News
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Gas station boss shoots man in head for leaving water on
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a gas station manager who allegedly shot dead a Krabi volunteer police officer yesterday after an argument over who left on the water to an artificial waterfall. Lt Anuwat Raksakyot of the Ao Nang Police said he received a report yesterday morning that a man was shot at the gas station on Petch Kasem Road…
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Chinese bike rider killed in collision with Kamala wall
PHUKET: A Chinese motorcyclist was killed last night when he lost control of his bike on Kamala Hill and collided with the concrete wall of an abandoned house. His female pillion passenger suffered severe head injuries in the crash. The motorcycle was snapped in two by the force of the collision, which left a gaping hole in the side wall…
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Kiwi stabbed in back at Kata Beach
PHUKET: A Thai surf board renter is on the run after allegedly stabbing a New Zealander in the back with a knife yesterday evening. The incident occurred at Kata Beach. Police named the suspect as Kittichai Junkaew, 29, from the southern province of Nakhon Sri Thammarat. The police say the victim, Christopher Smith, 52, was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital…
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Poisonous snake stops Phuket motorist in his tracks
PHUKET: Snake catchers were called out yesterday to bag a venomous two-meter-long snake that had become stuck inside the engine of a car in Phuket Town. “We were called to the scene about 1:30pm, where we found a boiga dendrophila, commonly called the mangrove snake or gold-ringed cat snake, inside the engine of a Toyota on Luang Phor Road,” said…
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Phuket bodybuilders bring home medals from international competition
PHUKET: Phuket’s top female bodybuilder Wilaiporn Wannaklang arrived back home on Thursday, after spending over a month on the road, and in the air, flexing for judges in the US and winning a silver medal in an international bodybuilding contest Ms Wilaiporn was one of three Thais – two of them Phuket-based bodybuilders – who clinched international titles in the…
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Gov presents money to Phi Phi boat crash victim’s family
PHUKET: The Phuket governor yesterday met with the family of one of the deceased victims of a Phi Phi boat collision to present them with money on behalf of the boat insurance company. Two tourists were killed and about 20 injured when two speed boats loaded with tourists collided near Phi Phi on June 8 (story here). Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada…
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Police hunt ‘farang’ donation box robber
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a ‘farang-looking’ man who stole 1,400 baht from a donation box outside a mosque in Kamala. The thief was captured on CCTV using tools to break into the metal and glass box attached to a wall at the Boot Ror mosque on Thursday night. Lt Sophon Borirak of the Kamala Police said the thief appears…
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Phuket Highways Office director bows out
PHUKET: After five years of public service in Phuket, the director of the Phuket Highways Office is bowing out and moving on to Trang. Samak Luedwonghad announced the move on Tuesday, citing official governmental policy that requires public servants to change provincial positions every four years. “I have been in Phuket for five years, and it’s time to move on,”…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: ‘Spa’ is not necessarily professional
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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Tourism Authority tries to boost female tourism
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is launching a special campaign in August, to attract local and international female travellers to enjoy the kingdom’s many attractions, with a wide range of activities, special offers, discounts and privileges. “We’ve designated August 2016 as a ‘month for women travellers’, in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s 84th birthday,” says TAT Governor…
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PTT launches campaign to encourage Thais to sort their trash
PHUKET: Gas stations in Phuket could soon be displaying colorful trash bins as part of a nationwide campaign by PTT to urge consumers to sort their waste and dispose of it in the appropriate bins. Dubbed ‘Yak Lak Yim’, the trash-sorting drive is aimed at improving better waste-disposal habits in exchange for funding to assist local communities. Sarun Rungkasiri, Chief…
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Opinion: Importance of responsible publishing
PHUKET: Busaya Jaipiam, 56, is the Phuket Provincial Public Relations Chief. She is originally from Surat Thani, and received a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. She also obtained a master’s degree in Political Science from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). Here, she talks about the media’s – and all citizens’ – responsibilities when…
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Island View: If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
PHUKET: I have lived and worked in Phuket for quite a few years. I’m sure we all agree that driving on the island is one of the biggest challenges in our daily lives. Getting to work and making your way home each day is a matter of luck and skillful maneuvering, but I am not going to complain about any…
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Business Buzz: The power of groups and forums
PHUKET: One of the biggest business benefits of social media is creating a database of your perfect customers. Just imagine it: people asking to join your customer list, at no cost to you. While most people know all about Facebook fan pages, the ‘groups’ option remains a lesser-known factor. People have also probably heard of forums, but again they are…
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Environmentalists to build ‘love nest’ to breed rare birds
KRABI: The Wildlife Conservation Office plans to build a ‘house of love’ to breed rare birds that were recently discovered in Khaopra-Bangkham forest in Krabi. The birds, known as Gurney’s Pitta, had disappeared for many years prior to the most recent sighting of a female in April and another in May. “We have a male Gurney’s Pitta from the Klong…
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Krabi locals pray to fossil for lottery win
KRABI: Locals prayed over an age-old fossil earlier this week, hoping to receive blessings in the shape of a winning lottery ticket. The fossil was among others discovered when Wutthichai Rodkoom was dredging his land with a backhoe in Khlong Thapsai, Khlong Thom District, in April. Each stone weighed a few hundred kilograms. “I didn’t realize the stones were fossils…
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Palm nut producers feel squeeze, petition governor
KRABI: Palm nut producers in Krabi took a petition to the local Office of Commercial Affairs (OCA) on Wednesday, asking for government assistance in buoying the price of their product. OCA representative Barirak Chusit received requests from palm farmers, who took 10 trucks, carrying 500 tonnes of palm nuts, into the government-run Krabi Palm Oil Extraction facility. Palm farmers in…
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Finance: Runts rally amid mixed earnings season
PHUKET: As of the beginning of May, earnings season was in full swing, with the markets sending mixed messages to investors. So far, some big names like Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB) and Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AM- ZN), with the latter sometimes being a difficult stock to own given its ups and downs, have put in good earnings reports and have pretty…
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Country’s young swimming champs compete in Phuket meet
PHUKET: Young swimmers from across the country met to compete in a friendly inter-school contest at Thanyapura on June 11. The swim meet was the fourth session of the Thanyapura Open Swim League at the Olympic-sized swimming pool. Six teams of students aged 5-20 years old competed in various categories from St Gabriel’s College from Bangkok, the ISS Samui Sharks,…
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Opinion: Putting the public’s safety first
PHUKET: Reports of structural damage at the Jungceylon shopping complex in Patong need to be taken seriously to protect shoppers from potential danger, but calls to close down the entire complex indefinitely appear to be unduly alarmist given the situation on the ground – and beneath it. News that support pillars in the basement of the complex were damaged apparently…
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Sea gypsies sue Baron World Trade
PHUKET: More than 200 of Rawai’s sea gypsies are named as plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit against Baron World Trade Co Ltd, for allegedly blocking access to their sacred ceremonial grounds. The lawsuit, which was filed June 13, calls for 500,000 baht in reparations to the community, and is the latest development in the ongoing land feud between the sea…
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Phuket Gov joins Rawai Muslims for Iftar
PHUKET: Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, accompanied by other government officials visited a mosque in the Rawai village of Saiyuan on the evening of June 14. “We’re here to encourage and support local Muslims during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which commemorates the first revelation of the Koran to the Prophet Muhammad, according to Islamic belief,” said Gov Chamroen.…
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Ancient city find in Cambodia rewrites history
CAMBODIA: Multiple, previously undocumented medieval cities not far from the ancient temple city of Angkor Wat have been discovered, The Guardian reported on June 11. The report said that these groundbreaking discoveries may completely change key assumptions about Southeast Asia’s history. Australian archaeologist Dr Damian Evans reportedly used airborne laser scanning technology to reveal the cities, which he dated at…
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Patong police raid knock-off shops
PHUKET: Seven shop owners were arrested in Patong yesterday morning and have been charged with selling pirated goods estimated at 2 million baht in value, police confirmed today. A joint team, led by the Economic Crime Suppression Division 4 (ECD) superintendent Kittisap Thongseewong, raided businesses along Patong’s beach road and OTOP market. “We seized a total 2,072 pirated goods, including…
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Murderer on the run after stabbing girlfriend’s lover
PHUKET: One man is dead after being discovered by his lover’s boyfriend on the second floor of the Irawadee condo in Kathu. Wachaya Thepsing, 29, fled to Trang province and alerted police there of the murder of her former lover. Kantang Police then contacted police in Kathu, informing them of Ms Wachaya’s report, said Lt Sawanya Eiattrong of Kathu Police.…
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Ladyboy romp ends with empty wallet
PHUKET: A Thai ladyboy was arrested early yesterday morning, after stealing money from a Singaporean tourist in Patong. Ng Wei Kiat, 31, met Tanakorn Jaiban, 25, on Bangla Road about 3am. “Mr Ng was reportedly interested in Ms Tanakorn, and they both went to have some fun in a hotel room on Phra Metta Road,” said Lt Col Weerapong Rakito…
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Gov urges sustainable building in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada praised Siam Cement Group’s (SCG) newest building in greater Bangkok, which incorporates the latest design concepts. The governor urged Phuket’s developers to follow suit, during the Phuket & Southern Thailand FM & Green Building Seminar held late last month. SCG, the largest cement supplier in Southeast Asia, moved into its new headquarters on its 100th…
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New insurance app aims to make claims hassle free
PHUKET: Claim Di is a new mobile application for facilitating communication and claims between drivers and their insurance companies, so they can complete their own transactions without waiting for a surveyor. The insurance facilitator application was launched in Phuket last week. It is a fully functional outsourced application for insurance services, including immediate claims at the scene without waiting, emergency…
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Hungry python captured near Patong school
PHUKET: A three-meter-long python was captured near a school in Patong this morning. The snake was found with its head stuck in netting covering a chicken coop at 9:30am in Soi Phra Barami 6, next to Kalim school. The snake must have been trying to get at the chickens but it was too big to fit through the holes in…
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Safety regulations reviewed after fatal Phi Phi boat collision
PHUKET: Officials from the Phuket Marine Office (PMO) told the Phuket Gazette that the investigation into a fatal speedboat collision in Phang Nga Bay on June 8 (story here), may result in additional regulations for speedboat operators. Tanthai Wongsayree, an officer with the PMO, said that staff are in the process of reviewing the causes of the boat collision, which…
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