Legacy Phuket Gazette
- World News
Greek ferry stricken by blaze fully evacuated, 10 dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Greek ferry stricken by blaze fully evacuated, 10 dead Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Rescue teams evacuated more than 400 people from a car ferry that caught fire off Greece’s Adriatic coast in a 36-hour operation on roiling seas, but 10 people were killed in the…
- Phuket News
Popular Phuket pier needs “facelift’, says Gov Nisit
PHUKET: Rassada Pier – a bustling arrival and jump-off point for Phuket tourists – needs to be cleaned up, said Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong during his inspection of the facility today. “They need to improve the sanitation and general aesthetics of the pier. We will coordinate with the Marine Office, local authorities and private businesses operating at the pier to…
- Phuket News
Krabi monk injured in inferno
PHUKET: One novice monk was injured when a dormitory at a temple in Krabi was engulfed by flames yesterday evening. Sarawut Likitkarn, 16, suffered from smoke inhalation and rushed to Krabi Hospital. However, doctors have since confirmed that he is in a stable, safe condition. The fire broke out on the second floor of the monks’ dormitory at Wat Keaw…
- Phuket News
Love, humanity ripples through Phuket tsunami memorial service
PHUKET: The devastating loss of hundreds of thousands of lives to the Indian Ocean Tsunami 10 years ago also brought a wave of humanity among the differing peoples of Phuket and the global community, Phuket Vice Governor Suthee Thongyam told those gathered at the Light Up Phuket memorial event on Patong Beach on Friday. “It is a great honor to…
- Thai Life
Island Fever: The Bumpy Road To Mandalay
PHUKET: It’s impossible to travel to Myanmar and not wax lyrically about days long past. Just think of the storied nostalgia of Rudyard Kipling, George Orwell, Norman Lewis and Pablo Neruda, who transport their readers magically through time and space. This piece is set firmly in the present, so let’s focus on the emerging free market of 2014. Hitting the…
- Phuket News
Phuket officials stymied by sprawling trash pile
PHUKET: Officials are struggling to stem the growing tide of trash at what has become a sprawling dump site on the coastal road north of Kalim, between Patong and Kamala on Phuket’s west coast. The news follows the Phuket Gazette receiving a copy of a complaint about the site sent to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). “These…
- Pattaya News
Russian economic crisis hits Phuket, Pattaya
PHUKET: Russia’s economic crisis is expected to squeeze the hotel and tourism business in Thailand – especially in Pattaya and Phuket – through the current high season and first quarter of next year. “Pattaya has been like a second home for Russian tourists and long-stay guests for many years. They have been contributing huge income to the country’s economy. But…
- Thai Life
Gardening: Phuket’s tasty roselle
PHUKET: I recently launched a series intended to cover fruits, vegetables and herbs that, like the hoary old advertisement for a famous dark stout, “look good, taste good and do you good.” Thailand is a huge repository of such goodies. And since we are on the topic of liquid refreshment, I am kicking off today’s offering with a member of…
- Thailand News
Four police linked to online gambling gang surrender
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Four police linked to online gambling gang surrender The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Four commissioned policemen yesterday turned themselves in to face charges related to claims they took bribes from an online gambling organisation. A gambling network allegedly run by Abubakar bin Sulaiman is said…
- Phuket News
Thais dominate Phuket ancient muaythai boxing event
PHUKET: Thais dominated the Kard Chuek Original boxing event at Saphan Hin on December 25, winning eight of the 10 fights against their international rivals – no less than seven of them by knockout. Only one fight was decided on points, with Petcheak Lookporkhun defeating Saliman Sing-Patong of Algeria in the opening bout. To get the event underway at 4pm,…
- Phuket News
Phuket ready for Pencak Silat World Championship
PHUKET: At least 600 fighters from 36 countries are confirmed to attend the 16th Pencak Silat World Championship, to be held at Saphan Hin in Phuket Town from January 7-17. The attendance is extremely healthy said Panu Uthairat, president of Pencak Silat Association of Thailand (PSAT), told the Phuket Gazette. “We have invited athletes from 47 countries in total,” he…
- World News
Search for AirAsia plane turns to Java Sea, relatives wait
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Search for AirAsia plane turns to Java Sea, relatives wait Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Indonesia searched the Java Sea on Monday for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people that went missing after its pilot failed to gain permission to alter course to avoid a storm…
- World News
AirAsia flight to Singapore ‘disappears’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community AirAsia flight to Singapore ‘disappears’ Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An AirAsia flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore lost contact with air traffic control on Sunday, Indonesian media said, citing a Transport Ministry official. Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa said the aircraft, flight…
- Opinion
The Iermakov affair: Where the Thai police and the Army make strange bedfellows
PHUKET: The arrest of five soldiers by police for the abduction of Ukrainian businessman Igor Iermakov last week demonstrates the need for better cooperation between the Royal Thai Police and the military in international crime cases while the nation remains under martial law (story here). Cases involving international fugitives who opt for Phuket as a safe haven are certainly nothing…
- Phuket News
French, Iranian tourists arrested for B1mn Phuket hotel robberies
PHUKET: Two tourists have been charged for robbing guest safe boxes at three Phuket hotels and making off with more than a million baht in mixed currencies. Receptionists at the Baan Luktan Resort said that the men gave them spiked drinks that made them fall asleep, so that the pair could break into the safe boxes. Iranian Shahram Ghorbaniafshar, 48,…
- Thailand News
People flock to beaches to honour 2004 tsunami victims
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community People flock to beaches to honour 2004 tsunami victims The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: One decade on, people gathered at various seaside spots in tsunami-hit provinces to remember those who perished in the deadly waves. Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of the tsunami that killed…
- Phuket News
Phuket students learn to save lives
PHUKET: Several emergency-response experts were called in to train about 100 students in essential life-saving skills at a special training event this week. The emergency-response event was held at the Phuket ICT Skill Development and Learning Center in Saphan Hin on Wednesday, with the aim of instructing students on how to respond to different emergency scenarios. “As part of our…
- Phuket News
Phuket light-rail system to cost B23bn
PHUKET: The long-awaited light-rail project, expected by many to help alleviate Phuket’s ever-worsening traffic congestion, is expected to cost 23 billion baht, it was revealed this week. Kanok Khemnak, an expert in assessing the environmental impact of mass-transportation systems, delivered the news at a meeting of officials at Boat Lagoon Marina, in Koh Kaew, on Tuesday. “The plans and design…
- Phuket News
Laguna bowl over Village in senior cricket league
PHUKET: The third round of Phuket Cricket Group’s senior league saw Laguna CC pitted against Village CC at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) in Thalang last Sunday. Laguna, who were coming off the back of a good win against Thalang in the season opener, were looking to maintain their good form. Meanwhile, the Village were looking to open their account…
- Phuket News
Win a car at Phuket Red Cross fair
PHUKET: The Phuket Annual Red Cross fair kicks off at Saphan Hin tonight and runs until January 5, offering 200,000 baht in gold lucky draw prizes and the chance to win a Toyota Altis 1.6. The popular 11-day fair features hundreds of stalls selling local delicacies, knickknacks, clothing and a huge variety of other items. Additionally, there will be entertainment…
- Phuket News
NDWC tsunami-warning app still not in English
PHUKET: Budget issues have prevented the English-language version of the tsunami warning application for smartphones from being released, two years after the announced release date, the Phuket Gazette has been told. “We have yet to make any further progress in developing the application,” National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) Specialist Yaiying Sirithanapivat said. The application was up and running for Apple…
- Phuket News
Video Report: Machete-wielding man attempts to publicly slay traffic cop in Krabi
PHUKET: A Krabi man attempted to slay a traffic police officer with a machete in front of hundreds of tourists after he was issued a warning for parking in a no-parking zone in the beach town of Ao Nang on Monday. Sgt Apichart Narksa-nga and Sgt Jirameth Laosirikul of the Krabi City Police had noticed a pick-up truck parked in…
- Phuket News
Video Report: Laguna post-tsunami Community Learning Center still going strong
PHUKET: Laguna Phuket’s Community Learning Center, established as part of the recovery efforts from the 2004 tsunami, recently re-opened after major refurbishment to mark 10 years since the disaster. The opening ceremony of the newly revamped center was held on Monday, attended by approximately 100 participants comprising government officials, Laguna Phuket management, Cherng Talay villagers, and members of the press.…
- Phuket News
Soldiers detained over abducting Phuket foreigners, Military Police probe ordered
PHUKET: Five soldiers arrested by the Chalong Police may face court martial for the alleged abduction of a Ukrainian businessman and his wife last week. “The soldiers are now at the 41st Military Circle barracks at the Royal Thai Army’s Region 4 base in Nakhon Sri Thammarat,” Region 4 Deputy Commander Ruangsak Suwannaka told the Gazette on Wednesday. The Military…
- Thailand News
PM Prayut gives officials three months to show results
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM Prayut gives officials three months to show results The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha said he would give civil servants three months to deliver work results as per government policy and those found to be slacking would be “dealt with”.…
- Thai Life
Boating: Sydney Hobart classic promises a Boxing Day treat
PHUKET: With Christmas behind us and New Year still to come, on any given Boxing Day any Phuket-based sailors worth their salt will have their eyes keenly fixed on the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. As is tradition, after a sail-past parade in Sydney Harbor at 10am on December 26, the fleet will go under the gun at 1pm Sydney…
- Phuket News
Phuket tsunami memorial ceremonies begin tomorrow
PHUKET: The world’s eyes will be on the Andaman coast tomorrow, as Thailand and the region honor the victims of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, which devastated the region’s coastline on December 26, 2004. Services will be held at the Tsunami Memorial Wall in Mai Khao, on Patong Beach, and in Khao Lak in remembrance of the more than 5,000 people…
- Phuket News
Kiwi charged for drug dealing in Phuket
PHUKET: A New Zealand man was charged yesterday for dealing drugs in Phuket after being found in possession of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and cocaine. Taylor Grainge, 41, was nabbed by Patong Police during a holiday crackdown on crime, explained Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Khunnadet Nanongkhai. “We put a sting operation in motion after learning that Mr Grainge was selling…
- Phuket News
Bus driver in Phuket crash tests positive for drugs
PHUKET: A Chinese tour bus driver tested positive for drug use after crashing on Kata Hill in Phuket on Tuesday afternoon (story here). Six of the tourists on the Xin Tour Phuket bus, as well as a local resident in one of the five vehicles tangled up in the accident, were slightly injured. They were taken to Phuket International Hospital…
- Phuket News
Mystery surrounds deaths of Phuket cave divers at Khao Sok National Park
PHUKET: Two experienced Phuket cave divers died after a diving accident on technical rebreathers near the entrance of Tiger Cave in the Chio Lan Reservoir, Surat Thani, on Monday. Dmitry Dokuchave, 46, died at the scene, while fellow Russian national Alexander Solomatin was pronounced dead at Surat Thani Hospital. “Both bodies were transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital, with the preliminary…
