Legacy Phuket Gazette
- Phuket News
Migrant workers jump ship, tangle fishing vessels in red tape
PHUKET: Migrant labors jumping ship for better paying jobs on other fishing vessels is causing a logistical tangle at the Port in – Port out Control Center (PIPO), which is stopping many boats from departing. “Many boats have not been allowed to leave because the number of crew members on the boat does not match with the PIPO database,” explained…
- Phuket News
Indian Navy training vessels berth in Phuket
PHUKET: Four Indian Navy vessels have berthed at the Deep Sea Port in Phuket as naval and Coast Guard trainees take on 24 weeks of at-sea exercises. A statement from the navy said the deployment of the training squadron to Phuket “provides opportunities for extensive maritime engagement, contributes to the maintenance of good order at sea, and further cements the…
- World News
Vietnam reports first Zika infections, raises alarm
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Vietnam reports first Zika infections, raises alarm Phuket Gazette / Reuters HANOI: Mosquitoes have infected two women with the Zika virus in Vietnam, health authorities said on Tuesday, in the country’s first cases of a disease linked in Brazil to thousands of suspected cases of microcephaly,…
- Phuket News
Karon Police too busy to cage slow loris touts
PHUKET: Karon Police admitted today that slow loris touts on the beach are not a high enough priority to merit the resources necessary to put them behind bars. “Tourists’ safety and the safety of their belongings is a bigger concern for us,” said Lt Col Pornnarong Karnonchai of the Karon Police. “We do our best to take care of smaller…
- Phuket News
Police close net on trio of teen robbers
PHUKET: Police investigating a knife attack by three Thai males on four foreign tourists at Patong Beach on April 1 believe that the trio are from Trang Province and that they are also responsible for an attack on a Thai man later the same day. Two Russians and two Australians were injured in the altercation early Friday morning on Patong…
- Phuket News
Hong Kong spear fishers put Similan dive boat in hot water
PHUKET: Photos of Hong Kong spear fishermen showing off the bounty they hunted in the waters of the Andaman caused an uproar on social media as those online made allegations that they had been fishing in Similan National Park, Thailand’s top diving destination. Panunee, the boat that the tourists were hunting from, is touted as a 5-star luxury liveaboard. The…
- Phuket News
Fisheries department launches e-licences to sustain fish stocks
PHUKET: The Phuket Fisheries Department launched an e-licencing system on April 1 aimed at regulating local fishing operations in order to sustain fish stocks by limiting commercial fishing in the province. The department has also warned operators of commercial fishing vessels to renew their licences by the end of the month or face stiff penatlies. “The Fisheries Act 2015 states…
- Pattaya News
Tri-lingual tryst ‘Patong Girl’ premiers this month
PHUKET: A young German lad falls in love with the mysterious, native beauty Fai while on holiday in Thailand with his family. He follows his heart, but things get complicated… That’s the synopsis of Patong Girl, the latest tri-lingual movie co-produced by Thailand-based moviemaker Tom Waller. Set for release in Phuket on April 18 at SF Cinema at Jungceylon, Patong…
- Phuket News
AccorHotels acquires DoubleTree Resort in Surin
PHUKET: AccorHotels announced on April 1 its expanded partnership with Destination Resorts Co Ltd to take over management of DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Phuket Surin Beach. Under the new management deal, the resort has now been re-branded as Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort, bringing to eight the number of AccorHotels managed by Novotel Resorts in Thailand. “The Novotel brand,…
- Phuket News
Home robbers murder Phuket woman
PHUKET: Two suspects were arrested last night for murdering a woman during a home burglary in Phuket on Saturday. The body of Ubon Romporee, 49, was found by her 11-year-old son in their home in Pa Khlok Saturday afternoon. “Ms Ubon had been stabbed multiple times and had her throat cut,” confirmed Thalang Police Superintendent Chanuchan Cholsuwat. “We have arrested…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok Ombudsman pushes for Samkong underpass completion
PHUKET: After months of delays, the Samkong underpass is expected to be open later this month and be fully operational by May, it has been confirmed. Inspectors from the Ombudsman Office in Bangkok visited the construction site yesterday and confirmed the underpass should be open to traffic within the next few weeks. Boon Tapanadul from the Bangkok Ombudsman Office was…
- Phuket News
Spanish tourist arrivals on the up
PHUKET: The number of Spanish tourists visiting Thailand has risen by almost 30 per cent this year while the number of Russian tourists continues to rapidly decline, according to the latest figures released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Despite a drop in the overall number of European visitors to Thailand by about nine per cent, there was a…
- Phuket News
Interior Ministry designates Phuket as pilot province for social enterprise initiative
PHUKET: The Interior Ministry has designated Phuket as a launch pad for a new government-backed social enterprise initiative to help grass-roots businesses flourish and contribute to bolstering the local economy. On a visit to Phuket to officially launch the nationwide initiative on March 31, Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda said the aim of the initiative was to increase income for…
- Phuket News
Phuket airport retailers forced to drop prices
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport has slashed the cost of drinking water on sale inside its terminals by 75 per cent and has launched lower priced menus to appease hungry travellers on a budget. Under pressure from irate tourists complaining on social media about the high costs of food and drink inside the infamous airport, the Ministry of Commerce ordered the…
- Thailand News
Police seize 30kg of heroin smuggled on Taiwanese boat
BANGKOK: Police have detained at least three Taiwanese suspects for allegedly smuggling more than 30 kilograms of heroin into Thailand. An informed source said the suspects were nabbed at about 1:45am yesterday at Terminal 1 at Bangkok Port in Klong Toei district. They were aboard the Taiwanese-registered cargo ship Yang Ming, the source said. Police were looking for the captain…
- Phuket News
Video Report: Animatronics attraction lands in Phuket
PHUKET: Life-like dinosaurs, giant spiders and aliens have landed in Phuket on board the space ship Ghostinium; a new high-tech animatronic attraction which opened at Central Festival East today. The new indoor exhibition featuring a variety of robotic creatures is located on the third floor of the shopping center next to Homeworks. “Ghostinium offers a great, fun way for kids…
- Phuket News
Mysterious fire guts house in Chalong
PHUKET: Authorities are trying to track down the owner of a house in Chalong that was gutted by fire this afternoon. The fire broke out at about 12:45pm at the single-storey residence situated in a row of terraced houses in Soi Songkun. “We believe the house is rented out by a foreigner, who was last seen leaving for work this…
- World News
Car bomb attack kills Seven police in Turkey’s Diyarbakir
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Car bomb attack kills Seven police in Turkey’s Diyarbakir Phuket Gazette / Reuters ANKARA/DIYARBAKIR: Turkey, A car bomb killed seven police officers and wounded around two dozen people in Turkey’s Diyarbakir on Thursday, security sources and officials said, a day before the prime minister is due…
- World News
India flyover collapse kills 10 with 150 feared trapped
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community India flyover collapse kills 10 with 150 feared trapped Phuket Gazette / Reuters KOLKATA: India, An overpass under construction in the bustling Indian city of Kolkata collapsed on Thursday on to vehicles and street vendors below, killing at least 14 people with more than 100 people…
- Phuket News
Phuket beach makes cut for best in the world
PHUKET: Kata Noi Beach wiggled its way into the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards for best beaches in the world this year. The west-coast beauty spot ranked third best in Asia while Nai Harn Beach was awarded 6th place. Not too far behind Phuket were Phra Nang Beach and Railey Beach – both in Krabi. Kata Noi was also awarded first…
- Phuket News
Man fires gun in Phuket shellfish dispute
PHUKET: A Myanmar national was beaten to the ground inside a Phuket school after having discharged a firearm in a shellfish dispute at a nearby local market today. The 20-year-old man, named by police only as ‘Suriyan’, allegedly pulled the homemade gun on 64-year-old fresh food vendor Somjai Utsaha. “Mr Suriyan allegedly attempted to shoot Mr Somjai after he refused…
- Property
Property Watch: Influence of crime on land value
PHUKET: Reading through the news each week for Phuket, we all see the stabbings; suicides; drive-by shootings; drug hauls; crazed mini-van and other public vehicle smashes; horrific murders and assaults. Some elect to comment on these stories in the hope that those who can do something about the levels of crime will take action not just to deal with crime,…
- Thai Life
On Deck: Dive ban to impact yachting
PHUKET: “Move to regulate diving industry” was a recent headline and front page story in the Phuket Gazette. At first glance I thought; ‘fair enough’, until I read further. Following a spate of deaths and accidents, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Phuket Office, headed by Santi Pawai, has taken it upon themselves to improve safety in the dive…
- Business News
Finance: How to meet the right people for success
PHUKET: They say you can determine a man’s income simply by taking the average of the four or five people with whom he spends the most time. I am not sure how scientific the study was that has produced this timeless piece of advice, but the general concept is easy to validate if you look closely at the people you…
- Phuket News
A Decade Ago: Airline safety no April fools joke
PHUKET: The April 1, 2006 edition of the Phuket Gazette was no joking matter, as the European Commission (EC) blacklisted the now-defunct Phuket Airlines due to safety concerns. However, even as the Gazette went to press a decade ago, the company had applied to launch another airline, to be called Holiday Airplanes. Phuket is no stranger to horrific airline crashes,…
- Phuket News
Phuket’s top chefs to serve up a show at Lighthouse Market
PHUKET: The Lighthouse Market returns to the Boat Lagoon and this time it’s bigger, better… and tastier. Over the last two years, the Lighthouse Market has introduced great outdoor dining and fun activities in a fantastic atmosphere. Now, to keep things exciting for the third edition in 2016, the market is bringing out the big guns: this Friday and Saturday…
- Opinion
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Petting every dog you see
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 Life
Profile: Building high-end healthcare from grass roots beginnings
PHUKET: Dr Somrit Jantarapratin (MD, MBA) recently took on a new role as director of Bangkok Hospital Phuket. One might expect a position of such prestige to require extensive study and experience from foreign medical institutions, but this is not the case with Dr Somrit, who is an example of the world-class advancements that Thailand’s grass-roots medical institutions can help…
- Pattaya News
Phuket to get two of eight new marinas planned for the south
PHUKET: Two new marinas are to be built in Phuket as part of the government’s plan to stimulate economic growth by turning Thailand into a marine leisure hub in the ASEAN region. The marina development plan, announced by Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, includes construction of eight new marinas – four in the Andaman Sea and four in the Gulf of…
- Thai Life
Gardening: Lest we forget the magic of orchids
PHUKET: At my age, time seems to whizz by – about the only form of awareness that does. Recently it was the doleful anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris. It seems only a couple of months ago, but memory plays strange tricks on the aging brain. For instance, when I checked, I found my last piece about orchids…
