Legacy Phuket Gazette
- Phuket News
Nok Air strike leaves 1500 passengers in turmoil
PHUKET: One Phuket flight was cancelled after a strike was initiated by Nok Air pilots protesting against new policies – in compliance with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) safety standards – that deemed them unqualified to fly. In total, nine flights were cancelled or delayed, said a statement issued by Nok Air yesterday. The statement went on to assure…
- Phuket News
Police bust two suspects in B5mn meth deal
PHUKET: Police arrested two key members of a major drug-dealing ring run by an inmate at Yala prison, after the pair confessed to their roles in moving about 5 million baht worth of ya ba (methamphetamine) from Chiang Rai to Southern Thailand. “This is one of the largest ya ba drug busts that we have been a part of,” Phuket…
- Phuket News
First technical flight arrives at Phuket Airport’s new terminal
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport rolled out the red carpet at Terminal 2 yesterday to welcome passengers arriving on the first ‘technical flight’ to disembark at the new terminal. Airports of Thailand President Nitinai Sirismatthakarn along with Phuket Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan personally welcomed the passengers and other airport staff. A violinist serenaded the passengers for the Valentine’s Day-themed event, which…
- Phuket News
Two more suspected IUU fishing boats seized south of Phuket
PHUKET: Two Thai fishing vessels arrived at Phuket Deep Sea Port yesterday, after being seized under suspicion of illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing and escorted back by the Royal Thai Navy. “The two boats were captured at about 9pm on Saturday night, about 96 nautical miles south of Phuket. Both had failed to report at Phuket’s Port in-Port out Control…
- Phuket News
Phuket tourist dies after resort swimming pool incident
PHUKET: A Chinese tourist was pronounced dead at Phuket International Hospital after she was recovered unconscious from a Phuket resort swimming pool yesterday morning. Police asked the Phuket Gazette not to reveal the identity of the 61-year-old woman, who was quickly pulled out of the water by hotel staff and given CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation], explained Lt Charus Lempand of the…
- Phuket News
Woman rescued after suicidal leap from Phuket’s “love bridge’
PHUKET: A self-proclaimed brokenhearted woman was safely rescued after she jumped off Sarasin Bridge a day before Valentine’s Day. “Ueangporn Thongsakul, 28, was rescued by a nearby speedboat driver after he saw her jump at about 8pm on Saturday,” said Lt Col Anek Mongkol of the Tah Chat Chai Police. Ms Ueangporn was taken to Thalang Hospital. “Thankfully, Ms Ueangporn…
- Phuket News
German charged for Polish pedestrian’s death in Phuket
PHUKET: A German man is out on bail after being charged for fatally colliding with a Polish pedestrian in Chalong. Miroslav Slanina, 73, ran into Malgorzata Regina Szczygiel, 44, while she was crossing the road in front of Soi Thao Daeng on Wiset Road about 8pm* on Saturday night. “Mr Slanina was taken to Chalong Police Station and charged with…
- World News
As Indonesia hunts down Islamic State, homegrown jihadis regroup
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community As Indonesia hunts down Islamic State, homegrown jihadis regroup Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: As Indonesian counter-terrorism forces hunt down supporters of Islamic State following last month’s gun and suicide bomb attack in Jakarta, a quiet resurgence is unfolding of a homegrown radical network with a…
- World News
New Zealand’s Christchurch rocked by 5.7 magnitude quake, cliffs collapse into sea
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New Zealand’s Christchurch rocked by 5.7 magnitude quake, cliffs collapse into sea Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A strong 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Christchurch in New Zealand on yesterday, causing cliffs to collapse into the sea but no major damage to the city, which was…
- World News
Ethnic rebels’ show of force highlights Suu Kyi’s peace challenge
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ethnic rebels’ show of force highlights Suu Kyi’s peace challenge Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Speaking to 1,000 of his soldiers at a mountain base on Myanmar’s border with Thailand, the leader of a powerful ethnic armed group called on other rebels to join government-led peace…
- Phuket News
Bigger budget needed to boost Phuket image
PHUKET: The central government needs to reassess how it determines Phuket’s budget due to the vast number of tourists for which the island’s infrastructure needs to cater, said Phuket Honorary Consul for Nepal Pranee Sakulpipatana at a seminar on the island’s image on Friday. “The central government calculates the budget for the island based on its registered residential population of…
- Phuket News
German found dead in Rawai rental room
PHUKET: Chalong Police are investigating the death of a German national found dead in his rented room in Phuket on Friday. The body of Sven Rzezaczka, 47, was discovered at 11am, after a reported drinking session with friends the night before. “Mr Rzezaczka’s body was found lying face down on the bed with his knees on the floor. There was…
- Phuket News
Phuket land owners offer sell-off solution for sea gypsy conflict
PHUKET: Exasperated by the never-ending battle over land ownership rights with the sea gypsy community in Rawai, some land owners involved have offered to sell their plots to the government in order to resolve the dispute. Weerachai Tantiwattanawalop, who claims to own five rai of land currently occupied by the sea gypsies, said he and other land owners were planning…
- World News
Apple to launch new iPhone, iPad in March
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Apple to launch new iPhone, iPad in March Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Apple Inc (AAPL.O) is on target to introduce its next iPhone and iPad models on March 15, and aims to start selling the devices in the same week, technology blog 9to5Mac reported, citing…
- Phuket News
More than five dozen helmet-less drivers arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket traffic police made 64 arrests in the first week of the ‘One district, One road, with 100 per cent helmets’ campaign. The new campaign was launched on February 1 in an effort to improve Phuket’s road safety. Helmet-less drivers caught at checkpoints across the island had their bikes seized and were escorted to the police station to view…
- Phuket News
BISP student takes title at Thai National Tennis Tournament
PHUKET: British International School Phuket (BISP) RPT Tennis Academy player James Van Herzeele won the Thai National Tennis Tournament for Boys 14 and under on February 7 at the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand and was selected to represent Thailand. Held from February 3 to 7, the tournament included the top 16 tennis players in Thailand, boys 14 and under,…
- Phuket News
Visas, taxes tangle up superyacht charter licence
PHUKET: There will be further delays in Thailand rolling out the highly-anticipated foreign-flagged superyacht charter licence, industry representatives were told at at Thailand Yacht Show forum on Wednesday. Though the regulations and rules with regards to the actual superyacht charter licence were hammered out on August 10, a number of related issues remain as hurdles for superyacht owners, explained Somchai…
- Phuket News
Transport Minister demands underpass tunnel completion within two months
PHUKET: The Transport Minister of Thailand has given the construction company in charge of the Samkong Underpass until April 10 to complete the project. Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith stopped by the site yesterday to check on progress and speak with representatives of the construction company, Wiwat Construction Co Ltd. “Engineers from the Department of Highways and the Engineering Institute of…
- Phuket News
Phuket sea gypsies take land case to capital
PHUKET: Sea gypsies in Rawai have taken their case to the capital to plead for intervention from the country’s top brass, after being threatened with eviction from beachfront land by developer Baron World Trade Co Ltd. Representatives from the sea gypsy community handed a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan on Wednesday, but did not get an immediate…
- Property
Proud Real Estate expanding presence
PHUKET: Proud Real Estate Co is launching more hotels and amusement attractions in Hua Hin and Phuket to cash in on the flood of tourists. Proudputh Liptapanlop, Proud Real Estate executive director, said yesterday that the company would also expand its flagship hotel, the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, by adding the 40-room BluPort Wing in October. The company expects to…
- World News
S.Korea: North responsible for consequences from Kaesong shutdown
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community S.Korea: North responsible for consequences from Kaesong shutdown Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: South Korea said on Friday that North Korea would be held responsible for any consequences after the North kicked out South Korean workers and froze the assets of companies at the jointly run…
- World News
World’s most polluted city, Delhi, plans new limits on car use
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community World’s most polluted city, Delhi, plans new limits on car use Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The Delhi government plans another round of tough measures to restrict the use of private cars and clean up toxic air in the Indian metropolis, the world’s most polluted city.…
- World News
Einstein’s gravitational waves detected in landmark discovery
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Einstein’s gravitational waves detected in landmark discovery Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Scientists for the first time have detected gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesised by Albert Einstein a century ago, in a landmark discovery announced on Thursday that opens a new window for…
- Phuket News
Hundreds of passengers skate through Krabi immigration during blackout
PHUKET: About 800 international arrivals breezed through Krabi Airport immigration on Wednesday due to a six-hour blackout that caused the computer systems to shut down. “Immigration officers had to manually take down passenger information, and later enter it in the system when it was back up and running,” confirmed Attaporn Nuangudom, director of Krabi International Airport. The loose security measures…
- Phuket News
Phuket melon mayhem takes hours to cleanup
PHUKET: An out-of-control pick-up truck carrying more than 50,000 baht worth of watermelons collided with a power pole in Thalang earlier this week. “There were smears of fruit everywhere on the road. It took rescue workers and police officers about an hour to clear it all up,” said Lt Kraisorn Boonprasop of the Thalang Police. The truck driver, 41-year-old Veera…
- Phuket News
British Embassy to host seminar on sensitive handling of sexual assault victims
PHUKET: The British Embassy will be hosting a seminar on sensitively handling sexual assault victims in Phuket on February 25. “The British Embassy and Royal Thai Police are going to host the seminar, titled ‘Victim Handling Protocols when Dealing with Rape and Sexual Assault Cases’,” said Martin Carpenter, British honorary consul for Phuket. The employees of the Phuket Public Health…
- Business News
Asia Marine moves into motors
PHUKET: Asia Marine has been building, selling, chartering and managing yachts in Phuket for more than 25 years, and was voted ‘Best Asia based Yacht Charter Agent’ in the 2007 Asian Boating Awards. In December last year, Asia Marine CEO Vincent Tabuteau took the company in a new direction by joining forces with Frenchman Eric Noyel, founder of Asia Marine…
- Business News
Galileo Maritime Academy sends ambassadors to TYS
PHUKET: Thalang’s Galileo Maritime Academy is shining at the first-ever Thailand Yacht Show. Founded in 2012 by Brian Murray, a career chief engineer in the British Royal Navy and a superyacht captain for 30 years, Galileo offers courses that combine skill sets from the hospitality trade to the skills needed for working as superyacht crew. “The Thailand Yacht Show is…
- Opinion
Opinion: Directing ships of cash to Phuket
PHUKET: After months of reporting one marine mishap after another, the inaugural Thailand Yacht Show (TYS) comes as a refreshing and long overdue reminder of just how important the marine leisure industry is to the island – and why all sides need to work harder to further develop the province into the true marine hub of the region. Phuket’s marine…
- Phuket News
More than 5 dozen tourists saved after speedboat sinks
PHANG NGA: More than five dozen tourists were safely rescued after their overloaded speedboat sank near the Similan Islands yesterday evening, reported officials. The 50-passenger boat, owned by the Rak Talay tour company, was carrying 63 tourists at the time of the incident, said Phang Nga Marine Police Chief Jakkree Mekumphonsuit. “According to the captain, they were headed back to…
