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.
  • Thailand NewsCrown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to become King Rama X

    Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to become King Rama X

    BANGKOK: The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai convened a special meeting today and has now announced acknowledgment of the Cabinet’s resolution to invite HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to accede to the throne. “The NLA, which now functions as the Parliament, has received the Cabinet’s resolution. The NLA president will now invite the Crown Prince to accede to…

  • Phuket NewsRussian missing after drunken midnight plunge

    Russian missing after drunken midnight plunge

    PHUKET: Police are searching for a Russian tourist who reportedly went missing after diving into the sea in a drunken state at Kamala Beach late last night. The man was named as Mikhail Korneev, 39, by a friend who reported the incident to police a little after midnight, adding that Mr Mikhail had been drinking heavily that night. “The incident…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket tour guides, bus drivers demand action for lost jobs

    Phuket tour guides, bus drivers demand action for lost jobs

    PHUKET: A group of local tour guides and a group of local tour bus operators simultaneously submitted letters at Phuket Provincial Hall today demanding that action be taken against illegal tour guides and operations “stealing” their jobs. About 50 members of the Andaman Tour Guide Association (Phuket-Phang Nga-Krabi) led by Mr Krit Thepbamrung gathered at Provincial Hall at 9.30am to…

  • Phuket NewsTop officials discuss major Phuket woes

    Top officials discuss major Phuket woes

    PHUKET: Five of Phuket’s most influential lawmen met at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning in order to discuss what they named as the top five issues plaguing the island. The officials included Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan; Vice Admiral Surapol Kuptaphan, commander of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command; Maj Gen Akom Pongprom, commander of the 41st Military Circle; Phuket…

  • Phuket NewsMan on the run after shooting boss in the head

    Man on the run after shooting boss in the head

    PHUKET: Police are searching for a man suspected of shooting his employer in the head in Koh Kaew early this morning. “We found Pisekpong Oonwan, 38, behind the Isuzu showroom in the area, bleeding profusely from a head wound. He had a .22mm bullet lodged inside his head,” confirmed Lt Col Naruebadin Pangleesen of Phuket City Police. “He was taken…

  • Phuket NewsTim Reed triumphs in Phuket’s Foremost Ironman 70.3

    Tim Reed triumphs in Phuket’s Foremost Ironman 70.3

    PHUKET: Australian athlete Tim Reed was the overall winner of the Foremost Ironman 70.3 held at Bangtao Beach yesterday, crossing the finish line with a time of 3 hours 48 minutes and 33 seconds. The grueling course comprised a 1.9km swim, followed by a 90km bike race from the beach up to the Sarasin Bridge and back, and then a…

  • Phuket NewsMarine Office prepares to tackle Mai Khao encroachment

    Marine Office prepares to tackle Mai Khao encroachment

    PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office yesterday vowed to take action against a business owner who has allegedly constructed a building on public beach land in Mai Khao. Earlier this month, the building owner, Somboon Pakdee, was summoned for discussions to allow him to clarify his position. “Locals from Moo 5, Baan Laem La, filed a complaint that Mr Somboon had…

  • Thai LifeFirst ‘Superyacht Winner’s Cup’ up for grabs at 2016 rendezvous

    First ‘Superyacht Winner’s Cup’ up for grabs at 2016 rendezvous

    PHUKET: Elite sail and motor superyachts are meeting at the prestigious 16th annual Asia Superyacht Rendezvous (ASR) at SALA Resort & Spa on December 16-18. ASR 2016 co-sponsor Benetti Yachts, along with Asia Pacific Superyachts, Lux Media Group and a range of high-end sponsors, as well as global and national media partners, join organizers in announcing the first ever ‘Rendezvous…

  • Pattaya NewsOn Deck: Ready for a wet ‘n’ wild year end?

    On Deck: Ready for a wet ‘n’ wild year end?

    PHUKET: Are you ready for the busiest time of the year? Not Christmas and New Year, but the six or so weeks of marine industry madness that is upon us. Kicking things off is the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show. From 24th to 27th November, eyes are on the Gulf of Thailand as boat brands from around the world join…

  • OpinionOpinion: Taking care of society’s unwanted

    Opinion: Taking care of society’s unwanted

    PHUKET: Noppadol Poungpun is the Project Manager of the Life Home Project Foundation, a non-profit organization with the goal of offering children, women and patients suffering from HIV (Human Immuno-deficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) a more dignified life. Originally from Surat Thani, Mr Noppadol has lived in Phuket and worked for the foundation since 2002. He graduated…

  • OpinionIsland View: Never at a standstill

    Island View: Never at a standstill

    PHUKET: I have lived in Phuket for about 12 years now and seen plenty of things come and go. While some things have changed for the better, others perhaps not so much. Anyone who last visited Phuket a decade ago would be faced with a very different spectacle today. One thing I have noticed in the past few years is…

  • OpinionMinistry of Farang Affairs: Seduce a sexy Thai lady

    Ministry of Farang Affairs: Seduce a sexy Thai lady

    The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…

  • Thai LifeKeep it green: A big world on a small planet

    Keep it green: A big world on a small planet

    PHUKET: Louts and hooligans are often accused of ‘behaving like animals’. Unlike most cliches, the expression is a complete fabrication and does a grave disservice to animals everywhere. The world is full of human beings behaving badly. Homo sapiens, not your wild creature, are the louts mindlessly bent on destruction, not only of others but ultimately of themselves. Animals kill…

  • Phuket NewsSafety First: Phuket Airport security meets international standards

    Safety First: Phuket Airport security meets international standards

    PHUKET: News about the grand opening of the international terminal at Phuket International Airport (PIA) has littered the airwaves since its official ceremony in September. Like every new, large-scale project in Phuket, and indeed elsewhere in the world, the new terminal has had its fair share of teething problems – something the public has been quick to notice, criticize and…

  • Phuket NewsSpeedboat sinks longtail at Maya Bay

    Speedboat sinks longtail at Maya Bay

    PHUKET: A minor was injured yesterday after a speedboat smashed into a longtail boat at Phi Phi Island’s Maya Bay. Krabi Marine officials say they “now” plan to boost safety standards in the area after two similar “incidents” over just the past two days, and at least ten such crashes, some of them fatal, at Phi Phi over the past…

  • Phuket NewsFreedom Beach land battle heats up

    Freedom Beach land battle heats up

    PHUKET: Department of Forestry officers yesterday morning checked up on land at Freedom Beach after some titles were revoked back in May, while the alleged owner threatened to sue them. Foresty and Navy personnel were led by Boonsueb Samakwet, director of Forestry Division 12, at about 11am at the site. These are the long-debated four-billion-baht titles covering 65 rai of…

  • Phuket NewsSpeeding biker breaks neck in barrier crash

    Speeding biker breaks neck in barrier crash

    PHUKET: A speeding motorcyclist broke his neck last night in a fatal high-speed crash with a concrete barrier placed across a back road near Phuket Airport. Witnesses told police that the rider was moving along the road extremely fast in the direction of the airport on a Honda Click motorbike. “It seems he didn’t know the barrier was there,” said…

  • Phuket NewsiStink telephone? Man steals mobile, sticks it in his underpants

    iStink telephone? Man steals mobile, sticks it in his underpants

    PHUKET: A Thai man was arrested for stealing and hiding a hapless tourist’s telephone in his underpants at a Patong tour agency yesterday afternoon. Kuwaiti tourist Abdul Nabimh Redha, 38, filed a complaint at 2:30pm with Lt Col Somsak Thongkliang of Patong police station. “Mr Redha told us that he put his mobile on the counter at the ‘All in…

  • Phuket NewsMotorcyclist killed in horrific rush-hour smash

    Motorcyclist killed in horrific rush-hour smash

    PHUKET: A 68-year-old man on a motorcycle was killed instantly this morning in a horrific 4-vehicle collision at 7am in front of the SuperCheap store near the Heroine’s Monument on the four-lane road to Pa Khlok. According to police reports, witnesses said the motorcyclist swerved in front of a Subaru driven by Kornthip Kriangkra, 32, heading toward Pa Khlok. He…

  • Phuket NewsIsarn rice selling like hot cakes in Krabi

    Isarn rice selling like hot cakes in Krabi

    PHUKET: An additional 100 tons of rice was ordered from Isarn for Krabi consumers after two lots of 16 tonnes each were sold out last week. The Agricultural Marketing Co-operative and Krabi Provincial Co-operative offices jointly imported the rice from Sisaket to help farmers in that province sell their product directly to consumers, without having to pass through the pressures…

  • Phuket NewsThailand Yacht Show organizers push to make Thailand Asia’s marine hub

    Thailand Yacht Show organizers push to make Thailand Asia’s marine hub

    PHUKET: Organizers of the second edition of the Thailand Yacht Show (TYS) to be held December 15-18 at Phuket’s Ao Po Grand Marina aim to inject millions of dollars into the country’s economy as they steam ahead to make Thailand Asia’s marine hub of choice for superyacht owners and marine leisure enthusiasts. Held in partnership with the Thai government, TYS…

  • OpinionIsland View: The nation grieves

    Island View: The nation grieves

    PHUKET: IT IS as many of us had feared; Donald Trump is soon to be the man in the White House and signs of chaos have already begun to erupt in many parts of the United States and even other parts of the world. Markets are tumbling, people are calling for a re-count, others have taken to the streets in…

  • Phuket NewsEmergency landing at HKT, one passenger dead

    Emergency landing at HKT, one passenger dead

    PHUKET: Emirates Airlines pilots called in for an emergency landing at Phuket International Airport yesterday afternoon, after a passenger lost consciousness and required medical treatment. He was later pronounced dead at a Phuket hospital. The passenger, whose name is being withheld until his family has been notified, was reportedly feeling sick on board the aircraft and eventually passed out. It…

  • Thailand NewsThailand visa fees to be reduced to B1,000

    Thailand visa fees to be reduced to B1,000

    THAILAND: Visa fees for entering Thailand, including fees for visas on arrival, are to be reduced for three months starting on December 1. The move is intended to boost tourist arrivals, a key economic engine for the country. “The fees will be cut to Bt1,000,” the Tourism Ministry announced yesterday. The change was announced less than two months after visa…

  • Phuket NewsDivers sought for Phuket seahorse release

    Divers sought for Phuket seahorse release

    PHUKET: Phuket Aquarium is recruiting 20 volunteer divers to help release 989 seahorses into the Andaman Sea on December 5. The release of the aquarium-bred thorny seahorses, aged three months to one year old, is in dedication to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The aquarium is based at the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources’ Andaman Marine and Coastal Resources…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket pensioner busted with illegal concoctions

    Phuket pensioner busted with illegal concoctions

    PHUKET: A 74 year-old woman was arrested Sunday for ‘looking after’ more than 58 kilograms of kratom leaves and 45 bottles of cough syrup used to make concoctions of illegal sedatives. Acting on a tip-off, military officers led by the 41st Military Circle’s Major Sathit Naikoon arrested the pensioner at 10am yesterday at a house in Soi 6 of the…

  • Phuket NewsWorker camp head orders hit, charged with murder

    Worker camp head orders hit, charged with murder

    PHUKET: A Myanmar worker suspected of killing a colleague was apprehended within an hour by police Sunday night at a workers camp in Kamala. Lt Col Somnuek Damkaew of Kamala Police arrived at the scene after he received reports of the incident at about 11:50pm. The head of the workers, named as ‘Kyaw Sein Win @ Bun’, had reportedly had…

  • Phuket NewsMotorcyclists injured in coach collision on Patong Hill

    Motorcyclists injured in coach collision on Patong Hill

    PHUKET: The driver of a coach carrying Chinese tourists says he ‘lost control’ of the vehicle when its ‘brakes failed’ on Patong Hill last night, resulting in serious injuries to the riders of a motorbike. The coach was heading down the hill into Patong at 10:23pm when driver Uayporn Rattanasaeng, 51, hit the bike and then slammed into a roadside…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket man denies involvement in Thalang riot

    Phuket man denies involvement in Thalang riot

    PHUKET: A Phuket man has twice denied involvement in a riot last October in Thalang, during which the district’s police station was firebombed. The first denial came in September this year, after police finally hauled him in and charged him with various offenses related to the riot. The riot flared up on October 10 last year after two suspected drug…

  • Phuket NewsGermany’s Michael Raeleart wins Laguna Phuket Triathlon

    Germany’s Michael Raeleart wins Laguna Phuket Triathlon

    PHUKET: German athlete Michael Raelert finished first at the 23rd annual Laguna Phuket Triathlon yesterday, completing the 1.8km swim, 50km bike race and 12km run in 2 hours, 19 minutes and 13 seconds – beating his own record by 11 minutes, which he set when he won the contest last year. In second and third places in the men’s category…