Legacy Phuket Gazette
- Thai Life
Blazing Saddles: All for the love of cycling
PHUKET: Born in the mountains of Switzerland and with the strength and resilience of a wiry mountain goat, it may have been Martin Brot’s destiny to become a champion cyclist. However, his journey to Thailand and his subsequent launch and management of Siam Bike Tours, now based at Canal Village in Phuket, is the stuff of adventurous legend. Martin was…
- Phuket News
Australian tourist hurt in parasail fall at Patong Beach
PHUKET: An Australian tourist was hospitalized after she plunged five meters into the sea while parasailing in Patong yesterday afternoon. Sally-Ann Popovic, 26, reportedly fell out of the harness and plunged into the water below shortly after launching in front of the Banthai Resort on Patong Beach. Police questioned the boat driver, Wissanu Srabua, and his assistant, Weerachart Hon, who…
- Phuket News
Lackluster winds delay day 3 regatta races
PHUKET: Little wind off Kata Bay yesterday delayed racing on day three of the Phuket King’s Cup with boats not setting sail until the afternoon. The course was shortened and fewer races were run in each class to make up for the late start. Winners of the IRC2 races were the Australian team on Judy, led by April Jorgensen. In…
- Phuket News
Indonesian earthquake tremors felt in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga felt tremors of an earthquake that shook parts of Indonesia about 5am today. The earthquake measured 6.5 on the Richter scale, occurring 377km away in the Indian Ocean near Aceh, North Sumatra. Several deaths were reported and dozens of people were hospitalized with injuries. Many locals and expats in Phuket took to social media…
- Cannabis News
Excuse Buster: Alternatives to the ‘white devil’
PHUKET: “This may seem exaggerated and far-fetched, but sugar is the most dangerous drug of the times and can still be easily acquired everywhere,” says Paul van der Velpen, the head of Amsterdam’s health service. This is the same Amsterdam where the sale of cannabis is legalized. Research that refined sugar is one of the main reasons for our current…
- Opinion
Opinion: Inspiring the next generation of Phuket sailors
PHUKET: Capt Kritsada Rattanasupa, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, has been involved in the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta for several years. Here, he talks about how the navy supports the Regatta and about promoting sailing for the next generation of young sailors in Phuket. Sailing is one of those clever sports that involves…
- Phuket News
Austrian tourist dies while snorkeling in Krabi
PHUKET: A 75-year-old Austrian tourist ended up dead yesterday while snorkeling at Koh Rok, Krabi. His body arrived by boat this morning. “We received reports that the man’s friends were bringing his body to Chalong Pier early in the morning today. I notified the Austrian Consulate and told rescue workers and Chalong Police to receive the body and take it…
- Phuket News
Navy officers rescue Polish tourists in distress
PHUKET: A pair of Polish tourists were rescued from the waves by off-duty navy officers at Koh Pu yesterday. Officials of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command were making their way back after finishing their duty at the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta when they the saw tourists in the water waving for help. The pair had been swimming in…
- Thai Life
Profile: DJ Kura draws crowds of thousands
PHUKET: DJ Kura, named as the 51st most popular DJ in the world, according to DJ Mag’s list of ‘Top 100 DJs of 2016’, performed for more than 3,800 partygoers at the Illuzion nightclub in Patong last night. A DJ and producer, Kura was born on August 21, 1987 and has been DJing for 11 years now. He is originally…
- Opinion
Island View: Safety needs more than lip service
PHUKET: The province has seen an alarming number of road accidents and deaths this month. While these incidents aren’t isolated or unusual, they got me thinking about what efforts were being made to alleviate the situation, which led me to think of the helmet safety campaign implemented in January this year. The ‘one district, one road with 100 per cent…
- Phuket News
30th King’s Cup Regatta sets sail under “Heritage of Passion’
PHUKET: Fair winds were afoot on Sunday for the launch of the 30th annual Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, which this year is under the theme ‘Heritage of Passion’, in memory of the late HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej and in honor of Thailand’s new monarch HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun. Held at the Kata Beach Resort December 3-10 under the auspices…
- Phuket News
High-surf, storm warnings issued for Phuket
PHUKET: A high-surf warning has been issued for Phuket beaches, particularly the West Coast ones, by the Surin-Bangtao Surf Lifesaving Club this morning. Starting Wednesday, an unusually powerful and extra-seasonal storm is predicted to affect Phuket and to continue over the next seven to ten days, the “Club” announced today. The beaches named in the advisory are Nai Harn, Kata…
- Property
Across the Land: Proposed 10-year visa for over-50s
PHUKET: Finally, after years and years of consideration and watching other neighboring countries benefit from attracting foreign residents for long-term resident stays, the Thai government has announced a long term (ten-year) visa for foreigners over the age of 50. The intention is to promote Thailand as an international hub for medical services. As Thailand plans to develop itself into a…
- Phuket News
Polish tourists beaten, robbed by Phuket teenagers
PHUKET: Phuket police yesterday evening apprehended four teenagers who brutally attacked and robbed two Polish tourists at Karon viewpoint on Thursday night. Karon Police arrived at the scene of the crime to find the tourists injured and scared. The victims told police that four young boys came up behind them while they were walking. One of them smashed a glass…
- Business News
Finance: Where to invest after Trump victory
PHUKET: As the world learned that Trump had won, equity futures plunged – only to turn positive just minutes after the market opened the next day, with the rally lasting the rest of the week. The fact that the Dow and small cap US stocks shot up by 10 per cent to a new high shows that the market has…
- Phuket News
Homeless man blamed for Phuket Town fire
PHUKET: A mentally unstable homeless man is suspected to have started a fire that burnt down a house in Phuket Town about 5am today. The two-storey house located on Thepkrasattri Road, about 500 meters from Satree Phuket School, was enveloped by flames and smoke when firefighters and officials from the Phuket City Municipality Disaster Prevention (PMDP) Department arrived at the…
- Opinion
Opinion: Handing over the sails to Phuket’s next generation
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette is pleased to welcome sailing enthusiasts from across the region to Phuket for Asia’s premier sailing competition, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta. As this year’s competition marks the 30th anniversary of the event, this week is an ideal time to reflect on the three decades of the event’s development, as well as to consider ways to…
- Phuket News
Alleged extortionist flown back from US to face charges
PHUKET: An American man, who returned to the United States in 2013 after allegedly extorting a fellow countryman in Phuket, was flown back to Thailand, escorted by Royal Thai Police officers, this morning. “The suspect, named Shawn Abraham, was handed over to Royal Thai Police to face legal charges in Thailand as per an arrest warrant issued against him on…
- Phuket News
Police officer unstable after crashing into Heroines’ Monument barrier
PHUKET: A police officer was seriously injured late last night when he crashed his car into one of the steel pillars around the Heroines’ Monument in Thalang. Thalang Police received a report of the crash just before midnight and arrived at the scene to find the driver, Pol Lance Corporal Thanakorn Jimjuan of Phuket City Police, lying on the sidewalk.…
- Phuket News
Unlicensed hotels given two months to register
PHUKET: Unlicensed hotels in Phuket have been given a two-month deadline to become legally registered or face consequences. Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan said on Thursday, after a meeting with provincial officials, that more than 1,300 establishments currently operating in the province as hotel-like accommodation had until January 31 next year to properly register as hotel accommodation; otherwise, legal action would…
- Phuket News
Phuket King’s Cup marks 30th anniversary
PHUKET: This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Under Royal Patronage since its inception in 1986. What has become one of Thailand’s most prestigious sailing events was launched after a number of the country’s yachting fraternity met to discuss what they could do as a special tribute for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s forthcoming Fifth…
- Phuket News
Seasonal mushroom picking turns profits
KRABI: Krabi locals are cashing in on a wild cash crop of mushrooms which only appear for about three months a year between October and early December. The fungus found in palm plantations in Krabi at this time of year is locally known as the ‘June’ mushroom and fetches between 250 and 300 baht per kilogram. Residents of Klongtom Sub…
- Thailand News
King Rama X proclaimed
BANGKOK: HIS MAJESTY King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun was proclaimed yesterday as the 10th King of the Chakri Dynasty after he accepted the invitation made by the president of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) in accordance with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s will, the Constitution and Palace Law. “I accept the invitation in order to follow His Majesty King Bhumibol’s will…
- Phuket News
Canadian tourist robbed of $4,000 by Bangla ‘companion’
PHUKET: A hapless Canadian tourist yesterday filed a complaint against a Thai woman, claiming that she made off with about 130,000 baht in cash from his hotel room. Alexander Ryan, 31, told police that he had met the woman on Bangla Road in Patong on Tuesday night, and then invited her back to his room at the Holiday Inn hotel…
- Phuket News
Facebook coral dealers arrested in Krabi
KRABI: Two women involved in the illegal sale of coral on Facebook were apprehended in Ao Luek yesterday evening. The arresting officers found more than 20 kilograms of coral in their possession. They had been dealing in coralline algae, sea pens and various other coral used in jewelry. A joint “task force” of 30 personnel [yes, thirty] comprising Krabi Marine…
- Phuket News
Two arrested for mobile snatching in Phuket
PHUKET: Two men were apprehended after they snatched an iPhone from two Chinese tourists in Patong last night. The suspects were named as Sarawuth Rattanaprasert, 21, and Thanawuth Hirankakorn, 19. “We received a report of a robbery on Sai Nam Yen Road about 7pm. Patrol officers in the area immediately took action when they saw the two victims chasing Mr…
- Thailand News
EU ‘Green card’ for Thailand expected over IUU fishing
THAILAND: The Kingdom should expect to receive a ‘green card’ from the European Union for its efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, once the EU realizes the real progress the government is making in this regard, according to Steve Trent, executive director of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). Mr Trent said the EJF had seen the progress…
- Phuket News
Motorcyclist’s death finally prompts action to fix airport road
PHUKET: Following the death of a 22-year-old motorcyclist who broke his neck Thursday night ramming into a concrete blockade on the road alongside the Phuket Airport runway, authorities have requested a 72 million baht budget to fix and widen the road. The road was blocked off with four heavy-duty blocks four months ago after heavy rains caused a landslide (story…
- Phuket News
Missing Russian turns up, can’t remember a thing
PHUKET: A Russian tourist who went missing after diving into the sea while drunk at Kamala Beach late Monday night resurfaced yesterday afternoon with no recollection of the incident. Officials and rescue workers spent several hours searching for Mikhail Korneev after he was reported missing by a friend early yesterday morning (story here). The search – which also involved local…
- Phuket News
Foreign fishing boats seized for faking nationality
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy yesterday afternoon seized seven tuna fishing boats at Tha Sri Thai pier in Rassada for faking nationality documents to enter Thailand. The investigations are being conducted by a joint task force of the Navy, Immigration, the Marine Office, the Employment Office, the Marine Police and other officers, and led by Vice Admiral Suraphol Kuptaphan, commander…
