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Sponsored Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Phuket Business: Amcham to host MICE tourism conference
PHUKET: The island’s growing MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) market is a key segment which can help Phuket attract quality visitors. On March 14 the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) has organized a tourism event at Angsana Laguna Phuket focusing on how to sustainably grow MICE business along with the British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) and the Australian-Thai…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Crimea joins Russia, Obama orders sanctions; Anwar faces sodomy verdict; India braces for elections
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Crimea votes to join Russia, Obama orders sanctions Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Crimea’s parliament voted to join Russia on Thursday and its Moscow-backed government set a referendum in 10 days’ time in a dramatic escalation of the crisis over the Ukrainian region that drew a…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Satish seeks royal pardon; Surapong to engage envoys; Satun in drought
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Satish appeals to HM over govt order to deport him The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Attempts were under way yesterday to stall a deportation order against Indian-born businessman Satish Sehgal for joining the anti-government protests. Satish, 70, yesterday petitioned His Majesty the King to intervene…
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Phuket motorcycle taxi driver nabbed for swiping wallet
PHUKET: Police arrested a Phuket man early yesterday morning for swiping a wallet from a tour guide counter in Patong. Patong Police received a complaint from 47-year-old tour agent Urailuck Chaiphan that her wallet had been stolen from the M.E.G. tour counter. “We investigated CCTV footage and saw that the suspect had a tattoo on his arm and was wearing…
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Governor Maitri Inthusut honors Phuket Gazette’s 20th anniversary
PHUKET: Managers and staff members past and present were joined by more than 500 business leaders, readers, writers and friends of the island’s main newspaper to celebrate the 20th anniversary milestone of the Phuket Gazette at a party hosted by founder and publisher John Magee and wife Janpen Arno in Cherng Talay. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut, a regular columnist for…
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Patong police delay action on tourist extortion claims
PHUKET: Patong Police Acting Superintendent Sakchai Limcharoen confirmed today that no immediate action will be taken over claims that officers under his new command stand accused of extorting money from tourists. The news follows Phuket expats who assist the Patong Police as Region 8 International Volunteers revealing in a public statement yesterday that several of them had resigned over an…
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Phuket teacher recovering after blood donations allow for safe surgery
PHUKET: Donors answering an urgent call for A-negative blood allowed doctors to perform a four-hour operation to repair the fractured leg of Phuket teacher Dean Jackson last night. Mr Jackson, a teacher from HeadStart International School, was injured when he fell off his motorbike and rushed to the hospital with a broken leg (story here). “We are pleased to announce…
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Breaking News: Phuket tourists rescued from sinking boat off Phi Phi
PHUKET: All 47 European and Asian tourists and five crewmen have been safely rescued from a Phuket tour boat that started taking on water in Phang Nga Bay earlier today. Capt Wichai Chairap, 40, called for help after the tour boat Andavaree 919 started to struggle amid strong waves near Koh Gai off the coast of Krabi at 11:30am. The…
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Phuket Airport taxis face undercover sting operation
PHUKET: In an effort to compel airport metered taxi drivers to turn on their meters, Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada will send policemen to pose as tourists in a sting operation. “If the undercover officers find a taxi driver who refuses to turn on his meter, we will arrest him immediately,” Vice Governor Chamroen said. The move follows a complaint the…
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Drug dealer turns in Phuket suppliers
PHUKET: Police seized more than 3.7 million baht of property after a Phuket drug dealer gave up his suppliers Tuesday night. “We first arrested Kiatipoom ‘Tak’ Rangubwong, 34, in possession of 338 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills,1.8 grams of ya ice (crystalmethamphetamine) and drug paraphernalia at his house on Thung Thong Road at about 11pm,” said Col Jaroon Bangprasert of the…
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Breaking News: Phuket expat volunteers quit over police corruption allegations
PHUKET: At least five long-term Phuket expats who have spent years assisting police as volunteers in Patong have resigned over allegations that police officers have extorted money from tourists. The Region 8 International Volunteers who work out of Kathu Police Station – the formal name for the police station in Patong – met today to discuss their concerns about working…
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Phuket expat volunteers strike amid Patong Police fallout
PHUKET: The ousting of Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan on Monday has prompted expat police volunteers in Phuket to go on strike. Expat police volunteers will no longer assist police or carry out their highly-praised night patrols of Patong until a clear structure is established, explained Wal Brown, long-term Phuket expat and head co-ordinator of the Royal Thai Police Region…
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Phuket Marine Police conduct boat safety raids
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office conducted safety inspections of speedboats, dive boats and other vessels geared toward tourism at Chalong Pier yesterday. “It is our responsibility to continually check on the boats and strictly enforce regulations to ensure the safety of passengers,” Chatchai Sakdee of the Phuket Marine Police said. Police confirmed that the boats were not carrying more than…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Russia test-fires ICBM amid tension over Ukraine
PHUKET: Russia said it had successfully test-fired an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on Tuesday, with tensions high over its seizure of control in the Crimea and its threat to send more forces to its neighbour Ukraine. The Strategic Rocket Forces launched an RS-12M Topol missile from the southerly Astrakhan region and the dummy warhead hit its target at a proving…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Interpol fugitives nabbed in Bangkok; Police seize weapons in South; Thai billionaires hit 11; B20bn for rice farmers next week
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police seize several caches of weapons in raids The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Nakhon Si Thammarat police announced yesterday that they had seized 177 guns, 1,440 bullets and two M26 grenades from 179 suspects in raids and checkpoints from February 17-28.A self-proclaimed anti-government protest guard,…
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Phuket mini-crepe maker saved from sharks, gets gift of a lifetime
PHUKET: A Phuket vendor who saw his only source of livelihood – a mini-crepe cart – go up in smoke was able to avoid going to loan sharks to replace it because of help from an unlikely source, a New Zealander who has been to the province only twice. Prayoon Inpuang, 44, was preparing to sell mini-crepes in Phuket Town…
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Urgent call for blood to save Phuket teacher
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) is urgently calling for donations of A-negative blood in order to save the life of Dean Jackson, a teacher who was injured in a motorcycle accident. “We received a request from Phuket International Hospital for two units of A-negative blood to save the patient’s life,” PRBC Chief Pornthip Rattajak told the Phuket Gazette…
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Burning rubber in dry grass leads to flaming car
PHUKET: A man trying to free his girlfriend’s new car from the sand of a Phuket beach yesterday sent it up in flames instead. “My boyfriend tried for 30 minutes to drive out of the sand, but it wasn’t working, so we kept increasing our speed. Then the engine suddenly caught fire,” said Nutcharee Madkatep, 37. “I only bought the…
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Phuket Business: Making gym cool again
PHUKET: There sure are some exiting sports out there – diving, rock climbing, free running, gym fitness training… wait, the gym? It might be challenging and fulfilling but few would call it exciting. At least this is how things were up until now. A new place here in Phuket is on a mission to change that image. “Unit-27 has been…
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Phuket tuk-tuk blockade ousts Patong Police superintendent
PHUKET: A 200-strong tuk-tuk blockade last night ended with Phuket’s top cop agreeing to meet the drivers’ demands, which included transferring the Patong Police superintendent. The blockade formed after four tuk-tuk drivers were arrested yesterday afternoon for not allowing green plate taxi drivers to use public parking spots on Thaweewong Road, said Sakol Srisompoch, president of the Patong tuk-tuk drivers…
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Woman saved from Phuket mob after fatal motorbike collision
PHUKET: Rescue workers saved a Phuket woman from the wrath of an angry mob in Pa Khlok early yesterday evening after her car struck a local man and dragged him to his death. The accident occurred in Baan Bangla, about two kilometers east of the Heroines Monument (map here), at about 6:30pm, Lt Chatree Chuwichian of the Thalang Police told…
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Phuket Provincial Hall fails to re-open
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Hall did not re-open yesterday as anticipated after People’s Democratic for Reform Committee (PDRC) leader Suthep Thaugsuban announced the end of the Bangkok Shutdown. “As I told you on Saturday, the stage in front of Provincial Hall will remain standing until I receive word from Bangkok to dismantle it,” said Phuket protest co-ordinator Amnuay Kumban (story here).…
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Phuket restaurant owner saves the month for woman in Cherng Talay
PHUKET: A Phuket restaurant owner saved the day for a woman who left behind her entire month’s living allowance in a motorcycle basket Sunday morning. The 47-year-old Kamala restaurant owner found 6,620 baht and an identification card outside CP Fresh Mart in Cherng Talay, said Peerasit Noopayan of the Cherng Talay Police. “Pradit Samohthong came immediately to the station and…
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Soderlund to appeal conviction for Phuket murder
PHUKET: Tommy Soderlund, convicted of the 2011 stabbing murder of fellow Swede Maxim Schantz and sentenced to life in prison, will appeal the decision, his lawyer confirmed today. The life sentence was handed down this morning. On January 24, Johan Sebastian Ljung was also sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Mr Schantz (story here). He is also…
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Two Phuket tourist vans collide, injuring six
PHUKET: Two tourist vans collided last night near the main Tesco Lotus in Samkong, injuring six. One tourist and both drivers remain in the hospital today. A Maikhao Sakoo Co Ltd van driven by Sulaiman Udom had picked up tourists at the airport and was headed west on Phra Phuket Kaew Road to Patong when a Tez Tour Thailand van…
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’12 Years a Slave’ wins best picture Oscar
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ’12 Years a Slave’ wins best picture OscarPhuket Gazette / The NationPHUKET: Harrowing historical drama “12 Years a Slave” won the coveted best picture Oscar on Sunday and Mexican Alfonso Cuaron won the best director for 3D space drama “Gravity” at the climax of the 86th Academy…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Re-election turnout low; US shocked by deaths of children; Protesters on the move
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Low turnout in re-elections Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: RE-RUNS of the widely disrupted general election opened peacefully yesterday in five provinces, poll authorities said, in the first move to complete a troubled vote that could provide a mandate for a new government. But the…
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Breaking News: Swede gets life for stabbing murder
PHUKET: Swedish national Tommy Soderlund was today sentenced to life imprisonment for the stabbing murder of Maxim Schantz in Phuket two years ago.He was also ordered to pay compensation to the victim’s family. However, the court has yet to verify the amount.Tommy Viktor Soderlund, 28, stood accused of the murder along with Johan Sebastian Ljung, also 28. Mr Ljung recieved…
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Heroines’ Memorial Festival kicks off in Phuket today
PHUKET: The annual Heroines’ Memorial Fair kicked off today in Thalang, and will be running strong with historical and cultural activities to honor Thao Thepkrasattriand Thao Srisoonthorn for the next two weeks. “The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO), Phuket Culture Office and other local organizations are once again putting on the fair to honor the heroism of Lady Thepkrasattri and…
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6-year-old, aunt killed in Phuket motorbike crash
PHUKET: A 6-year-old girl and her 17-year-old aunt died in a motorbike accident after a pickup truck allegedly cut across multiple lanes of traffic in Pa Khlok yesterday. Rescue workers and Thalang Police rushed to the scene of the crash on Pa Khlok-Muangmai Road near Baan Bangla Mosque at about 3:45pm. “We found Rachada Pongpongsuwan, 17. Sunisa Nontri, her niece,…
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