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Hong Kong protesters defiant as officials clear main protest site
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hong Kong protesters defiant as officials clear main protest site Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Hong Kong police arrested pro-democracy activists and cleared most of the main protest site on Thursday, marking an end to more than two months of street demonstrations in the Chinese-controlled city,…
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Laguna Phuket launches initiative to help struggling beach vendors
PHUKET: Laguna Phuket has announced the launch of a beach vendor support center to assist those who lost their jobs as a result of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) beach cleanup campaign earlier this year. The “Local Vendors Support Center” will comprise shops from which vendors and other service providers, including masseuse and tour-desk operators, can continue…
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Uber gains legal traction in Phuket
PHUKET: The Department of Land Transportation (DLT) came to terms with Uber this week, making it clear that the taxi-booking firm was legal, but that any promotion of illegal taxi drivers in Phuket or elsewhere in Thailand was banned. “We are not banning the use of the Uber application, but we are banning the use of black-plate vehicles, because they…
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Phuket’s Le Meridien plays down “private beach’ accusations by villagers
PHUKET: Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort today denied accusations by local villagers that it is claiming the beach at Karon Noi Bay for itself, and explained that the sun-loungers and umbrellas on the beach in front of the resort are provided free for hotel guests. Local villagers led by Aroonsri Klanma, village chief of Karon Moo 1, filed a complaint…
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Phuket Finance: Russian ruble does the slide
PHUKET: I have been asked a lot recently about the dramatic moves in the Russian currency, the ruble. What effect will it have on tourism to Phuket? What effect will it have on the real estate market? The obvious thing that is certain is that if the Russian currency remains weak Phuket will be more expensive for Russians who are…
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Opinion: Make transparency in ‘martial law raid’ Phuket’s blanket of safety
PHUKET: The recent joint police and military raid on the home of a prominent resident of Srisoonthorn has resulted in an order from Phuket’s governor for an investigation into why such heavy-handed tactics were required in what is ostensibly a case of alleged check fraud. While the December 3 raid failed in its goal to bring Mr Padungsak Songyot into…
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Phuket truck slams into Patong Hill power pole after brakes fail
PHUKET: A six-wheeled truck loaded with cinder blocks slammed into a Phuket power pole on Patong Hill after the vehicle’s brakes failed this morning. Police arrived at the scene at about 10am. No one was injured in the accident, police officers told the Phuket Gazette. The driver told police that he was delivering the cinder blocks from Phuket Ka Cement…
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Bus ban ignored: Phuket tour bus plunges down Patong Hill
PHUKET: A Phuket tour bus carrying Chinese tourists plunged down Patong Hill yesterday afternoon, obliterating a police box before crashing into a temple wall. The driver Pirom Joppromraj, 49, told police that the brakes failed as he descended the steep slope into Patong at about 5:15pm – during big vehicle restricted hours. A Patong Hill bus ban was put in…
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Opinion: Time to forge a new future for Phuket
Bhuritt Maswongssa is the vice president of Marketing at the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA). Originally from Yala, he moved to Phuket in 1985. Vice chairman of the Patong Resort Hotel; a law graduate from both Ngee Ann College in Singapore and Ramkhamhaeng University in Thailand; and a master’s graduate in business from Phuket Rajabhat University; Mr Bhuritt is a force…
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Video Report: Phuket’s HomeWorks re-opens amid promises of safe shelves
PHUKET: HomeWorks, the busy home-improvement store on Phuket’s bypass road, re-opened to shoppers today amid promises that the shelves had been inspected and were safe to use. A shelf collapse at the store on Sunday resulted in a family of three, including an 11-year-old girl, being rushed to hospital with injuries after they were pummeled by falling paint buckets (story…
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Phuket Cricket: Laguna notch up win in season opener
PHUKET: Laguna opened their account in the new Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) senior league by outfoxing Thalang in the opening match of the season, played at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) last Sunday. As is tradition, the first match of the season was between last season’s finalists. Laguna, who had a disappointing T20 season, were looking to make amends after…
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Phuket dope peddler nabbed in Patong sewing shop sting
PHUKET: Police arrested a 54-year-old man in Phuket yesterday for possession of 1.5 kilograms of kratom*, which he sold through his sewing shop on Nanai Road. Undercover officers entered the no-name shop in Patong at about 5:30pm and asked Prasert Chookong if he had any kratom for sale. Mr Prasert obliged, and was promptly arrested. “We bought 20 fresh kratom…
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CIA tortured, misled, US report finds, drawing calls for action
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community CIA tortured, misled, US report finds, drawing calls for action Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The CIA misled the White House and public about its torture of detainees after the Sept. 11 attacks and acted more brutally and pervasively than it acknowledged, a U.S. Senate report…
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NRC pushing PM direct-election plan
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NRC pushing PM direct-election plan The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Despite concern and opposition, the National Reform Council (NRC) panel on political reform insisted again yesterday that a direct election of the prime minister would help reduce vote-buying. It added, however, that a winner in…
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Koh Tao murder trial date brought forward by 2 months
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Koh Tao murder trial date brought forward by 2 months The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The hearing of witnesses in the murder case of two British tourists on Surat Thani’s Koh Tao has been moved from February 25 to December 26, 2014, after the Myanmar…
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Red-shirt Arisman loses appeal, gets a year in jail
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Red-shirt Arisman loses appeal, gets a year in jail The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Court of Appeals yesterday upheld a lower court’s ruling and sentenced red-shirt leader Arisman Pongruangrong to one year in prison after finding him guilty of defaming former prime minister Abhisit…
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NACC expects ‘milestone year’ in fight against graft
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NACC expects ‘milestone year’ in fight against graft The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) chairman Panthep Klanarongran yesterday stressed that every Thai citizen’s determination and cooperation were essential in fighting graft and creating a corruption-free society. Such community action is necessary for…
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Police corruption scandal: Amlo agrees to freeze 104 plots held by Pongpat
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police corruption scandal: Amlo agrees to freeze 104 plots held by Pongpat The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Anti-Money Laundering Office yesterday agreed to freeze 104 plots of land worth about 400 million baht jointly held by former crime-buster Pol Lt Gen Pongpat Chayaphan on…
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PM not against sale of alcohol on New Year’s
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM not against sale of alcohol on New Year’s The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha said yesterday that he has no objections to the sale of alcoholic beverages during New Year holidays. When asked about the Public Health Ministry’s plan to…
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Phuket Beach Club owners face charges for blocking demolition
PHUKET: The owners of The Beach Club restaurant in Nai Yang are facing charges for obstructing officers after they tried to prevent the demolition of their building yesterday – deemed illegally built on public land last month. Owners Aroon Prewphanchoo and Sanya Trirongthong parked a 10-wheeled trailer and several cars in front of their restaurant before officials from the Sakoo…
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Phuket learns: database swimming with leopard sharks [video]
PHUKET: The database for Spot the Leopard Shark Thailand has grown to more than 500 photographs after the conservation project was launched in August last year (story here), it was announced at a meeting hosted by Siam Diving Enterprises in Phuket last week. “We had the presentation to inform the dive community about the project, as well as about the…
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NRC panel sticks to its proposal for directly elected PM and Cabinet
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NRC panel sticks to its proposal for directly elected PM and Cabinet The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Reform Council panel on political reform yesterday reached a consensus on the direct election of the prime minister and the cabinet, election of MPs from large…
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Cyber-attack on Sony Pictures ‘carried out from 5-star hotel in Bangkok’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cyber-attack on Sony Pictures ‘carried out from 5-star hotel in Bangkok’ The Nation / Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The crippling cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment has been traced to a five-star hotel in Bangkok, reports from foreign media said yesterday. The hackers, believed to belong…
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Koh Tao suspects plead not guilty
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Koh Tao suspects plead not guilty The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Two Myanmar suspects have pleaded innocent in court over charges related to the murders of two British tourists on Koh Tao. Their case is being closely watched, as the brutal crime made headlines both…
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Girl remains in Phuket hospital after ‘hail’ of paint cans
PHUKET: An 11-year-old girl trapped under a rack of shelves at the HomeWorks home-improvement store yesterday afternoon will remain in hospital tonight under observation as a precaution only, the Phuket Gazette was told this afternoon. Eight racks of shelves reaching up to about three-meters tall collapsed at the store, inside Central Festival Phuket East, bringing down a hail of full…
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Video Report: Phuket police face probe for abuse of martial law
PHUKET: Hundreds of people turned out at Phuket Provincial Hall today to support a complaint against Cherng Talay Police allegedly abusing their position of power under martial law in a raid on a family home last week. Srisoonthorn Mayor Worrawut Songyot and his niece Hathairat Songyot today filed the complaint to Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong. The complaint states that a…
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Phuket coach conquers 10km keepie-uppie journey in honor of The King
PHUKET: A local football coach played keepie-uppie, the act of juggling a football without allowing the ball to hit the ground, for 10 kilometers along Phuket’s coast in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 87th birthday on Friday. Praphan Khongmuean, coach at Republic Phuket and keepie-uppie marathoner, started juggling the ball at Kata Beach Resort and Spa at 7am and…
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Former ICT official’s son accused of B281mn stock fraud
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Former ICT official’s son accused of B281mn stock fraud The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police have placed under arrest Panasan Somchevita, the 33-year-old son of a former permanent secretary for the ICT Ministry, after 21 people accused him of duping them out of 281 million…
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Speed warning issued after Phuket cop crashes car
PHUKET: A rainy-weather driving-speed warning was issued today after a Phuket police officer flipped his car on the way to Phuket International Airport early yesterday morning. Lt Nikom Keawnu of the Cherng Talay Police and his female passenger both walked away unharmed from the accident on the new airport road. “The accident occurred when it was raining. We were on…
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Honda battles market slump with Phuket launch of HR-V
PHUKET: The Thai automobile market may have headed downhill by more than 30 per cent this year, but Honda is in gear to make up lost ground with the launch of its latest HR-V model. The company trimmed sales forecasts at the end of last year as the slump in Thailand’s market took hold and Honda’s deliveries plunged in the…
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