Legacy Phuket Gazette
- Phuket News
Heavy rains increase damage to closed road
PHUKET: A road in Koh Kaew has been closed for safety reasons due to its poor quality of construction and the island’s recent heavy rains. Soi Koh Kaew 33, a main route from Thepkrasattri Road past the Phuket Gazette offices to the British International School, is now closed to all traffic after local officials deemed it too dangerous to use.…
- Phuket News
A Decade Ago: Angry taxi drivers and a “Poop-free Patong Bay’
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong is making great efforts – with what appears to be the buds of success – to make metered taxis a pillar of public transport on the island. However, a decade ago, then-Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura was hearing a different tune as his metered-taxi push left his car stuck in a sea of furious airport ‘limousine’ drivers.…
- Phuket News
Another heavy weather warning issued for Phuket
PHUKET: The Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has issued a new flash flood, landslide and heavy weather warning for an additional four days, DDPM Phuket Office Chief Santhawat Riwleung confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today. “We are anticipating heavy rains, which could lead to further flash floods and landslides from today to August 14,” Mr Santhawat said. “Please…
- Phuket News
Pink Panther laid to rest in Phuket
PHUKET: Thousands of people turned out to mourn the death of former Phuket senator and suspended Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) President Paiboon Upatising as he was laid to rest at a Catholic graveyard in Phuket Town yesterday. Adviser to the Minister of Interior Siwa Sangmanee attended the funeral as the guest of honor and headed the ceremony of putting…
- Phuket News
TAT pushes Phuket greens for “green season’
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is doing its best to get domestic tourists and expats living in Thailand onto Phuket’s greens during the region’s ‘green season’ with the Phuket Golf Festival. From now until the end of September, the TAT is backing a special promotional price for six golf courses in Phuket, as well as special flight rates…
- World News
Google morphs into Alphabet; investors cheer clarity
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Google morphs into Alphabet; investors cheer clarity Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Google Inc announced a surprise overhaul of its operating structure on Monday, creating a holding company called Alphabet to pool its many subsidiaries and separate the core web advertising business from newer ventures like…
- Phuket News
Gibbon touts re-discovered on Phi Phi
PHUKET: Dressed up gibbons were spotted being touted day and night on Phi Phi island last weekend. However, police and national park officers insisted to the Phuket Gazette that they were unaware that the practice of charging tourists to take pictures with the protected species was continuing in the small party town of Ton Sai. The situation was brought to…
- Phuket News
BISP Cruzeiro Football Academy spend summer in Brazil
PHUKET: This summer, eight boys from the BISP Cruzeiro Football Academy, based at British International School Phuket (BISP), trained at the home of Brazilian champions Cruzeiro EC to learn about the facilities, watch training sessions and meet the players. Cruzeiro International Development Coordinator Adriano Queiroz explained that the Phuket-based student-athletes were invited to spend a month in Brazil where they…
- Phuket News
Phuket’s future Olympian smashes swimming national record
PHUKET: A Nepalese swimmer has smashed a national record at the FINA World Championships just three months after she was forced to sleep in a car and not train for a month, due to the devastating earthquake in Nepal. Sofia Gadegaard Shah, 17, who has already secured a wildcard to the 2016 Olympics, was a symbol of resilience on August…
- Property
By the book: Not all doom and gloom on Phuket
PHUKET: People who spend time on Phuket or reside here will surely have heard expats grumbling about the island’s property market. Of course there are some nagging issues: there is a lack of easily accessible information for buyers, similarly and most certainly a lack of regulation and there is no Multiple Listing Service [MLS]. However, while the market here is…
- Cannabis News
Post Office continues to deliver illegal drugs to Phuket
PHUKET: Illegal drugs are continuing to be delivered by the Thai Postal Service, despite concern being raised nationally early last month, said the Thalang District Chief last week. The confirmation came on Saturday morning as officers arrested Siriphop Jaitrong, 35, as he was picking up 5.4 kilograms of kratom leaves from the Pa Khlok Post Office. Thalang District Chief Veera…
- Opinion
Opinion: Corruption battle
Law Professor Chaisit Trachoetham, 65, has been the Chairman of the State Audit Commission since 2014. He earned his Bachelor’s in Law from Thammasat University, where he is also a professor, and his Bar-at-law and Doctorate from Mahasarakam University. He has been a judge for 37 years, and is also a former president of the Court of Appeals and the…
- Thai Life
Keep it green: So much water, so little to drink
PHUKET: “And not a drop to drink”, bemoan the parched and stricken seaman drifting to oblivion on a windless sea in Coleridge’s ‘The Ancient Mariner.’ It is an irony not lost on any of us that, though most of the earth’s surface is covered by water, it is largely saline and undrinkable. However, even on so-called dry land, criss-crossed by…
- Opinion
Opinion: Real estate xenophobia
PHUKET: While some Thais are jittery about foreigners buying Thai real estate, particularly land in some form or another, they should remember that they themselves can buy real estate in most western countries, with the rationale being that one can never bring that piece of real estate back to one’s home country. It is also pertinent to remember that Thai…
- Phuket News
New push to turn Phuket into medical tourism hub
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong is ready to help local hospitals make a push into the medical tourism industry as millions of baht flow in for eye-care centers. “More than 30 million baht has been approved for eye-care centers at public hospitals, specifically Vachira Phuket Hospital and Patong Hospital,” Governor Nisit said in an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette…
- Hua Hin News
Typhoon lashes China’s east coast, eight dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Typhoon lashes China’s east coast, eight dead Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A typhoon battered China’s east coast on Sunday, killing eight people and forcing authorities to cancel hundreds of flights and evacuate more than 163,000 people. Typhoon Soudelor killed six people in Taiwan earlier on…
- Business News
Finance: Cash in on divergence with some dumb luck
PHUKET: ‘Divergence markets’ are a very interesting topic at the moment with the recent trading action in China. From a technical perspective, the action has been fascinating because the NASDAQ continued to make new highs during the first big leg down in China. This is what is called ‘divergence’, when major markets that have been mainly flowing in tandem for…
- World News
Ferguson protests mostly peaceful on anniversary of Brown shooting
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ferguson protests mostly peaceful on anniversary of Brown shooting Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Hundreds of people marched, prayed and observed a moment of silence in Ferguson, Missouri, on Sunday, a year to the day after a white police officer shot an unarmed black teenager to…
- Phuket News
Many areas suffer severe flooding
PHUKET: Local officials and Thalang District Chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol took their boats out to check on about 50 households in Baan Nai Yang yesterday after they were inundated with about a meter of water. The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority [PEA] shut down power to the affected area to prevent accidents, confirmed Narong Petcharat, a Sakoo Administration Organization (OrBorTor) council member.…
- Phuket News
Fast Fun Fest drifts through Phuket – rain or shine
PHUKET: The Toyota Motorsport 2015 ‘Fast Fun Fest’ is revved up so that revellers can have a good time at Saphan Hin in Phuket Town this weekend – rain or shine. The free, two-day event will run from 10am to 6pm and showcase the skills needed for the street car race and a drifting competition. Additionally, those attending will have…
- Opinion
On your mind: Realpolitik defines US/Thai relationship
PHUKET: Webster’s dictionary defines realpolitik as a system of politics based on a country’s situation and its needs, rather than on ideas about what is morally right and wrong. No doubt, US government officials would deny that realpolitik defines American policies, but it is hard to see any clear moral imperative with regard to that country’s relationship with Thailand. The…
- Phuket News
Phuket officials issue landslide, flash flood warning
PHUKET: The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office has issued an official landslide and flash flood warning for several areas on Phuket following days of heavy rain. The alert was issued for parts of Kamala, Cherng Talay and Thepkrasattri. “Earlier this week, we asked every local government office to be aware of the weather conditions that could lead to…
- Phuket News
Special Report: ‘Pink Panther’ passes
PHUKET: Legendary champion of Phuket people and the highest elected official on the island Paiboon Upatising lost his battle against colon cancer on August 2 at the age of 58, with his wife and eldest son by his side. The former Phuket senator, suspended President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) and charter President of the Rotary Club of…
- Phuket News
Phuket Governor announces beach chair judgment day
PHUKET: The island’s beach chair dilemmas will see one final meeting before the controversial subject is laid to rest, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong told the Phuket Gazette in an exclusive interview yesterday. “Prince of Songkhla University (PSU) Phuket campus will present their results to me on August 20,” Governor Nisit said. “We will consider the information they bring to the…
- World News
China removes cross from church after month-long protest ends
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community China removes cross from church after month-long protest ends Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Chinese authorities removed a cross from a church on Friday after Christian protesters ended a month-long sit-in on the building’s roof in a bid to protect the cross from what they said…
- Phuket News
Two-day Phuket demolition comes to end
PHUKET: Two days of demolishing illegal buildings on Phuket’s west coast came to an end yesterday with local officials vowed to return and remove any other illegal structures found. “The owners of two venues, including Octopus restaurant, were fully aware of the orders to vacate the premises and tear down the structures,” said Thalang District Chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol, who led…
- Phuket News
Python caught prowling at sacred Phuket shrine
PHUKET: A large python was discovered seeking highland near a Phuket shrine permeated with local lore. The estimated three-meter-long snake, weighing about five kilograms, was quickly bagged at the Baan Toh Sae shrine in Kathu Wednesday, Kusoldharm Foundation rescue worker Kasun Naepnean told the Phuket Gazette. The shrine was built in honor of the legend of Toh Sae, who arrived…
- Phuket News
Severe flooding at Samkong intersection
PHUKET: Flash floods at the Samkong intersection created long tailbacks as the weather warning issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) remained in effect this morning (story here). “To deal with the flood at the junction we added one more water pump to the construction site, in addition to the two that are already there,” Samak Luedwonghad,…
- Phuket News
Phuket’s small boat warning remains in effect
PHUKET: The warning issued by the Phuket Marine Office for all boats less than 10-meters long to stay ashore remains in effect today. “However, it is fine for smaller boats to access nearby islands, such as Coral Island, Koh Lon or islands in Phang Nga Bay,” said Natchapong Pradit of the Phuket Marine Office. The letter issued by the Department…
- World News
Trump draws boos as he bristles at ‘War on Women’ question
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Trump draws boos as he bristles at “war on women” question Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: White House contender Donald Trump, known for his inflammatory rhetoric, reacted with pique at a Republican presidential debate yesterday when asked about his past comments calling women “fat pigs”, “dogs”,…
