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.
  • Thai LifeA physiotherapy technique for the elderly at Patong Hospital

    A physiotherapy technique for the elderly at Patong Hospital

    PHUKET: Patong Hospital has recently launched a new physiotherapy technique for the elderly, called Methode Mezieres, in collaboration with a French physiotherapist named Eric Lon. Mr Lon, now 65, works as a physiotherapist in France. Mr Lon explained that the origins of the Methode Mezieres technique dates back to World War II, when millions of people in France were adversely…

  • OpinionOpinion: Young lives forever ruined by drugs

    Opinion: Young lives forever ruined by drugs

    PHUKET: Despite the recent effort to ‘restart’ Thailand as a more civil and corruption-free society, continued reports of drug-related arrests indicate that our nation still has a long way to go in curbing the chronic problems of illicit drugs. The reflections of two female inmates serving lengthy sentences at the dangerously overcrowded Phuket Provincial Prison should serve as cautionary tales…

  • PropertyAcross the land: Dealing with water scarcity

    Across the land: Dealing with water scarcity

    PHUKET: Every April, the weather is blistering hot in Thailand, and it’s been no exception this year if not hotter. According to reports, it has not been as hot as this in Thailand for 65 years. Intense heat, attributed to the El Nino weather phenomenon, is causing a severe drought and water shortage throughout the region. No exception for Phuket…

  • Phuket NewsGrand (re)opening of Surin Beach announced

    Grand (re)opening of Surin Beach announced

    PHUKET: After years of delays and last minute attempts to save illegal beach businesses from the wrecking ball, Surin Beach has finally been restored to its ‘natural’ state. In what seems to be a rather quick rise from the rubble, officials have announced the beach’s grand opening set for June 9. It is now being called the ‘Beach of Honor’…

  • Phuket NewsSevere coral bleaching threatens popular Phi Phi dive spots

    Severe coral bleaching threatens popular Phi Phi dive spots

    PHUKET: Coral bleaching is rife in Phi Phi national park – the worst ever recorded in Thailand – alarmed conservation officials reported yesterday. Many varieties of coral have been affected by the bleaching, which is due to the sea temperature rising to between 31 to 35 degrees Celsius, said an official from the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant…

  • Phuket NewsParadise Beach club to fight demolition notice

    Paradise Beach club to fight demolition notice

    PHUKET: Paradise Beach Management Co Ltd this afternoon vowed to appeal a Patong Municipality demolition notice of the property they currently occupy at Paradise Beach, claiming that their land document is legal. Nituch Prasertnetikul, the lawyer speaking on behalf of the company and the current land owner Sophon Eakwanit, said that news of the demolition notice, handed down last Wednesday,…

  • Phuket NewsRawai sea gypsies finally see the light

    Rawai sea gypsies finally see the light

    PHUKET: The 25-household Rawai sea gypsy community is overjoyed to finally have electricity, after having lived without it for most of their lives, as a land-rights conflict hampered their access to the power grid. The free installation of a 3,000-watt solar cell-powered system to generate electricity in the area is the result of an initiative by Phra Khru Wimonpanyakhun, the…

  • Phuket NewsBREAKING: Tattooed body washes up on Karon Beach

    BREAKING: Tattooed body washes up on Karon Beach

    PHUKET: The body of a man wearing only underpants washed up on Karon Beach last night. A foreign tourist was shocked to discover the body while walking along the beach at 7:30pm and contacted the police. The deceased was aged 35-40 and was about 165-170cm tall. He has a bald head and appears, by the dark color of his skin,…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Marine Police seize illegally imported boat equipment

    Phuket Marine Police seize illegally imported boat equipment

    PHUKET: Marine police seized boat engines and other heavy machinery with a total value of five million baht, stored at a lockup in Rassada on Monday. “We received a tip from an anonymous source that machinery was being stored in a fishing industry warehouse in Rassada,” Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana said. “During an early morning raid on the…

  • Phuket NewsRussian deputy consul for Phuket dies in crash

    Russian deputy consul for Phuket dies in crash

    PHUKET: The Russian Federation’s Deputy Honorary Consul for Phuket died in a car crash early this morning in the Wichit sub-district. Authorities believe Santi Udomkiratak, 50, fell asleep at the wheel after they found no signs of attempted braking on the roadway. Police say the crash between Mr Santi’s Mercedes and a six-wheel truck occurred near the Jor Soo Kong…

  • FoodAuthentic Phuket cuisine at Wanon restaurant

    Authentic Phuket cuisine at Wanon restaurant

    PHUKET: Located in the lush green surroundings of the Flying Hanuman eco-adventure park in Wichit, Wanon restaurant offers a truly unique and authentic local dining experience. Head chef Kittipong Jaramorn Burapong graduated from the Culinary Arts Institute in New York. He has extensive experience with Thai, Italian and Mexican cuisine, having lived and worked in the US for 20 years.…

  • Business NewsBiz Chat: Tips for establishing a start-up

    Biz Chat: Tips for establishing a start-up

    PHUKET: The island is filled with business people who invest millions on large business prospects, but no one ever talks about the little guy. What if you have 100,000 baht and want to play around with it? Here’s a guide to investing in a small business, just to see if it works. Let’s take it step by step – the…

  • Phuket NewsIntoxicated man burns BMW

    Intoxicated man burns BMW

    PHUKET: A drunk man allegedly poured a gallon of gasoline onto a BMW and set it on fire early yesterday morning, officials confirmed. The Kathu Municipality Fire Department rushed to put out the blaze at the entrance to Irawadee Kejho village. “Locals reported the fire to the station at about 3am, after which firefighters arrived at the scene and put…

  • Phuket NewsThousands pawn valuables to cover back to school costs

    Thousands pawn valuables to cover back to school costs

    PHUKET: Phuket’s pawn brokers said transactions on May 10 totalled nearly 12 million baht, as families pawned valuables to cover their children’s school costs. Phuket City Municipality Pawnshop representative Apirat Chaiyakul said transactions between May and June are expected to increase by as much as 30 per cent over last year. Mr Apirat said his store will do around 180mn…

  • Phuket NewsBody of missing swimmer washes up at Nai Harn

    Body of missing swimmer washes up at Nai Harn

    PHUKET: A Myanmar man who was reported missing at Nai Harn Beach yesterday, was found dead this afternoon, officials confirmed. Joe Ye Bai, 22, reportedly went to Nai Harn with two of his friends and was washed away by waves at around 6:20pm, May 15. His body washed ashore on Nai Harn Beach at about 2:10pm today. “The clothes on…

  • OpinionOpinion: Tourism’s impact on Phuket’s sea gypsies

    Opinion: Tourism’s impact on Phuket’s sea gypsies

    Nirund Yangpan, a fisherman by profession and father of four sons, was born and raised in Rawai’s sea gypsy community. His family has been fishing for generations, but times have changed and now he fears the worst. Here, he talks about how tourism and new fishing regulations have impacted their traditional way of life, making it harder to earn a…

  • PropertyAirport completion fails again – this time mooted for December

    Airport completion fails again – this time mooted for December

    PHUKET: Completion of construction work on the new international terminal at Phuket Airport has been pushed back to September, admits Airports of Thailand Plc President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn in an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette last week. Mr Nitinai was in Phuket to ‘assess progress’ with the new terminal but could not give a fixed date for the opening. “We…

  • Thai LifeProfile: Phuket’s own Ironman Jaray Jearanai [video] | Thaiger

    Profile: Phuket’s own Ironman Jaray Jearanai [video]

    PHUKET: If we mentioned the terms ‘Ironman’ or ‘triathlon’ 10 years ago, not many people on the island would have known what it meant, or paid much attention. These days, however, when a sporting trend becomes popular, the number of interested athletes on the island increases rapidly. Dominating the top of the triathlete rankings since 2011 is Thai athlete, Jaray…

  • Phuket NewsAussie life savers support Phuket lifeguard training

    Aussie life savers support Phuket lifeguard training

    PHUKET: About 60 volunteers took part in a training seminar on emergency life-saving techniques at Phuket’s Air Traffic Control Center May 10-14. The annual lifeguard training was sponsored by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO), and was supported by members of the non-profit organization Surf Life Saving Australia. “Our trainers included personnel from the Third Naval Area Command and the…

  • Phuket NewsEnvironmental damage shutters Ta Chai island indefinitely

    Environmental damage shutters Ta Chai island indefinitely

    PHUKET: Ta Chai Island and the surrounding waters were today closed to tourists and members of the public with no scheduled reopening date. Officials say the island, located some 70 kilometers north of Phuket, was closed in order to allow marine life a chance to restore itself. “Normally, islands in Mu Koh Similan National Park, including Ta Chai and Similan,…

  • Phuket NewsNew police station opens near Phuket airport

    New police station opens near Phuket airport

    PHUKET: The new Sakoo Police Station officially opened its doors on May 11, to oversee Sakoo sub-district as well as the Phuket International Airport. The new station, located near Nai Yang Beach in Sirinath National Park, was one of 88 police stations opened nationwide on the same day. The new station’s operations cover five communities (Moo Baan) in Sakoo sub-district…

  • Phuket NewsVideo Report: Phuket researchers internationally recognized for breakthrough explosive-testing kit

    Video Report: Phuket researchers internationally recognized for breakthrough explosive-testing kit

    PHUKET: A six member research team from Phuket and Hat Yai was awarded silver medals for creating low-cost explosive testing kits at the 44th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2016. The invention comes in the wake of several recent bombings in Thailand. The competition included more than 800 inventions submitted by participants from more than 40 countries around the world.…

  • Business NewsFinance: Take financial opinions with a pinch of salt

    Finance: Take financial opinions with a pinch of salt

    PHUKET: It’s very easy to get confused in the era of 24-hour media with regards to what’s going on in the world economy. To make matters worse financial opinions are often reported as facts. Many times there are hidden agendas behind these, so it’s important to take any opinions with a grain of salt. The idea for this article came…

  • Thai LifeLooking Back: A brief history of Thongdee

    Looking Back: A brief history of Thongdee

    PHUKET: During the late Ayutthaya period, around the year 1750, there lived a boy named Joi in the district of Pichai. His father was a farmer and often tasked him with taking care of the family’s buffalo. Joi was intelligent and fearless. Although slightly small in stature, he was not easily intimidated and often got into fights with bigger kids.…

  • Phuket NewsFishing captain hospitalized after ammonia leak

    Fishing captain hospitalized after ammonia leak

    PHUKET: A Taiwanese fishing boat captain was injured from an ammonia leak aboard a tuna fishing vessel at the Fish Marketing Organization pier in Rassada yesterday. A Kusoldharm Foundation rescue worker received the report of the leak and found the captain unconscious. “Armed with protective masks, rescue workers boarded the Shun Ying and used a machine to remove the gas…

  • Phuket NewsFossils found in Krabi

    Fossils found in Krabi

    KRABI: Fossilized bones, possibly those of a dinosaur, have been discovered in a stream bed in Krabi. Locals stumbled across the fossils half-buried in the bank of Khlong Paklao in Na Nuea, a sub-district Ao Luek District, after the water level in the stream dropped to about half a meter following an extended period of drought. The petrified bones are…

  • Phuket NewsPower cut to affect Koh Kaew on May 17

    Power cut to affect Koh Kaew on May 17

    PHUKET: A scheduled electricity shut-off will affect residents in the Koh Kaew sub-district on Tuesday, May 17. The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) announced that there will be no electricity in the area from 9am to 5pm. All areas from Chao Fah Gardens (near 7-Eleven), up to the Isuzu showroom in Koh Kaew, as well as roads in the surrounding vicinity,…

  • Phuket NewsWork underway to fix B400k damage to Chalong road caused by water trucks

    Work underway to fix B400k damage to Chalong road caused by water trucks

    PHUKET: Work is underway to repair 400,000 baht worth of damage done by water delivery trucks to a road behind Chalong Temple. Chalong Municipality confirmed today that work began this week to resurface Luangporgluam Road, which runs alongside the reservoir, an old tin mine, after complaints from locals prompted Chalong Mayor Samran Jindapon to ban water delivery trucks from using…

  • OpinionMinistry of Farang Affairs: Going without toilet paper

    Ministry of Farang Affairs: Going without toilet paper

    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.…

  • OpinionOpinion: Innovation is just half the battle [video] | Thaiger

    Opinion: Innovation is just half the battle [video]

    PHUKET: In a world where the only constant is change, it is interesting to note that Thailand is now gaining a reputation for innovation. The Gazette‘s cover story this week highlights just one of the many Thai innovations that won prizes at the 44th International Exhibition of Inventions, held in Geneva last month. Among the other big Thai winners in…