Legacy Phuket Gazette
- Phuket News
Phuket Governor transferred, beach chairs left adrift
PHUKET: The Ministry of Interior has transferred Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong to Nonthaburi, effective next month. As is standard, the transfer comes at the beginning of a new fiscal year for the government. “I will make no further changes to the current situation with regards to beach management,” Governor Nisit told the Phuket Gazette today. The lack of a firm,…
- Phuket News
Landmark victory sees illegal billion-baht property seized
PHUKET: The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) won a landmark case this year in a 16-year battle to repossess a billion-baht property within Sirinath National Park. “This is our first Supreme Court win,” DNP Chief Samak Donnapee told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. “It is a momentous occasion and a victory for the people of Phuket and…
- Phuket News
Student shot at Phuket school
PHUKET: A 12-year-old boy is safe after getting shot in the leg at school yesterday evening. ‘Daeng’, a P6 student at Baan Manik School, and his friends were about to go home for the day when he felt something hit his leg. “I felt pain and looked down and saw that I was bleeding. My friends called the teachers over…
- Phuket News
Thalang Police hunt temple thief
PHUKET: Police are hunting a man who was caught on CCTV stealing more than 10,000 baht worth of property from Srisoonthorn Temple on Saturday. Thalang Police were notified of the incident at about 2:30pm after the temple’s Supervisor of Cultural Tourism, Somchai Saethan, discovered that his office had been broken into while he was attending morning meditation. “The suspect used…
- Cannabis News
High schoolers use e-cigarettes to vape marijuana – U.S. study
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community High schoolers use e-cigarettes to vape marijuana – U.S. study Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Nearly one in five high school students who said they used electronic cigarettes to vaporize nicotine also used them to vaporize pot, according to a survey of nearly 4,000 Connecticut teens.…
- World News
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi says rebel groups shouldn’t rush peace deal
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi says rebel groups shouldn’t rush peace deal Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi over the weekend appealed to ethnic rebel groups in nationwide ceasefire talks with the government not to rush the deal, but work…
- World News
Greece asks EU for humanitarian aid to cope with migration crisis
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Greece asks EU for humanitarian aid to cope with migration crisis Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Greece asked the European Union on Monday for humanitarian aid to help it cope with what itcalled “a volatile situation” following the large flow of migrants and refugees from the…
- Phuket News
Prosecutor might not charge mayor for billion-baht beach scandal, taxi mafia
PHUKET: Prosecutors have yet to decided if evidence provided by police against the mayor of Karon is strong enough for them to press charges for his alleged involvement in a billion-baht-beach scheme and the ‘taxi mafia’. Karon Mayor Thawee Thongcham, who has ruled the popular beach area of Kata-Karon for more than a decade, was arrested on June 4, 2014…
- Pattaya News
On Deck: United front for greater good
PHUKET: Thailand’s marine industry has received intermittent support from the Royal Thai Government over the years – sporadic and rarely strategic. In 2004, when the astronomical taxes on importing boats to Thailand was reduced from more than 200% of the value of the boat to 0%, this happened on the back of a concerted effort by the marine industry to…
- Phuket News
Draft charter rejection meaningless to Phuket tourism, says official
PHUKET: The rejection of the draft charter voted on by the National Reform Council (NRC) will not have any impact on the tourism industry in Phuket, confirmed Phuket Tourism Association (PTA) Vice President Bhuritt Maswongssa. “Tourists simply don’t care about Thai politics,” Mr Bhuritt said. A majority of the NRC – 135 members – voted against the draft, compared to…
- Thai Life
Profile: Signs that real art still exists
PHUKET: Despite new technology and graphic design paving the way for creative printing reaching the masses, the art of hand-making signs is still alive and well. Pete Child, 59, from Atherstone, England, is a Phuket expat who has been keeping this art form alive since 1975. After moving to the island eight years ago with his sharp skills and handmade…
- Phuket News
A Decade Ago: Buses zoom around, as do katoeys
PHUKET: When was public transport not an issue on the island? It seems to sneak into headlines week in and week out with the occasional big splash when authorities attempt to launch a new initiative. This week, it’s the 50-baht Phuket Town to Patong van service – which deserves the butts and bahts of those going from the island’s cultural…
- Property
Luxury real estate prospers
PHUKET: One thing that I love about Phuket is the ability for luxury to live side by side with abject casualness. You could be sitting next to a multi-millionaire or a packaged tourist on the bar stool, as the ties that bind are the flip-flops adorning your respective feet. Islands tend to have little social stratification, which can probably be…
- Phuket News
Airport extension to finish on time
PHUKET: The Phuket Airport Authority has confirmed that the 5.7-billion-baht expansion of the international terminal will be completed by its February 14, 2016 deadline, as promised. “The latest update from the contractor states that the building is almost 80 per cent finished and that construction is flowing steadily as the rainy season clears up,” said Amnuay Sarachart, executive vice president…
- Phuket News
Phuket drug fugitive nabbed in Songkhla
PHUKET: A fugitive wanted for possession of more than 5 million baht’s worth of drugs and related assets was arrested in Songkhla on Thursday. Anuwat ‘Obie’ Thongtan, 31, escaped from his Phuket home last month just before police arrived (story here). “On August 5, the Phuket Provincial Police went to search Mr Anuwat’s house at Si Suchat Grand View 5…
- Thai Life
Keep it Green: Going to the zoo – part one
PHUKET: Today, I took the advice offered in the children’s nursery rhyme ‘Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo / How about you?’ It’s a long time since I did so. My last visit to Phuket Zoo some seven years ago resulted in my penning a piece which, while critical of some aspects of the place, made encouraging noises about others.…
- Phuket News
Asian Weightlifting Championships start tomorrow
PHUKET: Due to the devastating earthquake in Nepal, the 26th Senior Women’s and 45th Senior Men’s Asian Weightlifting Championships are now taking place in Phuket starting tomorrow. Between September 6 and 11, almost 400 athletes from 38 countries will be flexing their muscles as they battle against gravity at Saphan Hin’s 4,000-seat Indoor Sports Complex. The event’s opening ceremony, chaired…
- Phuket News
Phuket Yacht Show dates confirmed
PHUKET: Dates for the first edition of the Phuket Yacht Show, now known as the Thailand Yacht Show, have finally been confirmed by organizers Singapore Yacht Events Pte Ltd (SYE) following a partnership agreement signed recently with the Marine Department of Thailand’s Ministry of Transport. The event is destined to become the focal point of the luxury charter yacht business…
- Phuket News
Vegetarian Festival dates announced
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has announced the dates for this year’s Vegetarian Festival with the new addition of a parade in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The nine-day festival is slated to take place from October 13 to 21. “The parade to honor HM the King will take place on Wednesday, October 14 at Chai Field. There will also…
- Phuket News
Phuket shark bite confirmed
PHUKET: The animal that bit a pregnant Australian at Karon Beach on Tuesday is a shark, confirmed shark expert David Martin, who has more than 25 years of experience filming sharks for BBC, the National Geographic and a number of other publications. “In this kind of case, it is very important to look at all the facts before making any…
- Phuket News
New food fair comes to Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket will play host for the first ever ‘Amazing Tastes of Thailand’ food fair from September 19 to 20, confirmed Anoma Wongyai, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket. Selected food from across the nation, as well as popular Phuket dishes, will be available for visitors to enjoy on Thalang Road in Phuket Town. “There will also…
- Thai Life
On your Mind: Phubbing phenomenon decoded
PHUKET: Ever had the unpleasant experience of seeing your dish of Pad Thai sitting at a pick-up window while your waiter spends time on his smartphone? How about lying barely clothed in a frosty room while your masseuse ‘preps’ for you by texting friends? Or maybe you’ve just gone to the local KFC with your buddies and are enthusiastically trying…
- Phuket News
Bargains galore at Boat Arcade Garage Sale this weekend
PHUKET: Bargain hunters can rummage through a treasure trove of used and second-hand items at the first East Meets West Weekend Garage Sale to be held at the new Boat Arcade community mall this weekend from 10:00am to 4:00pm. About 100 stalls will be popping up to offer everything from household items and furniture to boat parts, books, toys and,…
- Property
Across the Land: Container homes anyone?
PHUKET: Researching shipping container homes on the internet was an eye opener and it was fascinating how cool and creative some of these homes can be. There are definitely sustainable benefits from building a home with recycled shipping containers, but can it be a real home? Well, it looks like some countries have taken shipping containers to another level. Out…
- Opinion
Opinion: Monkey business
PHUKET: The recent arrest of a number of touts for the illegal possession of gibbons on Phi Phi Don Island reveals, yet again, the continuation of the pathetic practice of using exotic animals as props to make money from uneducated tourists in Thailand. On a somewhat brighter note, the fact that the arrest followed images being sent to the Gazette…
- Phuket News
Frenchman busted for passing counterfeit euros
PHUKET: A French national was arrested while attempting to exchange a counterfeit 100 euro banknote on Soi Bangla yesterday. Rene Louis Regrault, 59, was apprehended by Tourist Police after the bill he went to exchange at the Shino Money Exchange counter was flagged by an employee. “After confirming that the banknote was fake, we accompanied Mr Regrault back to his…
- Phuket News
Khao Sok diving ban maybe lifted
PHUKET: In a knee-jerk reaction, national park officers enforced a ban on all diving in the Chio Lan Reservoir, the center piece to the extraordinary Khao Sok National Park, following the death of two experienced cave divers in a diving accident on technical rebreathers last year (story here). However, the ban might not last, Khao Sok National Park Chief Chaichana…
- Phuket News
Phuket flyover plans grounded by locals
PHUKET: Locals rejected two government approved 100-million-baht flyover plans that were designed to reduce traffic congestion on Thepkasattri Road. The flyovers were planned for the u-turn at the first set of traffic lights just north of Thalang Town and the Baan Koh Kaew Tha Ruea u-turn in front of Baan Jee Teng (story here). About 180 people joined the public…
- Phuket News
Ministry of Interior blocks beach restaurant demolition
PHUKET: The Ministry of Interior yesterday blocked the demolition of a Phuket restaurant that is allegedly on public, beachfront land. “The restaurant had previously been demolished. However, the owners just moved the business to nearby land,” said Lt Sompop Kamkana of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command. “They are living on public land without a land title and the…
- Thai Life
Close encounter with the highly beautiful
PHUKET: In 1968, Jean-Claude Forest’s French comics were brought to the silver screen in the French-Italian science fiction film Barbarella: In the far future, a highly sexual woman is assigned to find and stop the evil Durand-Durand. Along the way, she encounters various unusual people. Nearly fifty years later, in Phuket, Thailand, Earth, a threesome of equally beautiful, futuristic space…
