Legacy Phuket Gazette
- Phuket News
Man, 64, arrested for slaying fighting cock thief
PHUKET: A 64-year-old man has been charged for killing a fighting cock thief in the hills north of Patong before dawn this morning. Jarus Rattanarat, 64, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, called the Patong Police at about 1:20am to report the killing himself. “He waited for us to arrive at the scene, at Soi Phra Baramee 7, and told us that…
- Phuket News
Phuket airport taxi flips, Chinese tourist family escape serious injury
PHUKET: A family of three Chinese tourists, including a 5-year-old boy, escaped serious injury on Saturday when the taxi they were in flipped and hit a power pole on Thepkrasattri Road while they were heading to Phuket International Airport. Officers from the Thalang Police were called to the scene of the crash, near Muang Thalang School, at about 11am. The…
- Thai Life
The birds and the bugs
PHUKET: When I rise early – which is not often these days – the calling of early birds fills the air. Not the blended dawn chorus of an English spring, but a number of separate and distinctive sounds: the musical “sui su” of the magpie robin, the bubbly “chic chic chic” of the yellow-vented bulbul, the soft “woo-croo” of spotted…
- Business News
Experts question long-term tourism policy: Quality vs Quantity
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Experts question long-term tourism policy: Quality vs Quantity The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Experts say the government needs to get serious on the long-term development of the tourism industry, and decide whether quality or quantity – that is, sheer numbers of tourists or how much…
- Thailand News
Car-bomb insurgent identified
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Car-bomb insurgent identified The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police said yesterday they have identified two out of the five or six militants behind the huge car-bomb in Narathiwat on Friday, even though information from 22 eyewitnesses was sketchy and of little use for investigators. Deputy…
- Thailand News
Guard of honor for pilot killed in F-16 crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Guard of honor for pilot killed in F-16 crash The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The body of the Royal Thai Air Force F-16 pilot who was killed when his jet crashed in Lop Buri province on Friday will be brought to Bangkok today, Air Force…
- Phuket News
Phuket beach ban rules in handouts, on signs within weeks
PHUKET: In a move to inform Phuket tourists of the latest beach bans and what rules are in force on the sands, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong has ordered that leaflets be handed out at the beaches in four languages. Artwork for the leaflets in English, Thai, Chinese and Russian have been issued to all local administrations, Governor Nisit told the…
- Phuket News
Long-time Phuket resident, developer Stephen Paine passes away
PHUKET: Well-known property developer and long-time Phuket resident Stephen Paine suddenly passed away peacefully this morning. For nearly two decades, Mr Paine was a respected and admired member of the Phuket community. His property development achievements included Surin Heights and the Malaiwana Estate. “Stephen was a generous, compassionate and loyal friend to many on the island and will be greatly…
- Phuket News
No ban on chartered flights, confirms AoT Phuket official
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport has no plans to ban chartered flights, despite a Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) directive ordering the airport to give priority to commercial passenger flights, an AoT Phuket official confirmed today. “Chartered flights have not been banned from landing at Phuket Airport. However, we must follow the DCA’s directive, which states that commercial passenger airlines with…
- Thai Life
Phuket Boating: Ready to launch a well-earned Siesta
PHUKET: WHEN well-known Phuket yachtie Bob Mott settled on the design for his new 55-foot alloy Catamaran Siesta, little did he know that the project would be more than two years in the making. Now, with the launch slated to be held in Phuket in September this year, Bob relates how his experience offers a great deal of good advice…
- Phuket News
Police move to stem sky lanterns, fireworks at Patong Beach
PHUKET: Police have ramped up their campaign against fireworks and khom loi, the traditional “floating sky lanterns” used in celebrations throughout Thailand, in an effort to stop them being launched on Patong Beach. The campaign began in earnest on Thursday night, when officers arrested vendor Chaichana Khuepkrathok, 38, at his house in Patong for selling floating lanterns on public land…
- Property
Diamond Condominium: building on strong foundations
PHUKET: All good projects begin with strong foundations. To make theirs even stronger, the developer of Diamond Condominium in Cherng Talay inaugurated an environmentally friendly piling system called “Hydraulic Static Pile Driver” at the initial stage of the project’s construction. Following the official land blessing ceremony in mid January, the first of 768 piles was laid using the “Hydraulic Static…
- Phuket News
Phuket Chinese New Year tour bus slams into motorcyclists, houses
PHUKET: A bus hired by a tour company to take Chinese tourists on a four-day excursion from Krabi to Phuket slammed into two motorcyclists last night, before careening into five shophouses. One of the motorbike riders remains in hospital with head injuries. The 13 Chinese tourists on the bus were unscathed, receiving only minor cuts and bruises. “We received a…
- Opinion
Opinion: Working together to win the war on drugs
Lt Col Somkid Boonrat, from Songkhla province, is chief of the investigation department at the Phuket Provincial Police Station. After graduating from the Royal Thai Police Cadet Academy, he continued on to earn a bachelor’s degree in law from Ramkhamhaeng University and a master’s degree in business administration from Prince of Songkhla University. Lt Col Somkid has been head of…
- World News
Fire breaks out at Dubai Torch apartment skyscraper
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fire breaks out at Dubai Torch apartment skyscraper Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Hundreds of people in Dubai were evacuated from one of the world’s tallest residential buildings on Saturday when fire swept through The Torch, a 79-story skyscraper, residents said. A witness said flames shot…
- Entertainment
Books: David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks – Great, if taken seriously
PHUKET: David Mitchell’s third novel, Cloud Atlas, was an audacious break from traditional narrative form: six wildly different characters in divergent, stylistic voices and places ranging from the South Pacific in the 1850s and Los Angeles in the 1930s to the far-distant future in Korea and Hawaii. Surprisingly, Mitchell followed this with a traditional autobiographical novel of his English youth…
- Phuket News
Chinese New Year pushes Phuket occupancy to 99%
PHUKET: Chinese New Year festivities saw occupancy at registered Phuket hotels hit 99%, despite a projected overall year-on-year decrease in occupancy in the first quarter, said Krisada Tansakul, vice president of Phuket Tourist Association (PTA). In anticipation of a slight downturn in traditional Western markets, many hotels on the island set aside rooms at prices designed to target the Chinese…
- Phuket News
Phuket sports office appeals to Tourism Minister for better facilities
PHUKET: Saroj Angkanapilas, president of the Sport Association of Thailand Phuket office, recently made a special appeal to Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul to help develop the island’s sports facilities. “Phuket has held many sports tournaments, both national and international, some of which were very important,” Mr Saroj told the minister. “But as people can see, although we do…
- Thailand News
Car bomb in Narathiwat leaves 13 injured
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Car bomb in Narathiwat leaves 13 injured The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A car bomb rocked Narathiwat’s downtown area yesterday, damaging dozens of homes and injuring 13 people, four of them seriously. The bomb was hidden in a pickup truck parked in front of a…
- Bangkok News
VIDEO REPORT: Muaythai champ heads to Bangkok for MMA showdown
FORMER Lumpinee and Rajadamnern muaythai champion Jomhod Kiatadisak will make his transition to pro MMA complete today, when he takes on top Cambodian fighter Vorn Viva at Full Metal Dojo 4 in Bangkok. Keeping the fight even, Vorn Viva will also be competing in his first MMA fight, to be held at Live House, located near Bangkok’s famed Chatuchak Market.…
- Phuket News
Police nail Phuket drug dealer with weapons of war (video)
PHUKET: The arrest of a petty drug user on Wednesday led to police busting a major drug dealer who was found in possession of an M16 assault rifle yesterday. Surasak Rabeabdee, 32, was arrested in a raid on a house in Kuku, north of Phuket Town, Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee said today. “In the house, officers found…
- Phuket News
Police shoot out drug dealer’s tyres in high-speed chase
PHUKET: Phuket police involved in a high-speed car chase with a drug dealer on Tuesday were forced to shoot out the front tyres of the suspect’s vehicle to stop her escape. Roh Kaewdam, 49, fled the scene of a drug bust near Gems Gallery on the bypass road and headed north toward Bang Ku intersection in a pick-up truck with…
- Phuket News
Felling of 143-year-old Krabi tree to boost environmental awareness sparks outrage
PHUKET: The felling of a 143-year-old ma haard tree, to be turned into a sculpture for Krabi Town, sparked social media outrage after pictures circulated on Facebook of the downed tree this week. Krabi Municipality Mayor Kittisak Phukaoluan took credit for the idea and responded to the criticism by explaining that the structure would be a positive way to promote…
- Business News
Phuket Hotel Association to be key platform for hotel industry
PHUKET: The erroneous ‘No Summer Dream’ fliers, warning tourists and locals not to bring sun loungers to the beach, is the latest blow for authorities attempting to restore a semblance of order to the island’s tourism industry. One that has left hotel and resort owners, as well as their general managers, scrambling for a response and explanation to give to…
- Phuket News
Breaking News: No tsunami warning after Phang Nga earthquake
PHUKET: No tsunami warning was issued following an earthquake off Koh Yai Yai, east of Phuket, this afternoon. The earthquake, which registered 4.0 on the Richter magnitude scale, was centered in Koh Yao district, at about a depth of two kilometers, explained Santhawat Riwleung, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office. “Many people in Phuket…
- Thai Life
Up in the air: DCA rule changes cause turbulence
PHUKET: Ongoing regulatory changes made by the Thai Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) headquarters in Bangkok have left recreational flying enthusiasts throughout the Kingdom scrambling to remain in compliance, Up In The Air has learned. Pat James of AeroPro Management, based at Phuket AirPark in Pa Khlok, said that the administrative adjustments followed a change at the top of the…
- Business News
Finance: Three pillars of happiness for worry-free golden years
PHUKET: Much of my time is spent with clients figuring out exactly what they want for the future – key to their financial planning goals. Typically it ends with setting aside a certain amount of money each month over a period of time – investing it with a particular objective in mind, or getting clients savings that are sitting in…
- Food
Aziamendi: Breaking culinary boundaries
PHUKET: Some restaurants are defined by their menu, others by their location or wines. Iniala’s Aziamendi is difficult to define. It gets everything right – the menu, the location and the wines. But, if there is one thing that sets it apart, it’s the boundaries that it breaks. Where to begin? Take the chef, for a first example. Eneko Atxa…
- World News
‘Terrifying’ storm, 285kmh winds slam into northeast Australia
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘Terrifying’ storm, 285kmh winds slam into northeast Australia Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Tens of thousands of residents in northeastern Australia were warned on Friday to take shelter wherever they could after a huge storm unexpectedly intensified into a cyclone before it made landfall, cutting rail…
- Thailand News
Decision on Yingluck trial set for March 19
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Decision on Yingluck trial set for March 19 The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Public prosecutors indicted ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday for negligence and filed criminal charges at the Supreme Court, in a case that could result in a jail term of up to 10 years.…
