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Police delay seeking arrest warrants for Phuket rioters
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police have identified nine people as instigators in the violent attack on Thalang Police Station last week. “We are very clear on who these individuals are and where they live. However, we will be collecting more evidence before asking the court to issue arrest warrants,” Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit said this morning. “We will seek the…
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Phuket bouncers’ conduct to be reviewed after brutal beating
PHUKET: President of the Patong Entertainment Business Association Weerawit Kurasombat has called on representatives from nightlife venues in Patong to gather tomorrow to review policies concerning the conduct of bouncers. “I plan to implement strict rules about the use of violence by security,” Mr Weerawit said. “If any bouncer at any club is violent with a tourist, the club will…
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Phuket Riot: Cause of motorists’ deaths confirmed, intent under investigation
PHUKET: The cause for the two men’s deaths that was the catalyst for the Phuket riot has been confirmed. However, Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat will continue his investigation for the Ministry of Interior on whether or not the officers who crashed into the men’s motorbike were using excessive force. “A doctor has verified that Patomwat Panarak, 22, and Teerapong…
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Bangkok Airways’ Phuket-Hat Yai route launched
PHUKET: Bangkok Airways officially launched its daily direct flights between Phuket and Hat Yai on Sunday. Bangkok Airways will serve daily flights between Phuket and Hat Yai, on a 70-seat ATR72-500/600, with flights from Phuket to Hat Yai departing at 7:25am and arriving in Hat Yai at 8:30am and Hat Yai to Phuket departing at 9:10am and arriving in Phuket…
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Injured police say no force used against protesters
PHUKET: Some police officers injured during the Phuket riot testified yesterday that they did not respond violently when protesters attacked them. About 20 policemen were injured when protesters threw rocks, bricks and wooden objects at them, Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat explained. Mueang Police Superintendent Sompong Boonyarat, Kamala Police Deputy Superintendent Boriboon Yusuksomboon and Lt Col Akanit all gave…
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Opinion: Government, police, families have much to answer for after riot
PHUKET: Violence of any kind, regardless of who is involved, should be condemned in the strongest terms. But in the case of the 12-hour riot on Phuket over the weekend, it’s hard not to have at least some sympathy for those who instigated it. The mayhem was the direct result of the killing of two alleged drug dealers who were…
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One dead as mob blockade delays rescue efforts
PHUKET: A Phuket rescue worker believes that the rioters who attacked Thalang Police Station and blockaded Thepkrasattri Road (story here) might have played a role in the death of a patient who was being transferred from a hospital in Krabi to a better equipped Phuket hospital. “An ambulance from Krabi was blocked from going to Bangkok Hospital Phuket by the…
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Violent Phuket rioters to be hunted down
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada today swore to bring to justice the rioters who attacked Thalang Police Station on Saturday night. “I am sorry for the deaths of the two men; they were Phuket people. However, anyone who breaks the law must face justice. The people who set fire to the cars will not escape,” Governor Chamroen said. The investigation…
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Laguna Tri-Fest draws Chinese numbers
PHUKET: Rising Chinese numbers at the Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest bodes well for years ahead, as the classic Phuket event looks to generate more than 90 million baht this year. “In the past two years, we’ve seen more than 50 per cent growth [in the number] of athletes from China, both at the Laguna Phuket International Marathon in June and…
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Island View: Indication of the inconsiderate
PHUKET: A few weeks back, driving from the Heroines Monument to Phuket Town, I was nearly run off the road half a dozen times by drivers who – other than not paying attention to their wing mirrors – failed to indicate while changing lanes. By the time I made it home, I was pretty much a nervous wreck. And, since…
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Phuket-Satun bus fire claims life of 12-year-old
PHUKET: A fire that broke out on a Phuket-Satun bus on Wednesday claimed the life of a 12-year-old girl on Saturday, confirmed Lt Sorasak Jandee of the Takua Thung Police. The girl, named by police only as Panida, is the second of four victims admitted to the Phang Nga Hospital ICU to die from smoke inhalation. The other two victims…
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Phuket real estate shrugs off Bangkok slowdown
PHUKET: In terms of property, Phuket seems to be worlds away from Bangkok, where the market has experienced a slowdown, mostly because the island is more affected by events outside of Thailand than inside the Kingdom, Robert Collins, managing director of Savills (Thailand), said earlier this week. Because the Bangkok market has dipped, three real-estate associations recently urged the government…
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Business Buzz: Test to see if social media will work for your business
PHUKET: One of the most common objections people have about using social media is that, while they understand it works for other people, they think their business is different and it will not work for them. So I have put together a quick test to see if social media would benefit you: Do you have a website?Do you need more…
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Investment strategies for large sums of cash
PHUKET: Consider the following investing dilemma: You have recently received a large sum of money (from a pension payout, inheritance, the sale of property or a business) and you want to put this money to work for you. However, interest rates and returns on what are considered to be the safest investments (for example US and European bank deposits and…
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Locals attack Phuket police station, set fire to cop cars
PHUKET: An angry mob attacked Thalang Police Station and blockaded Thepkrasattri Road in an attempt to get to Superintendent Amnuay Kraiwuttianan last night. The group of about 60 of the protesters descended on the station at about 6pm, setting fire to at least six police vehicles. The outraged mob claimed that police used excessive force in their attempt to arrest…
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Police arrest minivan driver for drug running
PHUKET: Police last night arrested a van driver at the Tah Chat Chai Checkpoint after officers discovered 3,921 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and four grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) in the vehicle he was driving. The driver, Sutthichai Kongsamut, 34, told police that he was running methamphetamine for a drug lord operating out of a prison in Nakhon Sri…
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Gov disbands Phuket haze committee
PHUKET: The committee monitoring the Indonesian haze that descended on Phuket earlier this week was disbanded by Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada yesterday. “Even though we have officially closed down the committee, all officers remain on call in case the issue arises again,” Governor Chamroen said. “At this stage, we will continue to monitor the air pollution levels – it is…
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Gazette’s Vegetarian Festival’s must sees [video]
PHUKET: As the sun sets on Phuket on October 12, all Chinese shrines taking part in the annual Vegetarian Festival will raise their go-teng poles so that the Jade Emperor, among the Nine Emperor Gods, can descend from the heavens, heralding the beginning of this year’s event. It can all be overwhelming for first timers. So, here at the Gazette,…
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A Decade Ago: Do you remember the TTVI Center?
PHUKET: Those new to the island – relatively speaking – might not have the visceral churning in their guts when they hear the name ‘TTVI center’. However, island residents who were here at least a decade ago know that TTVI stands for Thai Tsunami Victim Identification. The center was tasked with identifying 3,777 of the bodies recovered from the six…
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Phuket Town meth network unraveled, guns seized
PHUKET: Police confiscated four firearms, 194 rounds of ammunition, 3,507 ya ba (methamphetamine) pills and 31 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) during a two-day raid on a Phuket Town drug network. “The contraband seized was in the possession of the four suspects we arrested,” Lt Col Prawit Engchuan of Phuket Provincial Police said yesterday. The string of arrests started…
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Cobra caught in Phuket expat’s shoe rack
PHUKET: An expat and his wife received quite a surprise when they discovered a 1.5 meter cobra relaxing in a shoe rack inside their Ao Yon home this morning. The pair called Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers as the snake made its way out of the house and into an old broken boat in their garden. Rescue workers spent about 40…
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Phuket air pollution back to safe level
PHUKET: Air pollution levels in Phuket have dropped back down to safe levels today, following the Indonesian haze descending on Phuket this week. “The 24-hour average was down to 89 micrograms [PM10] per cubic meter, which is already within safe limits,” said Pornsri Suthanarak, the director of the Regional Environmental Office. Average air pollution levels climbed up to 201 earlier…
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Phuket Governor cautious, but ready to demolish Surin beach clubs
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada vowed to be cautious in his dealings with the numerous beach businesses, including several iconic beach clubs, occupying government buildings along Surin Beach. “If it was up to me, I would have them torn down,” Governor Chamroen said yesterday. “However, I don’t have the authority to do that. We will need to review the appropriate…
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Haze causes more delays for flights at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: All flights were back on schedule by noon today after seven planes were delayed due to the dense Indonesian haze, confirmed Amnuay Sarachart, deputy director of the AoT Phuket Office. “However, we are worried about the conditions tonight and will be monitoring visibility closely,” said Mr Amnuay. This morning, pollution levels from the haze continued to climb with an…
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Aircraft fleet to combat fires, Indonesia consul tells Phuket Governor
PHUKET: A multi-national fleet of aircraft are expected to arrive in Indonesia today or tomorrow to help combat the forest fires that are belching haze across the region, Indonesian Consul Triyogo Jatmiko told Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada today. “We are very aware of the serious impact that the forest fires are having. So, as ordered by President Joko Widodo, we…
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Opinion: Fixing potholes and mindset
Kanin Raksaraj, 31, owns a recycling business in Paklok, Phuket. A native of the island, he is also currently studying toward a bachelor’s degree in political science at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. He and his friends are noted as the team who fixed the potholes on the bypass road. Here he talks about why he and his friends find this…
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Foreign Ministry shifts gear as smog tightens grip on South
BANGKOK: The Foreign Ministry is exploring all possible means, including diplomacy, in its bid to tackle the spread of haze into southern Thailand from agricultural fires in neighboring Indonesia. “We would like to assure people living in Thailand’s South and anyone affected by the haze that we are doing our best,” Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai said yesterday, as smog…
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Phuket air pollution levels climb to new heights [video]
PHUKET: Pollution levels from the Indonesian haze that has descended on Phuket continued to climb over the last 24-hours, with an average of 201 micrograms (PM10) per cubic meter. Tourists are still going to Phuket’s beaches despite the health risks from the Indonesian haze. The reason: no one has told them a health warning has been issued. Video: PGTV The…
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Phuket haze causes flight delays
PHUKET: Despite earlier reports, more than a dozen flights were kept in a holding pattern over Phuket this morning due to the thick Indonesian haze currently blanketing the island. Three of the 15 flights were forced to land at Bangkok, Penang and Samui airports, while the others were cleared to land here after 10am, confirmed Amnuay Sarachart, deputy director of…
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Snorkelling tourist dies on Phuket day trip
PHUKET: Employees of a speedboat tour company were unable to save the life of a snorkelling client at Koh Kai yesterday evening. Despite their efforts, the 32-year-old Chinese tourist, Daliang Wang, was declared dead by medical staff upon arrival at Rassada Pier. “Employees explained that Mr Daliang was snorkelling when he was spotted struggling in the water. He appeared to…
![Gazette’s Vegetarian Festival’s must sees [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_2015109174147320_pwKRkxzdIRQWDDDRVlNnFTotQagHoWteHHzsrHDq_jpeg.jpeg)
![Phuket air pollution levels climb to new heights [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_2015108105728488_aaDvvYDMKRsjAOZPUJLgOMToNyzMlWYZqLqrtWjE_jpeg.jpeg)
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