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Gazette offices closed for Songkran
PHUKET: The offices of the Phuket Gazette will be closed over the Songkran holidays, from Thursday April 13 to Sunday April 16 inclusive.As a result, there will be no hard-copy issue of the Phuket Gazette on April 22. The next issue will hit the newsstands on April 29.For those addicted to news, stories will still be posted in the Gazette…
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Islandia sold for B1.05bn
PHUKET: Central Hotels & Resorts and an unnamed investor have created a joint venture company named Karon Phuket Hotel Co and have bought the 316-room Islandia Park Resort in Karon. It will become the third Central property in the Karon area. The amount paid was not revealed by the partners, but hotel industry publications said that they paid a total…
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Property expo hits the mark
PHUKET CITY: Properties with a total value of more than 300 million baht were reserved at the Property Investment Exhibition 2006 (PIE), which drew to a close at Central Festival Phuket yesterday, said the organizer.Thanet Traiwut, Managing Director of exhibition organizer Delice Thai, said, “The exhibition was a success. About 80% of visitors were looking for a house and 20%…
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Drugs haul at Kalim Beach bar
KALIM: Undercover police armed with a warrant arrested suspected drug dealer Boonyarit Charnpraneet, 46, in the evening of April 7 following a tip-off from a member of the public. The arrest took place at the bar – the name of which police declined to disclose to the Gazette – owned by Boonyarit at Kalim Beach. The police also managed to…
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Rougher seas ahead for Phuket’s dive industry
PHUKET CITY: A newly formed committee met at Phuket Provincial Hall on April 5 to discuss recent developments in the dive industry, particularly accusations leveled at the industry that some dive operators have been evading tax and employing staff without work permits.Phuket’s Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Nivit Aroonrat, claimed after the meeting that Phuket’s dive industry is “concealing” facts and…
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1,000 incentives delegates at Sheraton generate B150m
CHERNG TALAY: A thousand Australians descended on the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket on April 8 for the biggest incentive program yet hosted in the Laguna complex.The organizers, Hagemeyer Electrical of Australia, a subsidiary of Dutch trading giant Hagemeyer, estimate that the three-day program, which brought 850 of the company’s top customers to Thailand, injected some 150 million baht into the…
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Six apply to run in April 23 by-election
PHUKET: Six people have applied to run in the April 23 parliamentary by-elections in Phuket, four of them in District 1, which covers Phuket City and the immediate area, and two in District 2, covering the rest of the island. The Phuket Election Commission (PEC) will take just a few days to determine which of the candidates will qualify to…
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THAI cuts fares, boosts flights for Songkran
BANGKOK: Thai Airways International (THAI) is introducing discounted domestic air tickets to and from Bangkok during the Songkran period, starting today and ending next Monday. The discounted destinations are Chiang Mai, Phuket, Haad Yai, Krabi, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen, Chiang Rai, Krabi, Phitsanulok and Udon Thani. Vasing Kittikul, THAI’s Executive Vice President said that passengers buying the discounted…
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Easing of 80-meter rule back on the agenda
PHUKET: The Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office (PNREO) has proposed changes to the current law limiting the height of construction in Phuket to no higher than 80 meters above sea level.A five-year ban on building above 80 meters was enforced in 1997 as a way of preventing landslides. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) extended the ban…
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French tourist dies in fall from rocks
NAI HARN: A French tourist died on Wednesday morning after he apparently slipped while climbing rocks at Nai Harn Beach, plunging onto submerged rocks below.Chalong Police Inspector Pol Lt Col Chockchai Sutthimek identified the victim as Gregory Eric Muguet, 34. The accident occurred after the victim went out for a morning walk and swim with his mother, Col Chockchai said.…
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Songkran aim: no more than 4 road deaths
PHUKET: As in previous years, the province will set up police checkpoints around the island during the Songkran Holiday period in a bid to keep road deaths and injuries to a minimum. At a conference at Phuket Provincial Hall on Monday, members of the media were each handed a 24-page stack of documents prepared by the Phuket Office for Disaster…
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Democrats see Thaksin ‘resignation’ as a ploy
PHUKET: The island’s Democrats have announced that they will boycott new elections called for April 23 because they are not satisfied with Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s pledge not to accept the post of Prime Minister in the next Parliament.In a dramatic speech broadcast live last night by all TV channels, the PM announced that he would not be Prime…
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All bets are off as gambling tops arrests stats again
PHUKET: Gambling, with 162 arrests made between March 1 and 25, has again topped the monthly arrests statistics, the Phuket Provincial Police announced today. Of these, 25 people were arrested for being involved in the sale of illegal lottery tickets.There were three cases of murder – including that of Preecha “Ko Noi” Kraitas (see also page 1). Three arrests made,…
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Preecha assassin still at large
PHUKET CITY: The hunt continues for Samrerng Klaising, the gunman wanted for assassinating prominent Phuket businessman Preecha “Ko Noi” Kraitas, but so far without result.However, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth said yesterday that police are making progress in their investigation.Samrerng, originally from Petchaburi Province, and his driver in the shooting, whom police have yet to name,…
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Fishermen refer marina row to human rights body
PA KHLOK: The Fishermen’s Association in Moo 6, Pa Khlok, which staged a protest at Provincial Hall and lodged a formal complaint over the construction of the Ao Por Marina on March 16, has applied for advice from the Human Rights Commission as to what rights it has in defending its members’ livelihoods.Rattanaporn Jaengjaidee, an adviser to the association, told…
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Rain staves off water shortage – again
PHUKET: The heavy downpours late last month boosted Phuket’s water reserves in Bang Wad Reservoir to 2.7 million cubic meters – enough to last until mid-June, Watchara Arepornsiri, Project Director at Phuket Irrigation Office, has told the Gazette.“The amount of water in Bang Wad Reservoir has risen to 2.7 million cubic meters, and we should have no problems because we…
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Thai Rak Thai flops in Phuket poll
SAPHAN HIN: Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) candidate Dr Sriyada Palimapan has failed in her bid to be elected Member of Parliament for Phuket District 1.In District 2, counting of votes from two polling stations has yet to be completed, but the unofficial tally so far indicates that Wisut Santikul, also of the TRT, has also failed to get elected.Dr…
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Blaze blackens Jammin’ Pub
PHUKET CITY: Fire broke out in the popular Jammin’ nightclub early this morning, causing damage estimated at between 2 million and 3 million baht. No one was hurt in the blaze.Co-owner Mel Purdue told the Gazette this afternoon, “It would appear not to have done too much structural damage. Unfortunately it was the DJ pit, and it looks like [the…
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Disqualifications leave Sriyada to run unopposed
PHUKET CITY: The Supreme Court has upheld the disqualification of two of the three parliamentary candidates for Phuket Electoral District 1, which includes Phuket City and its surrounds.This leaves Dr Sriyada Palimapan of Thai Rak Thai (TRT) as the sole candidate, the Phuket Election Commission (PEC) has announced. PEC Director Kittipong Thiengkunagrit told the Gazette that the Supreme Court on…
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Spa trots out “best’ detox treatment
PHUKET: A consortium of international investors known as the Gastro Group has announced a 1.5-billion-baht investment in what is being billed as the world’s first “detoxotel” – a 150-room facility specializing in state-of-the-art detoxification treatments.Construction of the facility, which will be on a 15-rai site coastal site, the location of which is currently being kept secret, is scheduled to get…
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Bypass road fully open
PHUKET CITY: Today marked a milestone in the 111-million-baht bypass road widening project, as the new northbound lane, blasted out of the hillside near Tesco-Lotus, was finally opened fully to traffic. The opening caused some confusion among motorists, who had grown used to the counterflow traffic system using the southbound lane near Chan’s Antiques. Phuket Highway Department Engineer Boonyakiat Kongketyai…
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Booze sales banned during election
PHUKET: There will be a total ban on the sale and provision of alcohol anywhere in Thailand before and during Sunday’s general election.In accordance with the Election Act, shops, bars, restaurants and hotels will be prohibited from selling or providing alcohol to customers between 6 pm on Saturday, April 1, and midnight at the end of Sunday, April 2.Wisut Romin,…
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Hollioake and Mullally for Phuket Sixes
KARON: Former England Test cricketers Adam Hollioake and Alan Mullally will take part in the Lighthouse Phuket International Cricket Sixes 2006 to be held from April 12 to 16 at the Karon Stadium. Former England all-rounder Hollioake said, “I’m really looking forward to playing in the Phuket Sixes next month. “It looks like it’s going to be a fantastic place…
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Anti-Thaksin protesters march through city
PHUKET CITY: Some 200 members of the Phuket branch of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) marched today from the CB Market on Bangkok Rd to Provincial Hall.The marchers, who included a handful of foreigners, took a roundabout route through the city, taking about an hour and a half to reach their destination, and shouting “Thaksin, Get Out!” along the…
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Phuket Airlines “will be off blacklist soon’
BANGKOK: Phuket Airlines, recently blacklisted by the European Commission (EC) as one of 93 airlines barred from flying to the European Union (EU) and Switzerland, is confident that it will be reinstated soon, a senior official of the airline said today. As if to reinforce that confidence, the Gazette has learned that Phuket Airlines has applied to launch another airline,…
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Patong assault victim dies
PATONG: Chatchai “Ghee” Ritchohor, 32, who fell into a coma after being head-butted by a foreign tourist in July last year, has died.K. Ghee’s younger sister, K. Oranuch, said her brother died on Saturday of long-term complications from emergency brain surgery performed at Vachira Phuket Hospital after the assault, which caused his brain to hemorrhage and swell.Doctors at Somdej Phryuparat…
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Death of drinker
CHALONG: Probably the last thing Surasak Tayan expected as he sat drinking cola late one night outside a PTT filling station’s 7-Eleven convenience store was that his modest attempt at humorous self-deprecation would be the death of him. But it was. K. Surasak was frustrated because, at 3:30 am, he couldn’t buy a decent drink. Unfortunately, in expressing his disgust…
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Rescuers need rescuing
THALANG: Three Kusoldham Rescue Foundation workers had to call in rescuers themselves at about 3 am on March 10, after being assaulted by a group of more than 20 girls and ladyboys at the PTT filling station in Baan Lipon, Tambon Srisoonthorn. Chaiya Pariensati said he and two other rescue workers were on duty when they noticed a young woman…
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Andaman provinces to host Senior World Cup
PHUKET CITY: The Senior Footballers’ Association of Thailand (SFA), in association with the Tourist Authority of Thailand, is organizing the first Football Senior World Cup tournament to celebrate the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King’s accession to the throne.The tournament is to be held in Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga provinces, tentatively between April 24 and 30. It will…
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BCIS win Island Furniture cricket title
PHUKET: Once again the weather gods dealt out a wet hand and the pitch had to be moved to avoid various swamps around the outfield. ICC were going into the game as favorites, with depth in both batting and bowling. However, BCIS has proved during this season that four bowlers with a maximum of 10 overs each are all you…
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