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Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort puts sustainability at its heart
The term sustainability is often thrown around as a buzzword in the hospitality industry, but at Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort, it’s genuinely part of their mission. Located in Makham Bay, just south of Phuket Town, the beautiful resort puts...
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Tourist killed in motorbike accident on Big Buddha Hill
PHUKET: A holidaymaker died after careening off the road leading to Big Buddha Hill yesterday afternoon. He had gone to the iconic Phuket destination to make merit with his girlfriend. Chaiya Teetuan, 37, died at the scene of the accident, at the curve near At Hill Adventure Tour Elephant Camp Phuket*, at about 4:30pm. He was wearing a helmet at…
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Phuket anti-government protesters break camp in face of martial law
PHUKET: The long-standing anti-government protest in Phuket led by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) broke down its stage last night out of respect for martial law which was decreed early yesterday. The PDRC protesters dominated Phuket Provincial Hall, forcing it to close for about four and half months before allowing it to re-open on April 8 (story here). Even…
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German expat Franky arrested on Austrian fraud charges
PHUKET: German expat Detlef Gerhard Hewer, 49, was arrested in Phuket yesterday afternoon on a warrant issued by a Thai court at the request of the Austrian embassy in Bangkok. Mr Detlef, better known by his nickname Franky, is wanted for fraud charges in Austria, Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police explained. “He was flown to Bangkok to…
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Phuket lifeguards to be back on duty by next Tuesday
PHUKET: Phuket lifeguards say they expect to sign their new contract and be back at work by next Tuesday at the latest and possibly as early as this Saturday. A dispute over the terms of the contract led lifeguards to walk off the beaches on April 27, when their last contract concluded (story here). One drowning death, that of 26-year-old…
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Business groups hail army move if there is no coup
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Foreign business groups hail army move if there is no coup The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Foreign chambers and business associations hope that the declaration of martial law will lead to an increase in security and safety, and eventually to a functioning government. Darren Buckley,…
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Army chief takes aim at political deadlock
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Army chief Prayuth takes aim at political deadlock The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: With martial law in place, Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha intends to bring together all stakeholders in the political conflict to break the deadlock, as he says the country cannot continue in…
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Martial law more bad news for embattled tourism industry
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Martial law more bad news for embattled tourism industry The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Tourists may start avoiding Thailand in droves now that the military has declared martial law, as many countries have issued advisories warning their citizens about the political crisis here. Travel and…
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Record levels of meth seizures in Asia: UNODC
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Record levels of meth seizures in Asia: UNODC The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Growing demand in East and Southeast Asia is leading to an expansion of global production and trafficking in methamphetamine and new psychoactive substances, according to a UN Office on Drugs and Crime…
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Victorious Modi fights tears in first address to India parliament
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Victorious Modi fights tears in first address to India parliament Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Narendra Modi fought back tears in an emotional first address to his party in India’s colonnaded parliament house on Tuesday, after the Hindu nationalist swept to power in an election that…
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Phuket police arrest man for rape of woman, her 14-year-old niece
PHUKET: Police arrested a Phuket resident today for the rape of a 24-year-old Myanmar national and her 14-year-old niece in the forest along Ao Yon – Khao Khad Road on May 8. The man, who turned himself in, was charged with rape, rape of a person under the age of 15, and theft. The 44-year-old suspect has denied all charges.…
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Chief departs Phuket with park encroachment raids
PHUKET: As his last major act as chief of Sirinath National Park, Cheewapap Cheewatham this morning led 50 officers on raids of businesses deemed to be illegally built on national park land near Nai Thon Beach. “Seven new shops – six on the beach, one on the beachfront road – have been built without permission from Sirinath National Park and…
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Phuket Governor off island to report to army base
PHUKET: Bangkok’s appointed leader to the island, Phuket Governor Maitri Insthusut, departed this morning to report to the Royal Thai Army base in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. Governor Maitri’s trip comes in the wake of Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha’s declaration of martial law, which took affect at 3am today (story here). Governor Maitri is expected to arrive at the base…
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Martial law not a coup, says Army chief
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘This is not a coup’ says Thai army, as martial law declared Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thailand’s army declared martial law nationwide this morning to restore order after six months of street protests that have left the country without a proper functioning government, but denied…
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Sun still shining in Phuket, despite martial law order
PHUKET: The declaration of nationwide martial law as of 3am today has left Phuket officials unperturbed. “Officials are just working as usual,” Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa told the Phuket Gazette this morning. The martial law order, essentially giving the army control of the country, was issued by Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha (story here). After more than six months…
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Krabi squatters protest police force after man is shot
PHUKET: About 100 people rallied outside Krabi City Hall yesterday to condemn the police and related officials for using excessive force to disperse their rally on Sunday. The group also called for Krabi Governor Prasit Osathanont to launch an investigation and mete out punishment to those behind the incident on the Southern Sea Board Road, in which a protester reportedly…
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Army declares martial law
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Army chief declares martial law The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha Tuesday declared martial law that covers the entire nation. Martial law took effect at 3am. Gen Prayuth stated that the declaration was necessary to prevent people from committing violence and…
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Cop denies pulling trigger in Phuket drive-by shooting
PHUKET: A police officer who left the Saraphan Pleng Pub in Chalong shortly before a fatal shooting early Friday morning appeared at the Chalong Police Station Saturday to declare his innocence. The Phuket Provincial Police officer, who police have declined to name, fell under suspicion after officers questioned staff at the pub about the murder of Nuchsika Klasuek, 35, who…
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Exercising off-duty cop nabs two animal touts in Phuket
PHUKET: An off-duty police officer leaped from his bicycle and arrested two out of six men on Soi Bangla who were offering tourists photo opportunities with animals yesterday. Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho swooped in to make the arrest of the six men after seeing them touting four iguanas and two slow lorises. He quickly arrested Suchai Jaroenpu, 32, from Phang…
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Tourist drowns, first victim of lifeguard-less Phuket beaches
PHUKET: A tourist drowned at a lifeguard-less Phuket beach yesterday afternoon, after a budget debacle delayed the signing of the Phuket Lifeguard contract. Supachet Ngamsong, 26, from Northern Thailand, had just finished dinner with five friends when he went into the sea alone at Karon at about 5pm, said Karon Police Deputy Superintendent Sopon Borrirak. “He called out for help…
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Chalong top cop back at work in home station
PHUKET: Chalong Police Superintendent Krittapas Dazintharasorn, who was transferred to the Thalang Police Station in early April when he and his officers came under fire for alleged extortion, returned to take up the reins in Chalong on May 1. The charges against the Chalong police were filed in the wake of 20 dive instructors being rounded up by Chalong cops…
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Phuket sea gypsies offered free land in relocation deal
PHUKET: The provincial government has organized 50rai of land for the sea gypsy families living on Koh Sireh who are being sued by a private developer for allegedly squatting on private land. “Other sea gypsy families are living in houses allegedly built on private land, but have yet to face legal action,” explained Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa at a…
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West Ham United FC Academy to train Phuket youths
PHUKET: Having trained English Premier League stars Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard Jr, West Ham Academy’s coaches are coming to Phuket to do what they do best – teach others to play at the top of their game. The Elite Residential Soccer Course Phuket 2014, organized by the Bangkok Soccer School and featuring West Ham United FC Academy…
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Phuket officials vote to halt dredging of marina canal
PHUKET: The dredging of the Koh Kaew Canal, which provides access to two key marinas on the east coast of Phuket, has stopped due to environmental concerns. Sasorn Sassadeekul of the Marine Office Region 5 headquarters in Phuket agreed to halt the dredging of the canal at the request of Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak at a meeting at Provincial…
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Running after dark – Thanyapura Neon Night Run
PHUKET: Grab your glow sticks and get ready for the inaugural Neon Night Run, a glow-in-the-dark family fun run at Thanyapura Phuket. Entrance to the five-hour neon-themed races and festivities costs 300 baht and will kick off at 5pm on May 31. The fun run is stacked with events with four fun-run categories for kids, ranging from 500 meters up…
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Wanted: Phuket home for Chinese Consulate
PHUKET: Unable to find a suitable property for the new Chinese Consulate in Phuket, officials from the Chinese embassy sought advice from Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa on Thursday. “We will certainly have a consulate in Phuket, and it will be open as soon as possible,” said Vice-Consul Wang Huijian, who will head the new consular office. “We have four…
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Jungceylon Patong sees first quarter spike in clients
PHUKET: Jungceylon Patong has announced a 20 per cent increase in clients for the first quarter this year over its figures during the same period in 2013. The increase has resulted in the daily averages at the Phuket shopping mall jumping from 45,000 – 50,000 visitors a day to 50,000 – 55,000, explained Chief Executive Officer of Jungceylon Patong Phuket…
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Serial sunscreen shoplifter snagged in sunny Phuket
PHUKET: A sunscreen shoplifter was arrested with over 20 bottles of the lotion by Phuket Police yesterday afternoon. Daoruang Budda, 31, was identified by police from CCTV footage at a Family Mart convenience store in Patong. “After we got the description out, one of our officers spotted her riding a motorbike in Patong. We followed and approached her at the…
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Rescued snorkeller stabilized, returns to Canada by air ambulance
PHUKET: After a tragic snorkelling accident that left him in the ICU for nearly a month, Canadian national Mike Reynolds and his medical team departed from Phuket Thursday afternoon and landed safely in Canada last night. Mr Reynolds, 73, suffered a drowning-induced heart attack while snorkelling off the coast of Phi Phi Island on April 22. After about 30 minutes…
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Save the living dead: put down the smartphones
PHUKET: Having recently become addicted to the American TV show The Walking Dead, where the survivors of a zombie-virus plague battle for survival in the post-apocalyptic landscape of America, I couldn’t help but think about a more insidious zombie plague that is slowly taking over the world. The zombies are all around us, everywhere… they could be your best friend,…
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Balancing good and bad in a digital age
PHUKET: There is an apocryphal “curse” attributed to the ancient Chinese that is typically rendered as: “May you live in interesting times”. While its origins are sketchy at best, its popularity appears to be growing in this new era of digital information overload. The days of a popular culture developed through a limited mainstream media are long gone. Content consumers…
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