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Facebook debuts Yelp-like feature to find local businesses
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Facebook debuts Yelp-like feature to find local businesses Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Facebook Inc has quietly debuted a feature that helps users find local businesses based on customer reviews, bringing it in direct competition with similar services from Yelp Inc and Angie’s List Inc. The…
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Conservative S.Korea backs unwed couples, single parents to lift birth rate
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Conservative S.Korea backs unwed couples, single parents to lift birth rate Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: South Korea wants to root out age-old prejudices against single parents and unmarried couples who live together, encouraging more people to have children in the battle against its stubbornly low…
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Cosmetic shop raid seizes 100,000 baht worth of unlabelled products
PHUKET: Officials from the Consumer Protection Police Division seized nearly 100,000 baht worth of unlabelled and mislabelled products during a raid on a cosmetic shop in Phuket yesterday. The investigation followed a tip-off from concerned consumers alleging that Tawatchai Wannoon, 30, was selling unlabelled products, such as cosmetics, soaps and teas at his shop,” explained Maj Payorm Pamoonketnil of the…
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Alleged ‘flying’ land document lands on Naka Noi Island
PHUKET: The Department of Special Investigations (DSI) yesterday investigated a complaint alleging that a ‘Flying’ SorKor 1 land document had managed to glide from Naka Yai Island to Naka Noi Island, just off Phuket’s east coast. Thai actor Puri Hiranpruk, whose family owns 60 rai of Naka Noi, along with a concession that secures the first 200 meters of a…
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Island’s “Bike for Dad’ a success
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada proudly led 5,635 participants during Phuket’s 29-kilometer ‘Bike For Dad’ event in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej on December 11. Cyclists started the circuit at Phuket Provincial Hall at about 3.30pm and rode the course through Phuket (story here), stopping by Chalong Temple to plant 88 Cassia trees in honor of HM The King’s…
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Swiss arrested at Phuket airport for carrying ammo
PHUKET: A Swiss man carrying live ammunition was arrested at Phuket International Airport yesterday. Officials discovered two rounds of ammunition and a firearm magazine in the bag of Andre Steinemann, 39, when he attempted to pass it through airport security. “Security officials first asked if he had a licence to possess the bullets. When he wasn’t able to produce the…
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TAM Airlines Madrid-Sao Paulo flight diverted on bomb threat
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community TAM Airlines Madrid-Sao Paulo flight diverted on bomb threat Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A flight operated by Brazilian flag carrier TAM Airlines was forced to return to Madrid late Monday after a bomb threat, the company said in a statement. Flight JJ8065, a Boeing 777-32W…
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5-meter-long python found at Phuket resort
PHUKET: Rescue workers caught a 5-meter-long python at a Phuket resort yesterday. “It took five members of our team about an hour and a half to catch the 90-kilogram snake,” said Phuket Ruamjai Rescue Foundation Chief Saiyan Thamaphan. Hotel employees called on rescue workers to help, fearing that the enormous reptile might make its way into the the hotel building.…
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Body with land title found in pond
PHUKET: A Phuket man carrying a bag with a land title deed and personal items was found dead in a coastal pond on Koh Maphrao today. Chalermpon Cheuanaka, 56, lived with his wife on the edge of a mangrove forest on the small island just off of Phuket. “Inside his bag, we found shoes, a shirt, a helmet, a Chanote…
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Officials confirm raw, stinking wastewater in Samkong canal
PHUKET: Officials have confirmed that the foul-smelling water seen flowing into the Bang Yai Canal in Samkong on Friday, was in fact wastewater. Phuket City Deputy Mayor Thavorn Jirapattanasophon was alerted to the situation after a video posted by Facebook user Kanawut Boonsong, showing black water flowing into the canal, went viral. “I had already assigned the responsibility of examining…
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Phuket FC management walks after division drop
PHUKET: The president of the Phuket Football Club (Phuket FC) stepped down yesterday, following the team’s downgrade to Division 2. Departing with Pramookpisitt Achariyachai will be two other key members of the management team: Tunyaratt Achariyachai, a former Phuket senator, and Team Manager Pariyawis Achariyachai. “Our family has put more than 200 million baht into Phuket FC. Nonetheless, my management…
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Grand opening of Phuket airport expansion slated for May
PHUKET: The highly-anticipated expansion of the Phuket International Airport will be celebrated with a grand opening in May, confirmed the airport director. “We are now 83.69 per cent done. There will be an additional 10 bays and four aerobridges,” explained Phuket International Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan on Wednesday. A soft opening of the 5.7-billion-baht expansion will be held on Valentine’s…
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Vandals attack Facebook building in Germany
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Vandals attack Facebook building in Germany Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Vandals have damaged a building housing Facebook’s offices in Hamburg, smashing glass, throwing paint and spraying “Facebook dislike” on a wall, police in the northern German city said on Sunday. The overnight attack on the…
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Thalang homeowner cries foul
PHUKET: Local ‘quacks’ have forced officials from the Damrongdhama Center (ombudsman’s office) to appease a disgruntled Thalang homeowner on Friday, after she filed a handful of complaints to local authorities that remained unanswered. In the complaint, Christy Kay Sweet, 50, claimed that several chickens and ducks have been wandering around her garden, waking her up during the early hours. “Ms…
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Gen Paween’s allegations cause stir among officials
PHUKET: Supervisors of the former chief investigator probing a high-profile human-trafficking case reacted angrily on Friday to his accusation that he received no protection from them despite facing death threats. Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin quit the police force last month and is now seeking political asylum in Australia. He told Australian media that he feared for his life because influential…
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Immigration to tap into Interpol database to fight crime
PHUKET: Immigration police in Thailand are attempting to link their system with Interpol’s database of stolen and revoked passports as part of the crackdown on transnational criminals that saw a Russian wanted for human smuggling in his homeland arrested in Phuket (story here). “Interpol’s database contains about 47 million cancelled and stolen passports,” said Maj Gen Apichat Suriboonya, commander of…
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Serious class warfare on final day of King’s Cup
PHUKET: On the final day of the 29th Phuket King’s Cup Regatta 2015 there was some serious class warfare played out in Kata Bay. Keelboats and multihulls hit the water for one last run, as teams fought for the honor to claim Phuket King’s Cup victory in the name of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. In IRC0, Windsikher II skippered by…
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Safer Roads Foundation to fund construction of new roundabout
PHUKET: The UK-based non-profit Safer Roads Foundation will fund the construction of a roundabout at the island’s deadly Narisorn-Surin intersection in a bid to reduce accidents. Phuket had 108 road deaths last year and is in Thailand’s top five provinces for road casualties over the past decade. The intersection near Phuket Provincial Hall in Muang district has claimed five lives…
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British national dies in Patong Hill crash
PHUKET: A British national died and another was injured after pick-up truck hit their motorbike on the notoriously dangerous Patong Hill this morning. According to rescuer workers at the scene, the motorbike carrying the two women exited a small soi onto the main road when the pick-up truck slammed into them. The two women were taken to Patong Hospital. One…
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Four arrested in Chalong land raid
PHUKET: Officials apprehended four men last night after a complaint was filed with Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada claiming that a Chalong land plot was being developed illegally. The raid, led by a team of Provincial, Navy and Chalong Police officers, yielded the arrests of Watcharin Laongthong, 30; Kanit Sookjai, 27; Somprach Choothong, 46; and Panya Taiying, 42, as well as…
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Army officer under investigation for threatening Navy lieutenant
PHUKET: An Army colonel is under investigation after he was allegedly recorded threatening a Navy officer for breaking up an underground casino in Chalong on Sunday (story here). Lt Somphop Kamkana of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command was one of the Navy officers that aided in the raid that saw more than 40 suspects apprehended. “At the police…
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International Dinghy Classes Race wraps up
PHUKET: The International Dinghy Classes Race 2015, a part of the 29th annual Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, wrapped up after four days of racing on Thursday, a lay-day for keelboats and multihulls, as young sailors tried to seal Regatta victory in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The growing number of fleet entries from 45 last year to 78 dinghies…
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Former Thai General seeks asylum in Australia
BANGKOK: A former high-ranking police officer, who headed a human-trafficking investigation that led to the arrests of state officials, is seeking political asylum in Australia, he disclosed yesterday. Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin said he was seeking asylum, as he felt unsafe in Thailand. “If I remained in the police force, I would be in danger. I sought help from my…
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PRBC seeks blood donations for holiday season
PHUKET: As the holiday season draws closer, the Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) is asking residents to donate blood to ensure an adequate supply is available for hospitals to deal with emergencies. “We believe that blood supply will be not be able to meet demand, especially due to an anticipated increase in injuries from accidents during the holidays,” said Pornthip…
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Phuket jet-ski operator pulls firearm during beach argument
PHUKET: Phuket police are hunting a jet-ski operator who pulled out a firearm yesterday right in the middle of Patong Beach. “We arrived at the beach after receiving a report of an argument between two jet-ski operators. However, Banyong Thonghorm, 46, had already fled the scene,” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police. “Witnesses led us back to…
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A Decade Ago: Immigration launches hospital visa visits
PHUKET: The recent push in Phuket for a national-level policy to force foreign travellers entering Thailand to have some sort of health insurance is just the latest drive in ensuring better hospital experiences for those who do succumb to misfortune on this island of wonder – a place that has seen more than its fair share of dreams come true,…
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Pillar of Phuket community Brad Kenny dies
PHUKET: Brad Kenny, a pillar of the Phuket community, died from undisclosed causes at Mission Hospital today. Mr Kenny, 59, was the past president and current assistant district governor of the Rotary Club of Patong Beach (RCoPB), member of the Grumpy Old Men Society (GOMS), member of the Navy League of the United States and involved with numerous other charity…
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Phuket couple busted with 741 bundles of kratom
PHUKET: Provincial Police apprehended a couple on Wednesday in possession of nearly 143 kilograms of kratom in Kathu. The arrests of Jamjun Kosai, 36, and his wife Urai Siriwong, 28, followed a tip-off from a police source that the pair had been selling drugs to teenagers and laborers out of a rented house in the area, confirmed Pinit Sirichai, Phuket…
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China base rakes in FIT market for Phuket
PHUKET: It is easy to get caught up with how the hospitality industry in Phuket should adjust to a shift in source markets toward a dependency on China. But what is forgotten is that it’s not just Phuket – it’s a worldwide phenomenon that requires the industry to adopt new marketing strategies and platforms. “Chinese outbound travel is a key…
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Phuket farmers denounce GMO bill
PHUKET: More than 30 members of the Phuket Farmer Association submitted a letter at Phuket Provincial Hall asking that Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha suspend the Biological Safety Bill until it is properly amended. The bill is set to allow genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to damage the nation’s ecology, with farmers being the ones to suffer the most, Somchai Ratanasuesakul,…
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