Legacy Phuket Gazette
- Phuket News
Illegal Chinese tour guides busted for bribing police
PHUKET: Police ensnared two illegal Chinese tour guides operating at Chalong Pier with additional charges after the pair attempted to bribe the officers 100,000 baht to secure their release yesterday. Locals informed police that Wenheng Wu, 24, and Boran Chen, 25, were displaying Chinese language tour fliers to potential clients on the pier for several days prior to the arrest.…
- Phuket News
Indonesia haze prompts Phuket boat warning
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office has issued a warning to all boat captains to beware of the decreased visibility caused by the Indonesian haze, which has blanketed the region. “Vision is limited to about one nautical mile. Therefore, all vessels must proceed with caution,” said Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut, who signed the warning into effect yesterday. This morning,…
- World News
Malaysia PM urges Indonesia to tackle fires, as haze moves to Thai sky
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Malaysia PM urges Indonesia to tackle fires, haze drifts to Thai sky Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has called on Indonesia to take action against peoplesetting fires that have caused choking smoke to drift across the region, with the sky over…
- World News
Star Philippine boxer Pacquiao declares he’ll fight for Senate seat
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Star Philippine boxer Pacquiao declares he’ll fight for Senate seat Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Philippine boxing world champion and congressman Manny Pacquiao has announced he will take up a new challenge by running for a Senate seat in national elections next year. Pacquiao, whose popularity…
- Phuket News
Armed security added to Rohingya shelter
PHANG NGA: Armed night guards have been placed at the Phang Nga Shelter for Children and Families after 14 Rohingya women and children fled the facility yesterday. “The increased security is to prevent human smugglers from targeting the women and attempting to help them escape the facility,” said Anan Dontri, director of the Phang Nga office of Social Development and…
- Phuket News
Officials issue health warning for Indonesian haze [video]
PHUKET: Phuket officials issued a health warning today, after air pollution on the island maintained levels above the public safety standard for the last 24 hours. The haze situation grew so bad yesterday afternoon, that Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos handed out free face masks for his staff, local teachers and students. Video: PGTV “The average air pollution level for the…
- Thai Life
On Deck: New name and new horizons
PHUKET: Phuket’s Ao Chalong Yacht Club has been at the heart of the island’s sailing scene since its inception 24 years ago. At a time when thatch roofs were all the rage, the original Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC), known then as the Ao Chalong Cruising Yacht Club, was born and had its first official premises on the second floor…
- Phuket News
There’s money in trash [video]
PHUKET: The island’s monsoon-season seas continue to plaster popular beaches with rubbish, while the growing urban environment produces an average of 729 tonnes of trash a day. Though deemed unsightly by expats, locals and tourists, the mass of junk does provide a living for numerous individuals, families and communities. “About one ton of trash is swept onto two of Phuket’s…
- Phuket News
Video Report: Mayor gives teachers, students masks for haze
PHUKET: Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos handed out face masks to municipality employees, teachers and children following the massive drop in air quality this afternoon (story here). “Though no warning has been issued given the average air quality over the last 24 hours, I decided it was best to ensure the safety of the children and city employees in my jurisdiction,”…
- Phuket News
Haze: Air pollution levels spike in Phuket
PHUKET: Air pollution spiked to unsafe levels this afternoon due to Indonesian haze, confirmed Pornsri Suthanarak, the director of the Regional Environmental Office. “Air pollution on the island reached 175 micrograms per cubic meter by 2pm,” Dr Pornsri said. “However, the average level over the last 24 hours is well within the public safety standard of 120, so we have…
- World News
After five years of negotiations, Pacific trade talks near deal
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community After five years of negotiations, Pacific trade talks near deal Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A dozen Pacific nations closed in on a sweeping free trade pact on Sunday in Atlanta after abreakthrough over how long a monopoly pharmaceutical companies should be given on new biotech…
- World News
World Bank trims 2015, 2016 East Asia forecasts, cites China, US rate risks
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community World Bank trims 2015, 2016 East Asia forecasts, cites China, US rate risks Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The World Bank cut its 2015 and 2016 growth forecasts for developing East Asia and Pacific, and said the outlook was clouded by the risk of a sharp…
- Phuket News
Beach business sues Phuket official
PHUKET: An evicted beach business owner has filed a law suit against Cherng Talay Local Administration Organization (OrBorTor) President Ma-ann Samran for dereliction of duty (Section 157). Kanokpon ‘Tony’ Somrak, owner of Tony Restaurant, which was saved from demolition after the Ministry of Interior stepped in at the last minute, brought legal action against Mr Ma-ann last month (story here).…
- Phuket News
Officials capture escaped Rohingya women, children
PHANG NGA: Officers were able to recover all 14 Rohingya women and children who escaped by a rope made of clothes from the second floor of the Phang Nga Shelter for Children and Families this morning. The escaped refugees ranged from a 5-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl to women up to 32 years old. “We received a reporter right after…
- Phuket News
A Decade Ago: Reining back mediums as poo spreads
PHUKET: The lead story on page one a decade ago, in what has become a familiar cry, was the Governor urging spirit mediums – the people who endure swords, needles and an assortment other objects thrust through their cheeks while possessed by the gods – to practice restraint. Five years later, it was the Assistant Director at the Tourism Authority…
- Phuket News
DDPM Phuket issues weather warning
PHUKET: Officials have issued a heavy rain, flood, strong wind and landslide warning for Phuket. The warning will remain in place until Wednesday. “We issued a warning to all local governments on the island today. They have been asked to beware of weather conditions from the effects of tropical cyclone Mujigae, which could possibly lead to flash floods, landslides and…
- Business News
Sound advice on retiring rich and young
PHUKET: This last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a seminar from one of my business partners whom most Thai readers would be familiar with. They may not know, however, the extent of the business success that Paul Pattrapon has had outside of the limelight of being a Thai superstar. On top of singing, modeling, acting in soaps, hosting…
- Thai Life
Video Report: Upholding Phuket’s unique Baba culture
PHUKET: Few people in the world understand Phuket’s unique culture better than Assistant Professor Pranee Sakulpipatana, known to the general public simply as Ajarn Pranee. Though she is a historian, Ajarn Pranee doesn’t need to dig into other people’s past to understand the Baba culture that is quintessentially Phuket. Now 68 years old, Ajarn Pranee was born on Thalang Road…
- Phuket News
Haze descends on Phuket
PHUKET: Air quality levels are rapidly dropping in Phuket as an Indonesian haze again sweeps across the island. “Air pollution levels are likely to go beyond what is deemed safe for the public, 120 micrograms per cubic meter for a 24-hour period,” Pornsri Suthanarak, director of the Regional Environmental Office, told the Phuket Gazette this morning. Over the last measured…
- Opinion
Opinion: Moral conflict over tea money
PHUKET: There are always stories of people who allegedly slip the immigration police money in their passport to cross the border into Thailand, whether it’s because they don’t have proper documentation or are perhaps nervous about the police giving them a hard time. Recently a friend of mine went on a visa run to secure her non-B visa. She had…
- Property
Dual expansion at Krabi Boat Lagoon
PHUKET: Two exciting projects will be unveiled by Krabi Boat Lagoon shortly, with one being a beach club near the marina and the other a third condominium building at the marina itself. Ms Sriya Yongsakul, Krabi Boat Lagoon’s deputy managing director, said at an exclusive interview with the Gazette last week that the long beachfront plot where the beach club…
- Phuket News
New police commander eager to suppress crime
PHUKET: The new Region 8 police commander arrived on the island yesterday and has vowed to tackle crime as well as support the region’s tourism. “What I aim to concentrate on is crime suppression, violent criminals, drugs and human trafficking. At the same time, I will support tourism, as we know there are so many tourist attractions on the island,”…
- Business News
Business Buzz: Success just clicks away
PHUKET: Following on from previous topics, if we know our sales funnel and can break it down into a process map, then we can analyze each step of the sales system, see where we have good and bad results, and increase our profitability by improving each area. Even a small tweak, improving only one or two per cent at each…
- Phuket News
Promthep Cape paragliders sail into trouble
PHUKET: Rawai municipality is looking into complaints about paragliders blocking public land on Phuket’s iconic Promthep Cape. “[A recent] complaint stated that visitors were being told to get out of paragliders’ way while they were taking off,” said Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos. The municipality is now moving to solve the problem by calling members of the paragliding club for a…
- Phuket News
Rescue workers struggle to bag mammoth python
PHUKET: It took rescue workers more than 20 minutes to remove a feasting five-meter-long python from a Phuket Town hen house last night. “It was quite a big snake, probably 40 kilograms, and had already eaten one chicken by the time we arrived,” said Natakorn Komutphon, a Kusoldharm Foundation rescue worker. The homeowner on Soi Roongrawee, near Vachira Phuket Hospital,…
- Phuket News
Police bust escaped Cambodian fishermen for pirated sunglasses
PHUKET: Three escaped Cambodian fishermen were arrested on Kata Beach for peddling fake name brand sunglasses to tourists yesterday. “We received a letter from the Damrongtham Center [ombudsman’s office] that tourists had been conned into buying pirated sunglasses by migrant workers on Kata Beach,” said Muang District Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Samran Yukunthorn. “The three said that they used to…
- Phuket News
Video Report: Aussie to circumnavigate Phuket by standup paddle board
PHUKET: Damien Rider, who was dubbed ‘Men’s Health Man of 2015’ after completing an 800km unassisted paddle boarding adventure in the shark infested waters of the Gold Coast, will depart Nai Harn Beach at 7am on October 5 as he attempts to circumnavigate Phuket on a standup paddle board (SUP). His four-day, solo SUP journey is designed to raise awareness…
- Opinion
Opinion: Big smiles in the Land of ?
PHUKET: It is a pleasure to see that the ‘Ministry of Farang Affairs’ resonates with our readers, with each weekly installment serving up a new, and wry, view on the expat experience here in Thailand. Drawn up by well-known satirist Stephff at Gazette partner publication The Nation, these cartoons mark a considerable departure from his usual political work. They instead…
- Phuket News
Muang Thai Phuket-Patong Marathon ready to kick off
PHUKET: Those taking part in the new Muang Thai Phuket-Patong Marathon 2015 will be running through the streets of Patong on October 18. “This is part of a four-province series of marathons,” said Kritthaput Khumboonraung of the corporate social responsibility team at Muang Thai Insurance, which is organizing the event. “We have already held one event in Bangkok and one…
- Phuket News
Plan accordingly with Vegetarian Festival’s schedule of events
PHUKET: The Vegetarian Festival will kick off in less than two weeks across the island, with yellow and red flags being raised to mark the popular annual event. This year the festival will take place during October 13-21 with the special addition of a parade in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 88th birthday on October 14. The annual festival…