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Breaking News: Phuket parasailor falls from Patong sky
PHUKET: A crowd is growing on Patong Beach after a Phuket parasailing operator lost his grip on the parachute ropes and tumbled from the sky. “The man landed on the sand and broke his arm, but at this point that is all I know,” DDPM-Patong officer Sampawat Wannasangkam told the Phuket Gazette as he rushed to the scene. — Saran…
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Opinion: Phuket beach cleanups – drastic, but necessary
PHUKET: The complete removal of beach lounger and umbrella sets from Phuket’s beaches is a drastic yet necessary step to completely rid the sands of illegal encroachment. It may be a bitter pill to swallow, especially for those who have lost their jobs, but we need to start from ground zero in order to set the stage for a new…
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The future of the resident farang lingers in limbo
PHUKET: Visa runners are now being relegated to history; with no more back-to-backs, it’s the end of an era. This will have a marked impact on the demographics of the island and Thailand as a whole. All those working on a wing and a prayer will now be shown the exit door once and for all, and potentially blacklisted. All…
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Phuket poor receive food donations ahead of Hungry Ghost Festival
PHUKET: More than 1,500 of Phuket’s poorest showed up at the Kusoldharm Foundation’s headquarters yesterday to receive food and clothing donations as part of the annual Te Krajard merit-making ceremony. “This year, we handed out scholarships to needy students from local schools and 2,600 five-kilogram bags of rice. We also distributed clothes and packages of dry foodstuff to about 1,500…
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Man feared drowned near iconic Phuket cape, found safe, drunk
PHUKET: Fears that a second man within a week had slipped to his death from the rocks at Phuket’s iconic Promthep Cape were dispelled late last night after the man was found alive – and drunk – nearly three hours later. Teerawat Prasomsub, 25, was reported missing by his family, visiting Phuket from Ranong. “The family said that they went…
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Today marks Thai Women’s Day
PHUKET: Various public and private sectors and women’s groups are joining hands with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security in organizing a celebration on Thai Women’s Day today in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. Each year August 1 marks the Thai Women’s Day in honor of Her Majesty the Queen, who is recognized as Mother of the…
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Lessons from the World Cup: Looking to the past to plan for the future
PHUKET: Research from the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) has found that the enthusiasm Brazilian businesses held for hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup plummeted over the past two years leading up to the event. However, while few business leaders predicted increased investment or increased profits as a result of Brazil hosting the competition, there is hope that infrastructure…
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Retirement planning is more than just investing
PHUKET: A common question that I get from potential clients is, “Why do I need a registered investment adviser? I can buy stocks on my own.” Well, retirement planning is more than just buying and selling stocks and bonds. The answer is that retirement involves not only investment planning, but it also involves tax planning. The best way to explain…
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Beachgoer baffled by black substance on Phuket beach
PHUKET: Phuket officials are attempting to establish the origins of a black substance found on Karon Beach by a horrified beachgoer last week. The investigation follows pictures sent to the Phuket Gazette by a beachgoer who stepped on an unknown black substance while walking on the popular beach. The beachgoer expressed concern about the possible pollutant and asked for answers…
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South African giraffe dies after ‘head hits bridge’
PHUKET: South Africa’s animal rights body is investigating the death of a giraffe that reportedly struck its head on a bridge while being transported along a motorway. Eyewitnesses say the giraffe, one of two on a truck, hit its head on a bridge on Johannesburg’s N1 motorway, reports the BBC. The vehicle then broke down and the driver had to…
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Job applicants should not be forced to do blood tests for HIV: Rights body
PHUKET: The National Human Rights Commission has condemned businesses that require job applicants to be tested for HIV, saying the move is a “clear violation of human rights”. The NHRC said requiring people to take a blood test could adversely affect people who do this, plus their families, both economically and socially. The agency was responding to complaints from the…
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Mountain bikers eye US$1mn in ‘toughest race on earth’
PHUKET: Mountain bikers tempted by the US$1 million (about 3.2mn baht) in prize money up for grabs in a new South African endurance race are given a warning before they sign up: “This could change your life, or end it”. Teams of two will have to come up with a US$10,000 entrance fee to race on December 3 in The…
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Rail mega-project could provide the economy much-needed stimulus
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Rail mega-project could provide the economy much-needed stimulus The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The state railway mega-project recently given the green light in part is expected to offer the economy a much-needed lift, while the funding sources could range from banks and public-private partnerships to…
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NCPO approves inheritance tax
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Inheritance tax gets NCPO nod The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: For the first time in the Kingdom’s modern history, Thais who are bequeathed fortunes by their wealthy relatives would have to start paying an inheritance tax under a Finance Ministry proposal that has already been…
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Thai group fleeing Libya to take flight home today
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai group fleeing Libya to take flight home today The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A group of Thai evacuees from unrest-plagued Libya will fly home today, General Tanasak Patima-pragorn, a deputy chief of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said yesterday. The…
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His Majesty appoints 200 National Legislative Assembly members
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community His Majesty appoints 200 National Legislative Assembly members The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: His Majesty the King has issued a royal command to appoint 200 members of the National Legislative Assembly. More than half of them are either former and active military officers as expected.…
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Gaza onslaught pauses as Israel agrees to three-day truce
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Israel, Hamas agree to three-day Gaza truce Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip have agreed to a three-day humanitarian truce to begin Friday morning, and negotiators from both sides will travel to Cairo to discuss a longer-term. The…
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The Cove to screen in Phuket
PHUKET: The award-winning documentary The Cove will be screened twice at Central Festival Phuket next week to raise awareness of how dolphins are caught at the Taiji Cove in Japan and sold for use in dolphinaria around the world. Central to the documentary, however, is how many of the dolphins are butchered and the meat sold to supermarkets. Confirmation of…
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Phuket entrepreneur takes to the skies
PHUKET: Perched on a steep hillside directly beneath the watchful gaze of the Big Buddha rests the compound that houses Helicam. Owned and operated by British national Phil Clark, the media production company, which specializes in aerial photography and videography, is just about to celebrate a dozen years of operating in Phuket. The anniversary will be highlighted by the upcoming…
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Foreign burglar caught on CCTV robbing Phuket homes
PHUKET: Police are hoping to identify a foreign man who was caught on CCTV robbing a home in Bang Jo, in Phuket’s west coast area of Cherng Talay, last Thursday. The area has been targeted by burglars for years, said Jo D’Hondt, a business partner of the high-end Diamond Condominium project (story here) in Bang Tao. “My house has been…
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Phuket teachers told not to worry about work permit crackdown – yet
PHUKET: Immigration officials have urged teachers in Phuket not to panic “right now” about visa and work permit crackdowns after Facebook rumors caused a stir in the online teacher community. “Please do not worry right now. We have yet to receive an order from the Phuket Immigration Chief to crack down on school teachers,” Immigration Inspector Tianchai Chompoo confirmed to…
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THAI Smile poised for relocation to Don Mueang
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand business news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community THAI’s Smile Air poised for relocation to Don Mueang The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thai Airways International Plc has prepared its budget Thai Smile Air for take-off from Don Mueang International Airport on August 8 to snatch passengers from low-cost competitors. The flag carrier…
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Libya asked to waive exit visa to facilitate evacuation of Thais
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Libya asked to waive exit visa to facilitate evacuation of Thais The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thailand is asking Libya to cancel its exit visa regulations in order to facilitate the evacuation of Thais living there, Manopchai Vongphakdi, director-general of the Foreign Ministry’s South Asia…
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Arrivals from West Africa on Ebola watch, fears grow of outbreak in Europe
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Arrivals from West Africa on Ebola watch, fears grow of outbreak in Europe The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thai authorities have joined the rest of the world in monitoring the spread of the Ebola virus and are closely screening all arrivals from West Africa, a…
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Pair charged with stealing rice worth Bt100m from warehouse
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Pair charged with stealing rice worth Bt100m from warehouse The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Two men were arrested yesterday and charged with theft after 98,000 sacks of rice worth about Bt100 million were found missing from a warehouse in Pathum Thani. The rice belonged to…
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Malaysian Formula E race postponed at PM’s request
THE MALAYSIAN round of the new electric Formula E series has been postponed because the country’s Prime Minister is unable to attend on the date originally scheduled, organizers said. The race in Putrajaya was due to be held on October 18 as the second round of the championship but will now take place on November 22. “The decision, which has…
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Carnage at U.N. school as Israel pounds Gaza Strip
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Carnage at U.N. school as Israel pounds Gaza Strip Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Israeli shelling killed at least 15 Palestinians sheltering in a U.N.-run school and another 17 near a street market on Wednesday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said, with no ceasefire in sight after more…
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Drug-resistant malaria now widespread in Southeast Asia
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Drug-resistant malaria now widespread in Southeast Asia Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Drug-resistant malaria parasites have spread to border regions of Southeast Asia, seriously threatening global efforts to control and eliminate the mosquito-borne disease, researchers said on Wednesday. The scientists, who analysed blood samples from 1,241…
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Video Report: Evaluating the profits and costs of Thailand’s rampant seahorse trade
SPECIAL REPORT Though not usually a fish specifically targeted by the fishing industry, an estimated 5.8 million seahorses are exported each year from Thailand, playing a large role in making the country the world leader in seahorse exports. With seahorse catch numbers dwindling and the charismatic creatures being added to CITES, the eyes of the world turn to Thailand. The…
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Phuket pushes for new taxis, new fares, amid new harsh penalties
PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) has proposed a slew of changes to create a new fleet of “standard metered taxis” to serve tourists and residents throughout Phuket. The proposed changes were handed to Col Somchai Ponatong of the Royal Thai Army’s 41st Military Circle, who will pass on the request to the PLTO headquarters and the National Council…
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