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5 best wine bars in Bangkok offering rich and quality wine
It’s wine o’clock! Whether you’re all about fruity reds, sweet whites, or funky naturals, Bangkok has many great spots to sip your favourite varieties. But with an array of options to choose from, and the constant rise and fall of...
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Phuket Gov announces “successful crackdown’ on unlicenced hotels
PHUKET: More than a thousand unlicensed hotels have applied to be registered as hotels after a two-month ultimatum was issued at the end of November last year, the Phuket Governor confirmed yesterday. Starting from November 29, unlicensed hotels in Phuket were given until the end of January to become legally registered or to “face consequences” (story here). At the time,…
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Unidentified man dies in Phuket bike crash
PHUKET: Police are trying to identify a motorbike crash victim who was found dead in Rassada last night. They believe he died from injuries caused by crashing into an electric pole. “The accident occurred at Soi Mali Kaew, where there are several sharp curves in the road. We found the body of a man with blood on his head and…
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Tourists stranded for hours as tour operators demand reduced park fees
KRABI: Operators of long-tail boats and speedboats blocked Khlong Haeng Bay in Ao Nang, Krabi, yesterday morning to demand that entrance fees for foreign visitors to the Phi Phi Islands National Park be halved. 300 soldiers, policemen and park officials were also present at the Khlong Haeng Bay entrance to Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. The blockade…
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Detour signs placed after Phuket bridge collapse
PHUKET: A bridge on the road that circles around the Nai Harn lake near Phuket’s popular Nai Harn Beach collapsed earlier this week. It is now undergoing repairs and officials have advised drivers to pay heed to the diversion signs that they have placed at the site. The signs are in both English and Thai. The reconstruction project is expected…
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German jumps off Phuket highrise and crashes through cafe roof
PHUKET: A German tourist survived a jump off a 9th floor hotel roof in Phuket yesterday and smashed through the roof of a cafe below. “We found Bernhard Schartl, 53, lying on the ground of a local noodle house on Soi Sansabai in Patong at about 5:30pm. There was a large hole in the ceiling right above him, which he…
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Speeding British biker kills Phuket local
PHUKET: A Thai man was killed after a British national on a big bike crashed into him in Thalang last night. Chawalit Sritha, 69, was riding a Honda Wave and collided with 32-year-old Adam Howard’s Yamaha big bike. “Mr Chawalit was critically injured and taken to Thalang Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Mr Howard was treated for minor…
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Phuket woman set on fire, ex-husband wanted by police
PHUKET: A woman sustained burns to 30 per cent of her body after her ex-husband allegedly hit her, emptied a bottle of lighter fluid over her body and then set her on fire at about 5pm today. Rungruedee Sithibut, 43, is employed as a cleaner at the Thepkrasattri Municipality Kindergarten. Her ex-husband came by and the two reportedly had an…
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Snarled wires cause electric fire in Phuket
PHUKET: A transformer exploded after a jumble of electric wires sparked last night in Kata, causing thick, black clouds of smoke and hours of blackout in the area. The incident occurred near the heavily trafficked Kata Beach Resort junction. Crowds of tourists and locals gathered at the scene, watching the sparks and flames in shock. Residents nearby used fire extinguishers…
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Phuket tourists injured as taxi driver falls asleep at the wheel
PHUKET: A taxi driver was injured after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a concrete pillar in Thalang early this morning. Two Chinese tourists sitting in the taxi sustained minor injuries due to the impact with the pillar of a pedestrian crossing bridge in the area. “The collision occurred on the northbound Thepkrasattri Road near Muang Thalang…
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Russian arrested, may face prison term for feeding fish
KOH RACHA: A Russian tourist was arrested, with bail set at 100,000 baht, for feeding fish in Koh Racha yesterday afternoon. “The incident occurred at Plab Pla beach on Koh Racha Yai. During a regular patrol, officers found Olga Smirnova, 53, feeding bread to the fish,” said Suchat Rattanaruengsri, Region 6 head of the Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Division.…
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Finance: Grab the ‘bull’ by the horns
PHUKET: Many times in life it can seem like things completely spiral out of your control, and this can leave us feeling helpless. I have seen this happen not only numerous times with decisions my clients have made, but have made the exact same mistakes in my own investments. One mistake leads to another poor decision and in the end…
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Opinion: Time to clean up Phuket’s beaches
PHUKET: Algal blooms at Patong Beach are an embarrassment that needs to be treated as a high-priority issue by authorities. The root cause of the problem, untreated wastewater, needs to be directly addressed by increased treatment capacity. Growing water hyacinths along the banks of the brackish Klong Pakbang is not going to be the solution. Officials need to carefully review…
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B200k worth of drugs nabbed in ‘random check’ in Phuket
PHUKET: A man was arrested with about 200,000 baht’s worth of ya bah (methamphetamine) pills while trying to enter Phuket yesterday. “We caught him at the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint just as he had arrived in Phuket from Narathiwat,” said Lt Col Thawat Tansakun of Tah Chat Chai Police. The suspect, named by the police as Apisee Ya, 26, had…
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Police hunting for gunmen in Krabi van driver’s murder
KRABI: Police are hunting for at least two gunmen who killed a van driver in Krabi yesterday. “The victim’s van was found in a palm plantation on Petch Kasem road in Ao Luek Tai sub-district. On the driver’s seat, we found Chalee Petchpuang, 48, covered in blood, with bullet wounds to his neck and forehead,” said Capt Manas Inthornprom of…
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Photos of foot waving foreigner criticized in Phuket
PHUKET: A foreigner who stuck his foot out the window of a passenger van has received a lot of criticism on social media after pictures of the incident were posted online. The pictures were taken two weeks ago by a Facebook user, who wishes to remain anonymous, driving behind the van on Thepkrasattri Road near the Bang Koo junction in…
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Threat of mass rallies after Krabi coal plant approved
BANGKOK: Protestors have vowed to continue their campaign with mass demonstrations in Bangkok, after the controversial Krabi coal-fired power plant project finally got the go-ahead yesterday, following two years of resistance. After an Energy Policy Planning Office (EPPO) committee meeting at Government House yesterday, Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha said the new power plant was needed to ensure power stability…
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Phuket police confiscate krathom stash from secret underground room
PHUKET: A Myanmar man was arrested with nearly 100 kilograms of krathom hidden in a secret underground room at his house yesterday evening. The suspect, named Too Naing, 37, was living at a Burmese camp in Moo 1, Kamala. Police seized 75kg of krathom, 10 packs of fresh krathom leaves and some unprocessed stale leaves, nine bottles of cough syrup,…
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Krabi police crack down on drug network; nab weapons, pills
KRABI: Krabi police yesterday revealed a series of drug-related arrests, including three members of a major drug network named ‘Add Nanon’. “The leader of the network, Kittisak Nanon, 25, and two of his associates, Suphap Reaproi, 28, and Kittiphan Sukdam, 25, were arrested with about 40,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills, a shotgun, revolver and handgun, and several rounds of ammunition,”…
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NEPC approves Krabi coal-fired power plant
KRABI: The National Energy Policy Committee (NEPC) has resolved to continue the construction of the Krabi coal-fired power plant, Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha announced today. The decision was made by the committee during a meeting at Government House this morning, amid an uproar about the value of the plant and Thailand’s future energy policy. Gen Prayuth said the project…
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B16m traffic cams unveiled as Phuket named in top 5 deadliest provinces
PHUKET: Five new high-tech ‘red light cameras’ were launched this morning in response to Phuket’s recognition as one of Thailand’s five most dangerous provinces for road travel. “These cameras can help catch those who are speeding, not wearing helmets or running red lights. A computer then automatically prints a penalty notice, which will be sent to the driver’s residence,” said…
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Phuket restaurant charged for improper waste management
PHUKET: Complaints from Koh Kai locals led to a restaurant being charged for releasing untreated waste water into the sea yesterday. “We officially filed charges against Sansern Sringam, 55, manager of Nontasak Marine Co Ltd, which owns the restaurant,” said Suchat Rattanaruengsri, head of the regional office of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation (DMCR). “We received reports…
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French tourists, taxi driver killed in crash with 10-wheel-truck
KRABI: Two French tourists and a Thai taxi driver were killed in a collision between an airport taxi and a 10-wheel-truck in Krabi yesterday afternoon. The victims were Victoria Bureau, Betrice Bureau and Thanat Pankhwan. Two other French tourists, namely Julien Remy Viallet and Alian Nicolas Bureau, as well as the driver of the 10-wheel-truck, Boonrit Senasamorn, were injured. “The…
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Anti-corruption boss says Phuket ‘most corrupt’ in Thailand
PHUKET: A Facebook post by the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand prompted an emergency meeting of the island’s top bosses yesterday to ‘investigate’ allegations of corruption laid against officials from major sectors of the government. Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamorthan, while insisting that he himslef had not accepted bribes, did launch an initiative called “White Phuket'”for the public to provide him with…
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Breaking: Anti-Corruption agency, Phuket Gov lock horns over corruption
PHUKET: The Phuket Governor has denied accepting bribes and urgently ordered officers to investigate corruption allegations made by the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand in a Facebook post yesterday. “I have never accepted tea money, or ordered any of my officers to do so, from any business – legal or illegal,” said Gov Chokchai Dejamornthan. The governor set up a committee…
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Soi Dog founder Gill Dalley to be cremated in Phuket
PHUKET: The body of Gill Dalley, long-time Phuket expat and co-founder of the Soi Dog Foundation, will remain at her family home in Laguna until Saturday. Friends and family are welcome to pay their respects today, Thursday and Friday between 7pm-9:30pm. On Saturday morning, the house will be open again from 10am for a short prayer ceremony, before Ms Dalley’s…
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Foreigner survives hanging attempt from Phuket bridge
PHUKET: Valentine’s Day in Phuket started with an unidentified foreigner attempting to hang himself from a pedestrian bridge in Thalang early this morning. The man survived, but sustained serious injuries from falling on to the road after the wire he was using snapped. One end of it was tied around his neck and the other was attached to the bridge.…
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Staff involvement suspected in Samui bank break-in
SAMUI: Police are hunting for masked robbers who broke into a Krungsri Bank branch located only about 100 meters from a police station in Samui on Friday night. Lt Col Vachara Somsri of Samui Police received the report soon after the incident took place. “We believe that at least two suspects were involved in the affair. They didn’t manage to…
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Phuket mourns death of Soi Dog co-founder
PHUKET: The untimely death of Gill Dalley, who was a prominent member of the Phuket community and co-founder of the Soi Dog Foundation, was announced early this morning by foundation representatives. Ms Dalley was 58 years old and battled cancer for a short period of time. She was the inaugural winner of the ‘Canine Hero of the year’ award at…
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Swedish tourist survives stabbing, balcony fall
PHUKET: A Swedish tourist luckily escaped death after he jumped off the balcony of his hotel room in Karon yesterday morning. The victim, Lennart Sundstorm, 52, was staying at the Kata Green Beach Hotel. Police believe he had pressing financial issues which led him to perform the desperate act. Maj Patiwat Yodkhwan of Karon Police, Tourist Police officers and rescue…
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Patong parking complaints spark military blitz
PHUKET: Officers from the Region 4 Army Headquarters in Phuket visited Patong Beach last week to address complaints about the bike rental management system, particularly the decades-old problem of theft of space from the public. Vendors and locals in the area said that the beach looked disorganized as dozens of rental bikes were parked chaotically and illegally along the road.…
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