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Phuket hotel staffer arrested on murder charges
PHUKET: A hotel employee at Banthai Beach Resort & Spa in Patong was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly taking part in a gang attack that led to a death in Phitsanulok five years ago.Danai Thonglaima, 35, is alleged to have joined in a roadside attack in May 2008, after which he fled to Phuket and lived a secret life.Officers from…
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Villagers battle for access to Phuket public land
PHUKET: Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak visited Pa Khlok yesterday afternoon to investigate claims made by residents that a path on public land had been blocked off, denying them access to a pier where they keep their fishing boats. About 50 residents had travelled to Phuket Provincial Hall the day before to lodge a complaint with Governor Maitri Inthusut (story here).…
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Phuket visa run crash leaves one dead
PHUKET: A Philippine national has died and an unknown number of Phuket expats were injured in a visa run van crash in Trang early Monday morning.A representative at Phen Phet Visa Run confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today that the accident occurred in Trang province, about 300km south of Phuket, at about 2am on Monday.The van was carrying tourists and…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: 21 dead as Thai tour bus plunges into ravine; Govt to clarify amnesty; Isarn floods claim 30 lives
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 21 dead as Thai tour bus plunges into ravine The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A chartered bus taking merit makers back home from a temple plunged into a roadside ravine in Lampang last night, killing 21 people and injuring 19 others. Police said the accident…
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Phuket marks Chulalongkorn Day
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut this morning led an assembly of officials in a ceremony to honor Chulalongkorn Day, known in Thai as Wan Piya Maharat.The ceremony held at the “Chulalongkorn the Great” monument at Phuket Provincial Hall began at 9am. Officers adorned the statue with flowers and speeches were made honoring the great achievements of HM King Chulalongkorn.Known by…
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Phuket handyman caught robbing safe in Russian woman’s room
PHUKET: Police Monday night arrested a hotel staffer in Karon who used a master key and a stolen room safe key to rob a Russian tourist of the equivalent of nearly 20,000 baht in banknotes.The thief also deleted CCTV records at the Karon Phunaka Resort and Spa in the hope of covering his tracks.Tatiana Gorshkova discovered 10,000 baht cash, US$100…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Isarn floods worst in 50 years; Pattaya on fire; Santika Pub owner aquitted
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Flooding in East worst in 50 years: Plodprasop The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Flooding in Phimai district in Nakhon Ratchasima, one of the hardest hit areas, is expected to peak over the next few days.“At this point, I am most worried about Phimai,” Water and Flood Management…
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Phuket Governor calls off SuperCheap fire site search, announces no deaths
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut today buried rumors that people had died in the SuperCheap inferno last Wednesday night as he laid to rest the on-site investigation. No proof of any fatalities were recorded or announced (story here). “I received the report form the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket office [DDPM-Phuket] concerning the SuperCheap fire. I am pleased…
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Phuket travel consortium casts doubt on local support for mafia crackdown
PHUKET: A consortium of four major travel organizations yesterday publicly voiced their doubt that top local officials fully support the ongoing multi-agency crackdown to clean up rampant corruption and “mafia” operations in Phuket.Top figures representing the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA), the Thai Hotels Association Southern Chapter, the Phuket Spa Association (SPA) and the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) called a…
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Drug web unravels as police make arrests from Phuket Town to Thalang
PHUKET: In a cascading string of confessions, police arrested five drug dealers on Saturday, collecting along the way over a kilogram of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and almost 4,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills. The first arrests that started the domino effect were at Suan Luang Park (Rama IX Park) (map here) when police noticed a man and a woman acting…
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Phuket Town drinkers take down armed robber
PHUKET: Two men sitting in front of their house drinking in the early hours this morning made a citizen’s arrest, taking down a man who had just robbed a Phuket Town convenience store at knifepoint. Phuket City Police were notified of the arrest at 3:40am. “By the time we arrived, Ronnarit Klinchuen, 21, and his friend Ponlawat Kaensub, 22, had…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Fires put heat on Aussie PM; 12-year-old shoots 1 dead – then self; US spying unacceptable – France; Saudi anger – rejects coveted UN seat
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australian wildfires put heat on climate change sceptic Abbott Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: SYDNEY (Reuters) – A long, hot summer looms for Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as devastating wildfires near Sydney fuel opposition to his plans to repeal a carbon emissions tax, one of…
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Failed motorbike ram attempt wins policeman B10k reward for bravery
PHUKET: A patrol policeman who broke his collar bone while ramming bag-snatchers with his motorbike in an attempt to stop their getaway was rewarded with 10,000 baht yesterday morning for his bravery. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Ong-art Phiwruangnont issued the bonus on hearing how Sgt Songwut Noosuk of the Phuket City Police attempted to apprehend the perpetrators on Saturday afternoon.…
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Mortician joins the dead over business conflict, say Krabi police
PHUKET: Police suspect that the motive for the shooting murder of a mortician in Krabi, across Phang Nga Bay from Phuket, was a business conflict.Ajin Chormai, 55, found the body of her husband Niyom Chormai, 60, in a palm oil plantation on Sunday morning. He had eight gunshot wounds to his chest.Mr Niyom left the house at 8:30am to round…
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Judge sets sentence date for American Marine-killer in Phuket
PHUKET: A judge today set the sentencing date of Lee Aldhouse for the murder of American Marine Dashawn Longfellow (story here). “The judge set the sentencing date for November 28,” Phuket Provincial Prosecutor Tawan Suknirundorn told the Phuket Gazette. At the hearing today, Aldhouse signed a copy of Mr Longfellow’s passport, writing that he, Lee Aldhouse, had stabbed “this man”.…
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118mn baht mega-transportation study underway
PHUKET: A feasibility study costing 118 million baht is underway for an ambitious transportation project to link Phuket with neighboring provinces. The project aims to connect the island to the national north-south rail line and provide public transport between Phuket International Airport and Chalong Circle. Though the current study was expected to start by the end of 2012, the contract…
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Krabi ready to take the plunge
PHUKET: Is throwing yourself off an 8-storey-high cliff a good idea? Sure it is! Especially to the brave contenders of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. If you wish to see these daredevils, the season finale will take place in Krabi, a few hours drive from Phuket, on Saturday, October 26. Ten of the world’s best cliff divers launch…
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Rayong all but secure promotion at Phuket’s expense
PHUKET: Despite drawing first blood in a difficult away fixture on Saturday evening, Phuket FC went on to lose 3-2 to Thailand’s Yamaha League One (YL1) powerhouse, PTT Rayong. The match, both side’s 32nd of 34 scheduled fixtures in the YL1 2013 season, was played in front of 3,669 spectators at PTT Stadium on the lower part of Thailand’s Eastern…
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UK embassy shakeup to free Phuket consul for frontline work
PHUKET: Sweeping changes in how standard documents are issued at the British Embassy in Bangkok will free Phuket Honorary Consul Martin Carpenter to focus on providing assistance to British tourists and expats in need. The changes are part of a reform in procedures at British embassies around the world, explained an embassy statement issued to the Phuket Gazette. Consequently, from…
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Zero tolerance for ‘zero dollar’ tours
The governments of Thailand and China are working hand-in-hand to limit the number of tourists coming from the latter to the former, especially the “low-quality” ones, the [former] head of Phuket’s official tourism office recently announced. Reinforcing Thailand’s efforts to shift focus from quantity to quality tourist markets, the Chinese government since October 1 has been enforcing new regulations affecting…
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Phuket Property Watch: Lost in Chiang Mai
PHUKET: I’ve always had an aversion to things that go bump in the night, but as our Thai Smile jet ramps up to 33,000 feet, an extended period of turbulence has left my forehead battered, but not bruised. Yes, the flight attendants shock orange uniforms put me into a Halloween mood, yet they move about the cabin like apparitions –…
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Fire engulfs shop units at Karon Plaza
PHUKET: Police are investigating the cause of a fire on the Karon beach road that engulfed seven shop units at the Karon Plaza shopping bazaar early on Saturday.Three firetrucks from Karon Municipality were called in just before 6am to contain the blaze, which took 30 minutes to extinguish.“The plaza sells fashion items, such as clothes and shoes, and many other…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Clown kills Mexico cartel head; Arab League sets date for Syria; Tito’s widow is dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Gunman in clown suit kills senior Mexican drug cartel member Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A gunman in a clown costume shot and killed the oldest brother of one of Mexico’s most notorious drug trafficking families in the resort of Los Cabos, authorities said on Saturday.Francisco Rafael Arellano…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Monster rally to target Thaksin; Pattaya rubble beach revamp; Olympic shooter gunned down
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Plan for huge rally against amnesty bill Thye Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A massive rally is apparently in the making now as several groups have expressed the shared goal of fighting any move to “whitewash” former PM Thaksin Shinawatra to the bitter end.The Democrat Party has also…
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18-year-old Phuket cashier still missing after SuperCheap inferno
PHUKET: An 18-year-old Phuket cashier and one other woman are still missing after the SuperCheap megastore burned to the ground on Wednesday night (story here). Eleven formal missing person complaints have been filed since the blaze. “So far, 10 of the ‘missing people’ have been found. The only person who remains on our list is Thanaporn Sammanit, 46. The complaint…
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Phuket Police believe shooting linked to teasing
PHUKET: Police are searching for the gang responsible for a drive-by shooting that left a man in Rassada injured last night.Anupol Noochua, 31, was shot in the leg in front of his house at about 10pm. Mr Anupol told police that at about 7pm last night, while he was sitting outside drinking with friends, a young woman rode by on…
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Air pollution top environmental concern post SuperCheap blaze
PHUKET: Possible air and water pollution from the inferno that devastated the main SuperCheap in Phuket on Wednesday are now the top concern of the Regional Environmental Office 15.“The microscopic particles in smoke can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems such as burning eyes, runny nose and illnesses such as bronchitis,” Khanchit Soontrakorn,…
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Police probe Phuket fisherman’s death
PHUKET: Police are investigating the cause of death of a Myanmar national whose body was found floating in the water off Rassada yesterday afternoon.Bystanders told police that the man, who police did not name, had been drinking on a boat with friends on Thursday night when he walked to the back to relieve himself, said Somchai Nhuboon of Phuket City…
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Special Report: The search for closure: Family makes heartfelt plea for finding lost crew of MV Hope
Special Report PHUKET: The family of Captain Rajib Chandra Karmaker, master of the Bangladeshi cargo ship MV Hope, has launched a public appeal for any information that may lead to the recovery of the missing captain’s body and those of his lost shipmates. The Hope, laden with ball clay, was struck broadside by large waves and listed heavily in stormy…
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Special Report: Permission to function in Phuket
Special Report PHUKET: The separate arrests of a German man and a Swiss man at their homes in Chalong late last month (story here) by Immigration officials sent a chill through the law-abiding expat community in Phuket. The two men were arrested despite their protests that they were each building their own boat for their own private use. The Phuket…
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