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The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...
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Opinion: Phuket shark week
PHUKET: We send our condolences to Australian tourist Jane Neame, whose recent visit to Phuket was marred by one of the most unlikely of accidents: a shark bite. We are impressed with the way the Australian, who is six months pregnant, took the injury in stride. We hope island residents and visitors react in kind, not unduly panicking over what…
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Phuket light rail modifications announced
PHUKET: A number of adjustments to the greatly-anticipated Phuket light rail project, including the scheming in of a flyover station at the airport, was announced by officials from the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) during site inspections this morning. The changes include modifications of the light rail route from Phuket International Airport to Phuket Town due…
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Local buses move to safeguard business
PHUKET: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Chinese tour businesses and local bus companies is underway in order to decrease the number of outsourced buses used on Phuket, confirmed Santi Pawai, the Phuket office director for the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Local bus companies pushed for the MoU due to the alleged negative impact the outsourced buses have had…
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Navy levels illegal rubber, oil palm plantations
PHUKET: Chainsaws were roaring in Phuket as the Royal Thai Navy led an about 300-person task force in removing illegal rubber and oil palm trees from more than 82 rai of public land yesterday. “Officers filed a complaint about the illegal plantations in Suan Pa Bang Kanun in March. However, no owner has stepped forward to account for the trees…
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Australian Boarding and Day School Fair to be held at RPM
PHUKET: More than one million baht worth of scholarships, study trials and fee reductions are being offered by various schools at the CETA Worldwide Education’s inaugural Australian Boarding and Day School Fair on October 4 from 1pm to 5pm at the Royal Phuket Marina. The exhibition is organized in conjunction with the Australian Education Assessment Services and supported by the…
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British national found dead in Chalong condo
PHUKET: A British national was found dead in his Chalong condo on Tuesday after the housekeeper alerted the owner to a foul smell coming from the hallway. Stephen Prespon, 53, was found lying face down behind the sofa after the owner used a spare key to enter the room. Chalong police believe that Mr Prespon had been dead for five…
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Seized toothfish ship flees Phuket with illegal cargo
PHUKET: An illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) toothfishing vessel that was seized in Phuket in March slipped through officials fingers this week. “The ship is gone,” said Charoen Chamniklang, the Thai Customs Investigation and Suppression Bureau (ISB) team leader. “It just disappeared in the blink of an eye.” The Royal Thai Navy held an emergency meeting yesterday to determine what action…
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Storm-sunk ship salvaged for dive site
PHUKET: A large section of the Cambodian-flagged cargo vessel that sank near Coral Island has been moved to Koh Racha Yai in the government’s effort to support the scuba diving industry in Phuket and Krabi. The piece of Sinaran Andaman was placed on sand at a depth of about 30 meters, far from where it could impact coral reefs in…
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Thailand visa fees hiked in Malaysia
PHUKET: The Royal Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur, as well as consulates in Penang and Kota Bharu, raised visa fees starting on September 1. The move follows the weakening exchange rate of the Malaysian ringgit (MYR). According to the Royal Thai Embassy letter signed in July, fees for all types of visas have been increased as follows: Transit visa, single…
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Arrivals increase as room rates slide
PHUKET: While it’s encouraging that passenger arrivals at the island’s airport jumped by 11% during the first half (H1) of this year, compared to the same period last year, the flip side shows that hotels in all tiers tumbled with average room rates plunging from US$175 in H1 2014 to US$154, Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks said in…
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British Airways plane catches fire in Las Vegas, two minor injuries
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community British Airways plane catches fire in Las Vegas, two minor injuries Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A British Airways jetliner engine caught fire as the airplane was departing on a London-bound flight from Las Vegas on Tuesday, forcing the pilot to abort takeoff, but all 172…
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Brazilian Tour Operators Association meets Phuket
PHUKET: Members of the Brazilian Tour Operators Association (Braztoa), as well as members of the Brazilian media, visited Phuket this past weekend as part of a ‘Discover Thainess’ familiarization trip organized by the TAT’s LA office. The Brazilian tour operators had already discovered Bangkok and were on their way to discovering Chiang Mai, but took some time out to discover…
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Charter rejection, stimulus package to boost economy
PHUKET: The rejection of the draft charter by the National Reform Council with a vote of 135-105 last Sunday, along with measures to spur the economy worth a combined 136 billion baht, should overall have a positive effect on consumption, investment, and tourism, while also boosting internal economic activity, says Dr Anusorn Tamajai, dean of Rangsit University’s Faculty of Economics.…
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Phuket Governor transferred, beach chairs left adrift
PHUKET: The Ministry of Interior has transferred Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong to Nonthaburi, effective next month. As is standard, the transfer comes at the beginning of a new fiscal year for the government. “I will make no further changes to the current situation with regards to beach management,” Governor Nisit told the Phuket Gazette today. The lack of a firm,…
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Landmark victory sees illegal billion-baht property seized
PHUKET: The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) won a landmark case this year in a 16-year battle to repossess a billion-baht property within Sirinath National Park. “This is our first Supreme Court win,” DNP Chief Samak Donnapee told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. “It is a momentous occasion and a victory for the people of Phuket and…
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Student shot at Phuket school
PHUKET: A 12-year-old boy is safe after getting shot in the leg at school yesterday evening. ‘Daeng’, a P6 student at Baan Manik School, and his friends were about to go home for the day when he felt something hit his leg. “I felt pain and looked down and saw that I was bleeding. My friends called the teachers over…
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Phuket underpass construction site gobbles up taxi
PHUKET: A Phuket International Airport taxi driver took his car for a swim after ignoring warning signs and plunging his vehicle into a large hole at the Samkong Underpass construction site on Saturday night. “Cars are only allowed to make left-hand turns onto the bypass road as they approach from Kathu. Despite the lights, signs and traffic control personnel, the…
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High schoolers use e-cigarettes to vape marijuana – U.S. study
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community High schoolers use e-cigarettes to vape marijuana – U.S. study Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Nearly one in five high school students who said they used electronic cigarettes to vaporize nicotine also used them to vaporize pot, according to a survey of nearly 4,000 Connecticut teens.…
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Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi says rebel groups shouldn’t rush peace deal
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi says rebel groups shouldn’t rush peace deal Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi over the weekend appealed to ethnic rebel groups in nationwide ceasefire talks with the government not to rush the deal, but work…
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Greece asks EU for humanitarian aid to cope with migration crisis
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Greece asks EU for humanitarian aid to cope with migration crisis Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Greece asked the European Union on Monday for humanitarian aid to help it cope with what itcalled “a volatile situation” following the large flow of migrants and refugees from the…
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Unemployed, debt-ridden Austrian expat found dead
PHUKET: An Austrian expat, allegedly suffering from gambling issues and a drinking problem, took his own life yesterday morning after failing to have enough money to extend his visa in Thailand, a voice message left by the man explained. Walter Edhofer, 53, was found by neighbors at about 7am in a parking lot in Kathu, confirmed Lt Sawanya Eiadtrong of…
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On Deck: United front for greater good
PHUKET: Thailand’s marine industry has received intermittent support from the Royal Thai Government over the years – sporadic and rarely strategic. In 2004, when the astronomical taxes on importing boats to Thailand was reduced from more than 200% of the value of the boat to 0%, this happened on the back of a concerted effort by the marine industry to…
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Draft charter rejection meaningless to Phuket tourism, says official
PHUKET: The rejection of the draft charter voted on by the National Reform Council (NRC) will not have any impact on the tourism industry in Phuket, confirmed Phuket Tourism Association (PTA) Vice President Bhuritt Maswongssa. “Tourists simply don’t care about Thai politics,” Mr Bhuritt said. A majority of the NRC – 135 members – voted against the draft, compared to…
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A Decade Ago: Buses zoom around, as do katoeys
PHUKET: When was public transport not an issue on the island? It seems to sneak into headlines week in and week out with the occasional big splash when authorities attempt to launch a new initiative. This week, it’s the 50-baht Phuket Town to Patong van service – which deserves the butts and bahts of those going from the island’s cultural…
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Airport extension to finish on time
PHUKET: The Phuket Airport Authority has confirmed that the 5.7-billion-baht expansion of the international terminal will be completed by its February 14, 2016 deadline, as promised. “The latest update from the contractor states that the building is almost 80 per cent finished and that construction is flowing steadily as the rainy season clears up,” said Amnuay Sarachart, executive vice president…
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Phuket drug fugitive nabbed in Songkhla
PHUKET: A fugitive wanted for possession of more than 5 million baht’s worth of drugs and related assets was arrested in Songkhla on Thursday. Anuwat ‘Obie’ Thongtan, 31, escaped from his Phuket home last month just before police arrived (story here). “On August 5, the Phuket Provincial Police went to search Mr Anuwat’s house at Si Suchat Grand View 5…
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Navy settles beach vending squabble
PHUKET: A ‘misunderstanding’ about vendors on Kata Beach garnered a visit from Navy personnel and Damrongtham Center Chief Prapan Kanprasang on Thursday. About 40 officials, assembled by the Royal Thai Navy’s Phuket-based Third Area Command and Phuket Provincial civil defense volunteers, were on hand after the Damrongtham Center (ombudsman’s office) received a complaint about old vendors prohibiting new vendors and…
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Asian Weightlifting Championships start tomorrow
PHUKET: Due to the devastating earthquake in Nepal, the 26th Senior Women’s and 45th Senior Men’s Asian Weightlifting Championships are now taking place in Phuket starting tomorrow. Between September 6 and 11, almost 400 athletes from 38 countries will be flexing their muscles as they battle against gravity at Saphan Hin’s 4,000-seat Indoor Sports Complex. The event’s opening ceremony, chaired…
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Vegetarian Festival dates announced
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has announced the dates for this year’s Vegetarian Festival with the new addition of a parade in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The nine-day festival is slated to take place from October 13 to 21. “The parade to honor HM the King will take place on Wednesday, October 14 at Chai Field. There will also…
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Phuket shark bite confirmed
PHUKET: The animal that bit a pregnant Australian at Karon Beach on Tuesday is a shark, confirmed shark expert David Martin, who has more than 25 years of experience filming sharks for BBC, the National Geographic and a number of other publications. “In this kind of case, it is very important to look at all the facts before making any…
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