Legacy Phuket Gazette
- Phuket News
Condo conundrum
PHUKET: Your ownership of a condominium or your ability to rent it out has nothing to do with whether or not you have a work permit, Phuket Employment Office Chief Pitool Dumsakorn has told the Phuket Gazette. Legal ambiguities over real estate regulations distressed foreign owners last week, when Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat announced a crackdown on condominium complexes…
- Opinion
Island View: Irrefutable commandments for Phuket farangs
PHUKET: Remember, I am the whiteness of thy skin. Despite how burned thou may become, I have led thee out of the land of the West, out of the bondage of actual behavioral standards. These are my commandments to you, Chosen People! THOU shalt not pay less than 200 baht for a taxi fare, regardless of the distance or length…
- Business News
Finance: Investment potential of the Philippines
PHUKET: I recently spent a week in the Philippines – a country long labeled with the dubious distinction as ‘the sick man of Asia’ and a country investors might want to take a closer look at. The Philippines’ presidential and vice presidential election on May 9 saw the rise of Rodrigo Duterte, after incumbent President Benigno Aquino III (who took…
- Phuket News
Gulu opens up about RPM sale
PHUKET: The Royal Phuket Marina (RPM) is on the market. The announcement of the ‘luxury lifestyle development’s impending sale comes as a surprise to many industry analysts, particularly as RPM Chairman Gulu Lalvani has often referred to the development as his legacy. Just last year, Mr Lalvani announced a 5 billion baht investment plan for the marina. In an exclusive…
- Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Mythological Tree of Women
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.…
- Opinion
Opinion: Phuket chosen as ‘model city'”¦ again
PHUKET: While the media narrative abroad regarding our Land of Smiles has focused on such lofty issues as democratic development, freedom of expression, human rights and so forth, it is somehow reassuring to know that here on the ground the saying plus ็a change, plus c’est la m๊me chose still seems to apply as far as daily life is concerned.…
- Thai Life
Blazing Saddles: Cycling and your sex life
PHUKET: There is no doubt that cycling is tremendously beneficial for your body and you only have to look at the fine physiques of such super-cyclists with strong Phuket associations as Chris McCormack, Clint Kimmins, Belinda Granger and Anan Duangsopa in order to see how true this is. But how good is cycling for your sex life and does it…
- World News
Truck attacker kills up to 80 in Nice Bastille Day crowd
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Truck attacker kills up to 80 in Nice Bastille Day crowd Phuket Gazette / Reuters NICE, FRANCE: An attacker killed up to 80 people and injured scores when he drove a heavy truck at high speed into a crowd watching Bastille Day fireworks in the French…
- Phuket News
Marina developers to fight encroachment charges
KRABI: The developers of the Port Takola Yacht Marina in Krabi have been charged with land encroachment after Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) officers raided the site on June 29. The DMCR officials said that during the raid more than 100 officers inspected the marina property to determine whether or not it was encroaching on government land. After…
- Phuket News
Tourists thanked by Ao Nang officials for beach cleaning
KRABI: Public officials in Krabi began picking up trash that had washed ashore along a two kilometer stretch of Ao Nang beach yesterday. The officers were joined by private companies, as well as tourists, who pitched in to clear the beach after the heavy rains and strong surf washed trash up along the Ao Nang shoreline. Krabi officials said they…
- Thai Life
Looking Back: The siege of Chantaburi
PHUKET: In the year 1767, the Burmese had laid siege to the ancient capital of Siam for many months. Eventually they were able to breach the city’s walls. What followed was an orgy of violence and destruction as the invaders laid waste to the once magnificent city. Ayutthaya was torched, its treasures plundered and hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants…
- Phuket News
Dolphin dies despite locals’ efforts
PHUKET: A lost and weakened dolphin found at Rawai beach last night has died, despite rescuers attempts save the mammal. Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos told the Phuket Gazette that he received a report around 5pm from locals that they had found a dolphin in trouble off Rawai beach. “We immediately called the Phuket Marine Biological Center’s (PMBC) Endangered Species Unit,”…
- Food
Indulge your cheesebuds at Only Cheese
PHUKET: Three hungry Gazette editors with a craving for cheese descended on ‘Only Cheese’ in Kathu for lunch last week, and much to the annoyance of other editorial team members couldn’t stop talking about it for a week afterward. Whether you are a cheese lover or not, there’s something for everyone on the menu. At first glance, it looks like…
- Thai Life
On Deck: BREXIT and the Phuket marine industry
PHUKET: Rather a lot has changed since my last column, at least in Europe. BREXIT. Lots has been said and written – lies, assumptions, crystal ball gazing and all the political back-biting that comes with such a momentous decision. I won’t go through the details here – there are many better qualified than myself for that – but I will…
- Pattaya News
Phuket Transport Office vows to continue crackdown
PHUKET: Five hundred seventy-three drivers were arrested during a three-day crackdown in Phuket, July 3-5, according to officials from the Department of Land Transport (DLT). Royal Thai Army personnel and Phuket law enforcement officers set up checkpoints across the island, in what DLT officials called an “attempt to boost Thailand’s image”. DLT director-general Sanit Promwong said on July 5 that…
- Koh Samui News
Junkies and vandals flock to Samui park
KOH SAMUI: Photos circulating on line of dirty and unsafe toilets at Pru Chaweng Park in Koh Samui have sparked enough public outrage that officials are considering moving the facilities. Images of used needles, condoms and faeces went viral on July 5, after a user posted them on Facebook. The ten-toilet public restroom is located in a public park and…
- Business News
Implications of Phuket’s aging population
PHUKET: Financial constraints and dramatic changes in employment numbers are expected to hit Phuket over the next 15 years, as an increasing percentage of the province’s population grows old. The Phuket Statistical Office estimates about 34,000 out of the 379,000 registered residents across the province are aged 60 years or older. That’s 9.2 per cent of the island’s population, and…
- Opinion
Opinion: Sorting out messy overhead cables
PHUKET: Wichan Praenam is a Phuket native and the manager of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), Thalang Office. He has been working in this position since 2014. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Phuket Rajabhat University. Here he talks about unorganized overhead cables and the progress the PEA has made to improve the situation. As…
- Phuket News
Rescue operation underway to save injured dolphin
KRABI: The Royal Thai Navy was working to save the life of an injured dolphin found stranded on a beach on Lanta Noi Island in Krabi yesterday. Locals found the fatigued cetacean with a damaged left fin on Lang Sod Beach and called the Navy for help. Lieutenant commander Peerapat Pattanasopon of the Third Naval Area Command rescue unit said…
- Thai Life
Profile: Trailblazer in Phuket journalism
PHUKET: Janjira Sittabutr, originally from Songkhla, is the president of the Phuket Reporter Club. She has been working at Manager Newspaper for more than 20 years. She’s written many articles about Phuket, especially in-depth and developing stories during and after the 2004 tsunami. “I never expected to end up being a reporter. But it’s been so long that it feels…
- Phuket News
Scarce hauls concern local fishermen, conservation officials
PHUKET: As fishermen across Phuket and Krabi returned to shore after the July 1 reopening of the season, their meager catches furrowed foreheads and drew exasperated sighs. Fish stocks are dwindling, and many of western Thailand’s captains and deck hands are worried as a fog of uncertainty obscures the future of their industry – and livelihoods. “Every year it keeps…
- Phuket News
Teenaged tourist critically injured by speedboat propeller
PHUKET: A speedboat crew member was charged for reckless driving and causing injury after a Chinese tourist was severely injured when he got caught in the boat’s propeller on Wednesday. Li Yuheng, 18, was aboard the Poseidon 959 along with 33 other tourists. The boat was headed from Phuket to Phi Phi and was moored at Pileh Bay for tourists…
- Phuket News
Experts predict Phuket’s housing market is headed for positive territory
PHUKET: After a long lull in the province’s real estate market, experts believe at least 5 billion baht will be invested into the market between the last fiscal quarter of this year and the first quarter of next year. The Phuket Real Estate Association (PREA) president, Thanusak Pungdet, made the announcement yesterday, after reportedly meeting with developers and reviewing market…
- Phuket News
Woman killed in Phuket Town shooting
PHUKET: Police are searching for suspects who allegedly shot a woman in the head yesterday morning in Phuket Town. Phuket City Police responded to a reported attack on a souvenir shop on Phang Nga Road a little after 4am. The Phuket Gazette has confirmed that the woman is a hilltribe, non-Thai citizen from Chiang Mai, named Wenlang Sae-Lee. The 22…
- Business News
Finance: Anyone can play the market
PHUKET: You don’t need a brokerage account or a financial adviser to get involved in the market. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are index funds that can be accessed through a low-cost online platform and give an almost identical return as those of the underlying market they represent. However, you can still lose a fortune very quickly if you don’t know…
- Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: You need an expensive car
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.For…
- Phuket News
1,000 free WiFi hotspots planned for Phuket
PHUKET: One thousand free WiFi hotspots are to be made available in Phuket in time for the tourist high season at the end of this year. “The hotspots will be made available in Phuket Town and Patong by December, at the latest, as part of Phuket’s development as a ‘smart city’, said the provincial head of the Software Industry Promotion…
- Thai Life
Keep It Green: Care for the natural environment
PHUKET: I was once sitting in an open-air Chalong eatery when six uniformed girls arrived for lunch. Obviously part of a team, they ordered a communal dish, which duly arrived: a large steaming bowl of “tom yam kung” and six smaller bowls. One girl took it upon herself assiduously to clean each bowl by rubbing it with three pink tissues.…
- Property
By the book: The market is ripe for the picking
PHUKET: “The time to buy is when there’s blood in the streets.” – Baron Rothschild. “You pay a very high price… for a cheery consensus.” – Warren Buffett. While there certainly isn’t blood in the streets here in Phuket, the property market remains slow with a consensus to wait on the sidelines. A faltering global economy, the weakness of the…
- Phuket News
Motorcycle rider killed in collision with U-turning pick-up
PHUKET: A motorcycle rider was killed instantly last night when the bike she was riding slammed into a pick-up truck that was making a U-turn in front of the Supercheap store near the Heroines’ Monument on the road to Pa Khlok. The accident occurred just after midnight, killing Myanmar national Jee Ngui, 26, and seriously injuring a man who could…
