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  • Phuket fishermen discover body of executed man | Thaiger

    Phuket fishermen discover body of executed man

    PHUKET: Fishermen discovered the body of a man who had been executed floating near the main fishing port in Rassada in Phuket earlier this morning. “We believe the body is that of a Myanmar national who worked on a fishing boat. He most likely got in a fight with other crew members, was killed and then thrown overboard,” said Lt…

  • After fatal building collapse, officials reassure that Phuket underpass is safe | Thaiger

    After fatal building collapse, officials reassure that Phuket underpass is safe

    PHUKET: Phuket Highways Office Director Samak Luedwonghad has called for confidence in the construction of the island’s first underpass in the wake of a fatal building collapse which killed 10 people in Samut Prakarn last month. The Phuket underpass, on the bypass road near the Central Festival Phuket shopping mall, is under construction by the same developer involved in the…

  • Phuket rain brings flash flood | Thaiger

    Phuket rain brings flash flood

    PHUKET: Heavy rain across Phuket last night brought on minor flash flooding in several parts of the the island. On Thepkrasattri Road in Srisoonthorn, north of Phuket Town, cars and motorbikes stalled as motorists attempted to plow through water that had flooded the road. “More than 10 people from Srisoonthorn Municipality were called in to help motorists as the flood…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: France’s Hollande names new PM, pledges tax cuts after poll rout | Thaiger

    Phuket Gazette World News: France’s Hollande names new PM, pledges tax cuts after poll rout

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community France’s Hollande names new PM, pledges tax cuts after poll rout Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: President Francois Hollande named centrist Interior Minister Manuel Valls as his new prime minister on Monday, replacing Jean-Marc Ayrault who quit after ruling Socialists were trounced in local French elections.…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Malaysia changes last words from missing plane, hunt goes on | Thaiger

    Phuket Gazette World News: Malaysia changes last words from missing plane, hunt goes on

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Malaysia changes last words from missing plane, hunt goes on Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The last words from the cockpit of the missing Malaysian airliner were a standard “Good night Malaysian three seven zero”, Malaysian authorities said, changing their account of the critical last communication…

  • SilkAir celebrates 25 years in Phuket’s skies | Thaiger

    SilkAir celebrates 25 years in Phuket’s skies

    PHUKET: Full-service regional carrier SilkAir, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, celebrated its silver anniversary in Phuket on Saturday, as its chief executive highlighted the company’s growth goals. Phuket was one of the five original destinations for the regional airline when it was re-branded from Tradewinds the Airline to SilkAir on April, 1, 1992. The number of destinations served by the…

  • ITF Seniors Tennis Tour comes to Thanyapura [Video] | Thaiger

    ITF Seniors Tennis Tour comes to Thanyapura [Video]

    PHUKET: Thanyapura Phuket says it is honored to be hosting its very first International Tennis Federation (ITF) seniors event next week, with play taking place from Monday, April 7 to Saturday, April 12. Careful not to let the word “Seniors” lead you to imagine elderly people with walking canes donning their tennis whites for a friendly rally. The six days…

  • Action stunt leaves fleeing Phuket thief with broken neck | Thaiger

    Action stunt leaves fleeing Phuket thief with broken neck

    PHUKET: A man broke his neck after falling from the fourth floor of a Phuket apartment building while trying to escape two women who caught him red-handed stealing from their room. Patong Police were notified at about 1pm yesterday that 32-year-old Mongkolchai Na-Tawan had fallen after trying to jump from a fourth-floor room in one apartment building into another room…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: North, South Korea exchange artillery fire off west coast | Thaiger

    Phuket Gazette World News: North, South Korea exchange artillery fire off west coast

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community North, South Korea exchange artillery fire off west coast Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire on Monday off their disputed western maritime border, Seoul scrambled jets and residents of a South Korean island fled to bomb shelters in the most…

  • Phuket Countdown to confusion | Thaiger

    Phuket Countdown to confusion

    PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette has learned that Phuket has been named as the pilot province for a nationwide project that will eventually see all “countdown” traffic lights retrofitted to show Thai numerals instead of the more popular Arabic numbers currently used in most countries, including Thailand. Deadline for completion of the 187-million-baht Phuket project is October 15. The move is…

  • Phuket lawyer wins senator poll, “No Vote’ comes second | Thaiger

    Phuket lawyer wins senator poll, “No Vote’ comes second

    PHUKET: Unofficial results of yesterday’s senatorial election on the island indicate that local lawyer Chaiyot Panyawai, 47, has won the contest to become Phuket’s new representative in the Upper House. Mr Chaiyot, president of the Phuket branch of the Lawyers Council of Thailand, garnered 19,262 votes, confirmed Phuket Election Commission (PEC) Director Kittipong Thiengkunakrit. Voter turnout was low yesterday, with…

  • Russian withdrawal: Chinese tourist scammed out of B400,000 | Thaiger

    Russian withdrawal: Chinese tourist scammed out of B400,000

    PHUKET: A Chinese tourist issued a warning to other Phuket visitors of skimmer gangs after thieves in Russia withdrew 400,000 baht from his account. “On March 24, my bank called to ask me where I was, because my account showed several withdrawals in Russia between March 22 and 24,” said Haohao Sun. “At the time the 400,000 baht was taken…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Parties wrangle for Senate control; Yingluck to face NACC; Relief for Isarn drought | Thaiger

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Parties wrangle for Senate control; Yingluck to face NACC; Relief for Isarn drought

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM yet to confirm appearance before NACC The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday she has not decided whether she will defend herself in person today before the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) over the rice-pledging scheme corruption case, or send…

  • Body of Russian expat, kidnapped in Phuket, believed found | Thaiger

    Body of Russian expat, kidnapped in Phuket, believed found

    PHUKET: Police have found a body they believe is that of missing Russian expat Alexey Slabinskiy, first reported as suspected of being kidnapped three weeks ago (story here). “We learned that the suspects – Russians Oleksandr Boychuk, 44, and Aleksandr Novichkov, 58 – had rented a house in Soi Koktanode in Cherng Talay,” Provincial Police Commander Ong-art Phiwruangnont told the…

  • Phuket officials call for healthy turnout for “Senate poll Sunday’ | Thaiger

    Phuket officials call for healthy turnout for “Senate poll Sunday’

    PHUKET: About 100 officials led by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak gathered yesterday to call on the people of Phuket to vote in the nationwide Senate election on Sunday. Speaking at Sanam Chai, the field in front of Provincial Hall that is occupied by anti-government protesters every night, Vice Governor Somkiet reminded passers-by that the polls will be open across…

  • Drunk Aussie tourist marks rough landing in Phuket | Thaiger

    Drunk Aussie tourist marks rough landing in Phuket

    PHUKET: An Australian man who passed out drunk during his flight to Phuket was carried off the plane still unconscious on arrival yesterday and rushed to Thalang Hospital. The man, named by police as Christopher Lazarus Boubis, 39, later regained consciousness in the emergency ward at the hospital, but immediately went on a rampage through the facility. “He was shouting…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Fresh objects seen in new Malaysia jet search area | Thaiger

    Phuket Gazette World News: Fresh objects seen in new Malaysia jet search area

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fresh objects seen in new Malaysia jet search area Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Fresh objects spotted by planes searching for a missing Malaysian passenger jet in a new area of the southern Indian Ocean have again raised hopes of unravelling the three-week old mystery. Australian…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Bangkok rallies underway; Chamber warns of economic collapse; Child rapist killer gets life | Thaiger

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Bangkok rallies underway; Chamber warns of economic collapse; Child rapist killer gets life

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PDRC mass rallies in Bangkok take hold The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The People’s Democratic Reform committee led by Suthep Thaugsuban march from Lumpini Park to the Royal Plaza and Parliament began this morning to affirm its stand that reform must be done before the…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Brazilian airliner lands with no front wheels | Thaiger

    Phuket Gazette World News: Brazilian airliner lands with no front wheels

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Brazilian plane makes emergency landing with no front wheels Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Avianca Airlines passenger jet safely made an emergency landing in Brasilia on Friday after its front landing gear failed to deploy, authorities said. None of the 49 passengers and crew of…

  • Police chase ends with ditched truck, seriously injured man | Thaiger

    Police chase ends with ditched truck, seriously injured man

    PHUKET: A man who sped through a police checkpoint early yesterday morning was seriously injured after crashing his pickup truck into a roadside ditch while trying to escape Phuket police officers. Ekkapot Fungwittaya, 27, charged through the checkpoint, near the Thalang Health Center on Baan Reang Road in Thalang, just after midnight. Thalang Police gave pursuit, chasing him as he…

  • Karon black water strikes again, flows across trash-covered beach | Thaiger

    Karon black water strikes again, flows across trash-covered beach

    PHUKET: The Karon black water saga continued today as a fresh wave of rank, dirty water flowed over a long line of trash that has also been cursing the beach. “This is a failure on the part of Karon Municipality. I have not seen them do anything to try to resolve the problem,” said Karon Subdistrict Chief (Kamnan) Winai Chidchiew.…

  • Officials to sue 29 for Phuket national park encroachment | Thaiger

    Officials to sue 29 for Phuket national park encroachment

    PHUKET: Officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) announced a plan on Wednesday to sue 29 landowners found to be encroaching on Phuket’s Sirinath Marine National Park land. “Right now we plan to sue the landowners for encroachment onto a total of 1,500 rai. I want to get back as much of Sirinath National Park as we…

  • Blood Heroes Unite: Phuket Regional Blood Center announces April donation opportunities | Thaiger

    Blood Heroes Unite: Phuket Regional Blood Center announces April donation opportunities

    PHUKET: Those looking to be “Blood Heroes” will find it hard not to stumble upon a willing needle as the Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) will offer a plethora of opportunities to donate in April. “We are calling for donations in anticipation of an increased number of accidents, and thus a higher demand for blood during Songkran,” said PRBC Chief…

  • Carving a niche in the black market | Thaiger

    Carving a niche in the black market

    Special Report Six men were arrested in November for illegal possession of more than 50 kilograms of eaglewood. One of the men was caught with an illegal .45 handgun under his pillow. Today, those six men roam free, all released on suspended sentences. Here, the Phuket Gazette‘s Irfarn Jamdukor investigates the island’s illegal logging trade. PHUKET: Six men were arrested…

  • Hooked on saving sea life | Thaiger

    Hooked on saving sea life

    Wisit Itthiwarapornkul, 50, is the president of Go Eco Phuket. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marine science from Kasetsart University and has worked in the dive industry for more than 10 years. Here, he talks about ways to resolve conflicting local interests in the sea and makes suggestions about what we all can do to preserve the health…

  • Corralling young Phuket minds for a collective economic community | Thaiger

    Corralling young Phuket minds for a collective economic community

    PHUKET: After years of apparent neglect, it is good to see the Embassy of Myanmar’s Labour Attache taking steps to ensure that at least some of the untold thousands of Myanmar workers on the island are being treated fairly by their Thai employers (story here). The history of Myanmar workers in Phuket is a tale of sadness and suffering that…

  • Brazen thief steals Phuket Police officer’s motorbike | Thaiger

    Brazen thief steals Phuket Police officer’s motorbike

    PHUKET: A Phuket Police officer has become the latest victim of motorbike theft on the island. Sen Sgt Maj Narong Wilairat reported at 6:30am that his motorbike was stolen from in front of his police accommodation just meters from the main building at Chalong Police Station. “My son used the motorbike – a red Honda Click Phuket license plate ‘Khor…

  • Phuket FC reignites youth football development | Thaiger

    Phuket FC reignites youth football development

    PHUKET: The island’s premier football team Phuket FC has renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Plookpanya School on youth football development for the second year running. The MOU was signed in the evening of March 26 at Surakul Stadium. Phuket Football Club Vice President Eam Thavornwongvongse told the Gazette, “The purpose of the MOU is for cooperation with a…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: U.N. General Assembly declares Crimea secession vote invalid | Thaiger

    Phuket Gazette World News: U.N. General Assembly declares Crimea secession vote invalid

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.N. General Assembly declares Crimea secession vote invalid Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday passed a non-binding resolution declaring invalid Crimea’s Moscow-backed referendum earlier this month on seceding from Ukraine, in a vote that Western nations said highlighted Russia’s isolation. There…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Yingluck graft probe deadline stays; Three arrested for Indonesian Navy murders; Thai satellite spots MH370 debris | Thaiger

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Yingluck graft probe deadline stays; Three arrested for Indonesian Navy murders; Thai satellite spots MH370 debris

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NACC rejects PM’s request to extend deadline The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday refused to extend the deadline for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to file her defence against the charge of dereliction of duty in overseeing the rice-pledging scheme. The NACC…