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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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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Overenthusiasm at Songkran
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 Stephff.…
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Opinion: The conundrum of Phuket International Airport prices
PHUKET: Although it took years to act, the Ministry of Commerce is to be commended for finally ordering an end to blatant overpricing on the most basic of consumer goods at Phuket International Airport: food and bottled water. As so artfully pointed out by the airport’s chief financial officer, high prices for consumer goods at airports is hardly a phenomenon…
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Temporary road closure on Chao Fa West tomorrow
PHUKET: Chao Fa West Road will be closed from 7am-6pm tomorrow so that construction work can be carried out on the Chalong Underpass, the Department of Highways told the Phuket Gazette today. “The northbound lane of Chao Fa West Road, in front of Home Pro, will be temporarily closed for removing power poles as part of the construction process,” said…
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Phuket commemorates Chakri Day
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada led local officials and community members in a ceremony this morning at Phuket Rajabhat University to commemorate Chakri Day. The public holiday marks the founding of the royal Chakri Dynasty in 1782, of which the present Thai monarch, HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the ninth king (Rama IX). “Today we paid our respects to the…
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Iceland PM steps down after Panama Papers tax scandal
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Iceland PM steps down after Panama Papers tax scandal Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Iceland’s Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson became the first major casualty of the Panama Papers revelations, stepping down on Tuesday after leaked files showed his wife owned an offshore firm with big…
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Mississippi enacts law that allows denying services to gays
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Mississippi enacts law that allows denying services to gays Phuket Gazette / Reuters U.S.: Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant on Tuesday signed a far-reaching law allowing people with religious objections to deny wedding services to same-sex couples and protecting other actions considered discriminatory by gay rights activists.…
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Similan “spearfishing boat’ banned from national park
PHUKET: The Similan Island’s liveaboard diving boat that a group of Hong Kong spearfishermen used during their recent hunting excursion has been banned from entering the national park for 30 days. Photos of Hong Kong spear fishermen showing off the bounty they hunted in the waters of the Andaman caused an uproar on social media as those online made allegations…
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Migrant workers jump ship, tangle fishing vessels in red tape
PHUKET: Migrant labors jumping ship for better paying jobs on other fishing vessels is causing a logistical tangle at the Port in – Port out Control Center (PIPO), which is stopping many boats from departing. “Many boats have not been allowed to leave because the number of crew members on the boat does not match with the PIPO database,” explained…
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Vietnam reports first Zika infections, raises alarm
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Vietnam reports first Zika infections, raises alarm Phuket Gazette / Reuters HANOI: Mosquitoes have infected two women with the Zika virus in Vietnam, health authorities said on Tuesday, in the country’s first cases of a disease linked in Brazil to thousands of suspected cases of microcephaly,…
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Karon Police too busy to cage slow loris touts
PHUKET: Karon Police admitted today that slow loris touts on the beach are not a high enough priority to merit the resources necessary to put them behind bars. “Tourists’ safety and the safety of their belongings is a bigger concern for us,” said Lt Col Pornnarong Karnonchai of the Karon Police. “We do our best to take care of smaller…
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Prosecutors open probes as world’s wealthy deny ‘Panama Papers’ links
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Prosecutors open probes as world’s wealthy deny ‘Panama Papers’ links Phuket Gazette / Reuters LONDON/PANAMA CITY: Authorities across the globe have opened investigations into the activities of the world’s rich and powerful after a cache of leaked documents from a Panamanian law firm showed possible wrongdoing…
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Police close net on trio of teen robbers
PHUKET: Police investigating a knife attack by three Thai males on four foreign tourists at Patong Beach on April 1 believe that the trio are from Trang Province and that they are also responsible for an attack on a Thai man later the same day. Two Russians and two Australians were injured in the altercation early Friday morning on Patong…
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Fisheries department launches e-licences to sustain fish stocks
PHUKET: The Phuket Fisheries Department launched an e-licencing system on April 1 aimed at regulating local fishing operations in order to sustain fish stocks by limiting commercial fishing in the province. The department has also warned operators of commercial fishing vessels to renew their licences by the end of the month or face stiff penatlies. “The Fisheries Act 2015 states…
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Tri-lingual tryst ‘Patong Girl’ premiers this month
PHUKET: A young German lad falls in love with the mysterious, native beauty Fai while on holiday in Thailand with his family. He follows his heart, but things get complicated… That’s the synopsis of Patong Girl, the latest tri-lingual movie co-produced by Thailand-based moviemaker Tom Waller. Set for release in Phuket on April 18 at SF Cinema at Jungceylon, Patong…
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Clean Phuket toilets to impress Songkran tourists, say officials
PHUKET: Armed with brushes and detergent, Phuket officials put on gloves and face masks to scrub down some of the island’s public toilets in an attempt to impress Songkran tourists this month. Last week, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul and Public Health Minister Piyasakon Sakolsattayatorn launched the WC OK: Happy Tourist Toilet campaign in Bangkok, which has since trickled…
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AccorHotels acquires DoubleTree Resort in Surin
PHUKET: AccorHotels announced on April 1 its expanded partnership with Destination Resorts Co Ltd to take over management of DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Phuket Surin Beach. Under the new management deal, the resort has now been re-branded as Novotel Phuket Surin Beach Resort, bringing to eight the number of AccorHotels managed by Novotel Resorts in Thailand. “The Novotel brand,…
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Bangkok Ombudsman pushes for Samkong underpass completion
PHUKET: After months of delays, the Samkong underpass is expected to be open later this month and be fully operational by May, it has been confirmed. Inspectors from the Ombudsman Office in Bangkok visited the construction site yesterday and confirmed the underpass should be open to traffic within the next few weeks. Boon Tapanadul from the Bangkok Ombudsman Office was…
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Spanish tourist arrivals on the up
PHUKET: The number of Spanish tourists visiting Thailand has risen by almost 30 per cent this year while the number of Russian tourists continues to rapidly decline, according to the latest figures released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Despite a drop in the overall number of European visitors to Thailand by about nine per cent, there was a…
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Fire threatens forest, leisure facilities in Cherng Talay
PHUKET: Fire fighters were called out this morning to tackle a blaze which broke out in Cherng Talay and threatened to spread to nearby forest and damage a golf course in the area. Witnesses say the fire started at about 11:00am. Cherng Talay fire chief Teerapol Sakpracha told the Phuket Gazette that fire fighters managed to bring the blaze under…
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Interior Ministry designates Phuket as pilot province for social enterprise initiative
PHUKET: The Interior Ministry has designated Phuket as a launch pad for a new government-backed social enterprise initiative to help grass-roots businesses flourish and contribute to bolstering the local economy. On a visit to Phuket to officially launch the nationwide initiative on March 31, Interior Minister General Anupong Paochinda said the aim of the initiative was to increase income for…
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Police seize 30kg of heroin smuggled on Taiwanese boat
BANGKOK: Police have detained at least three Taiwanese suspects for allegedly smuggling more than 30 kilograms of heroin into Thailand. An informed source said the suspects were nabbed at about 1:45am yesterday at Terminal 1 at Bangkok Port in Klong Toei district. They were aboard the Taiwanese-registered cargo ship Yang Ming, the source said. Police were looking for the captain…
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Video Report: Animatronics attraction lands in Phuket
PHUKET: Life-like dinosaurs, giant spiders and aliens have landed in Phuket on board the space ship Ghostinium; a new high-tech animatronic attraction which opened at Central Festival East today. The new indoor exhibition featuring a variety of robotic creatures is located on the third floor of the shopping center next to Homeworks. “Ghostinium offers a great, fun way for kids…
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Four tourists hurt in knife fight with robbers on Patong Beach
PHUKET: Police are hunting for three teenaged males involved in a knife fight with four foreign tourists on Patong Beach early this morning. “Russian nationals Anton Lukin, 30, and Aleksandra Obodova, 21, were both hospitalized with cuts to their hands sustained in the scuffle, which occurred at 4:30am in front of the Graceland Hotel on Taweewong Road. “Two Australians, Daniel…
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Mysterious fire guts house in Chalong
PHUKET: Authorities are trying to track down the owner of a house in Chalong that was gutted by fire this afternoon. The fire broke out at about 12:45pm at the single-storey residence situated in a row of terraced houses in Soi Songkun. “We believe the house is rented out by a foreigner, who was last seen leaving for work this…
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India flyover collapse kills 10 with 150 feared trapped
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community India flyover collapse kills 10 with 150 feared trapped Phuket Gazette / Reuters KOLKATA: India, An overpass under construction in the bustling Indian city of Kolkata collapsed on Thursday on to vehicles and street vendors below, killing at least 14 people with more than 100 people…
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Phuket beach makes cut for best in the world
PHUKET: Kata Noi Beach wiggled its way into the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards for best beaches in the world this year. The west-coast beauty spot ranked third best in Asia while Nai Harn Beach was awarded 6th place. Not too far behind Phuket were Phra Nang Beach and Railey Beach – both in Krabi. Kata Noi was also awarded first…
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B468k electricity bill shocks shophouse owner
PHUKET: The owner of a small shophouse in Vichit was shocked to get an electricity bill for almost half a million baht this week. Boonlert NokBanjong, 48, who has never paid more than 2,000 baht a month to power his single-storey shophouse, was stunned when his bill for March arrived demanding 468,182.82 baht. “I only use one air conditioner,” complained…
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Man fires gun in Phuket shellfish dispute
PHUKET: A Myanmar national was beaten to the ground inside a Phuket school after having discharged a firearm in a shellfish dispute at a nearby local market today. The 20-year-old man, named by police only as ‘Suriyan’, allegedly pulled the homemade gun on 64-year-old fresh food vendor Somjai Utsaha. “Mr Suriyan allegedly attempted to shoot Mr Somjai after he refused…
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Phuket to splash out B450k for animatronic Sea Gypsy Museum exhibit plans
PHUKET: Local officials are searching for a private company to draw up the exhibit plans for the soon-to-be animatronic Sea Gypsy Cultural Center, Rassada Municipality Chief Administrative Officer (palad) Dechakanee Leelanont told the Phuket Gazette today. “The Phuket Rajabhat University study group concluded their research into the history of the sea gypsies and the viability of using a 4D-exhibit model…
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A Decade Ago: Airline safety no April fools joke
PHUKET: The April 1, 2006 edition of the Phuket Gazette was no joking matter, as the European Commission (EC) blacklisted the now-defunct Phuket Airlines due to safety concerns. However, even as the Gazette went to press a decade ago, the company had applied to launch another airline, to be called Holiday Airplanes. Phuket is no stranger to horrific airline crashes,…
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