- Thailand News
Eye-for-an-eye justice
YASOTHORN: The family of an 11-year-old boy in Muang District’s tambon Khlum-ngen turned up at the local police station to file charges against the boy’s teacher, accusing her of spraying lime juice into their son’s eyes as a form of punishment. Pensri Thongwichai said that her son, Sapasit, developed an eye infection because of mistreatment by his teacher, Ajarn Pannee…
- Thailand News
Not a ghost of a chance
THALANG: When police cremated an unidentified murder victim without first conducting a religious ceremony, their actions came back to haunt them – literally. Fishermen discovered the body in the waters off Ao Por on the morning of December 10 – and it was not a pretty sight. Pol Maj Anan Jingjit of the Thalang Police Station said that they could…
- Thailand News
A definite case of penis envy
NAKHON PATHOM: Phallic symbols have been worshiped by man since time immemorial, and in Nakhon Pathom’s Phra Phathom Chedi district lives one man who is doing his best to keep that tradition alive. Not only has he collected 300-400 wooden lingams, but he proudly wears 100 of them – all at once suspended – from a special belt strapped around…
- Phuket News
Arson possible cause of Cherng Talay blaze
CHERNG TALAY: Tum Salathai, a seafood restaurant on the entry road to Laguna Phuket, burned to the ground in the early hours of Wednesday. Police are investigating arson as one of two possible causes of the blaze. Restaurant manager Weerachai Srabua told the Gazette today that the blaze started at about 4 am. “People outside noticed the fire. They ran…
- Phuket News
Cheap fares for Phuket-Bangkok flights
PHUKET: Thai Airways International (THAI) is offering a limited number of seats on its Phuket-Bangkok route at the low price of 3,400 baht return or 1,700 baht one-way. The seats are being allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, and are most likely to be awarded to people paying for and collecting their tickets at least 48 hours in advance of a…
- Phuket News
War weapons recovered in Kathu
KATHU: Police recovered a briefcase full of explosives along a road in Kathu early Monday morning after investigating an anonymous tipoff. Responding to a call phoned in on the emergency 191 number at about 1:30 am on January 5, Deputy Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Col Apirak Hongthong ordered officers from Thung Thong Police sub-district to secure the location before…
- Phuket News
Japanese tourist drowns
KARON: A 30-year-old Japanese tourist drowned at Karon beach yesterday about 6pm. The man, named by police as Kenji Maehama, went for a swim with a group of friends in front of the Phuket Arcadia Beach Resort, where the group was staying. Two got into difficulties, apparently because of a strong undertow. Beach guards were able to retrieve both, but…
- Phuket News
Laos travel warnings issued
WASHINGTON: The US Department of State has warned US citizens against travel in parts of Laos, including Vientiane province, routes along the Thai-Laos border, and on roads throughout the country, following a number of deadly attacks in recent months. The State Department said in its warning, issued yesterday (January 6), that the attacks, although not apparently directed at Americans or…
- Phuket News
Rivals set for Patong poll
PATONG: On the first day of applications for the Patong municipal elections, Mayoral candidate Pian Keesin of the newly-formed Rak Patong Team registered his candidacy with 18 other members seeking town council seats under the Rak Patong banner. Running against him will be Songserm Kebsup, older brother of Phuket Democrat party MP Chalermlak Kebsup, who registered his application along with…
- Phuket News
“Clean’ venues win award
PHUKET: In a move to recognize “appropriate” entertainment venues, the Phuket provincial government has awarded certificates and signs to five entertainment establishments on the island under its new “white entertainment” scheme. First to receive the awards are Tai Pan and Banana discotheques, in Patong, and Collector Pub, Timber Hut and Indian daeng (Red Indian) Pub in Phuket Town, which all…
- Phuket News
Narathiwat “still safe’ say tour agencies
PHUKET: Visa runs through Narathiwat are still safe despite a wave of attacks on police, soldiers and schools across provinces close to the border with Malaysia, travel agents from Phuket and Narathiwat said yesterday. Attacks on Sunday morning in Narathiwat province left four soldiers dead, 20 schools torched and a small arsenal of weapons seized. Two police officers in neighboring…
- Phuket News
Plea to motorists to pay tax
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket vehicle owners have until February 25 to pay outstanding tax – and avoid hefty fines and other penalties, including cancellation of registration documents, the Phuket Provincial Transportation Office (PPTO) announced today. Prasit Amarapal, Chief of the PPTO, warned errant motorists that failure to respond to the February 25 deadline would result in drivers having to pay the…
- Phuket News
Reward for missing diver doubled
KAMALA: The reward being offered for information leading to the safe return of 25-year-old dive instructor Phikun “Nori” Srisaksungnoen, who has been missing since November 29, has been doubled to 100,000 baht. Mystified by K. Nori’s disappearance, close friend and workmate Marcus Etter increased the reward he first offered soon after she went missing. The last time he saw K.…
- Phuket News
Elite card price for expats to double
BANGKOK (The Nation): Expatriates will be charged two million baht next year for a Thailand Elite privilege card – double the current price – because they can use member services and facilities more often than foreign tourists or visiting businessmen. “We originally intended to set the price for expatriates at two million baht because of the many advantages they have,…
- Cannabis News
More illegal immigrants arrested
PHUKET: Illegal immigrants topped this month’s crime statistics with 176 arrests between December 1-25. Figures released by Phuket Provincial Police show arrests for gambling coming in second with 169 people taken into custody from 48 raids. Another 43 people were charged with involvement in underground lotteries. Police apprehended 32 people for prostitution and made 48 arrests for possession or use…
- Phuket News
Maritime safety highlighted
PHUKET TOWN: Although not citing any specific threat, Phuket Marine Police are implementing plans to work more closely with other agencies to gather and share intelligence. Deputy Commander of [the national] Marine Police, Pol Col Ularn Anekboon, said, “Phuket, like Koh Samui and Pattaya, has many marine tourist centers and we have to maintain security at all of them. “All…
- Phuket News
Death sentence for activist’s killer
BANGKOK: Bancha Noppawong, arrested for the 2001 murder of environmental activist Jurin Rachapol, has been convicted by a Bangkok court. He was handed the death penalty but is expected to appeal the sentence. K. Jurin was found shot dead on land close to the Wachara Prawn Farm – where Bancha worked – in Pa Khlok. A number of activists, including…
- Phuket News
Mayor leaves legacy of development
PHUKET TOWN: Projects totalling 70 million baht – including a park, high-tech traffic lights and a new symbolic sculpture – are under construction in Phuket Town, marking the end of an era for outgoing Mayor Phummisak Hongsyok. A 10-rai site on Thalang Rd – once home to the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority complex – is under development as a multi-use…
- Phuket News
CSD called in after diver’s disappearance
KAMALA: The family of missing divemaster Phikun “Nori” Srisaksungnoen traveled to Bangkok on December 22 and filed a missing-person report with the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), which is now investigating the disappearance independently of Kathu Police Station. K. Nori’s mother, 54-year-old Soi Mungpanklang, and her younger sister Thanachat Srisaksungnoen, 23, told CSD officials that the investigation by Kathu Police Station…
- Phuket News
Patong murder suspect arrested
PATONG: The alleged murderer of a go-go dancer is now in Phuket Provincial Prison, following his December 23 arrest in Bangkok by a team of Kathu Police investigators. The man, identified as 26-year-old Akharadech “James” Phusuwan, was arrested without struggle in his native Bangkok following an investigation led by Pol Maj Chawalit Petchsripia. Akharadech was wanted for the August 20…
- Phuket News
Tin mine land probe concludes
PHUKET: The investigation into land titles covering 17 former tin mines has concluded, with titles covering 663 rai expected to be revoked, Vice-Governor Pongpow Ketthong told the Gazette today. V/Gov Pongpow, who presided over the investigation, said that the results will be passed to Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura before New Year’s Day, though he added that a time frame for…
- Phuket News
Christmas first for Governor
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura tomorrow night will be the special guest answering questions from the island’s English-speaking residents during a new weekly English-language radio show. The program will give listeners a chance to send or call in questions to local officials, with responses read out over the air, usually in a live format. Vice-Governor Winai Buapradit today said the…
- Phuket News
Gov vows to get rid of jet-skis
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura vowed today that laws covering jet-skis will be strictly enforced from now on – and that jet-skis will vanish from Phuket beaches within seven years. His dramatic announcement follows incidents in October and November in which two European tourists were killed. “We haven’t enforced the laws strictly in the past but we will from…
- Phuket News
Paradorn goes down in straight sets
CHERNG TALAY: In the final day of play in the Paradorn Super Tour 2003 held at Laguna Beach Resort yesterday afternoon, Chilean Marcelo Rios swept aside Paradorn Srichaphan in straight sets, 6-4; 6-4, causing the Thai tennis superstar to end up winless in the four-city exhibition tournament bearing his name. Playing on a synthetic grass surface in front of a…
- Phuket News
Old theater burns
PHUKET TOWN: The once-popular Nimit Theater on Chana Jaroen Rd caught fire at 2 am today. Firefighters took 15 minutes to extinguish the fire, and managed to contain the blaze to the ground floor of the two-story building, which has 10 rental rooms. Pol Maj Chokchai Sutthimet, of Phuket Town Police Station, told the Gazette that only three of the…
- Phuket News
Illegal arms crackdown underway
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket’s top law enforcement official says that road checkpoints and surprise home searches are now being used in an all-out effort to rid the island of its remaining illegal firearms, now that the December 15 deadline for the amnesty on handing unregistered weapons to the government has passed. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Veerayuth Sittimalic told the…
- Phuket News
Bid to regenerate coral at Maithon
PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) and the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization are to launch a 1.5-million-baht project to regenerate coral around Koh Maithon, five kilometers south-east of Phuket. Although the technique has been employed on Australia’s Great barrier Reef, this is the first time this kind of project has been attempted in Thailand. Nalinee Thongtham, a coral…
- Phuket News
Senior police officers on the move
PHUKET: Four senior local police officers have received transfers to other provinces as part of a national reshuffle of some 750 of Thailand’s most senior police officers. Locally, the officers being promoted – and their replacements – are: Pol Col Sayan Krasaesan, Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Police, is moving to Bangkok to become Deputy Commissioner of Immigration, Region 3. His…
- Phuket News
Changes made to Paradorn matches
CHERNG TALAY: Laguna Phuket has announced that the sixth player in the Paradorn Super Tour matches to be played at the Laguna Beach Resort tomorrow and Sunday (December 20 and 21) will be 18-year-old Chuang Chia-Jung of Taiwan. Changes to the order of play have also been announced. Saturday will see Taylor Dent play Marcelo Rios at 4 pm, followed…
- Phuket News
Chalong plaza plan cancelled
PHUKET: A 150-million-baht project to develop 40 rai in Chalong into a 700-shop complex has been abandoned. Five thousand customers a day and 120 million baht in annual profits were anticipated for the Phuket Legend Plaza Center but the developer, Eat & Art Management, shelved plans before any work started. All shop reservation fees for the project – which was…
