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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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Parked car bursts into flames
PHUKET: A car parked outside an apartment in Talad Nua spontaneously caught fire yesterday afternoon. The vehicle’s owner, Nathanan Ubonkun, had parked the car in a space behind Poopara Apartment in the morning and left it there, returning at 12:40, after being told by locals that her car was on fire. The inside of the car on the driver’s side…
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Island View: Train road workers in Phuket
PHUKET: Travelling in my car along Thepkrasattri Road at dusk from Thalang the other day, I hit a strip of the three-lane highway that was being resurfaced. The roadwork crew had enough forethought to put a grimy 40km/hr speed limit sign on the median strip, just before motorists hit the edge of the freshly gouged surface, as well as a…
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Another Korean couple’s honeymoon ends in tragedy
PHUKET: A newly-married Korean couple’s honeymoon came to a tragic end when the man drowned while snorkeling at Koh Hei this morning. The 33-year-old tourist, named as Jeong Yong Soo, had arrived in Phuket with his wife on Saturday after their wedding. The tourist police received reports of the incident from Vachira Phuket Hospital representatives at about 10am. “The tour…
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True breeze brings King’s Cup Regatta to a close on high note
PHUKET: The final day of racing off Kata Beach for the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta on Saturday saw all classes of boats competing in only one race each, making the most of good winds in the afternoon after light conditions earlier in the day. A royal award ceremony presided over by HE Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukbhasuk, personal representative of…
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Property Watch: Not everything can be ‘unique’
PHUKET: No other word suffers as much abuse in the Phuket property market as the word ‘unique’, to the extent that the misuse itself is almost unique. The word is important for property investors, because the ‘Unique Selling Point’ is a factor that ought to be addressed at an early stage of investment. However, items that are not unique could…
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Man found dead at home, roommate missing
PHUKET: A construction worker was found dead in his room in Patong yesterday afternoon. Police are looking for his roommate, who disappeared after he was seen drinking with him Thursday night. “We received a report at about 12:30pm of a dead man in a room on Pisitkoranee Road,” said Lt Sirinat Cherdchutrakulthong of the Patong Police. “When we arrived, we…
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Man arrested for stealing 80,000 baht in coins
PHUKET: A Thai man who robbed a Patong exchange booth of 80,000 baht in coins on Wednesday evening was apprehended in Thalang last night. The suspect, named as Promma Seesuree, had broken into the unmanned booth on Rat-Uthit 200 Pi Road and escaped with the loot. “We received a complaint about the incident and collected evidence from the day of…
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Relief kits distributed to flood-hit southern provinces
PHUKET: The provincial Public Health Office yesterday morning sent relief packages of food and medical supplies to flood-hit southern provinces including Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Trang, Phatthalung and Songkhla. Residents in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Pak Phanang district have urged state agencies to help drain floodwater from the Pak Phanang River Basin before their farms, including rubber, oil palm and…
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Police pony patrol trial trotted out at Surin Beach
PHUKET: Police officers saddled up on ponies at Surin Beach this morning on the first day of a trial to have mounted police patrol the sands during the high season. The horses have been employed at the beach to make it easier for police officers to get across the sand, after they found it difficult trudging along the beach on…
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Phuket social club asks for donations for flood victims in Nakhon Sri Thammarat
PHUKET: A social club in Phuket representing people from Nakhon Sri thammarat has called for donations to help flood victims in their hometown, over 100 schools have been closed and more than 261,000 residents affected (story here). Phuket Provincial Public Relations Chief Busaya Jaipiam also reiterated the donation request yesterday morning. Club members have asked for uncooked rice, dried foods,…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Riding the Songthaew
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Monk demands that bank hand over missing money
PHUKET: An elderly Buddhist monk baffled Krungsri Bank staff this morning at a branch on Thepkrasattri Road when he insisted on withdrawing 20,000 baht from his account – an amount he had withdrawn the previous day. A security guard at the bank called in ‘reinforcements’ from Phuket City Police to handle the precarious situation that ensued, as the monk dropped…
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Opinion: 10-year visas not accessible to all
PHUKET: A plan to introduce 10-year visas for ‘senior’ foreigners makes sense overall, but we hope those drafting the legislation can find a way to fine-tune it so a wider range of long-term expats, many of whom have contributed much to the Kingdom, can also qualify. Under the recently-revealed plan (story here), the 10-year visas would be realistically obtainable to…
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Australian tourist hurt in parasail fall at Patong Beach
PHUKET: An Australian tourist was hospitalized after she plunged five meters into the sea while parasailing in Patong yesterday afternoon. Sally-Ann Popovic, 26, reportedly fell out of the harness and plunged into the water below shortly after launching in front of the Banthai Resort on Patong Beach. Police questioned the boat driver, Wissanu Srabua, and his assistant, Weerachart Hon, who…
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Lackluster winds delay day 3 regatta races
PHUKET: Little wind off Kata Bay yesterday delayed racing on day three of the Phuket King’s Cup with boats not setting sail until the afternoon. The course was shortened and fewer races were run in each class to make up for the late start. Winners of the IRC2 races were the Australian team on Judy, led by April Jorgensen. In…
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Indonesian earthquake tremors felt in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga felt tremors of an earthquake that shook parts of Indonesia about 5am today. The earthquake measured 6.5 on the Richter scale, occurring 377km away in the Indian Ocean near Aceh, North Sumatra. Several deaths were reported and dozens of people were hospitalized with injuries. Many locals and expats in Phuket took to social media…
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Opinion: Inspiring the next generation of Phuket sailors
PHUKET: Capt Kritsada Rattanasupa, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, has been involved in the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta for several years. Here, he talks about how the navy supports the Regatta and about promoting sailing for the next generation of young sailors in Phuket. Sailing is one of those clever sports that involves…
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Austrian tourist dies while snorkeling in Krabi
PHUKET: A 75-year-old Austrian tourist ended up dead yesterday while snorkeling at Koh Rok, Krabi. His body arrived by boat this morning. “We received reports that the man’s friends were bringing his body to Chalong Pier early in the morning today. I notified the Austrian Consulate and told rescue workers and Chalong Police to receive the body and take it…
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Navy officers rescue Polish tourists in distress
PHUKET: A pair of Polish tourists were rescued from the waves by off-duty navy officers at Koh Pu yesterday. Officials of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command were making their way back after finishing their duty at the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta when they the saw tourists in the water waving for help. The pair had been swimming in…
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Head-on collision kills two more tourists in Phuket
PHUKET: A head-on collision at Chao Fa West Road early this morning has left two more tourists dead. Police arrived to find a 38-year-old Korean woman, named as Hyemi Lee, standing by her car in shock at the scene in front of Dibuk Hospital. Her car had collided with the tourists’ motorcycle, which was jammed under its front right wheel.…
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30th King’s Cup Regatta sets sail under “Heritage of Passion’
PHUKET: Fair winds were afoot on Sunday for the launch of the 30th annual Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, which this year is under the theme ‘Heritage of Passion’, in memory of the late HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej and in honor of Thailand’s new monarch HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun. Held at the Kata Beach Resort December 3-10 under the auspices…
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High-surf, storm warnings issued for Phuket
PHUKET: A high-surf warning has been issued for Phuket beaches, particularly the West Coast ones, by the Surin-Bangtao Surf Lifesaving Club this morning. Starting Wednesday, an unusually powerful and extra-seasonal storm is predicted to affect Phuket and to continue over the next seven to ten days, the “Club” announced today. The beaches named in the advisory are Nai Harn, Kata…
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Floods claim 11 lives in South
PHUKET: Eleven people drowned, two others were injured and two people are missing due to flooding in southern Thailand over the past four days, Mr Chatchai Promlert, director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said yesterday. He said the floods affected 157,580 families in 68 districts in the 10 southern provinces of Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Krabi,…
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Polish tourists beaten, robbed by Phuket teenagers
PHUKET: Phuket police yesterday evening apprehended four teenagers who brutally attacked and robbed two Polish tourists at Karon viewpoint on Thursday night. Karon Police arrived at the scene of the crime to find the tourists injured and scared. The victims told police that four young boys came up behind them while they were walking. One of them smashed a glass…
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Homeless man blamed for Phuket Town fire
PHUKET: A mentally unstable homeless man is suspected to have started a fire that burnt down a house in Phuket Town about 5am today. The two-storey house located on Thepkrasattri Road, about 500 meters from Satree Phuket School, was enveloped by flames and smoke when firefighters and officials from the Phuket City Municipality Disaster Prevention (PMDP) Department arrived at the…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Same menu as Thais
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Opinion: Handing over the sails to Phuket’s next generation
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette is pleased to welcome sailing enthusiasts from across the region to Phuket for Asia’s premier sailing competition, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta. As this year’s competition marks the 30th anniversary of the event, this week is an ideal time to reflect on the three decades of the event’s development, as well as to consider ways to…
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Alleged extortionist flown back from US to face charges
PHUKET: An American man, who returned to the United States in 2013 after allegedly extorting a fellow countryman in Phuket, was flown back to Thailand, escorted by Royal Thai Police officers, this morning. “The suspect, named Shawn Abraham, was handed over to Royal Thai Police to face legal charges in Thailand as per an arrest warrant issued against him on…
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Unlicensed hotels given two months to register
PHUKET: Unlicensed hotels in Phuket have been given a two-month deadline to become legally registered or face consequences. Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan said on Thursday, after a meeting with provincial officials, that more than 1,300 establishments currently operating in the province as hotel-like accommodation had until January 31 next year to properly register as hotel accommodation; otherwise, legal action would…
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Immigration chief urges strict safety checks in Phuket
PHUKET: Officials are tightening security checks at Phuket immigration in preparation for the high season, in accordance with orders issued by the Immigration Commissioner yesterday. After meeting with officials to discuss safety initiatives, Lt Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn visited the immigration offices in Phuket Town and at Phuket International Airport to review safety procedures and ensure readiness for the high season,…
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