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Is tap water in Thailand safe to consume?
Wondering if you can drink the tap water in Thailand? From brushing your teeth to filling up a bottle, it’s helpful to understand a few basics. Tap water safety in Thailand varies by location, and while some people use it...
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Angry German charged in Phuket for running red light, tossing car keys
PHUKET: An indignant German woman was arrested this morning after she ran a red light and threw the keys to her BMW on the roof of a house near Chalong Circle. Lt Thanakrit Iemchonkham of Chalong Police received reports of the incident at about 10am. “We were told that the driver of a BMW X1 SUV ran a red light…
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Thanyapura, Sports Camp Australia to organize sporting programs in Phuket
PHUKET: The Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort has partnered with Sports Camp Australia (SCA) to organize interschool games and sporting programs. Nearly 20,000 parents, students, supporters and coaches from Australasia are expected to participate, generating more than 40,000 room nights for Phuket. Fifty per cent of the room nights will be spread out among other resorts in the area. “Thanyapura…
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Diving instructor, company to face charges
PHUKET: Officers from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) yesterday filed a complaint at Chalong Police Station against a diving company and instructor for allowing tourists to step on coral at Koh Racha Yai. A social media user who calls himself ‘Seaman Freeman’ captured and uploaded pictures of dive company activities that included two Korean tourists and a…
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Two injured in four-vehicle Phuket crash
PHUKET: Two people were injured in a four-vehicle crash in Cherng Talay yesterday afternoon. Facebook user ‘Tan Promedic Phuket’ posted a 32-second video clip of the accident, which occurred at a traffic light near Laguna Phuket. The video shows a speeding van losing control, crossing over into the other lane and hitting a pick-up truck coming from the opposite side.…
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Energy conferences held in three Southern provinces
PHUKET: Three simultaneous conferences on energy and power generation were held in Krabi, Surat Thani and Songkhla today, between officials and representatives from 14 southern provinces, including Phuket. The conferences started at 9:30am and were slated to continue until this evening. One of the main aims of the events was to promote awareness and find the best possible solutions for…
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Body of fishing boat crew member brought to Phuket
PHUKET: The body of an Indonesian crew member working on a tuna fishing boat was finally brought to Phuket on Saturday, five days after the victim passed away on board. “The boat docked at the sea port in Wichit. Inside the cold storage room, we found the body of Ali Hariyadi, 45, covered by a piece of cloth,” said Lt…
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Gamblers arrested in undercover Phuket raid
PHUKET: Fifteen suspects were arrested with more than 45,000 baht in cash for gambling at a sleeping restaurant in Wichit yesterday. “The restaurant, named ‘Eat and Sleep’, is located in Soi Wirat Hongyok. The suspects were caught in the act while playing a popular local game called ‘gung-pla’ (shrimp-fish),” said Lt Col Patak Kwanna of Wichit Police. Undercover officers went…
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One dead after “police chase’ in Phuket
PHUKET: One man succumbed to his injuries after a Krathom-carrying duo’s ‘police chase’ went awry yesterday afternoon near the entrance to Rassada Pier. Lt Col Santi Prakhobpran of Phuket City Police received a report at about 2:20pm. “Witnesses told us that a pick-up truck was turning right when two motorcyclists attempted to pass across its front. They scratched past the…
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Misnitry of Farang Affairs: Enjoy the same advantages
PHUKET: 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…
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Opinion: Ensuring the success of coral restoration
PHUKET: The success of a coral reef restoration project off Mai Thon Island is encouraging, but also serves as a reminder of the need to protect coral from the huge array of threats it faces from man’s activities. These threats range from global-scale effects, such as global warming, all the way down to the most local phenomena, such as ignorant…
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Banyan Tree Group bags seven accolades
PHUKET: The Banyan Tree group clinched seven awards at the recent Travel & Leisure ‘China Annual Travel Awards 2016’, adding to a growing list of accolades for the Banyan Tree brand. The luxury lifestyle magazine named Banyan Tree Phuket as the winner in the ‘Best Spa Resorts’ category, while also recognizing Laguna Golf Phuket as one of 2016’s top ten…
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Phuket shelter elephant causes ownership dispute
PHUKET: A Krabi man has filed a complaint at the Damrongdhama Center after an elephant he claims was stolen from him 14 years ago turned up with a new owner in Phuket. Somsak Riangnguen, 35, said he bought the elephant (named ‘Yo’) and registered him in Surin Province in 2001. “In 2003, I took Yo to work in Krabi, where…
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Former policeman and wife killed in four vehicle pile up
PHUKET: A former police lieutenant and his wife were killed, while three others were injured in a four-car crash in Phuket’s neighboring Phang Nga province this afternoon. Capt Chalermsak Aksornpian of Thai Mueang Police arrived at the scene on Petchkasem Road with rescue workers. “We arrived to find the road littered with metal and plastic car pieces, glass and blood.…
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Phuket locals protest closure of access to Laem Singh Beach
PHUKET: Officials from the Ministry of Justice visited Laem Singh Beach this morning to follow up on a long-standing land dispute between the public, particularly local Thai people and thousands of foreign tourists, and an organization called ‘Bangkok Broadcasting & Television Co Ltd (BB&T)’. The company, which airs Thai national television Channel 7, has announced that starting April 17, they…
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Australian sentenced for girlfriend’s jet-ski death in Phuket
PHUKET: An Australian man, whose partner was killed in a tragic jet-ski accident in Phuket last month, is free to return home after his trial ended earlier today. Thomas Keating, 22, and Emily Jayne Collie, 20, came to Phuket for a holiday and had rented jet-skis to ride from Karon Beach to Kata Beach. They collided with one another, causing…
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Phuket Roads: Two more critically injured in five-vehicle crash
PHUKET: Two people were seriously injured after a speeding truck driver lost control and hit two parked vehicles, two motorbikes and a restaurant in Thalang again last night. “The accident occurred in the southbound lanes of Thepkrasattri Road in front of the Makamdeekwai restaurant. According to witnesses, an Isuzu pick-up, driven by Amorn Det-Aran, 29, was making a U-turn at…
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Ta Chai island to remain closed, says DNP
PHUKET: The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has announced that Ta Chai island is to remain closed ‘until further improvement’ has taken place. The island was indefinitely closed off for all tourists and visitors in May last year, with officials citing ‘marine life recovery and restoration’ as the primary reason (story here). Several groups, including the…
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Korean tourists and dive instructor ‘hunted’ for damaging coral off Phuket
PHUKET: A concerned diver captured pictures of Korean tourists and their Thai dive instructor stepping on coral while diving at Koh Racha Yai yesterday. The diver then shared the snaps with other divers and officials in the hopes of bringing the offenders to justice. A social media user who calls himself ‘Seaman Freeman’ shared the pictures of ‘Try Dive’ activities…
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Angsana to hold candlelight dinner for Earth Hour
PHUKET: The Bodega & Grill steakhouse at Angsana Laguna Phuket is holding a candlelight dinner to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the international energy-saving event ‘Earth Hour’ this Saturday. The event is being held in line with Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts’ ‘Stay For Good’ philosophy “to build a better society by embracing the environment and empowering people”. The a…
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Defunct Phuket travel company sold out at auction
PHUKET: The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has sold all of Tranlee Travel Co’s assets, 151 items in all, after four auctions yielded total revenue of only 204 million baht (approx US$6 million). The last auction was held yesterday at Phuket City Municipality (story here), where the company’s last 15 buses were sold off. Pawornan Thamanyatanan of the AMLO led the…
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Phuket to receive B71bn for infrastructure, traffic management
PHUKET: Phuket is slated to receive 71 billion baht in infrastructure funding, with an emphasis on improving traffic management and chalking out effective solutions for the island’s growing traffic woes, the Ministry of Transport announced yesterday. Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith held a meeting at the Phuket Boat Lagoon with relevant officers to discuss details of the plan. “Phuket has one…
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Opinion: False killer whales come to Phuket
PHUKET: The sighting of false killer whales by a group of lucky marine tourists in Phuket last week should serve as a reminder that despite mankind’s demonstrated ability to shape our environment, there is still a lot going on around us that we understand poorly – or not at all. The ‘aliens among us’ theme has served as a fertile…
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Wanted: Phuket gold thief robs two jewelry stores
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a suspect who stole gold from at least two jewelry stores in Wichit and Phuket Town last week. The woman’s face was captured by CCTV cameras at both stores. She is believed to be about 30 years old and 150cm tall. The footage was shared on various social media forums, including LINE groups, warning other…
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Troops of monkeys go swimming during heatwave
KRABI: At least a hundred monkeys climbed down a hill to cool off in a pool of water at Wat Tham Sue in Krabi yesterday. Krabi has not seen rain for about two months and this particular area has experienced a severe rise in temperature. “The monkeys climbed down into the pool, close to where tourists had come down for…
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Phuket partygoers injured in early morning crash
PHUKET: Yet another ‘drowsy’ driver and his two passengers were injured yesterday morning when their vehicle overturned near a Koh Kaew gas station. “We found an upside down Honda CRV stuck to a power pole near the PTT station on Thepkrasattri Road. All three occupants were trapped inside the car and rescue workers had to use Jaws of Life to…
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Business Buzz: Establish your online presence from scratch
PHUKET: Many people have asked me how to get started with an online presence, so I have put together a quick overview assuming I was starting from scratch (but knowing what I do now). Facebook Page The very first thing you could do is start a Facebook fan page. This can easily be set up without any skill, cost or…
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Two-headed Krabi calf hailed lucky
KRABI: A two-headed calf born in Krabi yesterday has risen to fame after the owner said the animal brought her luck while in the womb, reports Sanook.com. The conjoined twins were stillborn with two heads, six legs and two tails at the house of Ms Samrong, 47, who resides in Klong Thom district in Krabi. Ms Samrong said that she…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Nobody sees your actions
PHUKET: 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…
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Phuket, Nakhon Sri Thammarat seek mutual economic benefit
PHUKET: Phuket and Nakhon Sri Thammarat signed a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday, titled ‘Imagine Nakhon Sri Thammarat & Phuket 2017: A new Economic and Tourism Cooperation Development’. The MOU was signed at Phuket Provincial Hall by Phuket Governor Chokchai Dajamornthan and Nakhon Sri Thammarat Govenor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, with other relevant government officers and private sector officials in attendance. “The purpose…
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Phuket tourism operators display their wares in Berlin
PHUKET: At least 28 hotel and tourism operators from the Andaman region participated in the ‘International Tourism Bourse (ITB) 2017’ event held from March 1-12 in Berlin, Germany. Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan, Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) President Sathirapong Na Takuatoong, as well as officials from OrBorJor Phuket and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) were among those present. Her Royal Highness…
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