Legacy Phuket Gazette

Legacy Phuket Gazette

Archiving articles from the Phuket Gazette circa 1998 - 2017. View the Phuket Gazette online archive and Digital Gazette PDF Prints.
  • Phuket NewsNFL Week 16: Jaguars square off against rivals Tennessee Titans

    NFL Week 16: Jaguars square off against rivals Tennessee Titans

    PHUKET: In a showdown on Thursday Night Football two of the worst teams in the NFL, the Jacksonville Jaguars improved their record to 3-12 with a 21-13 home win over AFC South division rivals the Tennessee Titans (now 2-13). Despite both teams having long been eliminated from playoff contention, it was still a closely contested match; it did not appear…

  • Phuket NewsArmy soldiers taken into custody for abducting foreigner in Phuket

    Army soldiers taken into custody for abducting foreigner in Phuket

    PHUKET: Police took ten people into custody for the abduction of a Ukraine businessman and his wife in Phuket yesterday. Five of the men taken into custody are soldiers based in Thailand’s restive Deep South provinces, said Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Chukiat Imjaitam. Igor Iermakova, 37, was allegedly abducted by the group from Mitraphap Beach in Rawai on Thursday morning.…

  • Phuket NewsLegendary Thai rocker Carabao in Phuket for New Year countdown concert

    Legendary Thai rocker Carabao in Phuket for New Year countdown concert

    PHUKET: Legendary Thai folk-rock artist Yuenyong Opakul, better known by his stage name Ad Carabao, is set to headline three-days of entertainment in Phuket Town to count down to the New Year. The “Colorful Countdown Phuket 2015” will usher in the New Year with light shows and live concerts at Sanam Chai Park, across the road from Phuket Provincial Hall,…

  • Phuket NewsCricket: Island CC wrestles victory from jaws of defeat in Phuket

    Cricket: Island CC wrestles victory from jaws of defeat in Phuket

    PHUKET: Fiery old rivalries were reignited on Sunday when Patong CC faced Island CC in the second fixture of the 2014/2015 Senior League season at the Alan Cooke Ground. In a match that saw the T20 finalists face Patong’s players hoping to exact retribution after their defeat in September, it was the Islanders who claimed victory by a solitary run…

  • Thai LifeOn Your Mind: Tackling Phuket corruption

    On Your Mind: Tackling Phuket corruption

    PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette recently reported that the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) Phuket office called on resident expats to report cases of corruption involving local government officials. Tawichat Nillikan, an NACC representative, told the Gazette that many foreigners had been victims of corruption, and that by opening a Phuket office last year to investigate complaints, the government was “showing the…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket beach vendors return for trial run

    Phuket beach vendors return for trial run

    PHUKET: Vendors renting out umbrellas, offering massages or selling food and drinks are allowed to return to Phuket’s beaches – but not vendors who rent out sun-loungers or beach chairs. Governor Nisit Jansomwong delivered the news at a meeting at Provincial Hall yesterday, when he laid down a stringent list of conditions under which beach vendors will be permitted to…

  • Thai LifeGardening: No paucity of pawpaws – Phuket’s famous hermaphrodite

    Gardening: No paucity of pawpaws – Phuket’s famous hermaphrodite

    PHUKET: I first encountered papayas as an exotic item in colorful bowls of dessert served up along with slices of kiwi and dragon fruit, chunks of pineapple and mango. That was many years ago. The venues? High-society restaurants in London’s Mayfair where the management was frantically vying with rival casinos to attract high rollers with sumptuous free meals. Not that…

  • OpinionOpinion: Fine solution for Phuket

    Opinion: Fine solution for Phuket

    PHUKET: The allegation of a 5,000-baht fine levied against a tourist for illegally parking a motorbike in a restricted zone in Karon (story here) raises several issues about the future role of local administrative bodies, both in terms of how they raise revenue and how they use these funds. The fact that Karon Municipality now appears to be taking a…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket takes to water for New Year “Seven days of Danger’ campaign

    Phuket takes to water for New Year “Seven days of Danger’ campaign

    PHUKET: Safety measures to reduce and prevent accidents on Phuket’s roads, as well as the surrounding sea, will be rolled out on December 30. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) will be heading the annual Seven Days of Danger safety campaign for the New Year holidays. The campaign will run from December 30 through January 5. On the…

  • Thailand NewsGovt seeks help over fugitives

    Govt seeks help over fugitives

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt seeks help over fugitives The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Royal Thai Government will try to convince other countries not to allow Thai fugitives to engage in anti-government activities, particularly those who commit lese majeste, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee said yesterday. He said…

  • Thailand NewsNine South provinces face floods, landslides

    Nine South provinces face floods, landslides

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nine South provinces face floods, landslides The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: As the National Disaster Warning Center issued a warning yesterday that nine provinces in the South face the risks of floods and landslides until Saturday, a soldier died in a boat accident while helping…

  • World NewsCuba’s Castro hails new era of ‘living together’ with U.S.

    Cuba’s Castro hails new era of ‘living together’ with U.S.

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cuba’s Castro hails new era of ‘living together’ with U.S. Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Cuban President Raul Castro hailed a landmark exchange of prisoners with the United States on Wednesday and praised U.S. President Barack Obama as the two countries agreed to normalize relations after…

  • PropertyPhuket Renaissance, giving peace a chance

    Phuket Renaissance, giving peace a chance

    PHUKET: Situated in Mai Khao, the Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa is surrounded on all sides by the pristine nature of northern Phuket, “the island’s hidden gem”, explains Goetz Bauer, who joined the resort as general manager in April 2013. Designed by P49 Deesign Associates, considered to be one of Thailand’s foremost interior design practices, the hotel has been carefully…

  • Cannabis NewsPhi Phi resort partner, dive boat captain arrested

    Phi Phi resort partner, dive boat captain arrested

    PHUKET: Police arrested a dive boat captain who is also a co-owner of a bungalow resort on Phi Phi Island for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia yesterday. Acting on a tip-off, officers arrived at the house of 45-year-old Preecha Riabrieng, in Rassada, at about 6:30pm. “We received information from a source about a suspected drug dealer operating on Phi…

  • Thai LifeBoating: Phuket inspires whole new breed of luxury RIBs

    Boating: Phuket inspires whole new breed of luxury RIBs

    PHUKET: Phuket has inspired a new ride on the waves. It’s rigid, it’s inflatable… and it’s a boat. The new 13m tender by Acronautic is ready to ensure that every superyacht sojourn starts and finishes in luxury. The first of its kind is about to be built in the UK under the project name Thetis, with a design conceptualized by…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket 7-Elevens to join crime-fighting campaign in New Year

    Phuket 7-Elevens to join crime-fighting campaign in New Year

    PHUKET: All Phuket 7-Eleven convenience stores are set to join a campaign to improve police response times by early next year, it was announced this week. The campaign, taking advantage of the number of 7-Eleven stores on the island and their visibility, will see staffers trained to receive crime reports and contact police on the behalf of victims. Representatives from…

  • Phuket NewsIlluzion offers sneak peek in Phuket tonight

    Illuzion offers sneak peek in Phuket tonight

    PHUKET: Illuzion, an interactive show and discotheque, will offer a sneak preview tonight of the dazzling grand-opening show on Soi Bangla tomorrow. In the center of Jungceylon, near the water fountain, a Rihanna tribute band will kick off the pre-opening show at 6pm. Following Rihanna on stage will be a Lady Gaga tribute, with what organizers are calling a “Paparazzi…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s We Freedive Suunto Series finish with breath-holding trinity Sunday

    Phuket’s We Freedive Suunto Series finish with breath-holding trinity Sunday

    PHUKET: The We Freedive Suunto Series 2014 comes to a close this Sunday with competitors taking deep breaths before launching into a trinity of events: Static Apnea, Dynamic No Fins (DNF) and Dynamic with Fins (DYN). It will be a tight race for overall winner of the series with American Walter Johnson leading Melanie Long from the UK with just…

  • Phuket NewsAustralian Embassy to hold consular outreach in Phuket

    Australian Embassy to hold consular outreach in Phuket

    PHUKET: The Consular Section of the Australian Embassy in Bangkok will visit Phuket on January 21 in order to offer consular, passport and notarial services to Australians in Phuket. The outreach visit will be held from 9am to 3pm at the offices of Hawryluk Legal Advisors on the bypass road (map here). During this visit, the consular staff will provide…

  • Phuket NewsBody found in pond behind Phuket temple

    Body found in pond behind Phuket temple

    PHUKET: Police are attempting to identify the body of a man found floating in a pond behind Wat Saensuk, in Phuket Town, on Tuesday. The body was spotted floating on the water’s surface by the owner of the nearby Soi Thong restaurant. “I was at my restaurant feeding the fish in the pond when I saw what looked like a…

  • Phuket NewsItaly-Brazil duo win ITF beach tennis tourney in Phuket

    Italy-Brazil duo win ITF beach tennis tourney in Phuket

    PHUKET: Alessandro Calbucci of Italy and his partner Vinicius Font of Brazil have been crowned champions of the inaugural Phuket Beach Tennis Tournament. Calbucci and Font outplayed runners-up Nikita Burmakin and Sergey Kuptsov of Russia to win the ITF-sanctioned event, which was held over three days at the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort at Bang Tao, culminating with the final…

  • Phuket NewsMonster Phuket python caught, decade record set

    Monster Phuket python caught, decade record set

    PHUKET: Rescue workers wrangled a six-meter-long python out from under a Phuket home owner’s house early this morning. “It took us about two hours to remove the snake. It was absolutely huge. Weighing about 80kg, it was by far the biggest snake we’ve caught in the past 10 years,” said Sayan Thammapan, Ruamjai Rescue Foundation team leader. “When we received…

  • Business NewsNew Editor-in-chief to guide Phuket Gazette multi-media development

    New Editor-in-chief to guide Phuket Gazette multi-media development

    PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette is pleased to announce the recent promotion of Isaac Stone Simonelli to the position of Editor-in-chief. Having spent his years at the Gazette in various roles, including PGTV news presenter, news editor and then Managing Editor (story here), Mr Simonelli is well versed in the major local, national and international issues that affect Phuket people most.…

  • Thailand NewsMarine Police exchief admits to B150mn in bribes; hundreds of police to be reassigned

    Marine Police exchief admits to B150mn in bribes; hundreds of police to be reassigned

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Marine police exchief admits taking bribes; hundreds of police to be reassigned The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police spokesman Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri yesterday confirmed that a former Marine Police chief had confessed to taking 150 million baht in bribes from a fugitive Pattani-based businessman.…

  • Thailand NewsSouth hit by heavy rains, floods

    South hit by heavy rains, floods

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community The South inundated by heavy rains, floods The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Rain-triggered forest floods from the Sankala Khiri mountain range have caused Narathiwat’s Sungai Kolok River to overflow and inundate riverside homes and low-lying areas in Sukhirin, Waeng and Sungai Kolok districts. Sukhirin and…

  • Phuket NewsThais score Suzuki Cup first-leg win over Malaysia

    Thais score Suzuki Cup first-leg win over Malaysia

    PHUKET: Thailand struck two late goals, including a penalty, to snatch a 2-0 first-leg home win over Malaysia in the Suzuki Cup final last night which was just reward for their relentless pressure in an action-packed game. They broke the deadlock with 18 minutes remaining when Charyl Chappuis converted a spot kick before Kroekrit Taweekarn sealed the victory with a…

  • World NewsTaliban slay 132 students in Pakistan school massacre

    Taliban slay 132 students in Pakistan school massacre

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Taliban slay 132 students in Pakistan school massacre Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: At least 132 students and nine staff members were killed on Tuesday when Taliban gunmen broke into a school in the Pakistani city of Peshawar and opened fire, witnesses said, in the bloodiest…

  • Hua Hin NewsPhuket’s Chinese, Ukrainian visa-runners allowed unlimited re-entries

    Phuket’s Chinese, Ukrainian visa-runners allowed unlimited re-entries

    PHUKET: Phuket’s Chinese and Ukrainian tourists are now allowed an unlimited number of re-entries through the popular visa-run checkpoint at Khuan Don in Satun, on the Malaysian border. However, the same privilege has not been extended to foreigners who enter Thailand on “visa-exemption” status, the same form of entry that sparked the visa-run crackdown earlier this year, confirmed Col Peemadej…

  • Phuket NewsFrenchman uses Phuket Facebook group to sell chop-shop rebuild

    Frenchman uses Phuket Facebook group to sell chop-shop rebuild

    PHUKET: Police arrested a Frenchman in Patong today for the theft of a motorcycle that he stripped to re-build his own bike, which he then sold through a Phuket Facebook group. Mathieu Alfano, 28, was arrested at his rental room on Phra Barami Road in Patong for the theft of a PCX150 Honda from Nanai Road on December 3. “We…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket young sailors to vie for SEA Games selection

    Phuket young sailors to vie for SEA Games selection

    PHUKET: Two exceptional young Phuket sailors – Nattapong “Max” Yuang-ngam, 13, and Cartoon “Toon” Jundet, 12 – have received personal invitations to attend the National Optimist qualifiers for selection to represent Thailand at the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore next year. Max and Toon, both from the Phuket Youth Sailing Club (PYSC) based at Cape Panwa, will travel to…