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Sponsored Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever
If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...
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Phuket Opinion: Keeping pace with disaster
PHUKET: The construction of a wall along Kamala Beach that could be a barrier during an emergency evacuation once again highlights the need for constant vigilance and above all, common sense in the never-ending preparation for a tsunami or other natural disaster. Few places on Phuket were hit harder than Kamala, where the bathymetry and onshore topography allowed the surging…
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Five fugitives in Phuket to face Kedah royal guard probe
PHUKET: All five suspects accused of carrying out an attack on a Kedah royal family bodyguard at a high-end resort in Patong just after midnight on Tuesday (story here) arrived at Patong Police Station for questioning this morning. Being escorted into the compound at 8:30am were three Thais: Prakong Seesopha, 32; Sakorn Seesopha, 34; and Thanyaporn Toh-in. Joining them were…
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Chinese Ambassador wins promise of translators for Phuket Police stations
PHUKET: The Deputy General Director of Tourism has vowed to hire Chinese translators for Phuket police stations in reaction to concerns raised by Chinese Ambassador to Thailand His Excellency Guan Mu on Wednesday. “We will hire police translators to work with the police,” Deputy General Director of Tourism Kajorn Weerajai said. “I also plan to make a guide book for…
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Phuket driver escapes injury as car flips, plunges into canal
PHUKET: A woman was run off the road by speeding drivers as she pulled out of the Esso gasoline station on the northbound lane of the bypass road (map here) this morning. Frightened by the oncoming traffic, the woman missed her brake pedal and accidentally hit the accelerator, propelling her car over the curb, across a patch of grass and…
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The rise of ASEAN football
PHUKET: The sport of football is considered by many to be the most popular game on the planet. While it has been a mainstay in the European and South American nations for decades, increased access to matches and a youthful fan base have now allowed this exciting sport to reach the far corners of the globe. A notable example of…
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Phuket motorbike taxi driver found dead in canal
PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of man whose body was found in a canal in central Phuket late yesterday afternoon with a deep cut under his chin. Thalang Police led by Duty Officer Kitthiphum Thinthalang arrived at the scene, a canal behind the Thalang Victory Memorial Field (map here), at 6:15pm. Local residents identified the man as 53-year-old local…
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Two in Lamborghini survive after slamming into power poles in Chon Buri
PHOTOS: Issara Parinyothai A father and son, driving in a Lamborghini sports car, have survived after colliding with power poles in Chon Buri, north of Pattaya. Emergency responders were notified of the incident yesterday on Sukhumwit Road in Chon Buri city area, south of Bangkok. At the scene found the damaged ‘Aventador’ Lamborghini sport car valued 34 million baht in…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Middle East news round-up
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Egyptian draft law said to dash hopes of free civil society Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A law drafted by the Egyptian presidency for regulating non-governmental organisations dashes hopes for a free civil society after the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak, Human Rights Watch said yesterday.…
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Phuket manhunt called off as German fugitive arrested
PHUKET: The Phuket manhunt for the Carlo Konstantin Kohl, who escaped his Australian guards at Suvarnabhumi Airport while being escorted home to Germany (story here), has been called off. Police arrested the 25-year-old at the German Embassy in Bangkok yesterday, Immigration Police Commissioner Panu Kerdlabpol said. “We had officers waiting for him at the embassy,” Lt Gen Panu said. Kohl…
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Five arrested over attack on Kedah royal family bodyguard
PHUKET: Police today arrested five men for the attack on a Kedah royal family bodyguard at a high-end resort in Patong just after midnight on Tuesday. Four of the men, including three Malaysians, were arrested while trying to exit Thailand at the busy Sadao checkpoint in Songkhla province. The first arrest was made at a rented house in Sikao District…
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![No blockade: Phuket taxis called to the rescue [Video Report] | Thaiger](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0naHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmcnIHZpZXdCb3g9JzAgMCAyNDEgMjIwJz48L3N2Zz4=)
No blockade: Phuket taxis called to the rescue [Video Report]
PHUKET: Following the confusion at Phuket’s Deep Sea Port this morning (story here), it has come to light that the hundreds of taxis, tour vans and tuk-tuks at the gate to Phuket’s key port facility were called to the rescue of the thousands of US Navy servicemen and women looking to enjoy shore leave on the island. The armada of…
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Phuket murder trail leads to Hungary
PHUKET: Royal Thai Police investigating the murder of 39-year-old Hungarian businessman Laszlo Csapai may travel to Hungary to question a key witness, the Phuket Gazette has confirmed. The witness, currently jailed in Hungary, claims he saw prime suspect Moshe David murder Mr Csapai and bury the body, Surat Thani Provincial Police Commander Kiattipong Khaosum-ang explained. Following the witness’ testimony, Thai…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Myanmar mob violence returns; US soldier to confess Afghan massacre; Vincent and Bruno get married; PNG sorcery stoked
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Buddhist mobs attack Muslim homes in Myanmar, one dead Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Security forces struggled to control Buddhist mobs who burned Muslim homes on Wednesday for a second day in the northern Myanmar city of Lashio in a dangerous widening of ultra-nationalist Buddhist violence.…
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Phuket FC swoops down on Krabi Andaman Eagles
PHUKET: The Islanders advanced to 4th place of the 18-team Yamaha League One (YL1) after downing Krabi FC in a Phang Nga Bay derby match last night in Phuket Town. Despite Krabi dominating the attack early on, the two Southern sides went into the locker rooms at half time scoreless. The deadlock was broken eight minutes into the second half,…
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Phuket hosts full-scale tsunami drill
PHUKET: A total of about 300 emergency-response officers from Phuket and Phang Nga joined forces to stage a full-scale tsunami evacuation and sea rescue drill off the northern tip of Phuket yesterday.The drill started with the sounding of the tsunami warning alarm, prompting the officers from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) in Phuket and Phang Nga to…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Luxury cars gone in 60 seconds
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Luxury cars worth Bt100 million destroyed in semi-trailer fire Phuket Gazette / The NationPHUKET: A semi-trailer transporting six luxury cars caught fire on the Mitraparp Highway in Nakhon Ratchasima early yesterday morning.The fire destroyed one BMW, two Lamborghinis and a Mercedes Benz, causing damage of about Bt100…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Court rules troops killed Italian reporter
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai court rules troops responsible for Italian reporter’s death Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Italian photojournalist who was shot dead in Bangkok while taking pictures of a military crackdown on an anti-government protest in 2010 was killed by a bullet fired by a soldier, a…
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Damaged Phuket tourist ferry to be recovered
PHUKET: Efforts are underway to recover the ferry Puean Foong II, which started taking on water in heavy seas yesterday afternoon with more than 100 tourists on board (story here). The boat was returning from Phi Phi Island to Phuket when strong waves punctured the hull, explained Samphan Aiyara, managing director of Friendship Sea Tour Co Ltd, which owns the…
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Phuket Finance: Golden rules for investing
PHUKET: Being a successful investor over the long-term is not going to be easy, but if you have been a bad investor in the past, who has lost money investing, chances are it is because you didn’t follow these simple, yet essential rules.Educate yourself about investing Walk into any bookstore and you will likely see several shelves of books covering…
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Australian ‘Couple on the Run’ to tackle Laguna Marathon
PHUKET: Australian ‘Couple on the Run’ Andrew and Sue O’Brien will take on the Laguna Phuket International Marathon on June 9 in the latest step of their worldwide running mission to promote shared exercise as a means of achieving personal goals.Melbourne based Sue and Andrew became known as the Couple on the Run in 2008 when they ran eight marathons…
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Women’s beach volleyball tournament to hit Karon Beach
PHUKET: The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour is to return to Karon Beach this year after an agreement to continue staging the annual event was recently signed by Pentangle Promotions Co Ltd and the Thailand Volleyball Association with the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). Several changes to the competition format have been made by the FIVB; the qualifying round is…
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Phuket motorbike thief blames island’s lack of public transport
PHUKET: A 24-year-old local handyman says Phuket’s lack of public transport is the reason he stole a motorbike to go visit a friend. Phuket City Police arrested Koson Hongthong yesterday morning at the old weekend market on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town (map here). Mr Koson was found in possession of a Yamaha Fino that was reported stolen by…
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Phuket Gazette World News: F-15 crashes – pilot safe; Obama to discuss security concerns; US workers injured in strip club crossfire
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. Air Force fighter jet crashes off Japan, pilot survives Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: A U.S. Air Force fighter jet crashed in the Pacific Ocean off the Japanese island of Okinawa yesterday morning, but the pilot was safely recovered after ejecting from the aircraft,…
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Phuket on alert for German fugitive
PHUKET: Police across Phuket are on alert for a German fugitive who managed to escape Australian police officers guarding him as they waited for a connecting flight at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.Carlo Konstantin Kohl, a 25-year-old burglary suspect, escaped from the airport’s “day room” – a waiting room for transit passengers who do not need to go through immigration formalities –…
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Phuket Video Report: More than 100 tourists rescued from sinking ferry
PHUKET: More than 100 people were rescued from a tourist boat that started sinking while returning from Phi Phi Island to Phuket this afternoon after being damaged by big waves.No injuries were reported.The ferry, Puean Foong II, was near Chicken Island (Koh Kai), about 15 nautical miles from Phuket, when it took on water, said Phuket Marine Police Inspector Chatchai…
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Navy shore-leave to inject 1 million dollars into economy
PHUKET: The island’s economy – especially at the party town of Patong – will be getting an early low-season boost thanks to this week’s visit by the American Navy supercarrier, USS Nimitz along with its armed missile-cruiser escort, the USS Princeton, which both moored off Phuket early this morning. Topping off a week-long journey through the South China Sea, and…
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Phuket Police post YouTube video of gold shop suspect, unmasked
PHUKET: Police have posted a YouTube video showing the man they believe committed the gold shop murder-burglary in Phuket on April 8 in the hope that members of the public can identify him. The CCTV footage shows a man with a slight limp smoking as he walks back and forth in front of the C.P. Gold Master & Jewelry store…
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Phuket Immigration: Deporting, blacklisting foreigners for drug charges since 1979
PHUKET: Following the recent spate of foreigners being charged with minor drug offenses, the chief of Phuket Immigration today confirmed that all foreigners arrested for drug use, or any drug-related offense, are transferred to Bangkok and deported – following the Immigration Act BE 2522.“The law is not new. It has been in use since 1979. Any foreigners found guilty in…
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Bangkok Hospital Phuket to invest B600mn in facility
PHUKET: Bangkok Hospital Phuket (BHP) has announced that it will invest 600 million baht to open a new hospital on the island by early next year. The site of the as yet unnamed hospital will be on Chao Fah West Road, just opposite the Chao Fa Villa Phuket housing development in Mueang district. Director of Bangkok Hospital Phuket Dr Narongrit…
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Phuket tourist safety, security tops Chinese ambassador’s agenda
PHUKET: The Chinese Ambassador to Thailand has placed tourists’ safety and security at the top of his agenda for his visit to Phuket tomorrow, the Phuket Gazette has learned.Ambassador Guan Mu will meet with Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa to discuss a range of issues affecting tourists and expats.“The Chinese Ambassador and his team are going to discuss Chinese tourists’…
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