Legacy Phuket Gazette
- Phuket News
Jeab murder suspect escapes to Belgium
PATTAYA: Sam Van Treeck, the 24-year-old Belgian tour leader accused of the brutal stabbing murder of Phuket-based dive instructor Chompoonut “Jeab” Kobram, is now back in his home country after fleeing Thailand while out on bail. The Belgian Consul in Bangkok, Hilde Van Inthoudt, confirmed that Van Treeck arrived in Belgium on Friday, but denied emphatically that the embassy had…
- Phuket News
THAI offers cut-rate Bangkok-Phuket flights
PHUKET: Thailand’s national airline, THAI, is slashing the price of flights between Phuket and Bangkok by nearly 1,000 baht for two months from November 1.The special fare of 1,700 baht one-way will be available for passengers who book “e-tickets” over the Internet and fly between November 1 and December 31. The full one-way fare is 2,625 baht.In a promotion called…
- Phuket News
Tourist electrocuted during rains
PHUKET: A 19-year-old Canadian tourist was electrocuted by a downed power cable in Patong during Saturday’s torrential rains.Noah Yelizarov, of Richmond, was found on the sidewalk near the Jintana Hotel. A broken electrical cable was nearby.Firefighters used a piece of wood to move the cable away and retrieve Mr Yelizarov’s body, but he was pronounced dead at Patong Hospital.Hospital director…
- Phuket News
Phuket Airport revenues soar
PHUKET AIRPORT: Phuket International Airport recorded almost 30% more revenue last year than in the previous year.Figures released this week during celebrations marking the airport’s 16th anniversary, show it brought in revenue of just over 1 billion baht between October 1 2003 and August 31 this year, compared to 785 million baht over the same 11 months in 2002 -2003.The…
- Phuket News
Inter Milan soccer clinic for Phuket
PHUKET CITY: A soccer clinic affiliated to top Italian side Inter Milan and featuring former Thai national players will be held in Phuket from December 4 to 6.Pimkamol Prasertwongse, Managing Director of Inter Campus Thai, a soccer academy set up by Inter Milan, said, “We expect that the island will be at the center of the sport’s development in southern…
- Phuket News
Top triathletes sign up for Laguna event
BANG TAO: Some of the world’s top triathletes will once again compete in the 11th Thai Airways International Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT), which will be held at the Laguna Phuket Resort on November 20.Some 500 athletes from more than 32 countries are expected to vie for prize money totaling US$20,000.Athletes already confirmed in the men’s category include: Australians Simon Thompson,…
- Phuket News
Thai champ wins lackluster Patong fight
PATONG: In the highly anticipated non-title fight between World Boxing Council flyweight champ Pongsaklek Wonjongkam and Randy Mangubat of the Philippines, the Thai champ improved his record to 55-2 in a rather lackluster win on points. However, in the first bout between Asian Boxing Council (ABC) Flyweight Champion Denburapha TwinsSpecial and top-ranked challenger Ponomrunglek Kratingdaeng-gym, the crowd was treated to…
- Phuket News
Thaksin to meet Malaysian PM in Phuket
PHUKET: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will hold his annual meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, at the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket next Wednesday.Yesterday, Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura called a meeting with the heads of government departments in Phuket to prepare for the mini-summit, during which cabinet ministers from both sides will also meet for talks.The governor…
- Phuket News
It’s official: the rainy season’s here
PHUKET: The Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) today issued an advisory suggesting that hotels and the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Phuket office inform tourists (in case they hadn’t noticed) that it is now the rainy season.Heavy showers in the 24 hours to 7 am today dumped 67.7 mm of rain on the island.Vichit Phuangsombat, Director of the center, told the…
- Phuket News
Top boxing bouts moved to Patong
PATONG: Due to continuing rainy conditions, the three boxing matches scheduled to be staged at the Nong Harn Public Area along Karon Beach today have been moved to the Patong Boxing Stadium on Soi Kepsup 2, next to the Rock ‘n Bowl Bowling Alley.The action will get underway at 3:45 pm this afternoon. Admission is free. The main event will…
- Phuket News
All together, now…
PHUKET: Young musicians from nine Southeast Asian countries have been attending a week-long music camp in Phuket.Altogether, 243 students aged between 14 and 25 took part in the “Sayowe” camp. Sixty of the students are from Thailand.They are due to show off the results of their studies at concerts tomorrow night and Saturday at the Thai Cultural Centre in Bangkok.…
- Phuket News
American dies in motorbike accident
PATONG: A 43-year-old American tourist was killed when the motobike he was riding overshot a bend on the Patong-to-Kamala road early yesterday morning.The dead man has been named by police as Marko Lislie Balfour. Mr Balfour had been staying at the Marine Inn, Patong Beach. The accident happened at approximately 1:30 am on Thursday. Pol Maj Chaiyaphot Laorhumwirog of Kathu…
- Phuket News
Patong delegation upbeat after talks
PATONG: The entertainment industry in Patong is keeping its collective fingers crossed that Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula will be sympathetic to its plight after the recent imposition of earlier closing times.A three-man delegation from Patong emerged in optimistic mood from a meeting this afternoon in Bangkok with Pichet Sathirachawal, The ruling Thai Rak Thai party’s Chairman of Candidate Selection for…
- Phuket News
Swede dies in road accident
RAWAI: A 43-year-old Swedish resident of Rawai, named by police as Hans Ingemar, died in a motorcycle accident on Saiyuan Rd on Saturday night. His Thai girlfriend, who was riding pillion, was seriously injured when the motorbike collided with a pickup truck at around 11:30 pm.Mr Ingemar was taken to Wachira Phuket Hospital after the accident but was pronounced dead…
- Phuket News
F1 boat racing in Phuket confirmed
PHUKET: Phuket is to host a round of the world’s premier inshore powerboat racing championship, the UIM Formula I Powerboat Grand Prix, it was confirmed this week.Phuket Chamber of Commerce Chairman Pamuke Archariyachai told Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura on October 5 that championship organisers UIM had selected Phuket Deep Sea Port at Cape Panwa as the venue for one of the…
- Thailand News
Human Bar Code
PHUKET CITY: After undergoing an emergency appendectomy, a patient at Bangkok Phuket Hospital found himself unable to enter Big-C Supercenter without setting off the magnetic anti-theft security devices. Confused, embarrassed and unable to fulfill his rightful role in the Phuket consumer economy, 44-year-old Prapet Tiranon returned to the hospital and asked physicians to X-ray him to see if they had…
- Phuket News
Post Office plans to solve mail problems
PHUKET: Mail is to be transported direct from Chumphon to Phuket as one of a series of measures aimed at improving speed of delivery and reducing the amount of misplaced or undelivered mail.The new system, to be implemented in January, will replace the existing one, whereby the post bounces through several southern provinces on its way to Phuket.Phuket Postmaster Visal Pongtiwattanakul…
- Phuket News
Bird ‘flu measures tightened up
PHUKET: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has ordered all state agencies to cooperate in eradicating bird ‘flu, after the reappearance of the disease in parts of Thailand this year.On Thursday, Gov Udomsak called a meeting of heads of state agencies in Phuket to ensure the island remains free of the disease.This meeting followed one the previous day in Bangkok, during which Prime…
- Phuket News
OrBorJor sets budget at B405m
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (OrBorJor) has set a budget for 2004-2005 of 405 million baht.Members met on September 30 and voted unanimously for the budget, which is 42 million baht – 11.6% – higher than the one for 2003-2004.Almost a quarter of the budget is earmarked for promoting Phuket as a tourist destination, and educational projects and programmes…
- Phuket News
E-government plan delayed
PHUKET CITY: Plans to set up a “one-stop shop” website, through which Phuket people could conduct transactions with government departments, have hit a glitch.In June, Dr Manoo Ordeedolchest, President of the Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa), said it was hoped that a simplified version of the website would be operational by July.However, Dr Rattana Wetprasit, Acting Manager of Phuket’s Sipa…
- Phuket News
Bus station shopkeepers finally evicted
PHUKET CITY: After five months of resisting an order to leave their premises at the Phuket City bus terminal, six shopkeepers have finally been evicted and their stores leveled to make room for more parking space for sorng taew.Teerayuth Prasertphol, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Transportation Office (PPTO), told the Gazette yesterday that the long-awaited court order, filed on May…
- Phuket News
New company to run city buses
PHUKET: Phuket City’s buses are to be run by a new company after the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) decided not to renew its contract with Andaman Trans Thai, which expired on September 30.The new contractor is Lucky General Transport, though the company will not take over the running of the bus services for two months.In the meantime, the bus…
- Phuket News
Patong night venues threaten protest
PATONG: Sompetch Moosopon, President of the Patong Entertainment Association, today said that owners of Patong entertainment venues will “take action” if their request for an extension to closing times is not granted.“If our request for Patong to be designated a special entertainment area – which will be proposed to Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula and Deputy Interior Minister Pracha Maleenont –…
- Phuket News
No Phuket takers for BoI-Sipa tax breaks
BANGKOK: More than a month after the government introduced tax incentives to attract foreign investment to the IT sector, not one Phuket-based company has stepped forward to apply for the privileges.The Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa) and the Board of Investment (BoI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on August 24 to grant new IT firms exemption from corporate income tax…
- Phuket News
Gambling stays top of arrests league table
PHUKET: In September gambling was once again the crime for which more people were arrested than any other, according to the latest crime statistics from the Phuket Provincial Police.A total of 166 people were arrested for gambing between September 1 and 25, 28 more than during the same period last year.There were 62 arrests for possession and/or use of illegal…
- Phuket News
Warning on fireworks during festival
PHUKET CITY: Government and law enforcement officials have warned the public to refrain from using large firecrackers and other explosive devices during the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which starts October 14. Phuket City Police Superintendent Pol Col Paween Pongsirin warned that anyone using dangerous fireworks would be prosecuted. Only low-charge, ceremonial firecrackers in strips will be permitted, he said. Col…
- Phuket News
Tough measures cut road deaths
PHUKET: Measures taken to reduce the number of fatalities on Phuket’s roads appear to have been a success, with just seven people being killed in road accidents on the island in five weeks, compared with the “normal” average of 10-15 a month.Metha Mekarat, Chief of the Phuket Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), said the reduction was due to…
- Phuket News
Seized Boonkeng land returned to state
BANGKOK: Four plots of land seized from businessman Boonkeng Srisansuchart in June were yesterday handed over to the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) by the Anti Money Laundering Office (AMLO) in Bangkok.AMLO confiscated the land – off the bypass road around Panturat Hill – after the Phuket Appeal Court ruled that K. Boonkeng had wrongfully obtained it.AMLO Deputy Secretary Pol…
- Phuket News
Gov fires new salvo at high-flying investigators
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura today enlarged on his tough criticism of the investigation team from Bangkok, led by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) Chief Pol Maj Gen Kosin Hintao, who inspected land plots on Phuket, Koh Racha and Koh Hei on Wednesday last week.“The police just stayed in their helicopter and pointed at developments on beautiful plots of land…
- Phuket News
Pongsaklek title defense called off
PHUKET CITY: WBC world flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam’s October 8 title defense against 15th-ranked challenger Carlos Bouchan was called off after the Mexican challenger suffered a training injury.The Asian Boxing Council (ABC), an affiliate of the WBC, has instead organized a non-title fight on the same date, featuring Pongsaklek against Randy Mangubat of the Philippines.On the same fight card, to…
