News
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Sponsored Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort puts sustainability at its heart
The term sustainability is often thrown around as a buzzword in the hospitality industry, but at Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort, it’s genuinely part of their mission. Located in Makham Bay, just south of Phuket Town, the beautiful resort puts...
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French man jumps to his death from Patong hotel
PHUKET: A French man jumped to his death from the 16th floor of a hotel in Patong around 6:30 this morning. A horrified electrician working on the same floor of the hotel spotted the man as he prepared to jump and unsuccessfully tried to talk him out of it. Police confirmed that the 47-year-old man was a French national and…
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Two Russians killed in horrific midnight crash
PHUKET: Two Russians died today after the car they were travelling in crashed into an electric pole on the bypass road just after midnight. “The victims were trapped inside the car, which was seriously damaged and stuck to the pole. Rescue workers had to cut the car to pry it loose and release the victims, both of whom were already…
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Resort employees file complaint after notice to “stop working’
PHUKET: A group of 63 employees of the Aspasia Phuket resort in Karon registered a complaint with the Dhamrongdhama Center at Phuket Provincial Hall on Wednesday, after the hotel’s management company ‘The Breakers Resort & Development Co Ltd’ issued a verbal notice to them to stop working on Tuesday. Representatives of the management company said that the resort was unable…
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Finance: Listen to price rather than opinions
PHUKET: It’s clear that the entire world is focused on the coming US elections as several of my non-US clients have asked me recently what the impact on their investments will be if Donald Trump actually is elected. One worried client even sent me an article from the New Yorker, highlighting the following lines: “The Economist Intelligence Unit, an economic-and-geopolitical-analysis…
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Ten baht minimum wage increase to be proposed for Phuket
PHUKET: A proposal to raise the minimum wage in Phuket by 10 baht a day is to be presented to the Cabinet by the Central Wage Committee of the Ministry of Labor. During a committee meeting held yesterday, an overall increase of 5-10 baht was proposed for 69 of the country’s 76 provinces, whereas the remaining provinces, including Nakhon Sri…
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Suspect in Phuket Mother’s Day bombing identified
PHUKET: An eye witness this morning confirmed the identity of a suspect implicated in the Mother’s Day bombings in Phuket on August 12 (story here). The suspect, named by police as Muhammad Muhi, was arrested in the deep south by the military in September and has been held in an undisclosed military facility since then. He was flown by helicopter…
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Trade Department to investigate Patong restaurants overcharging Chinese tourists
PHUKET: The governor of Phuket has promised to crack down on restaurants in Patong allegedly overcharging Chinese tourists. Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamorthan vowed to have the Department of Internal Trade investigate restaurants in the tourist hotspot at a meeting with the Vice Consul General and Head of The Phuket Consular Office, Wang Huijuan, in Songkhla yesterday. “Ms Wang brought up…
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Mosque donation box thief still at large
PHUKET: Police are searching for a thief who broke into a mosque’s donation box in Koh Kaew and stole about 10,000 baht on Tuesday night. Capt Udom Petcharat of Phuket City Police arrived at the scene after he received the complaint at about 8:30am yesterday. “People were gathered around a broken donation box – a tyre iron lay nearby,” said…
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Phuket Buddhists hold prayer vigils for 100-day mourning period
PHUKET: Hundreds of Phuketians stepped out early this morning to take part in a merit-making ceremony with 89 Buddhist monks at Phuket Provincial Hall, to mark the 7th day of mourning since the passing away of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on October 13. Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan led provincial officials and the public in making alms offerings to the…
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Libyan tourist shoots firearms instructor at shooting range
PHUKET: A local firearms instructor was shot by his student during a training session at the Kathu Shooting Range located on Patong Hill at noon on Wednesday. The 34-year-old Chaisit Chusawad received a bullet wound on his right leg, caused by a 9mm handgun. “The shooter, named Emad Jamal Khalifa Hamed hailing from Tripoli, Libya, came in with his wife…
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Mother of slain German gets help from Thai tourism industry
KOH SAMUI: More than two years after the murder of Düsseldorf man Volker Schwartges, his alleged killers are finally set to appear in court, after official letters of complaint from Germany have put pressure on Thailand’s government. The 46-year-old Mr Schwartges was attacked by at least four young Samui locals at about 6am on August 20, 2014. Mr Schwartges was…
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89 monks to make merit for departed king
PHUKET: An early morning Buddhist merit-making ceremony led by 89 monks in honor of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been scheduled to take place at Phuket Provincial Hall tomorrow morning. “The ceremony is scheduled to start at 6:30am. All are invited to join. There will be an alms collection for the monks for which people can contribute fresh and…
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Man hits wife, gets stabbed
PHUKET: Kathu Police found the body of a man stabbed to death in a sand lot on Saturday afternoon. Nares Komkam, 42, was a truck driver at Phuket Sirintorn Co Ltd who had reportedly argued with his wife that morning. “We found the body on the ground, wearing a black shirt and jeans,” said Kathu Police Capt Nipon Bumroongtin. “He…
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Man covers country on foot to honor late King
KRABI: A man from Phitsanulok Province passed through Krabi yesterday after setting out from his home province on foot six months ago, determined to walk the length and breadth of the country, passing through all 76 provinces, in honor of His Majesty King Bhumibol. Chuthipong Saetan, 24, began his walk from the province in northern Central Thailand with the aim…
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Krabi man murdered in M16 shooting
KRABI: Police are hunting for unknown suspects who murdered a man and injured his wife in a drive-by shooting on Phet Kasem Road in Krabi this morning. The suspects pulled up next to the driver’s side of a pick-up truck driven by 50-year-old Thana Pisan. He and his wife, Sirikul Sirikunyawattana, 46, were travelling back from a Krabi Town fresh…
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Phuket Muslims mourn the loss of His Majesty
PHUKET: The Sheikhul Islam Office of Thailand released guidelines on Friday detailing how the Buddhist nation’s Muslims should pay their respects following the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The office’s letter comes as the nation of 67 million mourns the passing of the world’s longest reigning monarch (story here). “Since we are Muslims, we cannot dress in black…
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100kg of Krathom seized in Koh Samui
KOH SAMUI: A man was arrested with 100 kilograms of Krathom in Koh Samui on Sunday. “At about 9am we were manning the checkpoint at the Seatran Ferry pier as usual,” said Samui police chief Paitoon Krajajang, “when we found a modified pick-up truck that had an oversized spare tyre and was riding low to the ground. It was suspicious,…
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Phuket foundation passes out free ribbons
PHUKET: The Kusoldharm Foundation is providing free black ribbons to the public, in honor of the passing of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej on October 13. Volunteers with the non-profit organization told the Phuket Gazette today that they’ve made over 1,000 ribbons for mourners, which they are handing out to passers by near the Heroine’s Monument on Thepkrassatri Road. “We wish…
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Another gambling ring busted in Phuket
PHUKET: Twenty two suspected gamblers were arrested in Wichit during a joint police and military raid on Saturday. The raid followed a similar bust in Wichit last week, during which police apprehended 16 suspected gamblers and confiscated more than 130,000 baht in cash as well as gambling paraphernalia (story here). Approximately 30 Wichit Police and Army 41st Military Circle personnel…
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Two more investigated for alleged royal defamation
PHUKET: A man in Mai Khao and a woman on Koh Samui were arrested yesterday after allegedly posting negative comments about royalty on social media. The arrests were catalyzed by mob demonstrations against the alleged commenters. Yesterday morning, a man identified on his Facebook profile as Payak Rai Haeng Nakhon Kor-En allegedly posted negative comments regarding Thailand’s late Monarch. Tah…
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On Deck: Sailing ignored as a mainstream sport
PHUKET: Bangkok was host to Asia’s Sports Industry Awards & Conference (SPIA Asia) at the beginning of this month. A two-day conference with presentations from leaders in the regional sports industry – IMG, Lagardere, GroupM, Media Pro, Total Sports Asia, TATA Consulting, and many more – discussing the best practices and latest developments within the sports industry, was followed by…
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Opinion: Why investing in Phuket makes good sense
PHUKET: Panupong Kritchanarat, originally from Bangkok, is currently the CEO of Boat Pattana, Phuket and has been working with its management for eight years. He also has several years of experience in real estate management. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration at Chulalongkorn University. Here, he talks about business options in…
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Krabi hosts Global Rubber Conference 2016
PHUKET: Experts and industry players from 25 countries met at the Global Rubber Conference 2016 in Krabi on October 11, to discuss the future prospects of the rubber industry in Krabi and all over the world. The two-day conference was held at Deevana Plaza, Ao Nang, and was organized by the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT) and Confexhub. “More than…
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Island View: Need to celebrate responsibly
PHUKET: The end of the vegetarian festival means different things to different people. While some miss the sights and sounds, others breathe a sigh of relief about the end of the crowds and noise. I have no complaints on either of those counts. I don’t like crowds or noise, so I chose to spend my time safe in the comfort…
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Wicker products a hit with tourists
KRABI: Handmade bamboo and wicker products manufactured by senior citizens have generated much interest from tourists and foreigners in Krabi. The group is now represented under the Krabi One Tambon One Product (OTOP) banner. The project started in 2014 when a team of 14 senior citizens in Khao Kram sub-district decided to learn the craft and manufacture wicker items in…
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Phuket man charged with lese majeste early this morning
PHUKET: A man was charged with lese majeste early this morning after several hundred angry people gathered in front of his shop in Samkong to protest against his negative social media posts regarding His Majesty the King on Thursday. By 8pm last night, about 20 people had gathered in front of Suthee Arammetapong’s soymilk shop looking for him. As users…
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Business Buzz: Advent of panoramic photos
PHUKET: While there has been a lot of news in the press recently about Twitter and what is going to happen with the new relaxed 140 character rules, or the Samsung Note 7 exploding with regularity and being banned from all commercial airlines, the interesting news for me is what we can all use to promote our businesses and get…
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Somber Phuketians pay respects to departed King at Provincial Hall
PHUKET: Hundreds of grief-stricken Phuketians in somber attire have been queuing quietly at Phuket Provincial Hall today to take part in a ceremonial anointing of a portrait of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej as well as signing a book of remembrance. During the period of mourning over the coming days and weeks, following yesterday’s announcement of HM King Bhumibol’s passing…
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No jail time for driver who killed German in road accident
PHUKET: The driver of a car that killed a German man and severely injured his Thai partner in Kata last year will walk away without serving any jail time. The dramatic court case over the death of Andreas Walter and the severe injury of his Thai partner Patcharin Lammai ended on October 6 at Phuket Provincial Court. Jakarin Rodpradit, the…
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Officials to strictly monitor social media activities
PHUKET: Social media users and their activities are under strict scrutiny by authorities following the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej yesterday, Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamorthan announced today. “We have set up a special team comprising police officers, military personnel and IT staff to keep a close watch on social media,” said Governor Chokchai. “We are on the lookout…
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