Legacy Phuket Gazette

Israir announces direct flights from mid-December

PHUKET: Israeli airline Israir announced Wednesday that as of December it will begin operating two flights to Thailand, including direct flights between Israel and Phuket. Israel-based news service ynetnews.com reported that the flights, aboard Airbus A-330 planes, will be available during the height of Phuket’s high season: from December 15 to February 28. The flights will leave Israel on Sundays…

Urgent need for B Rh Negative blood

BANGKOK: Foreign Correspondents Club Thailand (FCCT) member and well-known local restaurateur Thomas McNamara is in critical condition and in need of blood type B Rh NEGATIVE. If you or anybody you know has this rare blood type, please contact Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok (Tel: 02-6671000) where Mr McNamara is being treated in Intensive Care Unit 526. A transfusion will help…

Young Brit dies in mystery fall

PATONG: A young English tourist mysteriously fell from a building in Patong early Monday evening and died en route to hospital. Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonnark identified the deceased from his passport as UK national Joseph John Nason, age 22. Mr Nason and a friend, aged 19, had just arrived in Phuket on a flight from Bangkok and were…

Bus crash claims 2, injures 30

MAI KHAO (NBT): A fully-loaded bus headed for Satun overturned and crashed at about 9 pm Sunday night, killing two people and injuring at least 30 more. The state-run Andaman News service reported that the accident occurred on the outbound lane of Thepkasattri Rd, in the Ban Maak Prok area of Mai Khao Village 1. Tah Chat Chai Police Superintendent Sakchai…

Laguna Phuket turns to China, Middle East as Europe stays away

PHUKET: Laguna Phuket, the giant five-star resort complex on Bangtao Beach, Phuket, says it plans to look more and more towards China and the Middle East next year to compensate for a continuing plunge in bookings from European tourists. The operators expect the global financial crisis and domestic political unrest to continue affecting international arrivals next year, particularly Europeans, long…

Stress taking a toll

BANGKOK (The Nation): Heads of families or breadwinners in urban areas in Bangkok and 18 other provinces are suffering from stress due to political turmoil and economic woes, an Abac poll revealed yesterday. The poll was conducted from October 10 to November 1. Of 3,293 respondents surveyed, 59 per cent said they were ‘stressed out’ by the country’s ongoing political…

Kajonkietsuksa School celebrates Halloween

WICHIT: Students and teachers of the Kajonkietsuksa School’s bilingual program today dressed up for a range of special Halloween activities being held at the school. These fun events are taking place before an abundance of parties all over the island this evening, including a ‘Sexy’, black-and-gold dress-up Hellfire event at the Watermark. What? Halloween gone sexy?

Central gets its HomeWorks done

WICHIT: After a year under construction, the 1-billion-baht HomeWorks home improvement mall opened its doors to the public for the first time on Saturday, October 25. Built by the CRC Power Retail Company Limited, one of the many arms of the massive Central Retail Corporation, the bypass road’s latest mega-retail outlet is located at the Darasamuth School Intersection, right across…

AOT launches “Lucky Flight’ promo at Phuket Airport

MAI KHAO: The Airports Authority Of Thailand (AOT) launched its three-day “Lucky Flight by AOT” promotion on Monday, when some of the 250 passengers arriving aboard Thai Airways flight TG 1205 won presents in a lucky draw held upon their arrival at 11 am. Manager magazine’s on-line Thai language news service quoted Phuket International Airport (PIA) deputy director Sucheeb Sansiripan…

They’re here! Box Jellyfish found in Phuket waters

PANWA: The Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) has issued an official warning following the collection of almost 40 box jellyfish in a trap in shallow waters, off Ao Nambor, on Phuket’s east coast. Some 38 of the jellyfish, which favor shallow brackish water, were recovered from a fish trap in a mangrove area on July 30. Eighteen more were found…

Regional haze pollution may diminish this year

CHERNG TALAY: In one of his first official acts as Governor, Dr Preecha Ruangjan represented the province at a multinational meeting aimed at reducing forest fires and haze in the region. The gathering, the Sixth Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on Trans-boundary Haze Pollution, was hosted at the Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket Resort on October 22. The…

Man suspected of journalist killing turns himself in

NAKHON SRI THAMMARAT: A man wanted on suspicion of involvement in the killing of Matichon journalist Athiwat Chainurat handed himself in to authorities in Nakhon Sri Thammarat on October 22. Lamduan “Kop” Kaowsisot, 25, from Bang Khan District gave himself up to Amnuay Jaritngam, headman of Village 1, Tambon Ban Lamnao, Bang Khan District after learning that a warrant for…

Preecha Ruangjan installed as new governor

PHUKET CITY: Preecha Ruangjan took office as the new Phuket Governor at Provincial Hall on Monday. Gov Preecha, who comes to Phuket after serving as governor of his home province of Phichit, paid his respects to the statue of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in front of Provincial Hall, then accepted flower baskets from many top officials and department heads. Tomorrow,…

Chai-Anan elected Kathu mayor

KATHU: By exactly 1,000 votes, Chai-Anan Suttikun beat rival candidate Somkid Choosawat in the October 12 election for Mayor of Kathu, Phuket Election Committee (PEC) Director Supap Akkam has confirmed. Mr Chai-Anan, representing the Rak Kathu (Love Kathu) party, garnered 4,815 votes, while Mr Somkid from rival party Kathu Pattana (Kathu Development) secured 3,815 votes. The result makes Mr Chai-Anan…

Man charged with Tesco midnight robberies

TAH CHAT CHAI: Stepped-up security at the Tah Chat Chai police checkpoint has resulted in the arrest of a man wanted for stealing merchandise valued at more than 100,000 baht from the Tesco-Lotus store on the bypass road. At a press conference led by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Apirak Hongthong on Friday, the suspect was identified as Manorom Aksorniem, from…

Man arrested for murder at Khao Khad Viewpoint

WICHIT: Phuket City Police took just 12 hours to arrest one man for the brutal stabbing and shooting murder of a bank employee on the night of October 12, but another key suspect in the case remains at large. According the the Phuket Provincial Police website, Phuket City Police Duty Officer Nanon Pitakkulthon was notified on October 13 that a…

Truck gone wild!

Two survive family “wipeout’ attempt

SAKOO: Police are investigating two possible motives for the shooting attack that left two rubber tappers dead and a third critically injured high in the Layan hills on Friday afternoon. Tah Chat Chai Police Inspector Somkid Khaosang identified the two deceased as Suppachai Nuan-eung and Boonrit Inthong. Both men were found dead at their hillside home, located off Layan Rd…

Salang revives threat

BANGKOK (The Nation): Police General Salang Bunnag yesterday revived his threat to “retake” Government House from the anti-government protesters, saying that his planned operation would begin after a religious ceremony to be held nearby on Wednesday. Salang, a former deputy police chief, said he would lead more than 1,000 inactive or retired policemen to retake the compound and return it…

TAT awards Dusit Laguna Phuket best hotel in South

PHUKET: Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket has won the 7th Thailand Tourism Award 2008 from the TAT for being the best hotel in the South with over 80 rooms. Criteria considered by the judges included the level of service, attention to protecting natural resources and the environment, sustaining art and culture, self-sufficiency and corporate social responsibility. General Manager of Dusit Thani…

Committee reverses decision on bypass U-turn

WICHIT: The U-turn on the bypass road in front of Phuket International Hospital (PIH) will remain open until a new set of traffic lights is completed further to the north, a provincial committee on traffic and road safety has decided. In a letter published in a local Thai-language newspaper on October 13, Phuket Governor Niran Kalyanamit announced the committee’s decision,…

PAD protest on National Police Day

PHUKET CITY: Ceremonies on Monday morning marking National Police Day had some unexpected guests, when some 300 People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters turned up to express their anger at the death of two PAD protesters who died from injuries sustained in clashes with police outside Parliament in Bangkok on October 7. Despite the unexpected guests, the ceremony got underway…

Ruling party tense after PM Somchai’s royal audience

BANGKOK (The Nation): Repoters and People Power Party MPs were scrambling last night to try to verify claims that Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat might dissolve Parliament. A grim-looking Somchai was tight-lipped upon his return from a royal audience with HM the King in Hua Hin, saying only that he gave the monarch “a normal report” on government work. When asked…

Chinese gas canisters to be recalled, destroyed

BANGKOK (The Nation): The Royal Thai Police will recall all Chinese-made tear-gas canisters that are now blamed for causing horrific injuries and deaths to People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators during last Tuesday’s clash outside Parliament. The recalled canisters will be destroyed, Ordnance and Quartermaster Division Commander Phuwadon Wuttakanok said yesterday. “The firing test shows that tear-gas canisters supplied by…

New reservoir filling up

THALANG: Work on Phuket’s second major reservoir at Bang Neaw Dum in Srisoothorn is almost complete, with one million cubic meters of water already being held behind the dam. Supinyo Hoonpadungrat, head of the Phuket Provincial Irrigation Office, said that work on the earthen dam, spillway and associated waterworks is now “about 97% complete”. Mr Supinyo expects about 3.5 million…

Province launches mobile “anti-poverty” clinic

PHUKET CITY: Phuket Province this morning launched a “Mobile Anti-Poverty Clinic” aimed at eliminating poverty in the province in accordance with government policy. The opening festivities took place on the grounds in front of Phuket Provincial Hall this morning, with Phuket Vice Governor Tri Augkaradacha presiding. Naep Sinthong, who heads the province’s community development services unit, said the project is…