News
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Sponsored 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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Rumors of ‘Thai boycott’ raise eyebrows
PHUKET: After months of stories about Chinese tourists and their loud and ‘inappropriate’ behavior while visiting Thailand this year, rumors on social media suggest that they might be looking to remove the Kingdom from their list of countries for holidays. Reports in the Phuket Gazette‘s mass circulation Thai-language newspaper partner Komchadluek suggest that Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangul has…
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Farmers choose solar farm over our endangered spoon-billed sandpipers
SAMUT SAKHON: Given a choice between renewable energy and wildlife conservation, the people of Samut Sakhon have opted for a solar farm. Tractors and trucks loaded with soil were seen busily working in a field yesterday to fill a salt basin in Ban Khok Kham, where a three-megawatt solar farm project, costing about 180 million baht, is set to start…
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Probe launched into fierce cinema fire
BANGKOK: The fire at Major Cineplex Pinklao that caused part of Central Festival to collapse yesterday afternoon is being probed by investigators. Metropolitan Police chief Sanit Mahathavorn said an investigation team in cooperation with the local District Office is looking into the cause of the fire and the structural integrity of the building. The fire broke out in a theater…
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Pair arrested for illegal weapons
PHUKET: Two men were arrested after a police raid on their Kamala house turned up illegal firearms and ammunition on Wednesday. Col Sirisak Wasasiri of the Kamala police said officers were tipped off by informants that the suspects possessed illegally obtained and homemade weapons. “Thitiwat Prateep Na Thalang,19, a Phuketian, was found in possession of two guns and two .22…
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Body of baby found at construction site
PHUKET: A three-year-old boy is thought to have drowned in a ditch at a construction site in Kamala this afternoon. “The body of baby Weeraphol Taseedam was discovered at the site close to his house. Nobody knows what happened to him, but we believe he fell into a ditch filled with water about one meter deep, and drowned; then his…
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Suspected Slovakian embezzler captured on Koh Samui
KOH SAMUI: A Slovakian man suspected of siphoning of 283,000 euros (about 10.9 million baht) while working as a hospital director in Zlate Moravce City was arrested in Koh Samui earlier this week. Police arrested Michal Grujbar, 38, in front of a Koh Samui hotel and initially charged him with overstaying his visa. “Police investigators later learned that the Slovakian…
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Massive blaze breaks out at Bangkok cinema
BANGKOK: A faulty billboard was blamed for sparking a massive fire at the Major Cineplex in the Central Pinklao shopping mall in Bangkok this morning. Police said the fire broke out at 11:15 and within 20 minutes had caused the third-floor roof to collapse, just as a team of firefighters pulled out of the building. No one was trapped inside…
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Boat Lagoon director awarded marina certification
PHUKET: Wicky Sundram, executive director of operations at the Phuket Boat Lagoon, was yesterday awarded ‘Certified Marina Professional (CMP)’ status by the Global Marina Institute (GMI). He joins the ranks of six other CMPs across the Asia/Pacific region and is the first to receive the certification in Thailand. Mr Sundram was presented with his CMP by Andrew Chapman, President of…
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Elderly tourist falls to death at Kata Beach
PHUKET: An elderly Chinese tourist was killed when he slipped and fell on rocks at Kata Beach on Tuesday. Beach lifeguards reported the incident to the Royal Thai Navy and police at about 2pm after locals found him lying on the rocks between Kata and Kata Noi beaches. Officers went out on jet-skis to retrieve him as it was too…
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Reptile raids Krabi cop shop, ambushed by police
KRABI: The Krabi provincial police station was raided by a baby monitor lizard yesterday. Officers on duty managed to ambush the beast measuring 30cm in length after it hid under a table. Police believe the lizard entered the station looking for food. No charges were brought against the cold-blooded carnivore. After posing for a few selfies with the reptile, the…
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Fridge on the fritz blamed for apartment blaze
PHUKET: A short-circuiting fridge is believed to have sparked a fire that gutted an apartment at Salabua Mansion Apartments in Wichit last night. The apartment’s occupant, Kriangkrai Suthammetha, 50, discovered his third-floor room was ablaze when he returned from an errand just after 6pm, Wichit Police Lt Patcharee Wongboon told the Gazette. Firefighters from the Wichit office of the Department…
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Bangla shooter charged for attempted murder
PHUKET: A man wanted for shooting another four times in Bangla early yesterday morning surrendered to police that same afternoon, after a warrant was issued for his arrest. The shooter, Thanapon Pankaew, also handed over a 9mm pistol and magazine that he admittedly used during the altercation. The victim, Sayan Padungsap, 35, was shot four times and admitted to the…
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US backs resumption of China-Philippines talks on South China Sea
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community US backs resumption of China-Philippines talks on South China Sea Phuket Gazette / Reuters VIENTIANE: US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday he supported the resumption of talks between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea, following an international court ruling against…
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Inspectors back at Jungceylon shopping mall
PHUKET: Inspectors from Patong Municipality examined columns at Jungceylon shopping mall today to determine whether it is safe to reopen areas of the complex to shoppers. Work to reinforce columns in the mall’s parking area has been underway since June 5, shortly after it was discovered that some pillars in that area were damaged (story here). Kathu District Chief Sayan…
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Tsunami warning buoy out of action
PHUKET: A tsunami warning buoy off of Phuket’s west coast has been broken since at least March, officials confirmed yesterday. News of the buoy’s malfunction was reported on the public Facebook page ‘Phuket Quake Watcher (PQW)’, a group that monitors Phuket’s weather forecasts and seismic activity, on June 21. PQW members wrote that one of the buoys donated by the…
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Cape Panwa Raceweek wraps up after controversial contest
PHUKET: After three days of challenging conditions and tough racing, the sailors were looking for a final day bang. However, Principal Race Officer Simon James and team left the sailors onshore as they headed off in search for wind, which turned into a search for the proverbial needle in a haystack. It was never found. While the sailors enjoyed the…
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Girl abandons baby in gas station toilet
KRABI: An 18 year-old Songkla student living in Phuket allegedly abandoned her newborn baby girl in a Krabi gas station toilet bowl yesterday. Police in Trang province were warned by officers in Krabi that the newborn’s mother was aboard a Songkla-bound bus from Phuket. Nayong District police in Trang reportedly checked passengers on every bus until they identified a female…
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Chinese drivers entering Thailand drops to zero
CHIANG MAI: The flow of Chinese tourists entering northern Thailand by road in their own vehicles has dried up completely after the introduction of tough new regulations making it too costly and time consuming for them. Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce deputy chief Pakaimass Viara said yesterday that no Chinese tourists have crossed the border at the R3A Highway through…
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Krabi thief chops off cow’s tail
KRABI: A Krabi villager was dismayed to discover that an unknown thief had chopped off and stolen his cow’s tail when he left the animal out to graze overnight. Udom Yala, 37, a villager from Khao Khram in Krabi, said that his cow is still in pain, despite the incident having taken place three months ago. The 13-year-old cow, named…
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Cruise ship port for Samui
SAMUI: Government officials are getting excited about making Koh Samui a hub for cruise ship tourism to Thailand. Officials met with private-sector cruise ship experts while touring a ship docked off of Samui’s gulf coast yesterday. The tour comes after last week’s announcement by the government in Bangkok that it has approved a plan to build a cruise port on…
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Buses aim to compete with low cost airlines
PHUKET: THE Transport Company Limited has launched one hundred new 15-meter-long buses to compete with the rapidly rising number of flights on low-cost airlines, the company revealed on its 86-year anniversary earlier this month. “The new buses contain extra-comfortable seats; lockers above every seat; free wifi; and a modern entertainment service for watching movies and sports matches,” said company chairman…
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Kathu to Bangwad bike route rolled out
PHUKET: The Kathu Municipality Office in collaboration with Phuket Gazette partner Nation TV and Mitsubishi Motors held a cycling event starting from the municipality office on July 17 to promote a new bike route. The event was named ‘Enjoy together in Nature – Bike routes @Kathu’, aiming to boost cycling trends and promote local tourism in Kathu. “During this wonderful…
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On Deck: Better co-ordination in the marine industry
PHUKET: Almost three weeks of back-to-back yachting events in Phuket sounds great, right? December is set to be a veritable orgy of regattas, boat shows, lavish cocktail parties, gala dinners, pomp and glam – it’s an all-out marine love-in and it starts with the 30 year old Phuket King’s Cup Regatta from December 3-10 at Kata Beach Resort & Spa.…
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Rose renews role as official TYS Ambassador
PHUKET: The Thailand Yacht Show (TYS) team has announced that Rose Maitland-Smith has renewed her role as the show’s official Ambassador. The second TYS, for which the Phuket Gazette continues as National Media Partner, is set to take place at Ao Po Grand Marina, December 15-18. The show will give visitors access to a large cross-section of exhibitors, including international…
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Business Buzz: Keeping up with tech trends
PHUKET: If you’ve been following this column regularly, then you will be aware of the statistics on the soaring increases in use of the Internet and Social Media in recent years. Coupled with this is the substantial increase in the use of smart phones. Many platforms such as YouTube and Facebook have now specifically set up self-filling forms to assist…
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Suspect in Phuket Town shooting surrenders
PHUKET: One of the perpetrators involved in the Phuket Town slaying of a hill-tribe woman surrendered to Phuket City Police on Saturday. Police are reporting that the man claimed he was only the driver and knew nothing about the shooting before the gun was fired. On July 8, two suspects shot a woman in the head in a souvenir shop…
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Phi Phi fellatio puts couple in trouble
PHUKET: A farang couple surrendered to police yesterday after a video of them engaging in oral sex at a Phi Phi Island swimming pool went viral earlier this month. The Irish man and American woman were caught by locals at poolside on July 18. The video, which lasts about two minutes, shows locals asking the couple in poor English peppered…
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Island View: A little help is all I asked for
PHUKET: A few days ago, I had some business to take care of in Cherng Talay. On the way back, my car started smoking up and shut down in front of the 7-eleven near the Heroines’ Monument. I was a bit shocked and turned on the hazard lights for the safety of other drivers. I exited my car and asked…
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Migrant parents refuse to cremate daughter
KOH SAMUI: The father of a four-year-old girl killed by a pickup truck in a temple has stated he will refrain from cremating her body until his family receives compensation. In Thailand, it is customary to cremate the body of the deceased after their funeral rites are administered. The Burmese parents, Zo Ao, 49, and Cho Ma Rui, 43, held…
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Finance: A formula for prosperity
PHUKET: There is a fantastic equation that can be used in almost any decision you make in life. I learned this from the supplement company that I work with but it also applies to financial planning, life planning, and many other areas in life. The equation is simply X=Y. In the equation we can substitute any action for X so…
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