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Phuket Pads: The island’s chalk and cheese
PHUKET: Phuket is, in many ways, becoming similar to Pattaya, with more and more cheap condos popping up in Patong, Kathu and other areas of the island. One-bedroom units from 1-3 million baht are becoming the norm to cater to the once-a-year tourist, and Thai investors are becoming eager to make an investment in Phuket’s booming property market. CHALK AND…
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Tackling drug use among Phuket’s Muslim youths
Pol Sen Sgt Maj Komon Dumluck, president of Narcotics Protection and Suppression of the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand, was born in Phuket on April 5, 1967. He graduated from Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok with a BA and MA from the Faculty of Political Science. He then want on to secure a PhD from Bangkok’s Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University in…
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Prosecutors agree to indict Yingluck
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nails in Yingluck’s coffin? The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Former PM Yingluck Shinawatra’s chances of avoiding impeachment on Friday got a lot slimmer yesterday after a joint working group of anti-graft officials and public prosecutors agreed to indict her on a long-standing criminal case. The…
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Exchange-rate volatility prompts call for urgent meet on baht
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Urgent meet sought on baht The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: In the wake of global currency volatility, the Board of Trade of Thailand and the Thai Chamber of Commerce will soon call for a meeting with the Bank of Thailand to discuss currency risk and…
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No evidence so far of terrorism in AirAsia crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community No evidence so far of terrorism in AirAsia crash Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Indonesian investigators said on Monday they had not found any evidence so far that terrorism was involved in the crash of an AirAsia passenger jet last month that killed all 162 people…
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Phuket fishing boat raid nets Myanmar illegals in human trafficking raid
PHUKET: A task force of officials from six government agencies today selected just three fishing boats at Rassada Pier to raid in a search for illegal migrant workers. The team found four suspects, who were all charged with entering and working in the country illegally. “They will be deported,” confirmed Phuket Immigration chief Col Sunchai Chokkajaykij. The task force was…
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![Star performers grace Phuket Food Fair [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_201512019389898_HtyySbvrOhpqIEmGdzxOaRbyxcMmpesCHgBBiems_jpeg.jpeg)
Star performers grace Phuket Food Fair [video]
PHUKET: A host of Thai celebrities are performing live in concert at the seventh annual Phuket Local Food Festival, which got underway at Saphan Hin tonight and will continue through Saturday. Governor Nisit Jansomwong helped cook up a monster batch of local dessert tu boh this evening as part of an official opening ceremony. Paiboon Upatising, president of the Phuket…
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Security concerns threaten Phuket concert for Myanmar nationals
PHUKET: The very first concert in Phuket dedicated to entertaining Myanmar nationals may yet be canceled for security reasons. Posters and billboards erected around Phuket Town promote the “Myanmar – Thai Cultural Relationship Concert” to be held in a field behind Bus Terminal 1 on Phang Nga Road on January 31. The event is to feature Myanmar celebrities R Zarni,…
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Phuket, give blood out of love
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) has invited all qualified island residents to make a blood donation in February – which holds Valentine’s Day dearly in its bosom. “We want people to donate their blood in this month of love, so that they can share their brotherly love for their fellow human beings,” said PRBC acting chief Pornthip Rattajak.…
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Phuket transport saga: A long, strange trip
PHUKET: Even as my bus was drawing into the new Phuket bus terminal, predators were circling the bus full of unsuspecting, defenceless, bus-lagged tourists who were dying for a fresh shower or a chance to jump straight into the sea. Little did they know that their short remaining journeys would cost them half as much – if not the full…
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Astrologer arrested for Haad Yai slaying, charged for second murder
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Astrologer arrested for Haad Yai slaying, charged for second murder The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend six years ago in Saraburi has been arrested again, this time on suspicion of killing Doungkhae Khunthongphetch, director of Wiriya Thian Witthaya School,…
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Prayut urged to act on gold mine, villagers face contamination tests
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Prayut urged to act on gold mine, villagers face contamination tests The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: People living near a gold mine in the central north are calling for Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to urgently intervene after hundreds of villagers were found to have…
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Argentine prosecutor who accused Fernandez of Iran plot found dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Argentine prosecutor who accused Fernandez of Iran plot found dead Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Argentine prosecutor whoaccused President Cristina Fernandez of orchestrating a cover-upin the investigation of Iran over the 1994 bombing of a Jewishcommunity center was found dead in his apartment, authoritiessaid on…
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Housewife wins new car in Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw
PHUKET: Chalong housewife Sompit Khaopong claimed a brand-new Toyota Altis 1.6, valued at more than 800,000 baht, as the grand prize in the annual Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw. Governor Nisit Jansomwong and his wife Mrs Nutsaree, who is the president of the Phuket Red Cross, presented the car to Mrs Sompit at the Phuket Red Cross head office…
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Yokohama FC arrives ahead of Phuket friendlies
PHUKET: About 50 players and support staff from the Japanese football club Yokohama FC arrived in Phuket this morning, ahead of their two friendly matches against Phuket FC at Surakul Stadium on January 22 and 25. The squad will be here until January 26. They will train at the Republic Phuket football field at Chaofa Thani housing estate on Chao…
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Phuket Aussies unite to provide mobility scooter for disabled Bangla vendor
PHUKET: A group of Australians in Patong will hold a fund-raising event at the Kangaroo Bar on Soi Bangla Friday night in order to provide a mobility scooter for long-term street merchant Wilaiwan “Wan” Damnui. “Wan works in Patong, around the Bangla Road area, selling various wares. She’s been here as long as I can remember, which is more than…
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Man injured in Phuket teen drive-by shooting
PHUKET: Police are struggling to establish a motive in the drive-by shooting of a man in Thalang this morning, allegedly carried out by Phuket teenagers. Officers arrived at the scene, on the Baan Ya-Baan Don Road, at about 7am to find a motorbike parked in front of a resident’s house and a blood stain on the ground. “The 49-year-old victim,…
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Bryde’s whale spotted north of Phuket
PHUKET: The sighting of a Bryde’s whale by tourists in the Surin Islands National Park off the coast of Phang Nga, north of Phuket, has raised hopes that the marine environment off the Andaman coast is improving. The whale was spotted swimming alongside a boat operated by Kuraburi-based Sabina Tours. “The tourists, who came from Phuket and Phang Nga to…
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Australia foreshadows diplomatic action if Indonesia executes ‘Bali 9’ pair
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australia foreshadows diplomatic action if Indonesia executes ‘Bali 9’ pair Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Australia could recall its ambassador to Indonesia if Jakarta executes two Australian citizens convicted of drug trafficking, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Monday, further straining fragile relations between the two…
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Finance: Five bad investments to avoid
PHUKET: While there are good investments that can turn into bad investments along with bad investments that can eventually turn into good investments, there are some that are generally always bad for investors. With that in mind, the following investments are ones you should either avoid or limit your exposure to: 1) Your employer’s stock: Legendary fund manager Peter Lynch…
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Sunloungers allowed during Patong Beach trial period
PHUKET: Though there will be no sunloungers available for rent in the special vendor zones on Patong Beach, beachgoers are allowed to bring their own, Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today. “Tourists are welcome to bring their own umbrellas, beach mats or sunloungers,” Ms Chalermluck said. “Or they can rent beach mats or umbrellas from vendors…
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Gov vows to make Phuket world-class yacht, cruise ship hub of SE Asia
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has vowed to make Phuket a world-class hub for yachts and cruise boats in Southeast Asia by putting his weight behind a multi-million-baht harbor expansion project at the island’s Deep Sea Port. The governor’s resolve follows a meeting on Tuesday headed by Minister of Transport Air Chief Marshall Prajin Janthong, who announced plans to make Phuket…
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10 per cent of Patong Beach not enough, says mayor
PHUKET: A three-month trial of a scheme to get beach vendors back to work in special zones along Patong Beach was launched on January 3, but the zones do not encompass enough space to cater to the volume of daily visitors, says the local mayor. The zones are roughly 100m-wide swaths of beach that extend down to about the waterline,…
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Dtac brings 4G to Phuket
PHUKET: Total Access Communication Public Company Limited, commonly known as dtac, on Thursday announced the roll out of 4G services in Phuket. Phuket is the first southern province to receive 4G service, after dtac launched in Bangkok. “In 2014, internet usage in Phuket [grew] by 150% compared to the previous year. The top five favorite applications used in the area…
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Phuket’s Grumpy Old Men to remember expat Little John
PHUKET: The island’s Grumpy Old Men Society (GOMS) will hold a memorial service in Rawai tomorrow in honor of a special request by Phuket expat John Devenport, who died last year (story here). The event at Gig’s Jam Club will start at about 8pm, with the Thai band Cold Chilli playing into the night. “John passed away in England and…
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Opinion: Privatized driving tests – driven by cash, or care?
PHUKET: The move by the Department of Land Transport (DLT) to privatize driver’s licence testing is a practical idea (story here), but one that is unlikely to have much impact on the dismal road-safety standards that keep Thai roads among the most dangerous on the planet. For years, going through the process of obtaining a car or motorbike driver’s licence…
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NFL Conference Championships: Final four
PHUKET: There were some great games, along with a few surprises and questionable calls, in last weekend’s ‘divisional playoff’ round in the National Football League (NFL). When it was all over, the results only reinforced what most seasoned observers already knew: having an ‘elite’ quarterback is a key to playoff success. NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Green Bay Packers vs Seattle Seahawks…
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Thailand scores gold at Pencak Silat world titles in Phuket
PHUKET: Thailand has won three gold medals at the 16th Pencak Silat World Championships being contested at the Saphan Hin Indoor Sports Center in Phuket Town, with more up for grabs today. Pornthep Poonkaew won gold for Thailand in the men’s 60-65kg division and Napaporn Boonchuen won her gold medal in the women’s 45-50kg class. This morning, Surasak Dekli defeated…
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Phuket robbers rip ATM from wall
PHUKET: Police are searching for at least two suspects who ripped a Siam Commercial Bank ATM off a pharmacy wall at Baan Manik, in Thalang, before dawn this morning. However, the suspects fled without stealing any of the cash inside, as police believe they are startled by a passer-by who spotted the thieves attempting to cut open the ATM with…
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PM urged to drop tobacco control bill
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM urged to drop tobacco control bill The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Tobacco farmer associations have urged Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to put a brake on the tobacco control bill, which is now on its way to a Cabinet meeting. The bill, if legislated,…
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