News
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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 Police break up credit card theft ring targeting tourists
PHUKET: The ‘purchaser’ for a nationwide credit card theft ring that targeted tourists was arrested on Sunday in Phang Nga after he escaped Phuket in a dramatic car chase. Pitawat Akarathitiveerakul, 53, explained to police that he was part of a criminal network that stole tourists’ credit cards when they put their luggage on buses and other forms of public…
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Phuket Light rail project moves ahead
PHUKET: Plans for the much-anticipated light rail project are ready for official approval, this week confirmed Sirigate Apirat, project secretary for the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTPP). “The next step is to present the plans to the project committee. These have to be approved by the end of the year,” Mr Sirigate explained. “They will then…
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Ferrari 488 Spider debuts in Phuket
PHUKET: The Ferrari 488 Spider officially made its debut in Phuket – its first appearance in Southeast Asia – following the premiere at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September. The Ferrari 488 is the latest chapter in Maranello’s ongoing history of open-top V8 sports cars, a story that started with the targa-top version of the 308 GTB – the…
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Indonesia cites faulty component, crew response in AirAsia crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indonesia cites faulty component, crew response in AirAsia crash Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Indonesian investigators said on Tuesday a chronically faulty component and the crew’s attempt to fix the problem were among the factors that contributed to the crash of an AirAsia passenger jet last…
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Duty-free heist puts Phuket airport employee behind bars
PHUKET: A Phuket Air Catering employee confessed to stealing duty-free items while transporting food to a plane bound for Finland at Phuket International Airport yesterday afternoon. “Sitthichai Srirat, 28, stole a total of 18 duty-free items, including expensive watches, perfumes, a pen and a necklace,” explained Tah Chat Chai Police Superintendent Somchai Sanprasert. Cabin crew on Finnair AY038 Phuket to…
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Nepal unrest leaves millions of children facing food, medicine shortages
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nepal unrest leaves millions of children facing food, medicine shortages Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Unrest over Nepal’s new constitution has led to severe shortages of fuel, food, medicines and vaccines, putting more than three million children at risk of disease during the harsh winter months,…
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Hackers hit three Greek banks with ransom demands
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hackers hit three Greek banks with ransom demands Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET:Hackers have staged cyber-attacks on three Greek banks and demanded a ransom in bitcoins, a virtual monetary unit, to stop their disruption, banking sources said on Monday. The sources said the hackers managed to…
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TV anchor seeks to be Cambodia’s political peacemaker to avoid conflict
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community TV anchor seeks to be Cambodia’s political peacemaker to avoid conflict Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Cambodian TV news anchor Soy Sopheap has again stepped into the role of political peacemaker in an effort to end the feud between Prime Minister Hun Sen and exiled opposition…
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Phuket burglar allegedly takes B20k cash
PHUKET: Police are searching for a burglar who allegedly broke into a house at the Keha public housing estate in Thalang Sunday afternoon. Kasem Pansri, 28, reported to police that he returned home from the Layan Market to discover that 20,000 baht in cash had been stolen from his bedroom. “There were clear signs of an intruder having rummaged through…
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Staying afloat in a niche market
PHUKET: Business that are called ‘labors of love’ are referred to this way because the profit margins, if any, don’t justify the investment. Nonetheless, these business – often small retailers – are the building blocks of unique communities. So is the case with Longtail Paddlesurf Co Ltd. Though the sport of standup paddleboarding (SUP) is still in its infancy in…
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Island View: Making the move
PHUKET: At first I was very hesitant to make the move from Chalong to Phuket Town. When I first came to Phuket, everyone told me that Chalong was the best place to be, as it is central to the beaches and Town. And I have to agree, it is a really great location. However, to get anywhere requires a motorbike…
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Phi Phi Police struggle to stomp out gibbon touts
PHUKET: Unaware of officers failing to find and arrest an illegal gibbon tout regularly operating at a specific time and location on Phi Phi Don, the recently appointed Phi Phi Police Chief Jetsada Junphum has taken matters into his own hands. “I did not see the video sent to my officers until the Phuket Gazette sent it directly to me,”…
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Deaf man dies in alleged suicide
PHUKET: Police have yet to rule out foul play as they investigate the alleged suicide of a deaf man in Thalang yesterday morning. Officers received a report that Amnach Utsaha, 30, had supposedly shot himself in the head with a homemade gun while in bed with his wife Boonruay Aree, 44. “According to Ms Boonruay, Mr Amnach had been complaining…
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Triathlon champ’s return to form at Challenge Laguna Phuket
PHUKET: A field of over 600 individual pro and age group athletes representing 41 nationalities, crowded Laguna Phuket this weekend to participate in the 2015 Challenge Laguna Phuket triathlon. Switzerland’s Ruedi Wild successfully defended his 2014 Challenge Laguna Phuket title in 3:54:45 (swim 21:29, bike 2:12:17, run 1:18:21), breaking his own record of 4:02:43, despite being out of action for…
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Phuket locals protest US Amb’s lese majeste comments
PHUKET: About 100 Phuket locals gathered at Provincial Hall this morning to protest comments made by the recently appointed United States Ambassador to Thailand, Glyn Davies, about the increase in lese majeste sentences under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). “Ambassador Glyn Davies gave a public speech on Wednesday at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand in Bangkok…
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Beijing aims to refill medicine chest with
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Beijing aims to refill medicine chest with ‘Made in China’ drugs Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: China, already a global powerhouse in high-tech areas from solar panels to bullet trains, is turning its industrial might to the challenge of making more of its own drugs for…
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Indonesia ferry hits trouble on way to Singapore, 97 rescued
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indonesia ferry hits trouble on way to Singapore, 97 rescued Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Almost 100 people were rescued when a ferry sailing towards Singapore from the Indonesianisland of Batam hit a floating object and reportedly started to sink, authorities in the city-state said. Ferry…
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Russian woman robbed near British International School
PHUKET: Police are hunting two suspects accused of robbing a Russian woman near British International School Phuket on Saturday morning. Olga Shnyreva, 35, was kicked off of her bicycle and robbed of 400 baht and an iPhone 6 by two men with tattooed faces, confirmed Lt Col Sanit Nukong of the Thalang Police. “A passerby saw Ms Shnyreva sitting by…
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Myanmar couple arrested for dealing meth
PHUKET: Police arrested two Myanmar nationals in possession of more than 250 grams of crystal methamphetamine (ya ice) on Friday. Thiha Soe, 32, and his wife, referred to by police only as Moe, were apprehended after officers received a tip-off from Rassada Subdistrict Chief (Kamnan) Chanchai Tantawacheerapan. “Mr Chanchai contacted officials after hearing complaints about two plant workers selling drugs…
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Business Buzz: Cash in on high season
PHUKET: We are coming into the high season and the tourists will be coming, so no matter what their numbers, this is the time to take advantage. There are a couple of things that we can do as business owners to protect our profits and position ourselves for the coming year. The first is to try to avoid the price…
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IKEA opens Asia’s first Pick-up & Order Point in Phuket
PHUKET: The first IKEA ‘Pick Up & Order Point’ in Asia was officially launched in Phuket yesterday, providing service to Thailand’s southern provinces. The newest addition to the Swedish retailer’s furniture and home furnishings business, located on the bypass road in the Biz Town estate, aims to cater to the island’s growing business, real estate and tourism sectors. “Phuket has…
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Finance: Going back to basics
PHUKET: This is something I often write about but so often find ignored by what is done in practice. When it comes to planning your financial future, there are only a few basic principles that you really need to follow. As long as you stay within these guidelines, you can make the odd mistake and still easily recover. The first…
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Mobile service providers working to implement 911
PHUKET: The recent adjustment to allow anyone in an emergency to dial the 911 hotline for help has yet to be implemented by all phone service providers in Phuket. Though the Office of the Prime Minister confirmed today that the number is available nationwide, 911 is in fact currently available only via AIS and TrueMove mobile services, as it has…
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Opinion: Keeping up the pressure to rid Phuket of jet-skis
PHUKET: All stakeholders in Phuket’s future should thank five visiting ambassadors who kept the pressure on the provincial government to do something about the island’s notorious jet-ski rental industry. As opined many times, this particular industry seems to possess a curious ability that allows it to somehow pass undetected through all barriers of law, order, courtesy and simple common sense.…
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Beach boss bans umbreallas at Surin
PHUKET: Disobedient vendors on Surin Beach have given the president of the Cherng Talay Administration Organization (OrBorTor) ‘no choice’ but to designate it as one of Phuket’s ‘virgin beaches’. Though a 10 per cent zone had already been marked, beach vendors renting out umbrellas and offering other services there failed to follow the beach management rules put in place by…
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Thalang Police hunt serial bag snatcher
PHUKET: Police are hunting a possible serial snatch thief who made off with a woman’s purse Wednesday night in Thalang. Namthip Kritkarom, 22, was on her way back from the Loy Krathong festival when the suspect grabbed her bag from the front of her motorbike while driving past her on a black Honda Click, confirmed Lt Suporn Muangkai of the…
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Six-meter-long snake found under Phuket home
PHUKET: A monster python, six-meters long, was caught trying to beat the heat under a Samkong residence’s house this afternoon. “The snake was found in the cool dirt under the house,” Watchara Srikacha, a Kusoldharm rescue worker, told the Phuket Gazette. “We suspect that it was looking for a safe place to avoid the sun.” It took several rescue workers…
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Airport pier project sails forward with multi-million-baht design budget
PHUKET: A 25-million-baht budget was approved for the Phuket International Airport pier project, which will allow tourists to take a ferry down the west coast to Patong, confirmed officials yesterday. The budget for the ‘From The Boat to The Plane’ project, which was tabled in 2013 by Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut (story here), is set to cover the…
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Mandatory travel insurance tabled in Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket Governor vowed to raise tourist travel insurance issues to those capable of making changes to national legislation following the honorary consul meeting yesterday (story here). “If a tourist is not covered by insurance in their home country, they are setting themselves up for a difficult situation if they get injured while on holiday here,” said Phuket Governor…
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Phuket cyclist wins “Tour of Wiengsa Crown Prince Hospital’ bike race
PHUKET: Local cyclist Daniel Amby celebrated his victory in the ‘Tour of Wiengsa Crown Prince Hospital’ bike race held in Surat Thani on November 22. On a rolling, 85-kilometer course, Daniel was able to break away early with Pichet Puengrang, recent winner of the Thanyapura Classic, and another cyclist. They created a gap of three minutes, but then Daniel was…
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