News
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Businesses rail against blackout; Minister blames lightning; Academics say no excuse
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Businesses demand action as officials downplay power cut The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Tourism officials downplayed the impact of Tuesday night’s power outage in the South, but tourism operators and the country’s biggest private-sector association expressed fears for their business and demanded the government take steps to…
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Chinese arrested for illegally selling souvenirs at Phuket temple
PHUKET: Nine Chinese were arrested on Tuesday for illegally selling amulets and souvenirs at Wat Kathu, one of the oldest temples on the island. Phuket Immigration Office Superintendent Pol Col Sanchai Chokhayaikij led officers to the revered site at about 4:30pm, where they found the Chinese nationals actively selling amulets and souvenirs to visitors at the temple (map here). “We…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Stockholm rocked by riots; US admits drone killings; Boston bomb suspect shot dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Stockholm rocked by riots Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Violence spread from the North to the South of the city on Wednesday as groups of youth pushed through Stockholm’s suburbs casting stones, breaking windows and setting cars alight. Police in the southern Swedish city of Malmo said two…
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Phuket Governor faces taxi doubleheader at Phuket International airport
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut was met en masse late yesterday by the drivers of a second taxi company after having already been dragged to Phuket International Airport due to an all-night vigil held by the illegal taxi drivers of Mook Andaman co-operative outside his official residence Tuesday night (story here). After concluding his meeting with Mook Andaman, with no…
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Phuket drowning victim identified as British national
PHUKET: Police have identified the man whose body washed ashore on Patong Beach early yesterday morning (story here) as 37-year-old Jeremy Thomas O’Neill. Because Mr O’Neill’s body was found without any identifying documents, police circulated a photo of him to hotels in Patong hoping he would be recognized, Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat explained. His identity was confirmed when…
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Phuket illegal taxi drivers stalk Governor, demand resolution
PHUKET: A sortie of about 30 illegal taxi drivers from the Mook Andaman co-operative staged an all-night vigil in front of the Governor’s Residence last night, finally causing the governor to agree to meet with them today to seek a resolution to their demand to serve passengers at Phuket International Airport. Police were called in to ensure the drivers kept…
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Phuket monsoon weather hits tourism, seafood prices
PHUKET: The rough seas brought on by the onset of the annual southwest monsoon have taken their toll on the Phuket tourist day-trip trade, with companies reporting only half the usual number of passengers.Meanwhile, fishing boats have been unable to put to sea, with the resulting fall in supply causing an upsurge in seafood prices.“The monsoon weather has arrived in…
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Phuket Gazette Thai News: Chalerm to free Yingluck; Health groups plan protest at PM’s home; BKK will get electric racing
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Chalerm backs down on reconciliation bill The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung looks to have backed down from his plan to push through a controversial version of the reconciliation bill – although this may just be a tactical retreat.His move to tone down…
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Power returns to Phuket
PHUKET: Electricity supply was restored to the south of the island after 9:30pm tonight following what was reported as Thailand’s biggest blackout on record. Phuket, along with all 13 other provinces that comprise Southern Thailand, was plunged into darkness just before 7pm. Power was restored to key areas on the island after just one hour, but residents outside major built-up…
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Phuket hit by major blackout
PHUKET: A major power outage struck across Phuket just before 7pm tonight.Phuket Town, Chalong, Koh Kaew and Thalang are three heavily populated areas suffering from the outage, the Phuket Gazette confirmed.The local electricty authority has confirmed the entire south of the island is also affected.The Gazette has recived report of a major blackout in Trang, indicating the blackout may be…
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Convicts claim to steal gold for milk money north of Phuket
PHUKET: A pair of snatch-thief convicts were snapped up by police shortly after they ripped two gold necklaces from the neck of a woman taking her child to school in Phang Nga this morning.After her necklaces – worth about 30,000 baht – were stolen, Waroon Chaisang called the police, who notified officers at a checkpoint down the road in the…
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Thai students awarded for innovation
PHUKET: Thai students have demonstrated their capacity for innovation at the MEF Educational Institutions’ 22nd International Research Projects Competition held in Turkey recently. The students from Somtawin Witeadsuksa Huaymongkhon School near Hua Hin received a special jury award for their ‘Boe-bot in voice command and GPS program’. Students from Slovenia and Italy also received a special jury prize. MEF Educational…
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Joyriding Phuket King Cobra nabbed in truck
PHUKET: A three-meter King Cobra was captured in Phuket’s Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary last night after it went along for a ride in one of the park trucks. The driver of the truck, park employee Wad Promya, 59, had taken the truck to run an errand at a friend’s house. He felt something moving under his seat, but it…
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Phuket alcohol ban for Visakha Bucha on Friday
PHUKET: Bars, restaurants and other retailers across Phuket are required to refrain from selling alcohol from midnight Thursday night to sunrise Saturday morning as a total ban on alcohol sales comes into effect nationwide for the Buddhist holy day Visakha Bucha on Friday.“Visakha Bucha Day is one of the four annual religious days on which the sale of alcohol is…
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Phuket Gazette Thai News: Aunt sold teenager for sex work; Water fight possible – Yingluck; Democrats threaten DSI
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Aunt sold girl, 17, for sex work in Korea: police The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The police’s Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTD) yesterday applied for an arrest warrant for a Thai woman who allegedly lured her 17-year-old niece into prostitution with a well-paid job in South…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Obama calls for end to Myanmar Muslim violence; Oklahoma flattened by tornado; Libya war weapons killing elephants
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obama urges Myanmar to stop violence against Muslims Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: President Barack Obama urged the president of Myanmar on Monday to take steps to halt violence against Muslims in his country and move ahead with economic and political reforms.Thein Sein became the first head of…
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Thalang defense volunteer charged for illegal possession of a firearm
PHUKET: A Thalang defense volunteer was charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition after being pulled over at a checkpoint in Phuket. Krit Meesit, 52, wearing military trousers and a black shirt with “Royal Thai Marine Corps” written across it, was stopped at a checkpoint on Nanai Road in Patong at about 2am yesterday. “The man presented us…
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Phuket tourist hits pedestrian on Thepkrasattri Road
PHUKET: A tourist arriving on Phuket from Bangkok in his pick-up truck last night struck an unidentified man who allegedly had stepped out into one of Phuket’s busiest roads. Thalang Police received a report at 11:45pm that a man had been hit in the southbound lanes of Thepkrasattri Road about 150 meters north of the Heroines’ Monument (map here). At…
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Phuket Finance: Currency crisis warning signs
PHUKET: THE strength of the Thai Baht is a major topic of conversation these days, especially since so many Phuket residents are living on a fixed income, denominated and paid in a foreign currency from abroad. We have all been feeling the same pain as the combination of the strong baht and domestic inflation has led to our hard-earned money…
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Phuket taxi driver to face abduction, drug charges
PHUKET: The Phuket taxi driver accused of holding a 19-year-old Chinese tourist captive for hours and threatening her with sexually intimidating gestures on Friday will face deprivation of liberty and drug charges. Phuket City Police today named the driver as Paitoon Kruain, 32, from Sakoo, a small village on Phuket’s west coast near Phuket International Airport. Mr Paitoon was interrogated…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Rising costs new threat; PM mum on Cabinet; Teacher cheats to be sacked; Four arrested over Asia Hotel blast
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Rising costs greatest threat to govt The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The increasing cost of living was cited as the major factor threatening to weaken public support for the Yingluck government in a poll by Assumption University.Higher cost of living was cited as the most likely cause…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Myanmar human rights on US visit agenda; NKorea rocks more missiles, Iran hangs spies; France drones on; China tackles elderly
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obama walks a fine line with Myanmar president’s landmark visit Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: President Barack Obama will walk a fine line between fostering a U.S. ally in China’s backyard and trying to defend human rights when the president of Myanmar becomes the first head of his…
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Phuket taxi driver arrested over Chinese tourist sex assault complaint
PHUKET: A Phuket taxi driver is being held by Phuket City Police today following a 19-year-old Chinese tourist alleging the driver held her captive for hours and tried to sexually assault her. “Both the taxi driver and Chinese tourist have been brought in for questioning,” Detective Nucharee Longkaew, the Phuket City Police specialist officer for interviewing victims of sex crimes,…
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Australian gunmen walk free after short Phuket Prison stint
PHUKET: Two Australian tattoo parlor owners are now out of prison after mistakenly shooting two German tourists while trying to gun down alleged Danish mafioso Dennis Mark Knudsen on January 22. John Cohen, 32, and Adam Shea, 26, were released on April 11 after having served about 40 days of prison time. “They were sentenced to a six-month, 15-day suspended…
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Phuket Opinion: For the Love of Bob
PHUKET: Many years ago, backpacking through Malaysia, I found myself at a hostel one night swapping stories and listening to a fellow traveller playing guitar and singing.When the dreadlocked musician asked if any of us had any requests I jumped in with “play some Bob Marley” assuming that he would have at least a dozen Marley songs in his repertoire.His…
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Phuket Opinion: Meth-ods for drug abuse prevention
PHUKET: Dr Ruangsit Netnuanyai, the psychiatric social worker who runs the drug treatment center at Vachira Phuket Hospital, is absolutely right that more needs to be done to prevent youths from falling into the potentially fatal trap of drug abuse (story here). As he notes, this effort should start with the most commonly abused substance among young Thais: methamphetamine, known…
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Phuket resorts caught in illegal construction blitz
PHUKET: A team of Ministry of Interior officials landed in Phuket yesterday to raid four sites in and around Patong, all of which are now under investigation for illegal construction.Leading the raids was Lt Gen Jutti Thammanovanich from the Office of the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, ranking him among the top police commanders in the country.Joining him were…
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Phuket Opinion: Looking for privacy for Phuket’s addicts
Psychiatric Social Worker Dr Ruangsit Netnuanyai, 36, is a Phuket native who has been working at Vachira Phuket Hospital for 13 years. He is the head of the drug-treatment program at Vachira and also does research on drug treatment for young addicts. Here, he talks about drug addiction in Phuket and calls for a new drug-treatment center and drug education…
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Phuket Sports: EPL’s last day as Wigan take FA Cup and last relegation spot
PHUKET: Wigan Athletic became the first team to be relegated from England’s top flight in the same season as winning the FA Cup after they lost 4-1 at Arsenal, with Lukas Podolski scoring twice, in the English Premier League on Tuesday. The victory keeps Arsenal in pole position to claim fourth spot and a place in next year’s Champions League.…
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Phuket hospital offers free checkups in honor of HM Queen Sirikit
PHUKET: Phuket residents are invited to sign up for free medical checkups at the Phuket Provincial Hospital on May 31 in honor of HM Queen Sirikit’s 81st birthday later this year. The first 1,253 Phuket-registered residents to contact the Provincial Hospital (map here) before May 29 can take advantage of one of a number of checkups available. The hospital will…
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