the much anticipated Songkran festivities kicked off prematurely this morning. Despite warnings by officials to restrict water-throwing activities to tomorrow, April 13, Phuket locals and tourists jumped the gun and began celebrating the holiday today. Lt Col Seksan Komsakorn of Patong Police notified Phuket Gazette reporters that three main checkpoints for the…

  • Phuket News

    New Phuket Governor meets with officials, orders “organized’ disbursements

    PHUKET: New Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong met with local officials at Provincial Hall for the first time this morning. He was welcomed onto the island this Monday (story here), and ordered authorities to work smart and ‘manage’ expenditures related to local government projects. “I am ready to help Phuket move forward and become stronger. I also intend to continue development…

  • Thai Life

    A different style of celebration in Phuket

    PHUKET has its own riotous version of Songkran, Thailand’s most important public holiday. Primarily a water festival, it celebrates the Thai lunar New Year and is held annually on April 13. Mostly an occasion for youthful exuberance, the whole island is turned into a war zone, as young people spend the day getting into water fights with anything from pump…

  • Thai Life

    Law, Life & Society: Have fun, but don’t break the law

    PHUKET: Songkran was originally a Thai religious festival marking the beginning of the Buddhist New Year. Now it has morphed into a week-long holiday, water fights and parties. Large numbers of tourists come to Thailand to join in the festivities. It is a time where people let loose and civility is secondary. In response, Thai police are present in large…

  • Phuket News

    Businesses hiring 1,700 students for school break

    PHUKET: More than 1,700 students can spend their school break earning a wage and gaining experience in a program arranged by the government’s Employment Department. Waranon Pitiwan, the department’s director-general, said 243 businesses have offered to temporarily take on 1,760 students aged 15 and up, in jobs such as customer service, cashiers and sales assistants. They include Ek-Chai Distribution Systems…

  • Phuket News

    Nok Air apologizes for cancelled weekend flight, blames bad weather

    PHUKET: Numerous complaints by passengers of a grounded Nok Airplane this weekend resulted in an official public apology by the airline via social media yesterday. At least 150 passengers were affected by the cancellation of flight DD7525, which was slated to leave Phuket International Airport at 10:50pm on Saturday and land at Don Muang in Bangkok at 12:12am on Sunday.…

  • Thai Life

    Handy tips for online shopping in Phuket

    PHUKET: Online shopping is so easily accessible these days that even those residing on islands can benefit from its perks while enjoying island life to the maximum. While websites like eBay and Amazon are dominating the West, e-commerce is only starting to grow here in Southeast Asia. According to Statista, the number of users in Thailand’s e-commerce market is expected…

  • Phuket News

    New Phuket governor arrives on the island

    PHUKET: Newly-appointed Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong arrived in Phuket this morning, a week after ex-Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan’s transfer was announced by the National Council for Peace and Order (story here). Governor Norraphat visited Wat Phra Thong, or the ‘Temple of the Golden Buddha’, and paid his respects at the Heroines’ Monument before arriving at Provincial Hall. “My first priority is…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket gold thief arrested in Songkhla

    PHUKET: A Chiang Mai woman who stole items from two gold shops last month in Phuket was arrested this Saturday in Songkhla. The woman had reportedly entered gold shops in Wichit and Talad Nue and was seen stealing items on CCTV footage before escaping (story here). Region 8 Police led by Lt Col Prawit Engchuan of Ao Nang Police were…

  • Business News

    Finance: What interest rate hikes mean for investors

    PHUKET: Early last month, the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates, with the market largely ignoring the long-expected move. With at least a couple of more rate increases expected in the near future, I would still not expect the market to suddenly turn bearish. If the Fed thought the US economy was still too weak, they would not be raising…

  • Phuket News

    One arrested, one on the run in B1.2mn Phuket drug bust

    PHUKET: Police seized more than 300g of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine), a bomb and car from a rented room in Patong today. One suspect was arrested while another is on the run. The bust was conducted at Phra Metta Road and the haul was valued at 1.2 million baht. “We received complaints from locals that a woman named Urai Haha,…

  • Opinion

    Gearing up for the Songkran holidays in Phuket

    PHUKET: The recent death of a ‘ghost riding’ Thai motorcyclist along Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang (story here) should serve as a sobering reminder to all motorists of the need to be on full alert during the upcoming Songkran holiday period. As noted in this space numerous times in the past, Phuket seldom experiences the kind of spikes in road accidents,…

  • Phuket News

    Brunei minister unveils new mosque in Phuket

    PHUKET: Brunei’s Interior Minister visited Phuket to officially launch a new mosque at Saphan Ruam in Rassada yesterday. “It is a great pleasure to welcome Minister Pehin Seri Kerna Dato H Abu Baker as a special guest. The building is sponsored by Brunei officials and others,” said Kitti Islam, a member of the Phuket Islamic Council. Mr Kitti revealed that…

  • Koh Samui News

    Patients treated in hallways at overcrowded Samui Hospital

    SAMUI: Locals in Samui have lodged complaints about overcrowding at Samui Hospital leading to makeshift arrangements to accommodate patients in the hospital’s hallways. Patients and their families say that the hallway is hot, uncomfortable and mosquito ridden. “Currently, we only have 133 beds, but about 160 patients to cater to,” said Samui Hospital Director Dr Theerasak Virtanon. “Additionally, we have…

  • Phuket News

    British expat believed to have died of electrocution in Phuket

    PHUKET: Officials have been instructed to examine a power pole that may have electrocuted and caused the death of a British expat at his house yesterday afternoon. “We received reports of the incident in Rawai and went there to investigate further. At the scene, we found the unconscious body of Paul Wilkinson, 55,” said Lt Col Kanan Somrak of Chalong…

  • Thai Life

    Keep It Green: Now is the time to act

    PHUKET: Bad news for conservationists: the most powerful man in the universe is not only a non-believer in climate change, but is drastically reducing the US budget devoted to environmental issues. And one of Trump’s advisers calls ecologically aware people “like Hari Krishna… they’re glassy-eyed and they chant”. Big business and environmental concerns just don’t mix – globally or locally.…