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Phuket locals complain after “magic amulet’ fails to deliver
PHUKET: A group of 20 locals yesterday filed a complaint at Chalong Police Station, claiming they were cheated into buying religious amulets worth more than 100 million baht. “They filed a complaint against Sumalee Lertwilai, claiming that they were cheated into investing in ‘magic’ amulets via Facebook,” said Col Vitoon Kongsutjai of Phuket Provincial Police. According to a representative of…
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Phuket Lobster Festival to be held next month
PHUKET: The ‘Phuket Lobster Festival’ is to be held from August 1-31 and is expected to generate revenue of 200 million baht for local businesses. Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong and Wirachai Pranveerapaibool, Managing Director of Pracharath Rak Samakkee (Social Enterprise) Co Ltd, Phuket, yesterday held a press conference at the Dibuka Cafe & Restaurant in Phuket Town. “I would like…
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Phuket under pressure as tourism growth exposes flaws in hotel sector
PHUKET: According to a new report released today by hospitality consulting group C9 Hotelworks, millions of travellers who visit Phuket each year could be staying in unlicensed – and effectively illegal – hotels. The report also states that less than a quarter of the hotels in Phuket (429 out of 1,724) are currently licensed. This issue was brought into sharp…
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Missing Chinese tourists’ bodies found at Phuket Beach
PHUKET: The bodies of two Chinese tourists who had been missing since they went swimming in a red-flagged zone at Freedom Beach on Sunday, were found this afternoon. Xidong Wang, 20, and Weijie Liu, 21, were on holiday in Phuket with another friend, Weijie Liu. Both men reportedly ignored the red flags and warning signs placed at the beach. Mr…
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Phuket Gov announces checkpoint as “temporary solution’ for accidents
PHUKET: The Phuker Governor has announced plans to build a checkpoint to inspect the condition of cars and drivers on Patong Hill in order to avoid accidents in that area. Governor Norraphat Plodthong held a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall with Patong Police officers and Patong Mayor Chalermluk Kebsup yesterday afternoon. “The sloping road of Patong Hill has been a…
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Major drug ring members arrested with 5 million baht worth of drugs
PHUKET: Two key members of a major drug dealing network were arrested in Phuket with about 7.5 kilograms of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and other drugs worth a total of more than 5 million baht. The suspects confessed to ordering more than 50kg of drugs each time from a dealer in the North in order to sell them in and…
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American tourist, tuk-tuk driver charged for fighting
PHUKET: An American tourist and a tuk-tuk driver were fined 2,000 baht each after they quarreled and landed blows on each other outside a hotel in Patong yesterday. A video of the incident, recorded by a passerby, was shared on social media. The video showed the tourist and driver arguing and fighting in front of Poppa Hotel at Patong Beach.…
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Seven arrested for village headman and family’s massacre
KRABI: Police have apprehended a group of seven men for the massacre of eight members of a family in Krabi last week. Eight people – three of them children – were murdered en masse in the house of Worayuth Sunglung, a village headman in Ao Luek district. The victims were shot in the head execution-style, police said (story here). National…
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Phuket taxi driver charged with sexual harassment and indecent exposure
PHUKET: A Phuket motorbike taxi driver was charged with sexual harassment and indecent exposure after he was recorded ‘pleasuring himself’ in public yesterday afternoon. A teacher from a well known Phuket school posted a video of the incident on Facebook to express her anger and to warn others to be aware of the suspect, who was later revealed to be…
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Police hunt for suspects in murder of Krabi headman and family
KRABI: Police are still searching for suspects involved in the murder of a village headman and his family on Tuesday. Worayuth Sunglung, a village headman in Krabi’s Ao Luk district, and seven of his family members were gunned down at their home while three others survived with serious injuries (story here). The only family member unscathed was Mr Worayuth’s three-month-old…
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Phuket governor announces temporary ban on parasailing following deadly accident
PHUKET: The Phuket governor has requested parasailing operators to cooperate with a temporary ban on the activity after an Australian national was killed in another parasailing accident on Tuesday. Roger John Hussey, 71, fell to his death while parasailing at Kata Beach (story here). Governor Norraphat Plodthong announced his decision after an official meeting held to discuss the matter at…
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Shooting suspect surrenders, denies “attempted murder’ charges
PHUKET: The second suspect in the shooting of a police assistant surrendered himself to police yesterday. Suthiwut Thawan, 21, is a native of Phang Nga. Following the shooting, he returned to his family home in Phang Nga, but surrendered himself after police appraised his family of the situation. Mr Suthiwut and another suspect named Sathaporn Kuoaywanich were involved in a…
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Two arrested for spree of robberies in Phuket
PHUKET: Two suspects were arrested on Tuesday night for a spree of robberies in Phuket. A Burmese fisherman filed a report against the two for robbing and stabbing him at Sea Angel Pier in Rassada Monday night. The first suspect, Panuwat Kaewpoh, 24, was apprehended on Narisorn Road in Phuket Town. “We have seen many similar cases involving Burmese workers…
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Joint venture to develop senior living village in Phuket
PHUKET: A joint venture company, Kamala Senior Living Co Ltd, has been set up to develop an upscale ‘Lifestyle Senior Living Village’ worth 3.5 billion baht in Phuket. The company is a partnership between property firm Nye Estate Co Ltd, Chewathai Public Co Ltd, LPN Development Plc and CH Karnchang Plc. The project would be equipped with a full range…
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Australian plunges to death in parasailing mishap
PHUKET: A 71-year-old Australian man fell to his death while parasailing at Kata Beach yesterday afternoon. “Roger John Hussey was pronounced dead at Patong Hospital after he fell from a height of 40 meters, which caused severe injuries,” said Lt Suwisit Srirak of Karon Pplice. Mr Hussey was married to a Thai woman named by police as Boosabong Tongsanga who…
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Police assistant shot at checkpoint, hospitalized in critical condition
PHUKET: A Phuket City Police assistant was shot early this morning while attempting to stop a motorbike at a checkpoint. “We had set up a checkpoint on Anuphatkarn Road. Two men on a motorbike were coming toward the checkpoint, but turned around to flee as soon as they saw the officers there,” said Lt Col Sakol Krainara of Phuket City…
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Citing indelible memories and people, the Phuket Gazette bows out in a nostalgic farewell
PHUKET: Times change and old media continue to bow to the new. With great regret, the Phuket Gazette is retiring from the field and will cease operations with effect from the end of this month – midnight, July 31. Other than our office, owned by a shareholder (not the Gazette itself), our primary asset has long been the Gazette Online.…
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Eight murdered, three wounded in execution-style home massacre in Krabi
KRABI: A village headman and 10 members of his family were shot in the head in an execution style massacre at their home in Krabi. Carried out by several assailants yesterday, the massacre left eight dead and three others with serious injuries. Captain Suwit Kaewpreecha, deputy inspector of the Ao Luek Police Station in Krabi, was alerted to the massacre…
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67-year-old tourist drowns on Racha Island
PHUKET: Another Chinese tourist has drowned in Phuket, this time at Racha Island yesterday afternoon. “The family of the deceased, Dong Shukui, 67, said that they had arrived in Thailand on July 7 and were scheduled to fly back on August 4. They were staying at the Rayaburi hotel on Racha Island from July 9-11,” said Capt Somkiat Sarasit of…
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Video: Ten-year-old tourist and father killed in another Phuket bus crash on Patong Hill
PHUKET: Two Chinese tourists were killed and 22 others injured after a tour bus flipped to its side while coming down Patong Hill, hitting several motorbikes and houses near the Suwankiriwong Temple last night. The bus driver, Kritaporn Nuandua, 36, blamed ‘brake failure’ for the incident. “The accident occurred at about 11pm. A 10 year-old boy died at the scene…
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German murder suspect slits own throat after girlfriend’s body discovered
PHUKET: The body of a missing woman was found in a forest in Kathu yesterday afternoon, shortly before her boyfriend, a suspect in the case, slit his throat when approached by police officers for questioning. The victim, Picha Nampadung, 35, was reported missing by her niece, Rujirada Ornkorat, on July 1 (story here). “Ms Picha’s relatives told us that she…
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35-year-old Phuket woman reported missing
PHUKET: Police are searching for a Phuket woman who has reportedly been missing for seven days. Relatives of 35-year-old Picha Nampadung filed a missing persons report with Chalong Police. Facebook user R’forey Rujirada (whose real name is Rujirada Ornkorat) shared a post on social media saying she was the missing woman’s niece. Ms Rujirada provided a picture of her aunt…
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Illegal migrant workers given 15 days to register
PHUKET: The Ministry of Labor has revamped its registration process for illegal migrant workers after a new law announcing heavy fines for their employers was revealed last month. Starting July 24, migrant workers will be given 15 days to submit their documents to the ministry in order to receive a work permit. Governor Norraphat Plodthong yesterday chaired a meeting at…
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Five houses burned down in two Phuket fires
PHUKET: More than 700,000 baht’s worth of damages were caused as five houses burned down in two separate incidents in Phuket. The first fire broke out at Baan Klang in Chalong yesterday. Chalong Police received reports of the fire and contacted the municipality for help. Firefighters spent 30 minutes battling the flames, but the whole house was burned to the…
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Phuket business operators protest migrant labor exodus
PHUKET: More than 20 business operators and contractors gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall to protest against a newly announced migrant worker labor law yesterday morning. “A new executive decree on foreign workers’ management was launched on June 26, according to which operators who employ illegal foreign laborers may be fined up to 800,000 baht. This has caused thousands of laborers…
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Phuket Gov chairs opening ceremony of tourism fair
PHUKET: The opening ceremony of the ‘Andaman Hotelier and Tourism Fair 2017’, the biggest hotel fair in the south, was held at Homeworks yesterday afternoon. “The tourism industry is vital for Phuket’s economy. This event aims to enhance our standard of service and make us more competitive with other countries,” said Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong, who chaired the ceremony. The…
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Alleged zoophile ‘warned’ as video of sexual abuse of dog goes viral
PHANG NGA: Residents of Phang Nga registered strong criticism and disgust over the actions of a man who allegedly abused a dog by having sex with it at a public park yesterday. Facebook user Paitoon Somritdisook posted a video of the incident, which occurred at Phang Nga OrBorJor park, on Facebook. He said he shot it while exercising at the…
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Injured dolphin stranded at Patong Beach
PHUKET: An injured spinner dolphin was stranded on the shore at Patong Beach yesterday. The dolphin was 1.2 meters long and weighed about 20kg. Tourists found him yesterday evening. He looked weak and was struggling to get back into the sea. Rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation used specialized equipment to lift the dolphin and transfer him to the Phuket…
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One killed in collision with garbage truck
PHUKET: A 41-year-old biker was killed in a crash with a Phuket Municipality garbage truck early yesterday morning. “The victim, Chote Promphan, was driving toward Saphan Hin. The accident occurred at the Phuket Vocational College intersection,” said Lt Col Sakchai Chunyong of Phuket City Police. The severely injured driver was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital by Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers,…
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Slow loris released back into the wild
PHUKET: Officers from the Office of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) Phuket helped release a slow loris back into the wild on Monday. “A villager in the Baan Kuku area found the loris in the middle of the road, so he kindly brought it to us,” said NRE Director Kasem Sookwaree. The loris was delivered to Pongchat Chuehorm, head of…
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