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 NewsPhuket lifeguards close beach, urge tourists to heed warnings

    Phuket lifeguards close beach, urge tourists to heed warnings

    PHUKET: After saving several people from drowning yesterday, lifeguards are urging all tourists to heed warnings to stay out of hazardous surf at Phuket’s Kata and Karon beaches. A section of Kata Beach was closed and red warning flags were posted along dangerous sections of Karon Beach, said Kata-Karon lifeguard chief Uten Singsom. “We saved a few swimmers yesterday. They…

  • Phuket NewsPoll: 98% of tourists against Phuket dolphinarium [video] | Thaiger

    Poll: 98% of tourists against Phuket dolphinarium [video]

    PHUKET: Tourists led the charge, as an overwhelmingly majority of the more than 7,000 readers who took part in the recent Phuket Gazette poll voted against opening the island’s controversial dolphin park. A staggering 4,353 of the 4,435 (98%) of those who identified themselves as “Tourists / Visitors to Phuket” voted: no – Phuket should not have a dolphinarium; they…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Poll: Do you feel safe on the streets of Phuket after dark?

    Phuket Poll: Do you feel safe on the streets of Phuket after dark?

    PHUKET: The gruesome murder of two British backpackers on the holiday island of Koh Tao has drawn international media attention to safety concerns in major Thai tourists destinations such as Phuket. In the wake of the murders, the Region 8 Police commander ramped up security in all areas under his watch, including Phuket and Koh Tao (story here). At about…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket readies for first-ever International Night Run

    Phuket readies for first-ever International Night Run

    PHUKET: Athletes will have the opportunity to run along the streets through Phuket’s historic Old Town under the cover of darkness on November 1 as the island hosts its first Phuket International Night Run. Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana unveiled the new event – organized in conjunction with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Sports Authority of Thailand…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket flash flood, landslide warning in effect, but bright skies ahead

    Phuket flash flood, landslide warning in effect, but bright skies ahead

    PHUKET: The flash flood and landslide warning issued for Phuket last Friday is still in effect, though local officials have appealed for people to not panic over the current wet weather. “The warning was sent to every local authority as a precaution, to advise people to beware of flash floods and landslides in risk areas,” said Weera Amnuayporn, acting director…

  • Thailand NewsKoh Tao Murders: Myanmar workers say colleagues tortured before confessing | Thaiger

    Koh Tao Murders: Myanmar workers say colleagues tortured before confessing

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Koh Tao Murders: Myanmar workers say colleagues tortured before confessing The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Three Myanmar workers based on Koh Tao off the Surat Thani coast have accused police of torturing them to try to extract information about the murder of two British citizens…

  • Thailand NewsKing’s condition improves after gall bladder removed: doctors

    King’s condition improves after gall bladder removed: doctors

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community King’s condition improves after gall bladder removed: doctors The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s health has improved after he underwent a successful operation to remove his gall bladder, according to the latest statement from the Royal Household Bureau. The operation, which took…

  • World NewsNobel Prize for medicine goes to discoverers of brain’s internal GPS

    Nobel Prize for medicine goes to discoverers of brain’s internal GPS

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nobel Prize for medicine goes to discoverers of brain’s internal GPS Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Anglo-American John O’Keefe and Norwegian couple May-Britt and Edvard Moser won the 2014 Nobel Prize for medicine on Monday for discovering the brain’s internal positioning system, helping humans find their…

  • Pattaya NewsBoating: Peeking behind Phuket’s Boatshed

    Boating: Peeking behind Phuket’s Boatshed

    PHUKET: Alan Giles from the UK initially came to Phuket 14 years ago to be a sailing instructor for Sunsail. As the years passed, he finally made the move to become a permanent island resident, and to open Phuket’s own Boatshed brokerage. Testament to the name on the door is the assortment of boating goodies in the office at the…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket teen stabs ex-girlfriend’s new lover in jealous rage

    Phuket teen stabs ex-girlfriend’s new lover in jealous rage

    PHUKET: A teen, recently released from the island’s juvenile detention center, is on the run after he stabbed his ex-girlfriend’s new lover seven times in a jealous rage in Phuket Town early this morning. Phuket City Police arrived at the scene, outside of Royal Phuket City Hotel, at about 12:30am. There, they found a 29-year-old hotel employee, named by police…

  • Phuket NewsPolice suspect single gunslinger responsible for two 7-Eleven stickups

    Police suspect single gunslinger responsible for two 7-Eleven stickups

    PHUKET: Phuket police suspect that a single gun-wielding robber is responsible for two 7-Eleven stickups yesterday. The first robbery took place at 1am at a 7-Eleven store on Ranong Road in Phuket Town. Then, at 10pm, a 7-Eleven at Baan Kien in Thalang was also robbed. “We believe the two robberies may well be connected, as the robber caught on…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket tourists’ safety vital during Asian Beach Games, says Governor

    Phuket tourists’ safety vital during Asian Beach Games, says Governor

    PHUKET: Local community support is essential for tourists’ safety and Phuket’s image when the island hosts the Asian Beach Games next month, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong said today. “We need more advertisements encouraging locals to get involved. Everybody on the island is hosting this event – we have to work together to best represent our homeland,” said Governor Nisit, who…

  • Thai LifeDiving: House reefs – providing junkies their dive fix

    Diving: House reefs – providing junkies their dive fix

    PHUKET: Most of us have only a few precious days a year to get a fix for our diving addictions. Of course, those in the profession spend more days in the water than out of it, but for the rest of us, it comes down to one or two diving holidays a year. After six months of day dreaming about…

  • Thai LifePhi Phi: To party or not to party?

    Phi Phi: To party or not to party?

    PHUKET: Koh Phi Phi Don – better known by the nickname Phi Phi – is loaded with surprises no matter why or how you end up there. Despite being less then an hour’s journey from Phuket by speedboat, or a two-and-a-half-hour ferry ride, Phi Phi is in Krabi province. It is composed of two main islands: Phi Phi Don and…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket storm pins woman under tree, more rain forecast

    Phuket storm pins woman under tree, more rain forecast

    PHUKET: The storm that ravaged Phuket over the weekend pinned a woman under a felled tree on a busy street in Mai Khao late Saturday night. Rescue workers and police arrived at Mai Khao Soi 10 at about 11:30pm to find Soisuda Somjan, 20, and her motorbike trapped the tree. “She was unable to move with her right leg caught…

  • Phuket NewsIndian tourists washed overboard, drown off Krabi coast

    Indian tourists washed overboard, drown off Krabi coast

    PHUKET: Two Indian tourists travelling in a rented longtail boat drowned off the coast of Railay, east of Phuket, yesterday after a large wave swamped their boat and washed them overboard. Ekkapong Kinglek, 25, the boat operator, was charged with reckless driving causing death, Capt Praphan Nhuchaikaew of the Krabi City Police told the Phuket Gazette. The tourists, Yash Agarwal,…

  • Thai LifePhuket Health: Let your three planes of motion take flight

    Phuket Health: Let your three planes of motion take flight

    PHUKET: A few weeks ago, I tried to convince members of the Phuket fitness community to ditch the gym and convert to functional training. When I was explaining what exactly functional training is, I mentioned something called the three planes of motion (story here). Since then, I have received a slew of comments and questions regarding the three planes of…

  • Pattaya NewsPhuket Classic competition to attract 145 bodybuilders [VIDEO] | Thaiger

    Phuket Classic competition to attract 145 bodybuilders [VIDEO]

    PHUKET: This year’s edition of the Phuket Classic bodybuilding competition will see 145 contestants flex their muscles to please the audience. The event will be held at Central Festival Phuket on October 12, from 11am to 7pm and will see 10 foreigners competing in a separate category. “The judges will be evaluating the contestants depending on body type, weight and…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket underpass faces part-closures, races for November opening

    Phuket underpass faces part-closures, races for November opening

    PHUKET: The northbound lane above the 600-million-baht underpass beside the Central Festival Phuket shopping mall has been closed so workers can repave the road. “Motorists heading north can still use the underpass,” Phuket Highways Office Director Samak Luedwonghad told the Phuket Gazette. With the lane closed for repaving, motorists heading east past Central Festival can no longer turn left onto…

  • Business NewsVilla Market expansion caters to Phuket yachties [VIDEO] | Thaiger

    Villa Market expansion caters to Phuket yachties [VIDEO]

    Villa hopes to build on its success at the Boat Avenue shopping street. PHUKET: Villa Market is set to slice off another slab of the imported groceries market in Phuket when it expands to Boat Lagoon. The new branch, set to open in early 2015, is designed to tap into the yachtie-catering market and to position itself as the go-to…

  • Thailand NewsMyanmar man slays roommate, licks blood from knife | Thaiger

    Myanmar man slays roommate, licks blood from knife

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar man slays roommate, licks blood from knife The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Bangkok Police yesterday arrested a Myanmar man who they claimed killed a countryman and sucked his blood because the man had a crush on his wife. Udomsuk Police Superintendent Somphorn Krissanapipat said…

  • Thailand NewsNine NLA members opposed to asset disclosure worth more than Bt200m | Thaiger

    Nine NLA members opposed to asset disclosure worth more than Bt200m

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nine NLA members opposed to asset disclosure worth more than Bt200m The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Nine of the 28 National Legislative Assembly (NLA) members, who recently petitioned the Administrative Court unsuccessfully against disclosing their assets, have net assets worth more than Bt200 million each.…

  • Thailand News13 trafficked Laotian girls, women freed in Chumphon | Thaiger

    13 trafficked Laotian girls, women freed in Chumphon

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 13 trafficked Laotian girls, women freed in Chumphon The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A joint police and military team of 30 officers raided a karaoke business in Chumphon yesterday and rescued six underage Laotian girls and seven Laotian women who were trafficked into prostitution in…

  • Thailand NewsKoh Tao murder report to go to prosecutors this week: police | Thaiger

    Koh Tao murder report to go to prosecutors this week: police

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Koh Tao murder report to go to prosecutors this week: police The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police plan to forward their investigation report on the killing of two British tourists on Koh Tao to public prosecutors this Wednesday. “We will include DNA test results related…

  • Phuket NewsSpecial Report: Phuket’s billion-baht beach ‘scandal’ never kept a secret | Thaiger

    Special Report: Phuket’s billion-baht beach ‘scandal’ never kept a secret

    Special Report PHUKET: A senior official at Kata-Karon Municipality this week claimed that permits issued to allow local residents to work as beach vendors were introduced at the behest of a Provincial Hall standing committee some 20 years ago. The issue raised a storm of controversy last week when Paween Pongsirin, Region 8 Police Deputy Commander at the time (story…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket cat burglar robs sleeping couple’s hotel villa

    Phuket cat burglar robs sleeping couple’s hotel villa

    PHUKET: Police have arrested a Phuket cat burglar who crept into a sleeping couple’s hotel villa and stole a mobile phone and about 13,000 baht in cash. “Thung Taothong, 28, was arrested at his apartment in Soi Yod Saneh in Chalong and charged with robbery,” Karon Police Deputy Superintendent Sophon Borrirak told the Phuket Gazette today. “We are still searching…

  • Phuket NewsBreaking News: 6-wheeled Phuket truck kills two on Patong Hill

    Breaking News: 6-wheeled Phuket truck kills two on Patong Hill

    PHUKET: Two people were killed in a road accident as they ascended the infamous Patong Hill road at about 3pm today, Patong Traffic Police told the Phuket Gazette. The two people riding the motorbike died after being crushed by a 6-wheeled truck in front of Sea Pearl Hotel. The driver, who police have yet to publicly name, has been taken…

  • Phuket NewsMasked men open fire in Phuket drive-by shooting, injure two

    Masked men open fire in Phuket drive-by shooting, injure two

    PHUKET: Two men were injured just before midnight last night in what Phuket police are calling a drive-by revenge shooting. Four men were sitting round a table drinking at Baan Liporn when a group of eight masked men on motorbikes drove by and opened fire. Watthana Suebsak, 18, was shot in the face and seriously injured, while Prasert Chanthip, 35,…

  • Phuket NewsAustralians’ drunken balcony fall raises Phuket safety concerns

    Australians’ drunken balcony fall raises Phuket safety concerns

    PHUKET: Patong Police have urged local municipality workers to inspect the balcony-railing heights of Phuket Graceland Resort and Spa after three drunk Australians tumbled off their second-floor balcony (story here). “It is beyond our jurisdiction to ensure that the railings are of a safe height. We actually voiced our concern before this accident, and again after it. However, we cannot…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Police defend snaring foreign tourists in illegal taxi raids

    Phuket Police defend snaring foreign tourists in illegal taxi raids

    PHUKET: Police have defended their actions in a raid that saw officers and military personal, clad in flak jackets and carrying assault rifles, besiege an illegal Phuket taxi carrying a family of foreign tourists. “We flagged down a taxi with the assistance of the security guard in front of our hotel at Karon Beach. The driver agreed to take us…