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9 Army officers dead in chopper crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 9 Army officers dead in chopper crash The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: All nine Army officers, including Maj-General Songphol Thongjeen, a deputy commander of the Third Army Region in the North, were killed in a helicopter crash yesterday evening in Phayao. Two bodies fell into…
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Isolated at G20, Putin shows he will do it his way in Ukraine
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Isolated at G20, Putin shows he will do it his way in Ukraine Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: It may have looked in the West like Russian President Vladimir Putin fled this weekend’s G20 summit early with his tail between his legs after being berated over…
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Human-trafficking gang arrested attempting to smuggle illegal workers into Phuket
PHUKET: Three human-trafficking suspects were arrested yesterday trying to smuggle 19 illegal Myanmar workers into Phuket. The men – all Thai nationals – were apprehended at 2am near a checkpoint north of the island in Takuapa, Phang Nga province. The 19 illegal workers, brought from Ranong, included nine men and 10 women. “We questioned the driver of the pick-up truck,…
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Phuket van driver returns cash-stuffed laptop case to Russian
PHUKET: A van driver returned almost 5,000 euros cash to a Russian tourist who forgot his bag full of valuables after arriving in Patong from Phuket International Airport last night. “I saw that he had left his computer bag in the back of the van, so I contacted my company’s headquarters right away,” 32-year-old Kritsana Buaked told police when he…
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Phuket Immigration warns of Education Visa crackdown
PHUKET: Any foreigners staying in Phuket on an education visa but do not attend classes will have their permits to stay revoked and they will be deported, the Phuket Immigration chief warned today. “We are now keeping a close eye on people staying on education visas,” said Phuket Immigration Superintendent Sunchai Chokkajaykij. “We have to make sure that those people…
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Phuket finance: Staying the course
PHUKET: Retirees have really been given a raw deal by the global financial system ever since the big banks created the mess that led to the financial crisis in 2008. Since then, the banks have been bailed out and the economy has been on life support, at the expense of those trying to live on the fixed income they worked…
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Fire at Toyota showroom in Phuket causes B100k damage
PHUKET: A fire that broke out in the main workshop at the Toyota showroom on the Dowroong intersection, south of Phuket Town, yesterday afternoon caused more than 100,000 baht in damage. “Luckily no-one was injured in the blaze,” said Lt Kraisorn Pakaaree of the Phuket City Police, who was notified of the fire at 2:50pm. Firefighters soon arrived and attempted…
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Elephant tramples handler to death, runs into jungle with Russian tourists
PHUKET: An 18-year-old bull elephant trampled his handler to death and ran off into the jungle with a Russian mother and daughter still on top during a jungle trek in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, yesterday. The elephant, named Meaw, ran for three kilometers after killing his mahout, Suk Sapmak, 60, before officers were able to subdue him with tranquilizer…
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Asian Beach Games: Minister Kobkarn eyes Thailand to host World Beach Games
PHUKET: Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul has revealed that hosting the 4th Asian Beach Games in Phuket may be a precursor to Thailand having the potential to soon become a candidate country for hosting major sports competitions that will help boost tourism. “In the ANOC [Association of the National Olympic Committees] General Assembly in Bangkok earlier this month, a…
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US man probed over parcels containing human parts
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community US man probed over parcels containing human parts The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A heavily-tattooed California man has been questioned and temporarily released after the grisly discovery of a part of a baby’s head, a baby’s foot, a heart and other human body parts in…
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US hostage Peter Kassig is killed by Islamic State
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community US hostage Peter Kassig is killed by Islamic State Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Islamic State militants have beheaded another American hostage, Peter Kassig, issuing a video claiming the killing on Sunday and warning the United States they would kill other U.S. citizens “on your streets.”…
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Phuket to remember road-traffic victims
PHUKET: Phuket will remember victims of road traffic accidents on the island for the first time on November 25, as part of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office confirmed today. The event, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005, is observed around the world…
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Officials scramble to resolve ban on tourists bringing own beach umbrellas
PHUKET: Officials are scrambling to get beach umbrellas and mats on the sands at the island’s key beaches this tourism high season before hordes of visitors arrive for the Christmas and New Year holidays. The push comes as an island-wide ban on all umbrellas at Phuket’s beaches saw a Swedish family on holiday last week being told they were not…
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Police find second group of Rohingya refugees north of Phuket
PHUKET: A second group of 86 Rohingya refugees believed to have been smuggled to Thailand from Myanmar were taken into to custody by police north of Phuket on Wednesday. The refugees were detained in a rubber plantation in Kuraburi, Phang Nga province, after police were informed by local residents that a large group of Rohingya were hiding in the plantation.…
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NFL Roundup: Dolphins douse Buffalo’s playoff hopes
PHUKET: The Miami Dolphins’ hopes for an AFC playoff berth are rosier than ever after a solid 22-9 win at home over AFC East rivals the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football, the first game of Week 11. The win lifted the Dolphins to a respectable 6-4 and put them at the top of the pack in the hunt for…
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Opinion: Dealing with unwanted phone messages
PHUKET: Earlier this year, after I returned to Phuket from South Africa, a friend of mine gave me a 49-baht TrueMove H SIM card package – the type you can just top up at a 7-Eleven or Family Mart without having to worry about the hassle of monthly bills. That suited me fine. After South Africa, where you have to…
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Asian Beach Games: Athletes head to the pool
PHUKET: The Asian Beach Games continues in Phuket today with 12 gold medals at stake. Following the spectacular opening ceremony last night (story here), come the first events in the pool. Two gold medals are up for grabs in the marathon swimming events, comprising the men’s 5km and women’s 5km races. Two more gold medals are for the taking in…
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Blisterful beach: The need for umbrellas on Phuket’s key tourist beaches
PHUKET: Despite some recent stormy weather, the “official” start to Phuket’s annual high season for tourism got underway as planned on November 1, kicked off by this year’s installment of the annual Phuket Carnival in Patong. With a spectacular street procession, free concerts, fireworks and a wide range of other high-profile activities, this year’s event was branded under the theme…
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Visas for men in marriage scam to be revoked
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Visas for men in marriage scam to be revoked The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Immigration Police are set to revoke visas issued to 193 foreign men based in the Northeast accused of involvement in a scam – registering as being married to Thai women to…
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Quake measuring 7.2 strikes in eastern Indonesia, local tsunami warning issued
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Quake measuring 7.2 strikes in eastern Indonesia, local tsunami warning issued Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 was recorded off the Moluccas in Indonesia at 9:31am today, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and a tsunami warning was issued for…
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Video Report: Michael Jackson, Rihanna and Beyonce Triple Tribute in Phuket
PHUKET: Triple Tribute, a spectacular show straight from London, arrives in Phuket on Saturday with the infectious music of Michael Jackson, Beyonce and Rihanna at Laguna. A musical fest full of powerful vocals, explosive dance routines and stunning costumes, Triple Tribute offers up impressive impressions of the three megastars singing the artists’ top hits, anthems and ballads. “Sasha Fierce” named…
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DSI to probe alleged Phuket national park, Kamala intrusions
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community DSI to probe alleged Phuket national park, Kamala intrusions The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Department of Special Investigation’s Special Case Committee yesterday agreed to take up the Sirinat National Park and Kamala Forest Reserve encroachment cases in Phuket after they allegedly caused 50 billion…
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Asian Beach Games: Thailand lifts gold ahead of opening ceremony tonight
PHUKET: The 4th Asian Beach Games continued in Phuket today, with three gold medals up for grabs, ahead of the official opening ceremony at Saphan Hin tonight. Thailand beat Kuwait to win gold in flag football at the Saphan Hin Sports Center this morning, while two other gold medals were at stake in the men’s and women’s team beach woodball…
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Phuket high-voltage cable incinerates motorbikes
PHUKET: A high-voltage power cable set motorbikes ablaze in front of a Phuket SuperCheap store last night after the overhead transformer it was connected to exploded. One end of the three-inch-thick power cable, carrying 33,000 volts, connected with the ground and set fire to two motorbikes parked in front of the Phuket Villa 5 branch on Chao Fa West Road.…
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Police hunt for truck driver after teen crushed in fatal crash
PHUKET: Police are searching for the driver of a cement-mixer truck who hit and ran over a local student at Phuket Rajabhat University yesterday. The student, Chalermchai Lakbaan, 18, died instantly when his head was crushed under the wheels of the juggernaut. The incident occurred in front of the Phuket Cement Co Ltd site on Prachasamakkee Road in Rassada, at…
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B682bn lost to rice scheme, B1.1trn in a decade
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community B682bn lost to rice scheme, B1.1trn in a decade The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Rice-pledging programmes have recorded an accumulated loss of Bt682 billion over the past decade, against total spending of as much as Bt1.1 trillion, the Finance Ministry disclosed yesterday. The figures cover…
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Britain to introduce tough new foreign fighter laws
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Britain to introduce tough new foreign fighter laws Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: British nationals who become foreign fighters abroad could be prevented from returning home under tough new laws to deal with jihadists fighting in conflicts like Iraq and Syria, British Prime Minister David Cameron…
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Asian Beach Games: Thailand scores two gold in ju-jitsu
PHUKET: Thailand captured superb form to win two gold medals in the ju-jitsu competition at the 4th Asian Beach Games at Saphan Hin, near Phuket Town, yesterday. The first gold came from women’s martial art duo Suphawadee Kaeosrasaen and Kunsatri Kumsroi in their impressive 36-33 win over Pakistan’s Sundus Salam Khan and Maryam 36-33 in the final. Areewan Chansri and…
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Phuket’s Yacht Solutions named consultant for Statham blockbuster
PHUKET: The Phuket-based marine services company Yacht Solutions has been appointed marine consultant for Jason Statham’s next blockbuster movie, Mechanic: Resurrection, which is scheduled for cinematic release in January 2016. Shooting started in Bangkok with Statham reprising his title role as a master assassin who faked his death in an attempt to walk away from his former profession in order…
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Phuket police charge man with attempted rape of Australian tourist
PHUKET: Police have charged a man for the alleged attempted rape of an Australian tourist at a resort on Koh Maphrao, an island off the east coast of Phuket. “We have the man in custody. He surrendered to police after we sent many officers to the island after the woman reported the incident,” said Capt Nucharee Longkaew of the Phuket…
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