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Generation hospitality
PHUKET: The hospitality industry in Thailand is struggling. Not because there aren’t enough guests, quite the opposite – the number of rooms on the island is multiplying to accommodate year-on-year increases in the number of tourist arrivals. The problem is the lack of skilled workers, explains Patteera Maneesri, Trisara Group director of human resources and a Trisara Academy director. “We…
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Phuket police arrest slow loris tout in Patong
PHUKET: Police arrested a man on Saturday night for illegal possession of a slow loris, which he was letting tourists hold for paid photo opportunities in Patong. “We arrested 23-year-old Natthapol Kensing on Bangla Road at about 7pm. We confiscated the slow loris, as well as his equipment, including the camera,” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police.…
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Burglar steals children’s allergy medicine
PHUKET: Police are hunting a person who stole about 20 bottles of children’s allergy medicine from a pharmacy in Phuket Town on Saturday night. “The store, Vasin Pharmacy, had been broken into the night before, but the only thing missing was the allergy medicine. No other drugs or valuables had been taken,” said Capt Weerachart Seera of the Phuket City…
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Unidentified body found outside Phuket school
PHUKET: Police are working to identify the body of a man found dead in front of Wat Tepnimitr School in Wichit yesterday morning. “The man looked to be in his 40s and was about 170 centimeters tall,” said Capt Nattaya Supannapong of the Wichit Police. “We questioned local residents about the man and were told that no one knew him,…
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French jet-skier hits German swimmer in Phuket
PHUKET: A Frenchman riding a jet-ski struck a German swimmer in Phuket Saturday afternoon, rendering him unconscious. Chadd Attard, 20, hit Erich Heim, 55, about 200 meters from the shore of Paradise Beach, south of Patong Beach. A lifeguard immediately responded and was able to bring Mr Heim to shore, said Lt Col Anukul Nuket of the Patong Police. Mr…
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French expat killed in Phuket motorbike crash
PHUKET: A French expat was killed in a motorbike accident on Kamala Soi 8 on Saturday night. Maximilien Grau, 35, crashed into a utility pole at high speed and was not wearing a helmet at the time, said Lt Col Navin Petchan of the Kamala Police. “We believe that he lost control on the bend in the road and swerved…
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NRC panel focused on monks and money
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NRC panel focused on monks and money The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The chairman of the reform committee on the protection of Buddhism has said that the purpose of his committee is to seek an answer on whether monks can spend money, so that the…
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A very good year for stocks
PHUKET: Each year, I head back to the US to see my mother and meet with clients. It also allows me to see how things are going. I need to do this to see if there’s any truth to the headlines I read. You know the ones I’m talking about – stocks in a bubble, economic slowdown, unemployment and so…
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Australian expat killed in Phuket motorbike crash
PHUKET: An Australian expat in Phuket died in a motorbike crash early Thursday morning. The body of Adam Tepper, 34, was found in Sai Yuan Junction on Wiset Road below a destroyed traffic sign. The motorbike Mr Tepper was riding was about 30 meters away. “Mr Tepper was not wearing a helmet and struck his head on the sign –…
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Brakeless tour bus driver safely stops on Patong Hill
PHUKET: A tour bus driver’s cool head prevented a runaway bus on Patong Hill from becoming the latest serious accident in a seemingly endless string of crashes, some fatal, on this notorious road. When police arrived at the scene, the Amphol Seatiew tour bus had come to a stop after scrapping against a utility pole outside of Wat Suwankiriwong, at…
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Illegal alien caught in Phuket gambling raid
PHUKET: An illegal alien was snared when police busted a local gambling event in Patong last night. Police were tipped off by locals about a small group of people who were gathered to gamble at a rental room on Phra Metta Road. The three Thai nationals arrested in the bust were named as Nimit Thambanyo, 45; Thanaknut Narasukulpiphan, 35; and…
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Phuket charity drive for world record attempt crosses B1mn mark
PHUKET: Graham Haslam and Mark Cameron have already raised more than 1 million baht for a local charity without having driven their electric golf cart a single meter in a Guinness World Record attempt. Dubbed “The Longest Drive” the duo plan to drive the golf cart from Pattaya to Phuket, about 1,400km, as the raise funds for the Phuket Has…
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Phi Phi “aquarium in the wild’ ordered to close
PHUKET: The “aquarium in the wild” boat anchored inside Phi Phi national park was ordered to close on Wednesday. The large fish hold of Lok Tai Taley (World Under the Water) had been converted to allow fish to swim freely into it and guests to walk among them. “We ordered them to stop the ‘fish pool’ service, which the owner…
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Phuket gifted B3.5bn boost over Chinese New Year
PHUKET: The Chinese New Year holidays brought a much-welcomed boost of 3.5 billion baht to the local economy this year, the chief of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office has announced. The island attracted more tourists who also spent more than those who came last year, Anoma Wongyai, director of TAT Phuket, told the Phuket Gazette. “Phuket had…
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The Return: 91.5FM Island Radio issued licence
PHUKET: The island’s best-known English-language radio station, Phuket Island Radio 91.5FM, is preparing to return to air following completion of re-licensing formalities required after the military coup saw the closure of thousands of stations throughout the country. Although the station’s new license was approved in September last year, it’s actual issuance did not occur until earlier this week. “This has…
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Kathu Bike Club doubles up on rides
PHUKET: About 100 people have joined the Kathu Bike Club, following its launch in November last year, inspiring the group to double-up on the number of rides the club holds each week. The project was organized to promote healthy living and exercising in the community, and is backed by the Kathu Municpality, which allocated funds for 40 bicycles. “The rides…
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Opinion: Making Phuket’s roads safe one step at a time
Dr Wiwat Seetamanotch, 57, from Yala, has been living in Phuket since 1987. He worked as director of Thalang Hospital for 17 years, followed by 10 years as deputy director for the Phuket Provincial Health Office. Now retired, Dr Wiwat has been working on road safety campaigns for the past six years, as well as running a clinic in Thalang.…
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Opinion: Ban anything, ban tourists – just be clear
PHUKET: The issue isn’t the beach management plan. It’s the lack of a plan or, at the very least, the lack of communicating the plan clearly and concisely. Phuket can junk up or freshen up its beaches as much as the government wants, but it won’t really matter – there are tourists suitable for each kind of beach. Of course,…
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Phuket Air Show & Fly’n to go ‘extreme circus’ tomorrow
PHUKET: The Phuket Aviation Club will host its first ‘Air Show & Fly’n’ event from 8am until sunset at Phuket Airpark in Pa Khlok tomorrow. Entry to the event is free of charge and the show will feature a wide variety of aviation activities and competitions. “For anyone who joins us tomorrow, a fun-filled day is guaranteed,” Show Director Pat…
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Opinion: Great balls of fire – sky lanterns a hazard over Phuket
PHUKET: Among the many recent edicts that have been issued by the government to bring some order to Phuket’s beach tourism industry, one that the Gazette hopes can be comprehensively enforced is the ban on the sale of khom loi, or sky lanterns, at public beaches (story here). The Gazette concedes that the sight of khom loi slowly rising after…
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Canned tuna from Thailand under scrutiny after four poisoned in Australia
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Canned tuna from Thailand under scrutiny after four poisoned in Australia The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Four people in Sydney are suffering from suspected fish poisoning after eating sandwiches made with tuna imported from Thailand, agencies reported yesterday. The four had eaten at the same…
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Prison time mounting for Pongpat as court adds another 15 years
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Prison time mounting for Pongpat as court adds another 15 years The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Former Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pol Lt Gen Pongpat Chayaphan will serve almost 32 years behind bars, after the Criminal Court yesterday found him guilty in two more…
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Video Report: NCPO hotline chief investigator ditches Phuket call to prayer complaint
PHUKET: The chief investigator from the Prime Minister’s Office today confirmed that the national complaint center will not be taking any further action against a mosque at Cape Panwa for allegedly disturbing its neighbors by playing their daily calls to prayer too loudly. Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong last Thursday was forced to disband a mob of more than 100 local…
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Teen nabbed for selling illegally imported power tools in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Police arrested a teenager yesterday for illegally importing and attempting to sell power tools worth more than 50,000 baht. Sarawut Boonlai, from Nakhon Phanom, was arrested in possession of 65 different power tools – including planers, grinders, circular saws, and orbital sanders – after police received a tip-off that he had been selling the tools on the sidewalk of…
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Scores of athletes join Run for Health charity event
PHUKET: More than 100 athletes turned out for the Phuket International Hospital’s annual “Run for Health, Run for Charity Mini Marathon” on February 22, with the winners receiving trophies granted by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. “This is the third year that Phuket International Hospital has organized this event. It will be a great honor to have HRH Princess Maha…
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Mystery briefcase causes bomb scare in Phuket
PHUKET: A frightened supermarket worker urgently called police after discovering an unattended briefcase on a table in front of the store, only meters from Cherng Talay Police Station, last night. “The member of staff from Big One supermarket on Srisoonthorn Road called 191 at about 8pm because they suspected that the briefcase might contain a bomb,” said Lt Chanasin Prateepnathalang…
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Unidentified body found under bridge in northern Phuket
PHUKET: Police are attempting to identify the body of a possible murder victim found under a bridge in northern Phuket this morning. Officers from the Tah Chat Chai Police arrived at the scene, under a bridge on the road leading to the now closed Imperial Adamas Beach Resort in Nai Yang, at about 10am. “We believe that the man, who…
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New 100-baht banknote honors King Taksin “The Great’
PHUKET: New 100-baht banknotes are available at commercial banks in Phuket and elsewhere throughout the country starting today, staff at the Bank of Thailand confirmed to the Phuket Gazette this morning. Bank of Thailand Deputy Governor Paiboon Kittisrikangwan unveiled the new “Series 16” banknote on Tuesday. “The design is to honor King Taksin ‘The Great’ for his contributions to the…
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Cricket: Thalang rue wrath of Khan as Laguna top table
PHUKET: Laguna opening batsman Ali Khan smashed seven 4s and eight 6s – including three in a row from Thalang bowler Gary Lane – to take Laguna to the top of the Phuket Cricket Group’s (PCG) senior league at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) in Thalang last Sunday. Khan smashed balls back out of the ground as quickly as they…
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Man dies after slamming motorbike into parked trailer
PHUKET: A unidentified man died after he slammed his motorbike into the back of a parked 10-wheeled trailer in central Phuket last night. Police arrived at the scene on Srisoonthorn Road heading toward Cherng Talay, about 350 meters from the Heroines’ Monument, at about 11:15pm to find the man dead at the scene. “The man had sustained fatal injuries to…
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