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Opinion: Change Phuket’s tired old safety script
PHUKET: The high season is well upon us and the Marine Department and related agencies are working hard to ensure tourist safety at sea. Despite relatively calm conditions at this time of year, the highly-seasonal ‘feast or famine’ nature of Phuket tourism makes this a stressful period for those responsible for public safety offshore. This is due primarily to the…
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Phuket Gov slashes accidental death target by more than half
PHUKET: Safety on the roads and waterways in and around Phuket is a “top priority” for the high season, Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan has declared, as is customary at provincial hall this time of year. In a meeting with police, disaster prevention officials and public health department heads on December 7, Governor Chokchai set a target of less than 50…
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French tourists robbed in Phuket
PHUKET: A man was arrested for robbing a French couple in Cherng Talay last night. The tourists (whose names have been withheld by police request) flew back to France this morning after being reunited with their belongings shortly after the incident occurred. “According to the couple’s statement and witnesses’ accounts, they were walking near Zscape Condo, between Cherng Talay and…
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Crash victim impaled in grisly Phuket collision, one critical in ICU
PHUKET: A man ended up in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and a woman was severely injured in a gruesome high-speed motorbike collision in Thalang yesterday morning. Captain Suporn Muangkhai of Thalang Police received reports of the incident about 6:30am and arrived at the scene on Khaow Laan intersection, Srisoonthorn Road to find Kitti Chareonrat, 37, lying underneath a motorbike…
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Two injured as truck crashes into utility pole in Phuket
PHUKET: Two people were injured when a trailer truck carrying a backhoe crashed into an electric pole in Phuket’s Thalang yesterday afternoon. Thalang Police received news of the crash on Thepkrasattri Road northbound at about 3:45pm. Officials and rescue workers rushed to the scene where they found the truck trapped in a jumble of wires. “The front side of the…
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Teen robbery suspect on the run after bag snatch arrest
PHUKET: A suspected 19-year-old thief is on the run after escaping from police custody today while he was being questioned about his involvement in a failed ride-by robbery attempt on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town yesterday (story here) The teen was arrested after he and an accomplice allegedly snatched a bag from a female student on a motorbike, who…
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Kazakhstani tourist dies after falling from Phuket hotel
PHUKET: A Kazakhstani tourist died after falling from the balcony of a 5th floor hotel room in Patong early this morning. Patong Police Chief Lt Col Weerapong Rakhito received reports of the incident at about 4am from the D1 Hotel on Phra Metta Road. “We arrived to find the 42-year-old man still alive, lying face up on the asphalt with…
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Phuket student chases down bag snatchers
PHUKET: A brave university student kept her cool and chased down a couple of bag snatchers in Phuket Town yesterday afternoon, leading to one robber’s arrest, as well as the retrieval of her belongings. The victim, named by police as Chompoonut Noparat, was riding a bike on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town when a man and a woman on…
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Phuket’s new marine chief talks safety
PHUKET: Surat Siriasaiyas is currently the chief of the Phuket Marine Office. He was appointed to the post after six months of Phuket having only an acting head, since ex-chief Phuriphat Theerakulpisut was transferred to Nonthaburi in February. Here, he talks about his major concerns regarding marine safety and management in Phuket. The hot issues in the marine industry in…
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Phuket officials warn locals against eagle attacks
PHUKET: Officials have issued a warning to Kamala locals to beware of an eagle that has attacked four people since Sunday. Details of the incidents were shared on social media by Seree Lapmak, deputy president of the Kamala OrBorTor. “I believe that the eagle was either released or escaped from somewhere. There have been four injuries so far, with some…
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Parked car bursts into flames
PHUKET: A car parked outside an apartment in Talad Nua spontaneously caught fire yesterday afternoon. The vehicle’s owner, Nathanan Ubonkun, had parked the car in a space behind Poopara Apartment in the morning and left it there, returning at 12:40, after being told by locals that her car was on fire. The inside of the car on the driver’s side…
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Island View: Train road workers in Phuket
PHUKET: Travelling in my car along Thepkrasattri Road at dusk from Thalang the other day, I hit a strip of the three-lane highway that was being resurfaced. The roadwork crew had enough forethought to put a grimy 40km/hr speed limit sign on the median strip, just before motorists hit the edge of the freshly gouged surface, as well as a…
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True breeze brings King’s Cup Regatta to a close on high note
PHUKET: The final day of racing off Kata Beach for the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta on Saturday saw all classes of boats competing in only one race each, making the most of good winds in the afternoon after light conditions earlier in the day. A royal award ceremony presided over by HE Air Chief Marshal Chalit Pukbhasuk, personal representative of…
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Police crash victim succumbs to head injury
PHUKET: A Phuket City Police officer involved in a collision in Thalang on December 1 succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, after fighting for his life for nine days at the Intensive Care Unit at Vachira Phuket Hospital. The 23-year-old officer, Lance Corporal Thanakorn Jimjuan, suffered a severe head injury after crashing into a metal barrier surrounding the Heroines’ Monument…
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Property Watch: Not everything can be ‘unique’
PHUKET: No other word suffers as much abuse in the Phuket property market as the word ‘unique’, to the extent that the misuse itself is almost unique. The word is important for property investors, because the ‘Unique Selling Point’ is a factor that ought to be addressed at an early stage of investment. However, items that are not unique could…
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Man found dead at home, roommate missing
PHUKET: A construction worker was found dead in his room in Patong yesterday afternoon. Police are looking for his roommate, who disappeared after he was seen drinking with him Thursday night. “We received a report at about 12:30pm of a dead man in a room on Pisitkoranee Road,” said Lt Sirinat Cherdchutrakulthong of the Patong Police. “When we arrived, we…
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Relief kits distributed to flood-hit southern provinces
PHUKET: The provincial Public Health Office yesterday morning sent relief packages of food and medical supplies to flood-hit southern provinces including Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Trang, Phatthalung and Songkhla. Residents in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Pak Phanang district have urged state agencies to help drain floodwater from the Pak Phanang River Basin before their farms, including rubber, oil palm and…
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Compromise reached with new site for Patong vendors
PHUKET: The long-standing dispute between Patong Municipality and Loma Park vendors regarding expiration of rental contracts and alleged violation of beach management rules was concluded after both parties reached an agreement yesterday afternoon. A meeting between the two parties held on November 1 was chaired by Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamorthan and lasted several hours. It ended in a deadlock, however,…
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Police pony patrol trial trotted out at Surin Beach
PHUKET: Police officers saddled up on ponies at Surin Beach this morning on the first day of a trial to have mounted police patrol the sands during the high season. The horses have been employed at the beach to make it easier for police officers to get across the sand, after they found it difficult trudging along the beach on…
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Phuket social club asks for donations for flood victims in Nakhon Sri Thammarat
PHUKET: A social club in Phuket representing people from Nakhon Sri thammarat has called for donations to help flood victims in their hometown, over 100 schools have been closed and more than 261,000 residents affected (story here). Phuket Provincial Public Relations Chief Busaya Jaipiam also reiterated the donation request yesterday morning. Club members have asked for uncooked rice, dried foods,…
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Monk demands that bank hand over missing money
PHUKET: An elderly Buddhist monk baffled Krungsri Bank staff this morning at a branch on Thepkrasattri Road when he insisted on withdrawing 20,000 baht from his account – an amount he had withdrawn the previous day. A security guard at the bank called in ‘reinforcements’ from Phuket City Police to handle the precarious situation that ensued, as the monk dropped…
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Krabi locals selling palm seeds to boost income
PHUKET: Krabi locals have managed to find a new way to fill up their pockets with extra cash every month by collecting palm seeds (look chok) from nearby forests. Originally earning a regular income from rubber plantations, an additional income of 15,000 baht per month comes by collecting look chok and using them to make and sell desserts in their…
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Opinion: 10-year visas not accessible to all
PHUKET: A plan to introduce 10-year visas for ‘senior’ foreigners makes sense overall, but we hope those drafting the legislation can find a way to fine-tune it so a wider range of long-term expats, many of whom have contributed much to the Kingdom, can also qualify. Under the recently-revealed plan (story here), the 10-year visas would be realistically obtainable to…
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Australian tourist hurt in parasail fall at Patong Beach
PHUKET: An Australian tourist was hospitalized after she plunged five meters into the sea while parasailing in Patong yesterday afternoon. Sally-Ann Popovic, 26, reportedly fell out of the harness and plunged into the water below shortly after launching in front of the Banthai Resort on Patong Beach. Police questioned the boat driver, Wissanu Srabua, and his assistant, Weerachart Hon, who…
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Indonesian earthquake tremors felt in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga felt tremors of an earthquake that shook parts of Indonesia about 5am today. The earthquake measured 6.5 on the Richter scale, occurring 377km away in the Indian Ocean near Aceh, North Sumatra. Several deaths were reported and dozens of people were hospitalized with injuries. Many locals and expats in Phuket took to social media…
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Stern winds make for tough sailing on day 2 of King’s Cup Regatta
PHUKET: Stern winds, choppy seas and a spirit of competition on day two of the Phuket King’s Cup made for a fast and very tough day’s sailing Tuesday. Kevin Whitcraft’s THA72 team scored a double win, beating rival Ray Roberts and team by two clear minutes in the first race of the day (IRC0). In the IRC1 class, Mandrake III…
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Opinion: Inspiring the next generation of Phuket sailors
PHUKET: Capt Kritsada Rattanasupa, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, has been involved in the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta for several years. Here, he talks about how the navy supports the Regatta and about promoting sailing for the next generation of young sailors in Phuket. Sailing is one of those clever sports that involves…
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Austrian tourist dies while snorkeling in Krabi
PHUKET: A 75-year-old Austrian tourist ended up dead yesterday while snorkeling at Koh Rok, Krabi. His body arrived by boat this morning. “We received reports that the man’s friends were bringing his body to Chalong Pier early in the morning today. I notified the Austrian Consulate and told rescue workers and Chalong Police to receive the body and take it…
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Head-on collision kills two more tourists in Phuket
PHUKET: A head-on collision at Chao Fa West Road early this morning has left two more tourists dead. Police arrived to find a 38-year-old Korean woman, named as Hyemi Lee, standing by her car in shock at the scene in front of Dibuk Hospital. Her car had collided with the tourists’ motorcycle, which was jammed under its front right wheel.…
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Island View: Safety needs more than lip service
PHUKET: The province has seen an alarming number of road accidents and deaths this month. While these incidents aren’t isolated or unusual, they got me thinking about what efforts were being made to alleviate the situation, which led me to think of the helmet safety campaign implemented in January this year. The ‘one district, one road with 100 per cent…
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