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Police continue to pursue riot suspects
PHUKET: Officials announced this week that they have apprehended 17 suspects wanted in connection with October’s Thalang Police Station riot that saw more than 6 million baht worth of damage to the station and nearby vehicles (story here). Region 8 Police Commander Tesa Siriwato confirmed that most suspects were arrested on unrelated drug charges and will be dealt with through…
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Helmet-less drivers to have bikes seized
PHUKET: In an effort to improve Phuket’s road safety, officials will soon be launching a new campaign that will see the motorbikes of helmet-less drivers seized on the spot. Offenders will be released and their motorbikes returned only after being escorted to the police station to view road-accident videos, to purchase a 99-baht helmet, and to pay the maximum fine,…
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Officials to mandate international driving licence for foreigners
PHUKET: Officials will soon require all foreign drivers on Phuket’s roads to be in possession of an international driving licence, confirmed Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat on Tuesday. In an effort to protect tourists, renters and business owners, as well as to lower road accidents and fatalities, Vice Governor Chokdee established a committee whose aim is to help monitor the…
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Phuket Governor declares war on trash
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada openly declared war on island rubbish in a meeting on Monday. “I would like to improve CCTV on the island to the point that we can use the footage to document people littering and charge them accordingly,” Governor Chamroen said. “In this fight against trash, members of the public must use social media to raise…
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Snake show halted pending municipality approval
PHUKET: Officials have shut down a snake show in Chalong this week after finding that it did not hold proper documentation from the municipality to operate. The show, held at the Phuket Bio Technology Co Ltd, came under fire on Saturday after a 2.5-meter-long python bit a Chinese tourist when she attempted to kiss it (story here). Chalong Municipality Deputy…
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View the ocean realm through the eyes of award-winning photographer Pete Atkinson
PHUKET: Escaping the rat race is the dream of many, but few achieve it. Award-winning, Phuket-based Getty Images photographer Pete Atkinson’s new book, Polynesia – An Ocean Realm, shows that with passion and determination anything is possible, even on a limited budget. Pete made ends meet by shooting pictures under water – using home-made acrylic camera housings – and writing…
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Suspects arrested in Finnish assault case
PHUKET: Police arrested two suspects yesterday wanted for attacking a female Finnish tourist and stealing her handbag on Saturday. Nat Roongrojchanakorn, 18, and Thanathip Siriwat, 19, confessed to the snatching as well as the assault on Mari Inkeri Ruohonen, noting that they were high on a kratom-based drink at the time. Ms Ruohonen was attacked and seriously wounded when she…
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Failed underpass company to continue project with hefty fines
PHUKET: Construction on the long awaited Samkong underpass will continue under its current contractor despite a 2 million baht-per-day fine. Wiwat Construction Co Ltd was given a December 21 completion date for the more than 800-million-baht project before the per diem fine was to be levied. However, due to mandatory closure during the Songkran and New Year holidays, a 30-day…
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Body found with throat slit off Phuket
PHUKET: The body of a man with his throat slit was found offshore Phuket by a local fisherman this morning. Police have yet to identify the corpse, which was found in Ao Makham Bay by 43-year-old Sayan Thanakarnjana. Wichit Moo 8 headman Sontaya Audsaha confirmed to police that the body wasn’t that of a local. “At this point, we presume…
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Tour bus flips north of Phuket
PHUKET: A tour bus carrying 18 Chinese tourists flipped in Phang Nga at about 10pm last night. The bus was on its way to Krabi International Airport when the driver reportedly “lost control” at a sharp curve. Zhang Shuai, a passenger on the bus who suffered head injuries, was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for treatment. However, hospital staff confirmed…
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Illegal Phuket tour guides to be deported, blacklisted
PHUKET: A Chinese national working as an illegal tour guide in Phuket will be the first to be deported and blacklisted in Thailand as the country takes a staunch stance on the ever-growing issue, confirmed officials. “Starting today, any foreigner caught working as a tour guide will be deported,” Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS)…
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Boat Lagoon’s Children’s Day an event for all
PHUKET: To catch a wave and surf in Phuket, you’ll need some patience, with the windy ‘Surf Season’ a good couple of months ahead. But for the island’s businesses, the waves are always there waiting to be spotted and ridden to success. “It’s all about noticing a trend”, says Kanittha Prasopsirikul from By Kanittha, the company responsible for Boat Lagoon…
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New app to help police in Kenya to jail child rapists
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New app to help police in Kenya to jail child rapists Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A new phone app will help Kenyans secure justice for children who have been raped by explaining the steps the police should take when investigating rape and enabling the victims’…
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Canadian man captured by Taliban five years ago freed
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Canadian man captured by Taliban five years ago freed Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A Canadian man whom the Taliban seized in Afghanistan five years ago and accused of being a spy has been released with the aid of Qatar, Foreign Minister Stephane Dion said on…
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BISP swimmer wins six golds at Thailand National Games
PHUKET: After a successful first day in the pool at the Thailand National Games in Nakhon Sawan, where she won two gold medals, British International School Phuket (BISP) JSA Swim Academy member Phiangkhwan ‘Eing’ Pawapotako won the 100m Back on day two of the competition in a time of 65.44, making it three wins from three events. However, she didn’t…
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Illegal gibbon touts spotted on Phi Phi again [video]
PHUKET: Officers are hunting more gibbon touts on Phi Phi Island after receiving a video of a man using the protected species as a photo prop for tourists. “The video was taken on Saturday, but we’ll send someone out to see if the touts are still there or not,” said Phi Phi Police Chief Jetsada Junphum. Though officers have struggled…
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Police arrest drug runners with meth
PHUKET: Region 8 Police arrested two drug runners and seized nearly 70,000 ya ba (methamphetamine) pills in Phang Nga on Friday. Jiraporn Promnoo, 42, and Somnuek Rammani, 51, were arrested with 10,000 ya ba pills after a tip off from another drug suspect led police to intercept a scheduled delivery, confirmed Region 8 Police Commander Tesa Siriwato. The pair denied…
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German’s partner forces confession of deadly reckless driving
PHUKET: The partner of a German killed in an alleged drunk driving accident in Phuket last month vowed to push for the harshest penalties against the driver, who confessed to reckless driving leading to death. Jakarin Rodpradit, 26, originally denied responsibility for the crash between his car and the motorbike driven by Andreas Walter, 47, with his partner Patcharin Lammai,…
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TAT sets sights on Vietnamese, Indonesian tourists
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently announced its plans to promote Phuket’s image as a tourist destination in Vietnam and Indonesia. Anoma Wongyai, director of TAT Phuket, touched on the positive response seen from tourists during this holiday season, with an 83 per cent increase in visitor numbers and 4.2 million baht of revenue generation. “We now aim…
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Marine Police increase safety checks after death of French tourist
PHUKET: Phuket and Krabi Marine Police are ramping up safety checks in order to get tour operators to comply strictly with marine regulations. The boost comes hard on the heels of the death of a French tourist who was killed last week after being struck in the head by a speedboat propeller while snorkelling near Poda Island (story here). Phuket…
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Video Report: Phuket snake bites tourist after attempted kiss, officials review safety measures
PHUKET: Officials are scrambling to reevaluate snake show safety measures after a Chinese tourist was bitten by a 2.5-meter-long python that she attempted to kiss in Phuket on Saturday. “After the show, I took the python out for the tourists to take photos with as usual. Then suddenly, a woman tried to kiss the snake without informing me of what…
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Rohingya escape Phang Nga shelter again
PHUKET: Officers are hunting for 11 Rohingya who escaped from the Phang Nga Shelter for Children and Families early Friday morning. The three women and eight children are among those who were recovered after an attempted escape in October last year (story here). Using CCTV footage, Khao Lak Police were able to determine that the group escaped through an open…
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U.S. flies B-52 over S.Korea after North’s nuclear test
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. flies B-52 over S.Korea after North’s nuclear test Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The United States deployed a B-52 bomber on a low-level flight over its ally South Korea on Sunday in a show of force following North Korea’s nuclear test last week. North Korean…
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France pays tribute to 2015 terrorism victims in silent ceremony
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community France pays tribute to 2015 terrorism victims in silent ceremony Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: France honored the victims of Islamist militant attacks last year in a thinly attended silent ceremony on Sunday, almost a year to the day when more than a million people marched…
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Officials mull waste management policies in Phuket
PHUKET: In an effort to improve waste management on the island, Phuket officials are working toward implementing more efficient rubbish disposal policies. “Waste management in Phuket is centralized in Phuket Town at the Saphan Hin incinerators. Currently, they are only able to handle up to 700 tonnes per day,” Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana said. Mayor Somjai noted that the…
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Australian Embassy announces consular outreach services for Phuket
PHUKET: The Consular Section of the Australian Embassy in Bangkok has announced that its staff will be in Phuket on January 18 to provide consular outreach services. The consulate staff will be available from 9:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 3:00pm at the Australian Consulate Office at 77/77 Unit 6D Moo 5, Chalermprakiat Rama 9 (bypass road) in Rassada. For…
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![Killer Whale spotted in Phuket bay [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_201619102630621_XemzoQaCMJMOcEfhTHsxrHnBLyMgeZzBDmBsCbvO_jpeg.jpeg)
Killer Whale spotted in Phuket bay [video]
PHUKET: An English family holidaying in Phuket spotted a Killer Whale off Freedom Beach in Patong Bay yesterday morning. Susan and Thomas Halleron were on a longtail boat with their son Joe when they spotted the unusual sight. “We went for a one hour trip around the island, and on the way back we saw the whale [Orca]… it was…
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German tourist’s bag returned after Facebook post goes viral
PHUKET: A German tourist lucked out this week after a Facebook post by a fellow traveller helped reunite her with her lost bag. Polish national Ewelina Moszczynska, 31, found the handbag next to her bungalow on Phi Phi Island on Thursday morning. “It was the morning after a party that I found the bag next to my bungalow,” Ms Moszczynska…
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Phuket police arrest ladyboy for pimping 15-year-old
PHUKET: Police arrested a ladyboy for pimping children in Phuket Town yesterday evening. Boonsong Saetan, 23, was arrested after she received 1,500 baht given to a 15-year-old that she had lined up to offer sexual services to an undercover police officer. “The officer confirmed an appointment at a hotel in the Poonpon area at 5pm with a 15-year-old girl,” explained…
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Deadly roads: The fight to make island roads safe
PHUKET: Despite the devastating death toll during the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ annual road-safety campaign – reaching seven this year, more than triple last year’s total – the number of fatalities from road accidents on the island have gradually declined throughout the last seven years, confirmed the Thai Road Safety Network (RSN). The number of road deaths has reduced from…
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