News
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Bike deaths keep climbing
PHUKET: Motorcycle accidents claimed 15 lives between June 20 and July 20, according to the latest statistics from Wachira, Thalang and Patong government hospitals. In the previous month, 14 people died in accidents involving motorbikes. The statistics also show that 950 people were injured on motorbikes during the period, compared with 35 injured in cars and 29 in other road…
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Chinese leader flying to Phuket
PHUKET: Li Peng, Chairman of China’s National Assembly, is flying to Phuket on Friday for a three-day official visit. With him on the special flight will be a delegation of senior Chinese officials. Mr Li holds the Communist Party’s No. 2 post. Observers attribute to him the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy dissidents in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. As a guest of…
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Falling cartons KO child in Big C
PHUKET TOWN: A five-year-old girl was knocked unconscious when three large cartons of milk tumbled off the shelves as her family shopped in the dairy section of Big C Supercenter. The girl, Napasawan “Fah” Aroonlimsawad, was knocked unconscious during the outing on Sunday and released from hospital today with a large lump on her head. A Big C staffer was…
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Dane drowns at Nai Harn
NAI HARN: A 62-year-old Dane who was pulled from the sea unconscious died as rescuers tried to resuscitate him on Nai Harn beach this morning. Police named him as Helge Andreasen, a retiree who lived in Happy Home Village. Mr Andreasen’s death was the latest in a series of drownings and narrow escapes this monsoon season, which has increased pressure…
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THAI discounts internal fights
PHUKET: Thai Airways is offering special discounts on domestic flights from now until December 31 to Thais and, in some cases, foreign residents. The discounts are as follows: – Young people aged 12-24 years old who are traveling on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (except for public holidays or days in lieu of public holidays) receive a 25% discount. – Other…
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Police get tough on traffic offenders
PHUKET TOWN: In a crackdown on traffic offenders, police on Saturday night arrested 38 people at a checkpoint set up at the intersection of Yaowarat Rd and Thalang Rd. Pol Lt Col Weerasin Kwanseng, Deputy Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, said today that officers set up the checkpoint after receiving many complaints about people dangerously ignoring traffic laws in…
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Trade boost for “One Tambon’ scheme
PHUKET: Phuket has become a driving force behind moves to expand the One Tambon One Product scheme through trade agreements with other provinces. Surapol Suwankul, Chief of Phuket Provincial Commercial Office, said today, “While we have no plans at the moment to increase the number of products we make, we are now selling products to other provinces to enlarge our…
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Major switch in Patong budget
PATONG: About 50 million baht is to be spent on community services such as education, public health and community activities in Patong’s budget plan for 2002/2003. The budget represents a major switch from heavy infrastructure spending to an emphasis on developing people and communities. After Patong Municipal Council approved the plan yesterday, Sakorn Cheua-yuan, Deputy Mayor of Patong, said, “We…
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Hotels pay only 30pc of provincial tax
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) has collected about 30% of the much-reviled hotel room tax and plans to pursue the hotels that have failed to cough up the remaining 70%, which is worth close to 95 million baht. The 40 million baht collected so far is to be spent on various tourism-related projects, including the provision of lifeguards…
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Warning on wet-season power
PHUKET TOWN: The Manager of the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA), Sornchai Uparamai, has warned that wet and windy conditions during the monsoon season may cause electrical accidents. Anyone who sees broken power lines, poles, or other potentially dangerous situations is urged to call the PPEA on 076-210427/8.
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Convention center “benefits all’
KRABI: A regional improvement conference at Krabi has been told that an international convention and exhibition center (CEC) on Phuket would also benefit other provinces. Provincial Vice Governor Winai Buapradit told the conference on August 22 that the Thai Government was prepared to spend 800 million baht on the CEC and was in the process of choosing a site. Anupharp…
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26 arrested, but gambling boss escapes
PHUKET TOWN: Police raided a gambling den in a shack behind the Metropole Hotel early this morning, arresting 22 men and four women. Phuket Town Superintendent Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, who led the raid, said, “We acted on tips from our sources who said there were people gambling behind the hotel. We arrested 26 gamblers, who are all being held…
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Surasak hits the campaign trail
PATONG: Mayor Surasak Maneesri on Monday got the jump on Pian Keesin, his main rival for the coming Patong mayoral election, by launching his campaign and introducing his team of preferred councilors. Standing in front of about 200 Patong residents gathered outside the old municipal offices on Phisit Gorani Rd, K. Surasak introduced all 23 members of his team. Together…
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Hundreds of Burmese deported
PHUKET TOWN: Hundreds of illegal Burmese were sent home today in trucks, and Immigration officers are hunting for hundreds more they say are still in Phuket. Pol Col Apirak Hongtong, Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Office, said, “We are seeking more escaped Burmese who are hiding out in all kinds of places.” The colonel also said that the department was investigating…
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We do, we do, we do
PHUKET TOWN: Six couples were married in a mass wedding today at Satree Phuket School in Phuket Town, with grooms coming from as far afield as Australia and the US. Naowarat Wongkaew, 33, from Chumphon, first met Australian architect Trevor Draydon, 48, six years ago in Bangkok. “My husband likes Thai culture, especially the wedding ceremony,” she said. The Gazette…
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Green fuel gets green light
AO MAKHAM: Viset Choopiban, President of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT), this morning announced that the PTT will continue to offer fuel free of excise tax and VAT to the operators of Thai fishing boats. The project, called “Green Fuel for Fishermen in the Andaman Sea” because the tax-free diesel is dyed green, was launched as an experiment six…
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Lottery “losers’ win
NAKHORN SRI THAMMARAT: The rules of the new-fangled underground lottery are easy: the player must pick five numbers. If none of these five numbers is the same as the last three numbers of the first prize in the government lottery, the player wins. For each 100-baht bet, the player wins 1,500 baht if his numbers don’t come up. Police, already…
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New tourism targets for the South
PHUKET TOWN: A sweeping plan for tourism in the Phuket region will give each destination a clear identity and a target market. The project, covering all southern provinces, seeks to suggest appropriate government budgets, and focus on the image of each spot. The plan will be overseen by MP Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr, as President of the Southern Thailand Tourism Improvement Planning…
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Marijuana arrests at full moon party
KAMALA: Police raided a full moon party at the Rhythm & Beach Cantina in Kamala and arrested three foreigners for allegedly smoking marijuana on the beach nearby. “There were 40-50 at the party, but only three foreigners who were smoking ganja on the beach,” said Pol Lt Col Narong Laksanawimol, of Kathu Police Station. Pilaiwan Maotaknoi, the manager of Rhythm…
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Earless body found in “Burmese Cemetery’
PHUKET TOWN: The body of a man with the ears cut off was found in the notorious “Burmese Cemetery” over the weekend. The man’s torso and face bore about 100 stab marks. Villagers found the man, lying face down and dressed only in underwear, in mangroves behind the fishing port on Sri Sena Rd about 8 am on Saturday. While…
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Tourist drowns on raft tour
PHANG NGA: A Malaysian tourist drowned on a raft excursion to Song Praek waterfall in Phang Nga on Tuesday. Police said that the man, named as Wee Siaw Kong, 29, could not swim and died despite wearing a buoyancy aid and despite the efforts of guides and fellow tourists. Mr Wee, with three other tourists and two staff of tour…
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Phuket-inspired music CD launched
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket-born album producer Jumpol “Goh Khai” (Older Brother Khai) Thongtan this week launched a limited-release album called “Pleng Phuket”, labeled in English as “Pleasant Tunes of Phuket”. The one-hour launch took place at the classic Sino-Portuguese home of Pracha Tantawanich, a well-known senior citizen of Phuket, whose house is a popular tourist sight in Phuket Town. K. Jumpol…
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Samui killer ‘may be box jellyfish’
PHUKET: A scientist and a yachtsman today suggested that the seaborne killer responsible for the deaths of two tourists in waters around Koh Pha-ngan may have been a box jellyfish, reputed to be the world’s most venomous marine creature. Two tourists were killed in separate incidents earlier this month at Koh Pha-ngan, near Koh Samui, with one victim’s legs bearing…
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Renewal date reminder for foreign labor
PHUKET: The one-year permits for registration of Burmese, Laotian and Cambodian laborers expire on September 25, the Phuket Employers Club (PEC) reminded members yesterday. The rules have also been tightened, the PEC said. The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare will allow only laborers who already have work permits to renew for another year. In addition, this year, freelance foreign…
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New contacts for Customs issues
BANGKOK: The Customs Department has restructured its services to give exporters and importers contact numbers for clear information on specific issues. Callers in need of information are advised to call the following numbers: – Unusual delays in customs procedure or customs clearance, 02-6717895-6; – Valuation appeals, 02-6717383 or 02-6677170; – Tariff appeals, 02-2402311 or 02-2494199; – Consultation on trade and…
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Parents urged to ‘love their children more’
PHUKET: A government psychologist has urged parents to give their children more love and care in order to prevent them shacking up with girlfriends or boyfriends. Psychologist Pariyat Saengthat’s comments came in the wake of a survey by the local Provincial Public Welfare Office (PPWO) of 16- to 25-year-olds, conducted last month. K. Pariyat, who works with the PPWO, told…
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Four nabbed far from home
CHALONG: Three people from a northern hilltribe were arrested on Tuesday for being outside their legal residential area, and one more was charged with foreign currency exchange offenses. Ai-lhu Praiboonserm, a 23-year-old hillsman with Thai citizenship, was arrested in the Phuket Country Home estate where he was allegedly working as a tour guide without a licence. Police say he was…
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Burmese couple “ran Thai ID racket’
PHUKET TOWN: Police say that a Burmese couple arrested for running an illegal lottery also ran a racket creating Thai identities for hundreds of Burmese laborers. The racket extended across four provinces and police investigations are continuing into what officers suspect may have been be a “widespread conspiracy”. The couple, named as Rujikorn Kiawchaay and his wife, Jaidee, are Burmese…
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Thief raids police station
PHUKET: Phuket Town police were left scratching their heads over the weekend after a brazen thief apparently made off with cash from under their noses. A donation box belonging to a foundation for underprivileged families was found smashed and empty in the grass behind the Phuket Town Police Station on Saturday morning. Police believe it was one of several charity…
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Patong develops a taste for pawn
PATONG: After a slow start, the Patong Municipality pawnshop on Ratpatanusorn Rd is picking up business. Pawnshop Manager Chalerm Koompani told the Gazette yesterday, “At the beginning only a few people came to the pawnshop because most people still didn’t know that Patong had one. “Now the store averages 40-45 customers a day. Most are Thai, even though the store…
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