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Firefighters prevent inferno at workers’ camp
PHUKET: Quick action by Kathu firefighters prevented an inferno from engulfing a workers’ camp near the Loch Palm Golf Course yesterday morning. Three fire trucks were called to the packed camp of about 130 abodes at about 10am. “Firefighters took about an hour to put out the fire,” Yongyoth Cheswichean of the Kathu Municipality told the Phuket Gazette. Eight homes…
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Swedish man dies in fall from Phuket hotel room
PHUKET: A Swedish man died early yesterday morning when he jumped from his hotel room in Patong in an attempt to stop his girlfriend from leaving. “Witnesses said they heard a loud argument at about 2am,” said Maj Weerapong Rakito of the Patong Police. Then they saw the man on the balcony of his second floor room at the Absolute…
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War weapons linked to political unrest seized
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Raids seize large caches of war weapons linked to political unrest The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Acting under the martial law declared early Tuesday morning, joint teams of military and police officers launched raids at three locations to hunt for war weapons thought to have…
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Blast hits capital of China’s western Xinjiang
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Blast hits capital of China’s western Xinjiang, people hurt Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Colliding vehicles caused an explosion in a street market in the capital of China’s western region of Xinjiang on Thursday, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The blast occurred at an open…
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Five male suspects arrested in Narathiwat
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Five male suspects arrested in Narathiwat The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A 100-strong team of paramilitary rangers took five men into custody yesterday during a raid on three villages in Narathiwat’s Rangae district. The arrests were made under martial law. In a move to hunt…
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Police vow quick action on stabbing death near Bangkok rally site
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police vow quick action on stabbing death The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Metropolitan Police have vowed to quickly solve the stabbing to death of a homeless man whose body was found stuffed in a sack near an anti-government rally site earlier this week. Pol Maj-General…
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California kidnap, sex abuse victim abducted at 15 escapes via Facebook a decade later
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community California kidnap, sex abuse victim abducted at 15 escapes via Facebook a decade later Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A woman abducted from her suburban Southern California home when she was 15 has been found alive after a decade-long ordeal of physical and sexual abuse, and…
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Thailand News: Talks yield no breakthrough; Senators mull a legal PM
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Prayuth pushes for solutions to end impasse The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: In his first meeting with warring parties yesterday, Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha mapped out resolutions to pull the country out of the ongoing political crisis, though they failed to come to a conclusion.…
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Video Report: Phuket drug dealer caught with AK-47
PHUKET: Police arrested a confessed drug dealer in possession of an AK-47 assault rifle and a homemade handgun at his hut near the mangroves of Pa Klok yesterday. “We received a tip-off that an armed drug dealer was operating out of the hut, so we staked it out,” said Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Arayapan Pukbuakhao. “We saw two men,…
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Phuket officers continue to wage war against animal touts
PHUKET: Three animal touts were arrested yesterday, as Phuket police continue to crackdown on anyone offering tourists photo opportunities with animals, endangered or not, on Soi Bangla. Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police, nabbed two animal touts on Sunday while out cycling when he was off-duty (story here). This led to the arrest yesterday of three men who…
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Tourist killed in motorbike accident on Big Buddha Hill
PHUKET: A holidaymaker died after careening off the road leading to Big Buddha Hill yesterday afternoon. He had gone to the iconic Phuket destination to make merit with his girlfriend. Chaiya Teetuan, 37, died at the scene of the accident, at the curve near At Hill Adventure Tour Elephant Camp Phuket*, at about 4:30pm. He was wearing a helmet at…
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Phuket anti-government protesters break camp in face of martial law
PHUKET: The long-standing anti-government protest in Phuket led by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) broke down its stage last night out of respect for martial law which was decreed early yesterday. The PDRC protesters dominated Phuket Provincial Hall, forcing it to close for about four and half months before allowing it to re-open on April 8 (story here). Even…
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Phuket lifeguards to be back on duty by next Tuesday
PHUKET: Phuket lifeguards say they expect to sign their new contract and be back at work by next Tuesday at the latest and possibly as early as this Saturday. A dispute over the terms of the contract led lifeguards to walk off the beaches on April 27, when their last contract concluded (story here). One drowning death, that of 26-year-old…
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Drop election if too dangerous: Army
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Drop election if too dangerous: Army The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Election Commission (EC) secretary general Puchong Nutrawong said the Army had told him that if the next general election was likely to result in bloodshed, or would be too difficult to arrange, the EC…
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Business groups hail army move if there is no coup
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Foreign business groups hail army move if there is no coup The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Foreign chambers and business associations hope that the declaration of martial law will lead to an increase in security and safety, and eventually to a functioning government. Darren Buckley,…
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Army chief takes aim at political deadlock
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Army chief Prayuth takes aim at political deadlock The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: With martial law in place, Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha intends to bring together all stakeholders in the political conflict to break the deadlock, as he says the country cannot continue in…
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Record levels of meth seizures in Asia: UNODC
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Record levels of meth seizures in Asia: UNODC The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Growing demand in East and Southeast Asia is leading to an expansion of global production and trafficking in methamphetamine and new psychoactive substances, according to a UN Office on Drugs and Crime…
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China confronts U.S. envoy over cyber-spying accusations
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community China confronts U.S. envoy over cyber-spying accusations Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: China summoned the U.S. ambassador after the United States accused five Chinese military officers of hacking into American companies to steal trade secrets, warning Washington it could take further action, the foreign ministry said…
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Victorious Modi fights tears in first address to India parliament
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Victorious Modi fights tears in first address to India parliament Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Narendra Modi fought back tears in an emotional first address to his party in India’s colonnaded parliament house on Tuesday, after the Hindu nationalist swept to power in an election that…
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Phuket police arrest man for rape of woman, her 14-year-old niece
PHUKET: Police arrested a Phuket resident today for the rape of a 24-year-old Myanmar national and her 14-year-old niece in the forest along Ao Yon – Khao Khad Road on May 8. The man, who turned himself in, was charged with rape, rape of a person under the age of 15, and theft. The 44-year-old suspect has denied all charges.…
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Phuket Governor off island to report to army base
PHUKET: Bangkok’s appointed leader to the island, Phuket Governor Maitri Insthusut, departed this morning to report to the Royal Thai Army base in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. Governor Maitri’s trip comes in the wake of Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha’s declaration of martial law, which took affect at 3am today (story here). Governor Maitri is expected to arrive at the base…
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Not enough time to prepare for Asian Games, says Thailand
PHUKET: A final decision on a country that will replace Vietnam as the host of the 2019 Asian Games will be made in September. That being the case, the question is whether Thailand, which has hosted many Games when others had thrown their hands up, will throw its hat into the ring. Vietnam laid out comprehensive plans to host the…
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Martial law not a coup, says Army chief
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘This is not a coup’ says Thai army, as martial law declared Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thailand’s army declared martial law nationwide this morning to restore order after six months of street protests that have left the country without a proper functioning government, but denied…
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Sun still shining in Phuket, despite martial law order
PHUKET: The declaration of nationwide martial law as of 3am today has left Phuket officials unperturbed. “Officials are just working as usual,” Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa told the Phuket Gazette this morning. The martial law order, essentially giving the army control of the country, was issued by Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha (story here). After more than six months…
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Army declares martial law
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Army chief declares martial law The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha Tuesday declared martial law that covers the entire nation. Martial law took effect at 3am. Gen Prayuth stated that the declaration was necessary to prevent people from committing violence and…
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Floods affect over 1 million in Balkans, destruction ‘terrifying’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Floods affect over 1 million in Balkans, destruction ‘terrifying’ Reuters/ Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Bosnia said on Monday that more than a quarter of its 4 million people had been affected by the worst floods to hit the Balkans in living memory, comparing the “terrifying” destruction to…
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Cop denies pulling trigger in Phuket drive-by shooting
PHUKET: A police officer who left the Saraphan Pleng Pub in Chalong shortly before a fatal shooting early Friday morning appeared at the Chalong Police Station Saturday to declare his innocence. The Phuket Provincial Police officer, who police have declined to name, fell under suspicion after officers questioned staff at the pub about the murder of Nuchsika Klasuek, 35, who…
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Exercising off-duty cop nabs two animal touts in Phuket
PHUKET: An off-duty police officer leaped from his bicycle and arrested two out of six men on Soi Bangla who were offering tourists photo opportunities with animals yesterday. Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho swooped in to make the arrest of the six men after seeing them touting four iguanas and two slow lorises. He quickly arrested Suchai Jaroenpu, 32, from Phang…
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Chalong top cop back at work in home station
PHUKET: Chalong Police Superintendent Krittapas Dazintharasorn, who was transferred to the Thalang Police Station in early April when he and his officers came under fire for alleged extortion, returned to take up the reins in Chalong on May 1. The charges against the Chalong police were filed in the wake of 20 dive instructors being rounded up by Chalong cops…
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Mathayom 6 graduates killed in Phuket hit-and-run
PHUKET: Police are hunting for the driver who killed two teenagers in a hit-and-run crime in Phuket last night. Piyabut Thongngarm, 18, died at the scene, while Jenista Purisawane, 18, died en route to hospital, Capt Thada Sodarak of the Chalong Police said. “It was raining when we arrived at the scene, near the Rawai shell museum. It was clear…
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