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Officials seize 100 rai of illegally possessed park land
PHUKET: About 100 rai of illegally possessed land in Sirinath National Park were seized by a team of park officials and Navy personnel on Friday. Seizure notices were posted on the five plots in Sakoo and Cherng Talay, which were being used for rubber plantations, after the owners were unable to present ownership documents for the land. “The owners are…
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Krabi waterspout excites tourists, fishermen
PHUKET: A waterspout put on a show for tourists and fishermen off Koh Pu in Krabi yesterday morning. “My friends and I were going fishing at Sri Boya Island when the waterspout emerged about 1 kilometer away from us,” said 50-year-old Samart Maikeaw, who was out on a fishing trip with friends. The spout caused sudden heavy rain, but no…
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Opinon: Life-saving lessons
Prathaiyut Chuayuan, 50, from Phuket, is the president of Phuket Lifeguard Club (PLC). He graduated from Prince of Songkhla University, Pattani campus, with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He was involved in exchange programs in England and Australia related to life-saving services. He started his first job as a lifeguard at Le Meridien in Phuket in 1998. He has…
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Construction worker killed in Patong landslide
PHUKET: A landslide at a construction site in Phuket killed one worker and injured five others this morning. Myanmar national Set Lai, 20, was crushed by the dirt and rebar. The other five workers were rushed to Patong Hospital, four have since been discharged, confirmed Lt Col Weerapong Rakhito of the Patong Police. The fifth worker is still in hospital…
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Navy continues Rohingya “helping on’ mission
PHUKET: The mission of ‘helping on’ Rohingya and Bengali migrants by providing medical services and translators, as well as food and water supplies will continue until further notice, confirmed the Royal Thai Navy. The mission was launched with a tentative two-week deadline last month (story here). “Our vessels, HTMS Saiburi and the HTMS Angthong, and aircraft are continuing to search…
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Stash of ID cards found in Kata
PHUKET: The Navy requested that the Karon Police investigate whether or not a bag of legal Thai National ID cards, dirver’s licences and ATM cards found in Kata yesterday had any links to criminal networks. The bag of cards was discovered by a local resident, who then informed the Navy of the find, confirmed Taksin Puklim of the Royal Thai…
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Jet-skis make waves at luxury resort off Phuket
PHUKET: The Naka Island, A Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, based on the small island off the east coast of Phuket, is battling against local jet-ski operators. “The jet-skies are dangerous. They are always coming too close to customers swimming at the beach,” said The Naka Island representative Sureeporn Roongreung. “They have yet to hurt anyone swimming or diving, and…
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Opinion: A stone’s throw
PHUKET: It is imperative that you have excellent defense driving skills in Phuket, especially if you are a daily commuter on some of the island’s busiest roads, such as Thepkrasattri. Drivers stop in front of you and park without warning, and people switch lanes without signaling and open car doors without looking. And, as I found out on my way…
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Business Buzz: Defining your perfect customer
PHUKET: One of the first things you should be focusing on in business is deciding what your niche is and who your perfect customers will be. Most people, in theory, will have done this as part of the initial planning and deciding what business to go into, but sometimes businesses change and go through significant metamorphosis over time, so it’s…
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Finance: Cycling the bull market
PHUKET: As the bull market in global stocks continues in the worst economic environment for a bull market within my lifetime, I find it reassuring to turn to those with some of the most impressive track records in the world of investing and trading. Have things changed this time? Is the new era of central bank money printing going to…
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Opinion: Too good to be true
PHUKET: The recent proposal to launch a potentially free shuttle service for tourists transiting at Phuket International Airport is an excellent idea. However, islanders should not be optimistic about such a service being available any time soon. Until the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) came to power just over a year ago, Phuket’s tourism economy suffered brazen abuse…
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Heavy rain floods underpass construction site
PHUKET: Heavy rain today caused the second flash flood this month at Samkong Intersection, the construction site of Phuket’s second underpass. Though the deep waters caused tailbacks in the afternoon, it has since drained, confirmed Chalermpol Wongkiattikun, project manager from the Department of Highways. “I had to order our staff out into the rain with a digger to start clearing…
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BISP strikes gold at SEA Games
PHUKET: It was an absolutely incredible night for British International School Phuket (BISP) in the pool on Sunday at the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. In one evening, the school’s student athletes – representing Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand – brought home one gold, one silver and one bronze medal, in intense competition against the finest swimmers in Southeast Asia. Year…
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OAG to tackle corruption in Phuket
PHUKET: The Office of the Auditor General’s (OAG) two-day public forum designed to raise the public’s awareness of the negative effects of corruption and what issues are faced in combating it started yesterday at the Royal Phuket City Hotel. “This is about raising people’s awareness of the need for anti-corruption efforts. People need to see why corruption is bad and…
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Superyacht licence registration coming soon
PHUKET: Registration for foreign-flagged superyacht chartering licences is expected to begin next month, Marine Department Director-General Chula Sukmanop revealed to the Phuket Gazette. “Officials have been discussing how to standardize criteria for the licences. We are pushing hard on what needs to be done, in terms of laws, to allow foreign-flagged superyacht charters in Thailand,” said Mr Chula. A public…
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Boy crushed to death by cement truck
PHUKET: An 11-year-old boy was killed after he fell off the back of his mother’s motorbike and under the wheel of a cement truck yesterday. Rescue workers arrived at the scene at the traffic light in front of Makro in Kathu to find Thanaphat Songserm severely injured underneath the truck. Patchanee Songserm, 42, had just picked up her son from…
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Boat propeller slices British diving student’s leg near Koh Tao
PHUKET: A British diving student is in hospital in Koh Samui after her leg was nearly severed by a boat propeller while diving near Koh Tao. Alice Louise Davies, 20, had just completed a dive with Scuba Shack near Koh Hin Sam Kon on Tuesday afternoon and was about to exit the water when the accident happened. “A motorboat, Thanicha…
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Hundreds protest alleged police brutality in Phuket, officer transferred
PHUKET: More than 100 Patong nightlife employees protested on Phuket’s famed party street, Soi Bangla, last night after a Hollywood Discotheque security guard was allegedly beaten by a Patong Police officer in the early hours of yesterday morning. The rally formed outside Hollywood Discotheque at about 8:30pm, drawing much attention from tourists and passersby, with protesters demanding justice from police…
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Phuket’s poor gather to receive food donations during annual alms festival
PHUKET: More than 1,500 of Phuket’s poorest people went to the Kusoldharm Foundation headquarters in Phuket Town on June 4 to receive donations of food as part of the annual Te Krajard merit-making ceremony. “This year, we also handed out 250 kilograms of rice to a total of 34 schools and 5kg packs of rice and foodstuffs to poor locals,”…
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Opinion: Tackle criminals with technology
Col Kraithong Chanthongbai, 60, from Phang Nga province, is the superintendent of the Phuket City Police. He earned a PhD in public administration from Bangkokthonburi University, and has been superintendent since January this year. Here, he talks about the role of technology in the investigation process, problems Phuket police face in solving crimes, and different approaches taken in cases involving…
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Phuket resort sets up private life-saving team
PHUKET: Katathani Phuket Beach Resort is beefing up Kata Noi Beach security by providing its own privately funded safety and rescue team to patrol the small but popular stretch of sand. “This safety project is being launched in hopes of raising tourists’ confidence. We want all related businesses to join us and serve as examples for other beaches,” said Katathani…
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Pics of Phi Phi tourists allegedly huffing gas go viral
PHUKET: Pictures of tourists on Phi Phi Island ostensibly huffing ‘laughing gas’ out of balloons have gone viral on social media, prompting a police investigation and a health warning from Krabi officials. One of the photos shows three women lying on the ground, one with an empty balloon in her mouth and another who appears to be inhaling the gas…
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New shuttle gets nod from Phuket airport director
PHUKET: A new shuttle service from Phuket International Airport to three final destinations on the island has garnered the approval of Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan. “I personally think it is a good idea to have a shuttle bus running from the airport to destinations throughout the island, such as Saphan Hin in Phuket Town, Karon and Rawai,” Ms Monrudee told…
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Lighthouse Weekend Market a boon to businesses
PHUKET: The new addition of a mini-motor expo at the Lighthouse Weekend Market last month produced four on-the-spot car sales, tagging the event as a business generator on Phuket – one in so much demand that it will continue through the rainy season. The cars that sold were Mini Cooper, Volvo and Subaru models, confirmed Kanittha Prasopsirikul, market organizer and…
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Business Buzz: Re-make marketing plans
PHUKET: We all know that social media marketing is popular, but how can we best use it for our business to increase awareness, grow our customer base, make more sales and improve profitability? Targeting people using social media is easy if done correctly, but to be successful and get the best results, you need a blueprint to make sure everything…
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International sailors flock to Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek
PHUKET: The island of Phuket is preparing for an influx of visitors in July, as more than 500 sailors and spectators from around the world flock to be part of the prestigious Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek 2015. Now in its 12th year, with this year’s event taking place from July 15-19, Phuket Raceweek’s reputation continues to grow as an…
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Police drop case against Aussie expat charged for Phuket killing
PHUKET: Police have dropped the case against Australian expat and Phuket community member Mark Pendlebury for the fatal stabbing of a nightclub employee across the street from the island’s famed party strip, Soi Bangla, in March. The decision was made by police after CCTV footage surfaced backing claims that Mr Pendlebury had acted in self defence when confronted by 25-year-old…
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Thanyapura to boost ‘Sports Hub of Asia’ status with B300mn investment
PHUKET: Thanyapura Phuket is looking to invest an additional 300 million baht in an expansion plan that will further strengthen its status as the Sports Hub of Asia. To be scaled over five years, the investment will see the spectacular 23-hectare complex gain a 100-meter training pool, four tennis courts, a multi-room Wellness Center, an international school working toward becoming…
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Finance: Strong dollars for investors
PHUKET: One of the biggest and most unappreciated risks faced by global investors this year is the continued strength of the United States dollar holding back key investing asset classes. After all, a strong dollar tends to be a double-edged sword.BAD FOR LARGE CAP US STOCKS As foreign currencies weaken against the dollar, US stocks that are large cap multinational…
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Phuket’s annual Goat Fair returns [video]
PHUKET: Local farmers are gearing up for the 18th annual Phuket Goat Fair, which will be held June 11 through 13 behind Tesco Lotus in Cherng Talay. The fair will provide an opportunity for farmers to exchange knowledge, learn from experts and showcase their animals and products. “The main goal of the event is to urge goat farmers to continue…
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