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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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Hungry Ghost Festival to begin
PHUKET: Phuket’s traditional Chinese Por Tor, also known as the annual Hungry Ghost Festival, is set to start on August 26. It is believed that the spirits of ancestors visit their relatives for 15 days during the ninth month of the Chinese calendar. Believers will prepare food for the spirits in order to express their gratitude for their ancestors, said…
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Swiss national dies at Nai Harn Beach
PHUKET: A 71-year-old Swiss national died while swimming at Nai Harn Beach yesterday morning. Ernst Krummenacher had gone out for a swim before lifeguards had arrived at the beach, explained Maj Patiwat Yodkwan of the Chalong Police. “Mrs Krummenacher said that her husband started calling for help shortly after entering the water. She and friends hurried to help him and…
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Business Buzz: Better profits via social media
PHUKET: When trying to increase profitability it is best to ascertain a company’s sales funnel, break it down into a process map and then analyze each of the sales procedures to see where the good and bad results are, as this will help in working out the changes needed to increase revenue in each area. Even a small tweak improving…
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Finance: Time to reinvest in bank stocks, ETFs
PHUKET: Bond yield curves have grown steeper and this means it is a good time to take a closer look at investing in bank stocks or bank ETFs, but risk-adverse investors will still need to be selective when choosing what to invest in. STEEPER CURVES ARE GOOD FOR BANKS To begin with some investing basics, short-term interest rates are set…
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Phuket “debt settlers’ found with grenade
PHUKET: Three people were charged for the possession of a M65 grenade following their return from ‘clearing up’ a debt problem at a karaoke in Srisoonthorn. Officers searched the vehicle after flagging it as suspicious when it approached a checkpoint just south of Tesco Thalang at about 1:30am yesterday. “The vehicle suddenly slowed down before reaching the checkpoint, which seemed…
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China investigates cause of blasts at Tianjin port
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community China investigates cause of blasts at Tianjin port, firms assess damage Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Investigators are searching for clues to identify what caused two huge explosions at a warehouse used to store toxic chemicals and gas at a busy port in northeast China, as…
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Missing Korean found dead at sea
PHUKET: Phuket Marine Police recovered the body of a Korean tourist yesterday afternoon. The tourist went missing in the heavy surf off Kata Noi Beach, which had been marked a no-swim zone by red flags, on Wednesday (story here). “We received a report at about 3pm from a dive boat saying that they had found a body floating near Koh…
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Four injured in Patong Hill bus crash
PHUKET: Four people were injured after a tour bus crashed into a taxi on Patong Hill at about 9am today. “The bus was exiting Patong and had almost crested the hill, when it suddenly started rolling backward,” said Sen Sgt Maj Amnuay Niewthong of the Patong Police. “It crossed into the opposite lane, hit a taxi and finally came to…
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Opinion: After the flood
PHUKET: Recent flooding in many parts of the island will have come as little surprise to long-time Phuket residents, who have witnessed so many of the island’s natural drainage courses bulldozed and covered with concrete or asphalt over the years. Water-related issues seem to increasingly dominate our collective, social-media-driven reality. We are told that ‘El Nino’ was responsible for the…
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Patong officer transferred over police brutality allegation
PHUKET: The police officer charged for allegedly beating a Patong bouncer in June has been transferred to Surat Thani while the investigation is underway, Patong Police Superintendent Chaiwat Auikam told the Phuket Gazette. The investigation follows more than 100 Patong nightlife employees protesting on the street on June 10, after Hollywood Discotheque security guard Kamolchai Singhakerd was allegedly beaten by…
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Man-sized cobra rises to washing occasion
PHUKET: A woman found herself face to face with a man-sized cobra when she went to hang up laundry at her house in Phuket Wednesday afternoon. The shocked homeowner living at Pruksa Ville, behind Thalang Hospital, safely fled the scene. “She called us for help,” said Kusoldharm Foundation rescue worker Sakun Naepnean. “It was a big cobra, maybe with the…
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Special Report: Understanding Phuket corruption
PHUKET: Though the recently deceased Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) President Paiboon Upatising will no longer be called to task for alleged corruption in the development of the PPAO Hospital, the case will continue, confirms Preechanun Pumlek, Chief of the Phuket office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). To see the much respected and loved elected official removed from office…
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Local swimmers make splash at FINA
PHUKET: Future Olympians, who are on a year-long FINA swimming scholarship at Thanyapura while they prepare for the Rio Olympics, stormed to victory in the pool in Kazan, Russia breaking a total of eight national records from four different countries. “The debut of the ‘FINA Road to Rio’ group has been such a success so far, with five swimmers from…
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Fresh funds to put Chalong Dam construction back online
PHUKET: A 180-million-baht budget has been allocated to restart the stalled-out Chalong Dam project, which was originally slated for completion in 2013, revealed Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong in an exclusive interview earlier this week. “The project stopped due to budget issues, as it ended up costing significantly more than was planned,” Governor Nisit said. “With the newly allocated budget, the…
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Chinese tourist drowns in Phuket no-swim zone
PHUKET: A Chinese tourist drowned after being swept out to sea in a red-flag zone on Karon Beach yesterday, confirmed police. Chunhua Qi, 43, was rushed to Patong Hospital after lifeguards were able to recover him. He was pronounced dead by doctors. “According to the tour leader, Mr Qi was swimming when a wave suddenly came and washed him away,”…
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Corruption charges dropped against recently deceased PPAO President
PHUKET: The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is dropping its case against Paiboon Upatising, the recently deceased President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO). However, the investigation into alleged PPAO corruption will move forward. “The complaint was brought to us by the Office of the Auditor General of Thailand [OAG]. However, I have to decline to explain what specifically the…
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AoT yet to set Phuket launch date for APPS
PHUKET: Airports of Thailand (AoT) has yet to confirm the exact Phuket launch date for the Advance Passenger Processing System (APPS), which will see all international passengers paying an additional 35 baht for background checks. “Initially, the APPS was expected to be launched in December. However, AoT was informed that airlines had already sold many tickets in advance for that…
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Search continues for missing Korean tourist
PHUKET: Rescue workers have resumed their search for a Korean tourist who went missing in the heavy surf off Kata Noi yesterday evening. “Seo Seungin, 45, was swimming in a red-flag area with his girlfriend when he went missing,” said Supachai Janphet, chief of Karon Municipality Tourist Rescue Center. “The area is watched by hotel lifeguards, but they didn’t see…
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Officers flag four suspicious Phuket companies
PHUKET: The Phuket Business Development Office (BDO) is investigating four companies for possibly using Thai nominees to maintain control over their businesses. “The names of the four companies, comprising three tour companies and one property company, have yet to be revealed, as the investigation is still underway and charges have not been filed yet,” confirmed Phuket BDO Chief Nimit Kangkajit.…
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What’s the short-term fix for Phuket public transport?
PHUKET: A number of projects have been put in motion to improve the public transport sector following the cleanup of the taxi mafia by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) last year. There are many long-term projects that have been on the table for years, such as the light-rail system. However, there have also been several new initiatives,…
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HM the Queen’s birthday celebrations underway
PHUKET: Celebrations of the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s 83rd birthday, which is also National Mother’s Day, began early this morning. At 7:10am, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong led the island’s top officials in offering alms to 84 monks at Sanam Chai (Chai Field) near Provincial Hall. Those attending the special occasion dressed in blue in honor of HM…
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Heavy rains increase damage to closed road
PHUKET: A road in Koh Kaew has been closed for safety reasons due to its poor quality of construction and the island’s recent heavy rains. Soi Koh Kaew 33, a main route from Thepkrasattri Road past the Phuket Gazette offices to the British International School, is now closed to all traffic after local officials deemed it too dangerous to use.…
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A Decade Ago: Angry taxi drivers and a “Poop-free Patong Bay’
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong is making great efforts – with what appears to be the buds of success – to make metered taxis a pillar of public transport on the island. However, a decade ago, then-Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura was hearing a different tune as his metered-taxi push left his car stuck in a sea of furious airport ‘limousine’ drivers.…
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Another heavy weather warning issued for Phuket
PHUKET: The Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has issued a new flash flood, landslide and heavy weather warning for an additional four days, DDPM Phuket Office Chief Santhawat Riwleung confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today. “We are anticipating heavy rains, which could lead to further flash floods and landslides from today to August 14,” Mr Santhawat said. “Please…
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Virgin Australia’s withdrawal won’t hurt Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket tourism and arrival numbers will not be affected by Virgin Australia cancelling flights to Phuket and Bali from Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, Director of Phuket International Airport Monrudee Gettuphan confirmed today. Virgin Australia will replace services with its budget offshoot Tigerair in a bid to stem bleeding from its international operations, where losses widened to AUS$69 million for…
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TAT pushes Phuket greens for “green season’
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is doing its best to get domestic tourists and expats living in Thailand onto Phuket’s greens during the region’s ‘green season’ with the Phuket Golf Festival. From now until the end of September, the TAT is backing a special promotional price for six golf courses in Phuket, as well as special flight rates…
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Google morphs into Alphabet; investors cheer clarity
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Google morphs into Alphabet; investors cheer clarity Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Google Inc announced a surprise overhaul of its operating structure on Monday, creating a holding company called Alphabet to pool its many subsidiaries and separate the core web advertising business from newer ventures like…
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Gibbon touts re-discovered on Phi Phi
PHUKET: Dressed up gibbons were spotted being touted day and night on Phi Phi island last weekend. However, police and national park officers insisted to the Phuket Gazette that they were unaware that the practice of charging tourists to take pictures with the protected species was continuing in the small party town of Ton Sai. The situation was brought to…
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Phuket’s future Olympian smashes swimming national record
PHUKET: A Nepalese swimmer has smashed a national record at the FINA World Championships just three months after she was forced to sleep in a car and not train for a month, due to the devastating earthquake in Nepal. Sofia Gadegaard Shah, 17, who has already secured a wildcard to the 2016 Olympics, was a symbol of resilience on August…
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Post Office continues to deliver illegal drugs to Phuket
PHUKET: Illegal drugs are continuing to be delivered by the Thai Postal Service, despite concern being raised nationally early last month, said the Thalang District Chief last week. The confirmation came on Saturday morning as officers arrested Siriphop Jaitrong, 35, as he was picking up 5.4 kilograms of kratom leaves from the Pa Khlok Post Office. Thalang District Chief Veera…
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