Legacy Phuket Gazette
- Phuket News
Writer recalls last moments of doomed diveboat
PHUKET: Gazette diving writer Chris Cruz has described the dramatic moments before the dive boat he was on capsized and sank during a heavy storm on Tuesday, leaving a Thai woman dead.The 24-meter Bubble Blue, with 18 people on board, was several hours into the seven-hour journey from Chalong port to the Similan Islands when it was caught in bad…
- Phuket News
Phuket to host gay festival rejected by Singapore
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura has given the green light for the province to host Asia’s largest gay and lesbian festival, the Nation Party, after the organizers’ application for a license to hold the annual event in Singapore was turned down. The three-day festival will now be held in Phuket, starting November 4.The festival, organized by the website Fridae.com,…
- Phuket News
No leads in mystery woman’s murder
PHUKET CITY: Police have yet to identify an Asian woman found murdered near Sri Suchart Grand View 2 housing estate, off the bypass road, on March 22.Pol Maj Aikasit Pinkaew told the Gazette that, because of the condition of the corpse when it was found, investigators were not even sure whether the woman was Thai. Police believe she died three…
- Phuket News
Local politicians to the rescue
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) has invited the country’s other 75 OrBorJor to attend a meeting in August aimed at giving a boost to the island’s tourism industry.Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr, President of the PPAO, said that last year’s tsunami disaster has had an extremely negative influence on Phuket’s tourism, especially in the low-season months. Average hotel occupancy in June…
- Phuket News
Diveboat sinks: one dead
PHUKET: One person died when a diveboat capsized and sank 40 kilometers off the coast of Phuket in a storm this morning.The 24-meter liveaboard boat Bubble Blue, from the Khao Lak-based dive business of the same name, was travelling from Phuket to the Similan Islands to carry out a survey of coral reefs when it was hit by a four-meter…
- Phuket News
Storm forces flights to turn back
PHUKET: Driving rain and strong winds forced several scheduled flights to abort their landings at Phuket International Airport this morning.An officer at Phuket International Airport, who spoke to the Gazette on condition of anonymity, said that the strong winds forced pilots of four flights to abort their landings at the airport because they were not confident that it was safe…
- Phuket News
Pelé and Cantona to visit Phuket
PHUKET: The island will play host on July 28 to a charity beach soccer match, which will be attended by soccer giants Edson Arantes do Nascimento – better known as Pelé – and Eric Cantona.The announcement was made by Somsak Thepsuthin, Minister of Sports and Tourism, who visited the island to watch the Phuket round of the 1st ASEM (Asia…
- Phuket News
Canadian child-molester ordered deported
PATONG: A court has ordered Canadian teacher Jocelyn Leblanc deported after he confessed to charges of sexually molesting a child under 15 years of age.The 66-year-old teacher of the English language supposedly confessed to having smothered his penis with honey in order to entice a five-year-old boy to perform oral sex on him last February. Pol Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen, Superintendent…
- Cannabis News
209 arrested in May for gambling
PHUKET CITY: Gambling topped the Phuket Provincial Police list of arrests made between May 1 and May 30, with 209 people taken into custody.Of the arrests, 10 were for involvement in illegal lottery operations while the other 199 were held for what the police describe as “other” gambling.Possession of illegal drugs resulted in 80 arrests – down from 93 in…
- Phuket News
Irish present book of condolences
PHUKET CITY: Helene Fallon Wood, representing the Irish Ambassador to Thailand, handed over a signed book of condolences to Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura at Phuket Provincial Hall today.“This book came from County Galway, on the west coast of Ireland.” said Ms Wood. “Shortly after the events of December 26 last year the Lord of Galway instituted this book. Many hundreds…
- Phuket News
Call for second trash incinerator
PHUKET CITY: Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura has asked the government for one billion baht to build a second incinerator at Saphan Hin, to help deal with the province’s growing mountain of waste.Gov Udomsak said he has applied to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for the required funding.He said, “Phuket has a big environmental problem. As the number of tourists…
- Phuket News
A low-down, dirty crime
PHUKET CITY: The new garbage cans being distributed throughout the city have proven such a hit with the public that they keep disappearing.Plastic, blue in color and about a meter high, the bins are of such heavy-duty construction that they can be rammed by a moving vehicle without cracking. Other special design features include high chemical resistance and a unique shape that…
- Phuket News
Three new public parks planned
PHUKET: The island may get three new public parks under the Cabinet’s “One Tambon, One Park” initiative.The Phuket office of the Royal Forestry Department is to ask its national HQ at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives for permission to create “Pa Bangkanun” in Tambon Thepkrasattri, Thalang District; “Khao Toh Se” in Tambon Rassada, Muang District, and “Khao Phanthurat” in…
- Phuket News
Immigration office to open in Chalong
CHALONG: Phuket Immigration has set up a permanent service counter at Phuket Port Control Center (PPCC) in Chalong.From next Tuesday (June 7), the counter will be open every Tuesday and Thursday between 9 am and 3 pm. It will be staffed by three Immigration officers.Phuket Immigration Superintendent Pol Col Witawat Buranasompop told the Gazette that he expected that, by the…
- Phuket News
Air Force looks at tsunami lessons
PATONG: Senior officers of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) are gathered in Patong for a seminar on lessons to be learned from the handling of the tsunami crisis.Gen Chalid Pukpasuk, who is the Director of the RTAF’s Public Emergency Response Center and the seminar chairman, told journalists that the RTAF had delivered emergency supplies “regularly and rapidly” to tsunami…
- Phuket News
Phuket urged to turn out the lights
PHUKET: Phuket is toeing the national line with the local electricity boss urging people to save power by turning off one light per house for five minutes every night.Speaking yesterday – Electricity Saving Day – Amorn Saeng-Ngern, Manager of the Phuket Provincial Electricity Office, said that if the 100,000 electricity users on the island turned off one of their lights…
- Phuket News
Land issues “still a priority’ – Minister
PHUKET CITY: Revocation of improperly-issued land title deeds will remain a top government priority in the upper southern provinces of Thailand, the Interior Minister announced at a meeting with provincial officials yesterday.The meeting, held at the Royal Phuket City Hotel, was chaired by Interior Minister Pol Gen Chidchai Wannasatit who, in his dual role as a Deputy Prime Minister, also serves…
- Phuket News
Island to get water from Surat Thani?
PHUKET CITY: Surasak Anakkhaphan, Adviser to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Suwit Khunkitti, today proposed that water be piped from Chieo Lan Reservoir in Surat Thani Province as a long-term solution to Phuket’s chronic – and worsening – water shortage problems.At a meeting at the Phuket Provincial Hall, K. Surasak explained that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had allocated each…
- Phuket News
Phuket gets first film festival
PHUKET: The SFX Coliseum Cinema at Central Festival Phuket will host an 11-day festival of movies from the European Union, starting June 16. The event will be co-sponsored by the Phuket Gazette. The opening ceremony, between 5 pm and 10 pm on June 16, will feature music from the band Ocastra and an exhibition about the films. The event will…
- Thailand News
Return to sender!
TAK: A mother in Sam Ngao District paid the ultimate price for letting her curiosity get the better of her – when she opened a parcel addressed to her daughter that turned out to be a letter bomb. The victim, 56-year-old pig farmer Phayao Ruamsuk, had collected the parcel, which was addressed to her daughter Kannitha. Kannitha, 22, had married…
- Phuket News
Miss Canada is Miss Universe 2005
BANGKOK: Natalie Glebova, 23, from Canada, was crowned Miss Universe 2005 at about 10 am today.Miss Glebova was born in Russia but moved with her family to Toronto when she was 12 years old. She is an information technology management and marketing student at Ryerson University, and also works as a model.Runners-up, in order, were Miss Dominican Republic, Miss Mexico and Miss…
- Phuket News
OrBorJor to hire more temporary teachers
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) is to pay for more temporary teachers to be recuited in a bid to relieve the staffing crisis in the province’s schools.Launching the organization’s annual report for May 14, 2004-May 14, 2005, OrBorJor President Anchalee Vanich-Thebabutr told reporters that the teacher shortage – a result of the government offering early retirement sweeteners to…
- Phuket News
Gov orders probe into tour company
PHUKET CITY (Khom Chad Luek, Phuket Gazette) : Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has ordered an investigation into a tour company for allegedly intimidating tourists into buying overpriced package tours.The Tourist Police denied having received any complaints about the company in question, which is located close to their office on the bypass road .The Governor ordered the investigation while chairing the monthly…
- Phuket News
Environment tops Governor’s agenda
PHUKET: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has ordered that a special committee be set up to protect the environment in Phuket.Gov Udomsak said he would like police officers, forestry staff and volunteers to sit on the committee, which would respond to complaints from the public about environmental damage.“I would like the committee to be able to act as soon as it receives…
- Phuket News
Blood bank in plea for foreign volunteers
PHUKET CITY: The blood bank at Wachira Phuket Hospital is appealing for expats of all ages and nationalities to become volunteer helpers. The head of the blood bank, Sriroung Choophak, told the Gazette that foreign volunteers could help put donors at ease when they came to give blood, and maybe give the hospital ideas on improving the blood service. K.…
- Phuket News
PTA use Japanese star to promote Phuket
PHUKET: Top Japanese actress Maju Ozawa is to make a 54-minute TV show for presentation in her home country in order to promote Phuket to the Japanese market.Ms Ozawa, who yesterday signed a contract with the Phuket Tourist Association to promote Phuket for a year, won the job after she took part, along with six other Japanese actresses, in the…
- Phuket News
April sees rise in road deaths
PHUKET CITY: Official figures for April obtained from Wachira, Thalang, Patong and Ruampaet government hospitals show that 18 people died in motorcycle accidents on Phuket’s roads during the month.In addition, three died in car accidents and one unlucky pedestrian was killed.The figures are an increase on those for March, when 11 people died in Phuket, all in motorbike accidents.The hospital…
- Phuket News
Cop gets life for killing tourists
KANCHANABURI: Pol Sgt Somchai Wisetsingha has been handed a life sentence for the murders eight months ago of British tourists Adam Lloyd, 25, and Vanessa Arscott, 24.The court had heard that, after an argument with Mr Lloyd, Somchai assaulted him and then shot him dead. As Ms Arscott fled from the scene Somchai ran her down with his Volvo car,…
- Phuket News
Man found dead in Burmese Cemetery
RASSADA: A man, thought to be Burmese and about 30 years old, was found dead yesterday at Klong Tah Jeen, near Choke Raft, in an area long known as the Burmese Cemetery because of the number of murder victims dumped there.Pol Sub-Lt Teeradat Jiragsa of Phuket City Police Station explained that the victim, who was about 165cm tall and dark-skinned…
- Phuket News
Fantastic fungus launches lottery lust
RAWAI: Hundreds of people have been making their way to a small house in Village 6 to see a clump of enormous, white mushrooms that sprang up there on Visaka Bucha Day and which is thought by many villagers to be a harbinger of good luck.Homeowner Suwan “Prachuap” Phungkung, a fortune-teller by trade, told the Gazette she discovered the mushrooms…
