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    5 best wine bars in Bangkok offering rich and quality wine

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  • Philippine bishop tells Catholics to boycott Madonna concert | Thaiger

    Philippine bishop tells Catholics to boycott Madonna concert

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Philippine bishop tells Catholics to boycott Madonna concert Phuket Gazette / Reuters MANILA: A Roman Catholic bishop in the Philippines on Wednesday urged the faithful to stay away from American pop singer Madonna’s two-night concert in Manila, calling her music “suggestive” and her clothes “vulgar”. Madonna,…

  • Hit-and-run driver kills Indian man in Phuket

    Hit-and-run driver kills Indian man in Phuket

    PHUKET: Police are hunting the driver of a fuel-transport truck who fled the scene after killing an Indian man in Phuket last night. “Cheriya Parambil Johi, 40, sustained a serious head injury in a motorbike crash on the bypass road and was pronounced dead at the scene. The other passenger, Thai national Veera Morthong, 28, was also seriously injured,” said…

  • Car-bomb suspect arrested after 16 years on the run

    Car-bomb suspect arrested after 16 years on the run

    PHUKET: A man wanted in connection with a car bombing in Patong more than 16 years ago was arrested at his home in Trang yesterday. Police were acting on an arrest warrant issued in May 2003 by the Phuket Provincial Court following a car-bomb attack that seriously injured three people outside of a gold shop in 1999. Police officers from…

  • Zika may have been sexually transmitted in 14 cases -U.S. CDC | Thaiger

    Zika may have been sexually transmitted in 14 cases -U.S. CDC

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Zika may have been sexually transmitted in 14 cases -US CDC Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: US health officials are investigating 14 reports of the Zika virus that may been transmitted through sex, including to several pregnant women, raising new questions about the role sexual transmission…

  • German cancer patient dies in Phuket fall

    German cancer patient dies in Phuket fall

    PHUKET: A German man died after falling from the balcony of his seventh-floor condo room in Phuket yesterday evening. “Karl Geier, 76, was reportedly living alone at the building on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road,” said Lt Col Jetsada Saengsuree of the Patong Police. “There were no signs of a struggle or robbery in his room.” Police questioned a number of…

  • Opinion: Climbing: a balancing act

    Opinion: Climbing: a balancing act

    Maitree Chankarn, 50, is the owner of Baan Than Khao Bungalow on Koh Yao Noi. He is originally from Koh Panyi, Phang Nga. In addition to the bungalows, which saw a tourism boom in the last five years, he runs a number of other small businesses on the island. Here, he asks that the rock climbing walls in Koh Yao…

  • A Decade Ago: Visa runs and the ‘Ranong 12’

    A Decade Ago: Visa runs and the ‘Ranong 12’

    PHUKET: Phuket is changing at exponential speed. The transformation from what this little island looked like ten years ago, to the traffic-congested mayhem we now see on our roads, is dramatic to say the least. But some things never change, or at least they don’t change for long. ‘Visa runners released after four nights of fear’ reads the sub-headline on…

  • Aussie survives Phuket balcony fall

    Aussie survives Phuket balcony fall

    PHUKET: A conscious Australian tourist was rushed to hospital after falling from the third-floor balcony of a Patong hotel just after midnight today. “Jonann Petschauer, 65, fell off the balcony attached to his room and through a glass ceiling at Charm Resort Phuket,” said Lt Col Anukul Nuket of the Patong Police. Mr Petschauer was on holiday with Jacqi Lillian…

  • British backpacker found safe and well in Krabi

    British backpacker found safe and well in Krabi

    PHUKET: Police in Krabi have tracked down a 21-year-old British woman who disappeared for six days while travelling in Thailand, prompting a social media frenzy to help find her. Krabi Tourist Police confirmed that they found Ms Taylor at Krabi International Airport earlier today. Tourist police stayed with her to ensure her safety, while awaiting the arrival of a family…

  • King cobra killed after raiding camp

    King cobra killed after raiding camp

    PHUKET: A three-meter-long king cobra was killed after attempting to sneak into a workers’ camp in Paklok yesterday afternoon. Snake catchers from the Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation rushed to the camp after receiving a report about the deadly reptile, but by the time they arrived on the scene, the camp’s occupants had already dealt with the snake their own way. “By…

  • Michigan Uber driver admits role in deadly shooting spree | Thaiger

    Michigan Uber driver admits role in deadly shooting spree

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Michigan Uber driver admits role in deadly shooting spree Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A man working as an Uber driver admitted to the fatal weekend shootings of six people in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a police detective testified on Monday in a case raising questions about how…

  • Australia to start register of foreign ownership of water rights | Thaiger

    Australia to start register of foreign ownership of water rights

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australia to start register of foreign ownership of water rights Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The Australian government said on Monday it plans to start a register of foreign ownership of water rights, redoubling its efforts to appease voters concerned about the amount of farming assets…

  • Peeking behind Phuket’s lace veil

    Peeking behind Phuket’s lace veil

    PHUKET: With its idyllic beaches and beautiful beachfront resorts, Phuket is not only a hub of tourist activity, but with Asean integration now a factor, it is also well on its way to becoming a key global economic player. One industry that has seen sustained growth in the past decade is wedding planning and luxury events management. Here is a…

  • Calls for closure of Phuket Zoo

    Calls for closure of Phuket Zoo

    PHUKET: Milo, the female orangutan at the center of a wildlife furore, is recovering in the Phang Nga Wildlife Nursery Station after being rescued late on Saturday (story here). Wildlife activist Edwin Wiek said yesterday that Milo was ‘a bit weak, but in good spirits’ after being dumped in the jungle while still in a cage. More than 12,000 people…

  • Prime Minister keeps controversial comedian off stage

    Prime Minister keeps controversial comedian off stage

    PHUKET: The show of controversial comedian and hate-speech convict Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, scheduled to take place last month at Illuzion night club in Phuket, was cancelled after the venue pulled the plug less than 24 hours ahead of the Frenchman taking the stage. Since then, Mr M’bala M’bala has struggled to find his footing in Asia. “One of the owners…

  • Bangkok Airways flight postponed due to “bomb’ scare

    Bangkok Airways flight postponed due to “bomb’ scare

    PHUKET: Panic ensued on a Bangkok Airways flight when cabin crew feared a bomb threat after overhearing a conversation between a group of passengers yesterday afternoon. Staff on Bangkok Airways flight PG 924 from Bangkok to Phuket reported that prior to take-off, four passengers on the flight were overheard talking about ‘explosions’ with each other, said Sirote Duangratana, the general…

  • Phuket orangutan discovered caged in jungle

    Phuket orangutan discovered caged in jungle

    PHUKET: Khao Phra Thaeo Non Hunting Zone officers discovered a missing 13-year-old orangutan Saturday evening after she disappeared from the Phuket Zoo ahead of a police raid on Friday. “Milo was found in a healthy condition,” Edwin Weik, the founder and director of Wildlife Friends of Thailand (WFFT), told the Phuket Gazette. “I do not believe that she went missing…

  • Brother-in-law of ex-mayor arrested after standoff with CIB

    Brother-in-law of ex-mayor arrested after standoff with CIB

    PHUKET: Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) officers swarmed the home of former Rassada mayor Suratin Lian-udom on Saturday morning during a standoff with suspected drug dealers (story here). CIB officers were informed that those living in the home may be involved in an influential drug network on the island, confirmed CIB Commander Maj Gen Chatchai Eamsang. Officers from the Crime Suppression…

  • Rescue workers unable to revive swimmer at Bang Tao

    Rescue workers unable to revive swimmer at Bang Tao

    PHUKET: A Chinese national died Saturday afternoon after swimming with his family at Bang Tao Beach. Miu Zhioin, 63, was pulled unconscious from the water after losing his footing and going under the waves, confirmed Capt Kraisorn Boonprasop of the Thalang Police. “Layan rescue workers’ attempts to revive Mr Miu were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Thalang…

  • Phuket beach vendor arrested for encroachment

    Phuket beach vendor arrested for encroachment

    PHUKET: A Phuket vendor caught encroaching on public land at Bang Tao Beach was arrested Saturday afternoon. “Jakkrit Dechana, 28, was arrested with three wooden tables and 10 chairs,” said Col Bancha Panpradap, an officer with the Region 5 Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division (NED). Mr Jakkrit told police he was only in charge of taking care of…

  • Uber driver suspected in Michigan shootings, six dead | Thaiger

    Uber driver suspected in Michigan shootings, six dead

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Uber driver suspected in Michigan shootings, six dead Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A Michigan man who worked as an Uber [UBER.UL] driver was under arrest on Sunday in the fatal shooting of six people in Kalamazoo, as police investigated reports he may have driven customers…

  • Scarred by trafficking abuses, Rohingya stay put in Myanmar camps | Thaiger

    Scarred by trafficking abuses, Rohingya stay put in Myanmar camps

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Scarred by trafficking abuses, Rohingya stay put in Myanmar camps Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: After Husaina’s 20-year-old son boarded a boat to escape poverty and discrimination in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, she heard nothing from him for seven months. Then, in a shocking phone call, she…

  • US rejected N.Korea peace talks offer before last nuclear test | Thaiger

    US rejected N.Korea peace talks offer before last nuclear test

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community US rejected N.Korea peace talks offer before last nuclear test Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The United States rejected a North Korean proposal to discuss a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War because it did not address denuclearization on the peninsula, the State Department…

  • Island View: Pollution in Paradise

    Island View: Pollution in Paradise

    PHUKET: In 2015, Delhi was named the world’s most polluted city. When I first saw this report, it made me think back 10 years ago when I was a university student in Phuket and went to Bangkok for a three-month internship. Nearly a decade ago, everything in Bangkok was good – except for the air pollution. The main reason was…

  • CSD raids home of former Rassada mayor’s wife

    CSD raids home of former Rassada mayor’s wife

    About a hundred officers led by the Crime Suppression Division this morning surrounded the house of former Rassada Mayor Suratin Lian-udom’s wife, as the Central Investigation Bureau continues raids throughout the island. Several suspects were apprehended after declining to be searched and resisting arrest. Mr Suratin was not at home at the time and was not the apparent target of…

  • Opinion: Floating ideas

    Opinion: Floating ideas

    PHUKET: The spike in the number of marine related accidents in the Andaman is an issue of great concern. The beauty of the Andaman’s marine attractions is a major draw for tourists, but the recent deaths of a French snorkeller and Chinese diver, the maiming of two Russian divers and other marine fatalities so far this year is turning the…

  • Finance: Ups and downs in the price of oil

    Finance: Ups and downs in the price of oil

    PHUKET: For somebody who pays attention to commodity prices, these are extremely interesting times. I still remember many talking heads on television predicting that we’d never see oil below 100 dollars per barrel. The argument was extremely convincing, especially when the markets seemed to be confirming its truth. With the flood of shale oil and the lifting of embargoes on…

  • Across the Land: The persistent growing pains of Phuket

    Across the Land: The persistent growing pains of Phuket

    PHUKET: Last month, MasterCard Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2015 announced that Thailand is the most popular regional travel destination for 2015, with three of its cities making the top ten list. Bangkok was the most popular, followed by Phuket in fifth place and Pattaya in eighth. The survey was based on 167 destinations from 22 countries across Asia Pacific and…

  • Thailand Beach Volley Festival coming to Karon Beach [video] | Thaiger

    Thailand Beach Volley Festival coming to Karon Beach [video]

    PHUKET: Karon Beach is preparing its sands for the Thailand Beach Volley Festival Phuket powered by PTT on March 23 through March 27. The international amateur beach volley tournament will feature three classes: two X two men, two X two women and four X four mixed. After preliminary pooled games, the men’s two X two event will be divided into…

  • Phuket orangutan “disappears’ ahead of police raid

    Phuket orangutan “disappears’ ahead of police raid

    PHUKET: A 13-year-old orangutan that conservationists were fighting to free from Phuket Zoo has gone missing, confirmed Wildlife Friends of Thailand (WFFT). “Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division (NRECD) of the Royal Thai Police and Department of National Parks (DNP) agreed to investigate the case of Milo, agreeing to raid the zoo this morning,” Edwin Weik, the founder and director…