Tim Newton
- Thai Life
Fatties in Thai Business Class? Mai dai!
Passengers intending to fly business class on Thai Airways’ new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will have to first pass the waist test (that’s ‘waist’ not ‘waste’!). Flight Lieutenant Pratthana Pattanasirim, THAI’s director of security and flight standard division, says that a passenger with waist bigger than 56 inches (142 cm) cannot fly business class on the fleet’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft.…
- News
21 year old arrested over assault on 82 year old following Facebook campaign
A young motorcyclist surrendered to police last night (Wednesday) evening following a Facebook campaign, which saw a reward of 60,000 baht being raised for his arrest, after he was recorded on video kicking and hitting an elderly man in Bangkok. 21 year old Narathorn Sodetiyung reportedly admitted that he had assaulted 82 year old Jaroon Maneephan after the latter knocked…
- News
“Your white handsome man is really a dark skinned scammer!” Tourist police warning
The Thai tourist police have produced a Facebook warning for Thai women about Romance Scams. One of the frames shows a cartoon white man who they say is handsome and rich. But towards the end the police say that he is more than likely dark skinned and after your money. The advice says that middle aged and middle class Thai…
- News
More wastewater outlets flowing into sea at Krabi
Can we allow this wastewater to keep flowing into our beaches? Krabi video footage from Karl Vandenhove. https://www.facebook.com/phuketgazette/videos/1642758232468665/
- News
UPDATE: Cause of plane crash believed to be engine problems
The plane, HS-PMS series JABIRU 450 named Butterfly 05, crashed yesterday morning (Saturday) killing the captain, Wattana Tinphang-Nga, and Flying Officer Narin Taweewat, while critically injuring two 18 and 19 year old students from Thalang Technical College. Initial investigations suggest that the plane crashed because of engine problems although aviation inspectors will have to conduct a full investigation by the…
- Thai Life
Top 10 Things to know about taking a bus from Phuket to Bangkok (or back)
So you need to get from Phuket to Bangkok, or Bangkok to Phuket? You have choices of flying, driving or taking a bus. As the flight prices remain cheap and the services generally numerous and reliable, the buses have plenty of competition on their hands. But they are a cheaper option and you’ll certainly see more of the countryside along…
- News
UPDATE: Police in Phuket say the man was shot over money owed on a motorbike
PHOTO: Sanook A black Pajero with several people inside had arrived at a rented property in the Rangsiri estate in Muang district, Phuket. A man got out and asked for “Sin”. 30 year old Sinchai was shot then fled inside the house. Original story HERE. The shooter followed holding a 11mm gun and shot him twice more in the chest.…
- News
Insurance fraud in Krabi
A 31 year old local chicken vendor, Nattareeya Boonchoo, has spoken about ‘insurance’ she bought for her son that cost her 5,500 Baht. After paying for 2 months, the insurance representative, 35 year old Falipth Wonghan, disappeared – no certificate, no receipt. There are also other 10 other alleged victims from the same case. “The man claimed that he’s the…
- News
Koh Lanta Noi’s dusty road
Local residents of Koh Lanta Noi are calling for a proper road after suffering a dusty, rocky road for 20 years. The 3 kilometre gravel road, route Boklong – Tuek Boran in Moo 4, Koh Lanta Noi Sub-District, is a road that 40 families use routinely and they have been having to put up with the poor road conditions for…
- News
Shooting rage in Rassada – one dead, one in critical condition
Last night (March 4) police received a report about a shooting in a house at the Rangsiri housing project, in Rassada, east of Phuket Town. Two people were shot; one died and another remains in critical condition. At the 2 story house, which doubles as a tattoo shop in the ground floor, police found blood and several .45 bullets on…
- News
Train derails at a Trang construction site
State Railway of Thailand officials and workers were clearing the tracks today (Thursday) after a Bangkok-Trang express train derailed this morning a few kilometres from the Trang Train Station. No one was killed or injured in the incident, railway engineering official Chairat Duansung said. The derailment, which led to the 14-car train’s last carriage going off the tracks, took place…
- News
More than 100 new political parties poised to launch next month
PHOTO: Suthep Thaugsuban by Attayuth Bootsripoom More than 100 new political parties are expected to launch next month after registration opens on Friday. It will be the first time since the military coup in May 2014 that political activities will be officially allowed. A junta order signed by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha last December allows new political parties to…
- Food
Firefly’s Night Brunch, and All That Jazz
Imagine a brunch… at night. Firefly @ Pavillions in Layan hosted their ‘All That Jazz’ ‘brunch’, the last in the High Season series. An astonishing buffet was prepared by the Maestro Chef Belinda Tuckwell. A Mediterranean theme with international flavors, the best cheese selection we’ve ever encountered on the island and some truly delicious sweet things to top off a…
- News
Bangkok’s Great Driveway Drama – surrounding markets ordered closed
The Bangkok governor has ordered the immediate temporary closure of five markets operating in Seri Villa housing project in Prawet district, in a bid to find an acceptable solution to the decade-long dispute between residents and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) over the presence of the markets. https://www.facebook.com/phuketgazette/videos/1620839177993904/ Governor Asawin Kwanmuang said on Wednesday that he would set up a…
- News
Worker dies, another injured, in Samkong worksite landslide
https://www.facebook.com/phuketgazette/videos/1620819127995909/ Emergency responders are working to extract a worker from a construction site in Samkong near Vachira Hospital this morning following a landslide. One worker died in the work-site landslide.
- News
Rare animal – a moonrat – found in Krabi
A small creature that looks like a mouse, with a nose and mouth shaped like a pig, has been found in Krabi. It is believed to be a moonrat. Krabi Defense Volunteer Officer, 53 year old Pornchai Sudrak, who found the animal, explains that he was jogging near his house in the evening and heard his dog barking so he…
- News
Mystery woman drowns off Phang Nga beach
PHOTO: komchadluek.net A woman, over the age of 60 in a black swimsuit, drowned on a beach north of Phuket on Tuesday. When emergency responders arrived at Khuk Khak Beach in Takuapa district, Phang Nga, the woman was already deceased. A security guard at the hotel fronting beach the woman was swimming tried to apply CPR before rescuers arrived, but…
- Travel
Phi Phi’s Maya Bay to be closed this June. Or maybe not…
According to AFP, Maya Bay is going to be closed in June this year. “The once-pristine Thai bay which became a tourist magnet after the 2000 movie “The Beach” will be closed to boats for several months to prevent further damage to its coral, an official said Wednesday. Hordes of tourists flock daily to Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi…
- News
Brush fire destroys old worker’s camp in Kathu
An old worker’s camp on fire just behind the Shell petrol station in Phra Phuket Kaew Road, adjacent to the Anupas car service centre. No one was in the dwelling at the time. The fire spread quickly to adjoining bush land but two fire crews attended quickly and brouht the blaze under control within 20 minutes. Police believe there was…
- Thai Life
Boom Boom on the border
PHOTO: The attractions of Thailand’s southern border town usually become apparent after sunset On one side of the Thai/Malaysian border is Sungai Golok, on the Malaysian side it’s the town of Rantau Panjang. The two towns are separated by the Golok River as well as decades of furious fighting between Muslim separatists who want to reclaim some of the southern…
- Thai Life
Wow factor! Spectacular new day club in Bali.
Phuket has some amazing beach clubs. Indeed we used to have more but, you know… the Great Beach Purge of 2016. So for pure drool value we present this astonishing day club just opened in Bali. It’s called Omnia and is a step up for the Beach/Dayclub genre making many of the Phuket offerings looking a bit ‘shabby’ in comparison.…
- News
Activists report Thepa power plant concerns to UN
Representatives of the Thepa coal-fired power plant opposition group went to the UN offices in Bangkok yesterday to report their concerns about the project. The group also emphasised in a statement that it would continue its prolonged peaceful demonstration in front of Government House every day until the government definitively revokes the 2,200 megawatt coal-fired power plant project in Songkhla’s…
- News
THAIGER TODAY January 31
Frenchman and Thai accomplice re-enact murder | Viet Jet back-pedal over PR stunt | Thai PM admits falling popularity | British expat needs triple by-pass – no health insurance | Krabi province investigates marine ambulance | AMLO clamps down on Bitcoin.
- Thai Life
Thailand Yacht Show – attracting Superyachts to the region
PHOTO: Andy Treadwell, CEO and Founder, Thailand Yacht Show At a Press Conference in Bangkok last week Prakob Wongmaneerung, Vice Governor of Phuket, Nithee Seeprae, Executive Director of Product Promotion Department of TAT and Andy Treadwell, CEO and Founder of the Thailand Yacht Show, along with numerous officials and key business leaders, gathered to re-confirm their commitment to promoting Thailand…
- News
I’ve got a drone. Can I bring it with me to Thailand? Yes, but…
INFOGRAPHIC: Tourism Authority of Thailand Last week it was reported that over 7,000 drones had been registered for flying in Thailand since October 2, 2017 when the law came into effect where drones must be registered. This number only included drones registered at NBTC offices, not at police stations around the country, so the true number of registrations is much…
- Thailand News
Here I am. Look at me.
Editorial by Tim Newton Yingluck’s in London. Yep, it’s her. Somehow a Facebook page has been able to achieve what the entire Royal Thai Police and Interpol have been unable to – find former Premier Yingluck Shinawatra. We are led to believe that these random pics of the fugitive PM are a serendipitous happening, arousing media speculation and allowing the…
- News
URGENT BLOOD DONATION REQUIRED – Blood Group A
Blood group A is urgently required at Vachira Hospital. People who are able to donate blood, you are requested to go to the Blood Bank, located on the 4th floor of the out-patient building at Vachira Hospital. For more information, call 07 636 1234. The department opens from 8.30am – 8pm on weekdays and from 8.30am – 3pm during weekends.
- News
Phuket Headlines – November 1, 2018
PM says election delays ‘inevitable’ Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says he may have to delay the calling of elections because the Sub-Committee for Drawing Things was still trying to choose the best font for the ballot papers. He also noted that the media’s continuous barrage of questions about an election date gave him no time to call an election. Asked…
- Thai Life
The new Smart Visa and digital nomads
PHOTO: neverendingvoyage.com The new Smart Visa might be a visa solution for some, but not all, of the ‘digital nomads’ that have been become ubiquitous in Thailand, from all over the world. Whereas the young professionals might have taken off around the world on a break between their schooling and the start of their professional careers, now they’re taking their…
- News
How was the tsunami reported on the island 13 years ago?
Imagine sitting in a news office on the morning of December 26, 2004. You’re working as a journalist in Phuket. It was that morning that an earthquake struck an area about 500 kilometres south west of Phuket. Two hours later the shock waves reached the island in the form of a tidal surge. This was the first report from the…
