Legacy Phuket Gazette
- Phuket News
Fear of recurring earthquake stresses Phuket villagers
PHUKET: A team of mental health professionals on Wednesday visited villagers at Srisoonthorn Moo 2 to provide counselling after the 4.3-Richter earthquake struck fear into their hearts on Monday. Data from the Thai Meteorological Department has identified Thalang as the epicenter of Monday’s earthquake, with the villagers being rattled several times a day since by recurring aftershocks. Leading the team…
- Phuket News
Phuket fishmeal factory probe takes a twist
PHUKET: Phuket officials investigating a complaint about foul smells emanating from a fishmeal factory yesterday found little amiss – and now suspect that the complaint may be more about business than bad odors. Led by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak and Phuket Damrongtham Center Director Prapan Kanprasang, the officials toured the Saeng Aroon fishmeal factory on the banks of Klong…
- Phuket News
Phuket opens ‘village watch’ earthquake monitoring center
PHUKET: Srisoonthorn Municipality have set up an ‘earthquake monitoring center’ after discovering that Thalang was at the epicenter of the recent aftershocks that rattled Phuket. The center aims to provide accurate information and to warn local villagers in the case of an emergency, said Srisoonthorn Mayor Worawut Songyot. “The earthquake monitoring center has been established to coordinate efforts in the…
- Phuket News
Phuket gears up for opening of new bus terminal
PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) is in the process of negotiating set fares for all forms of local transportation that will operate out of the new Phuket bus terminal in Rassada, which will open on Saturday. “We will set standard fares for all types of local transportation, with tickets that passengers can buy at a counter in the…
- Business News
Phuket Business: ThaiVisa penetrates neighboring markets
PHUKET: ThaiVisa.com, the leading English-language social networking website about Thailand, is expanding its operations to Myanmar and Cambodia.“We have carefully studied internet traffic trends and we see a sharp rise in search traffic and interest about our neighbor Myanmar,” said Barry Main, marketing director of Bangkok-based ThaiVisa Expat Group Co Ltd.“We believe it’s pretty easy for us to get a…
- Phuket News
Phuket Police seek help in identifying dead hospital patient
PHUKET: Phuket Police are trying to identify the body of a woman, thought to be from Myanmar, who died in the emergency ward of Thalang Hospital yesterday. Thalang Police duty officer Patiwat Yodkhwan was notified of the woman’s death at 7:30am by staff at Thalang Hospital, who asked officers to assist in identifying the body. The woman’s body was left…
- Thai Life
Phuket Lifestyle: It’s all go for Hugo
PHUKET: It’s Saturday night at the Hard Rock Cafe in Patong and a young man steps out onto the stage armed with his trademark stetson hat, a Gibson guitar, a new band and some sultry killer tracks from his first solo album. On March 24 Hugo was back home in Thailand and performing for the first time here since 2005.…
- Phuket News
Stay calm and enjoy your holiday, says Phuket tourism chief
PHUKET: Phuket tourism industry leaders are calling on the local media not to exaggerate in their reporting of the recent seismic activity in Phuket, as doing so could adversely affect the local economy. Phuket Tourist Association President Somboon Jirayus said yesterday that tourists from places like Japan and parts of Europe where earthquakes are common were more likely to view…
- Phuket News
Patong Mayor pushes for new road to Phuket’s Freedom Beach
PHUKET: THE Patong Municipal Council has agreed to fund a study to look into building a new road to access Freedom Beach, crossing over public forest land in the area. The road was among several proposals unanimously approved by the council during its budget meeting last week. Patong Mayor Pian Keesin presided over the meeting, which was attended by 15…
- Phuket News
Phuket dam passes post-quake safety inspection
PHUKET: Phuket officials have declared the dam at Bang Neaw Dum Reservoir in Thalang structurally sound following a safety inspection earlier today. The inspection was prompted by a series earthquakes centered in Thalang over the past few days, including a 4.3 Richter tremor yesterday morning. That quake left local residents living downstream fearing the structural integrity of the dam might…
- Phuket News
Phuket residents seek assistance for earthquake damage
PHUKET: Srisoonthorn Municipal engineers today visited homes in Baan Bangkham in Thalang to survey the damage caused by yesterday’s earthquake. Assistant village headman Somnuek Jaturacoopkullapong reported today that the earthquake, felt by most Phuket residents yesterday, damaged more than 30 houses in the village, four severely. “We were inside at about 4:30pm when we heard a loud noise and then…
- Cannabis News
Police crack Phang Nga drug network linked to “kingpin prisoner’
PHUKET: Acting on a tip-off police raided two separate addresses in Phang Nga yesterday resulting in the arrest of six men and the recovery of drugs, weapons, cash and other valuables. The gang was reportedly controlled by an inmate at Nakhon Sri Thammar at Provincial Prison who ordered drugs to be delivered to one of the suspects netted in the…
- Phuket News
Dane dies of blood loss after Phuket tsunami evacuation
PHUKET: A Danish tourist injured during the evacuation of Patong Beach last Wednesday was found dead of apparent blood loss in his Patong hotel room yesterday afternoon. Patong Police were notified of the death at 5pm by 40-year-old motorbike taxi driver Lamai Ouan – on. Arriving at the scene with Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation workers, police found the body of the…
- Phuket News
Tiger Group considers suing MP Chuwit as police probe fails
PHUKET: A spokesman for Phuket’s Tiger Group told the media over the weekend that his company is still considering legal action against politician Chuwit Kamolvisit following his allegation that a casino had operated out of one of the company’s venues in Patong. The threat of legal retribution follows the failure of two police investigations to uncover any wrongdoing at any…
- Phuket News
Phuket Songkran Seven Days of Danger road toll latest: 3 dead, 32 injured
PHUKET: With the Songkran “Seven Days of Danger” road-safety campaign ending at midnight tonight, the road toll for the Thai New Year stands at three people dead and a further 32 admitted to hospital as a result of road incidents. Witthaya Piraka, 42, died on April 12 when while under the influence of alcohol he drove his motorbike into a…
- Phuket News
Amway to deliver B2.5bn boost to Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects the 18,000 Amway sales representatives arriving from China to spend up to 2.5 billion baht during their month-long stay on Phuket.Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak together with Director Bangonrat Shinaprayoon of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office welcomed and gave flowers to the first group of…
- Phuket News
Phuket Police re-open road to Patong as earthquake fears subside
PHUKET: Police have re-opened the main road over Patong Hill, linking Phuket Town with Patong on Phuket’s west coast.The road was closed as a precaution following the earthquake felt across the island earlier this afternoon.Traffic remains heavy in the area.The Phuket Gazette urges all motorists to exercise caution and patience while travelling through the area.
- Phuket News
Phuket Earthquake: NDWC gives all-clear, removes alert watch
PHUKET: The National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) has removed its “alert watch” order for tsunamis and further earthquakes, the Phuket Gazette has been told.“The NDWC removed the alert watch just before 6pm,” said San Jantharawong, chief of the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket).“The alert was removed because this was a much smaller earthquake than…
- Phuket News
Phuket Earthquake: USGS reports Sumatra quake at depth of 14km
PHUKET: The USGS has reported that the earthquake struck at a depth of 14.7 kilometers, not two kilometers as originally reported. Click here to see the USGS report:https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc00094q0.html
- Opinion
Phuket Opinion: Take off the gloves
PHUKET: The recent ban on mixed martial arts (MMA) events by the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) is a sad but unsurprising development, and one which will deprive growing numbers of MMA enthusiasts in Thailand from watching these exciting events live, while costing the country millions of baht in lost revenue. (See current issue of the Phuket Gazette.) Thailand is…
- Phuket News
Breaking News: No tsunami warning or evacuation order yet: Phuket DDPM
PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) have confirmed that a tsunami warning has not yet been issued.“There has been no tsunami warning and no evacuation alert. We are still monitoring the situation,” DDPM-Phuket chief San Jantharawong told the Phuket Gazette.“We are now on alert watch. We will remain on alert watch until the…
- Phuket News
Breaking News: 5.3 earthquake rattles Phuket
PHUKET: The Thai Meteorologicial Department has reported a 5.3-magnitude earthquake striking off the coast of northern Sumatra at 4:46pm. See here: https://www.tmd.go.th/en/earthquake_report.php The earthquake struck at a depth of only two kilometers. The Gazette has received a report from Patong Beach that some people have left the beach area as a precaution. The Gazette has received no reports of any…
- Phuket News
Breaking News: Reports of earthquake flood across Phuket
PHUKET: Reports of an earthquake being felt across all parts of Phuket are flooding in to the Phuket Gazette. Gazette staff felt the strong shudder at 4:45pm. Reports of other Phuket residents experiencing the same have been coming in from all parts of the island, including Chalong to the south, Phuket Town and Kathu in the center of the island…
- Phuket News
Phuket Police arrest armed drug suspects in Good Friday raids
PHUKET: Phuket Police on Saturday announced the arrest of six drug suspects, two of them in possession of firearms.Phuket City Police Superintendent Chote Chitchai said the six were arrested on April 13, this year celebrated as Songkran Day (Thai New Year) and as Good Friday.The first suspect named was Pramin Narksuwan, 31, from Nakhon SriThammarat. He was found in possession…
- Phuket News
Two dead in Phuket as pickup slams into house
PHUKET: A pickup truck travelling at high speed collided with a motorbike on the main road through Pa Khlok yesterday evening, killing the rider and passenger, and slamming into a house set back from the road at about 7:30pm. Emergency rescue first-responders from the Kusoldharm Foundation arrived at the accident scene, in front of the Pak Cheet Mosque about five…
- Phuket News
Renowned Political Analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak speaks to Phuket
PHUKET: Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University and a former op-ed contributor to the Phuket Gazette, spoke to the island’s International Business Association last week. In an exclusive interview before that talk, he sat down with Phuket Gazette News Editor Stephen Fein and News Manager Chris Husted to discuss several issues…
- Phuket News
Sirotkina celebrates birthday with two Phuket ITF tennis titles
PHUKET: A stylish and gritty performance earned Marta Sirotkina Phuket’s second SAT-Chang ITF Women’s Pro Circuit tennis title after coming from behind to defeat number four seed Claire Feuerstein of France 7-6, 7-6 (8-6) in the singles final today. Played at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC), an expectant crowd were treated to an enthralling finale of the US25,000 tournament…
- Thailand News
8 dead, 69 injured in Yala bomb blasts
PHUKET: At least eight people are dead and 69 injured after three bombs exploded in a busy shopping district in Yala Town at 11:50am today. Yala Governor Decharat Simsiri confirmed to the press that two explosions detonated near the Park View Hotel on the Ruammitr Road in Tambon Sateng of Muang district. While firefighters were trying to contain the blaze,…
- World News
Phuket Gazette: Record-breaking US$640 million jackpot shared
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Winning ‘Mega Millions’ tickets sold in Maryland, other states Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A winning ticket for the record-breaking US$640 million ‘Mega Millions’ jackpot was sold in Maryland, lottery officials confirmed on early Saturday. Winning tickets were also sold in several other states. The Maryland Lottery said…
- World News
Phuket Gazette: News Watch – Afghanistan and Pakistan
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community UN: Fighting in northwestern Pakistan displaces over 100,000 Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Military operations against militant groups in northwestern Pakistan have left more than 100,000 people displaced since the fighting began in late January, the United Nations (UN) said yesterday. The Office of the…
