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Phuket governor says Karon Beach water safe, clean
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut washed his hands on Tuesday in Karon Beach canal water, which had run black and rancid on Monday. “The water itself is clear,” Governor Maitri said. “The black color is just sediment that had gotten stirred up. I want everyone to know that the water is clean and won’t harm you.” Just a day earlier, locals,…
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Krabi students in global art project
PHUKET: ABC Charity, a global art project of kids helping kids, has continued its journey around the world. They are creating the world’s first ever “human alphabet” – each letter made up of 500 children, in 26 different countries – ABC charity does not only help create fantastic memories for children, it will also raise money for a good cause.…
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Cycling: the spice of life
PHUKET: WITH surprising speed given the temperature, the amorphous speck approaching in the distance gradually revealed itself to be a group of 14 cyclists. Maybe it was the promise of a cold beer and big plate of food at Bill Bentley’s Pub and Restaurant in Mai Khao that provided the final surge of energy, or maybe they were downright tough…
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Aussie helps disabled Phuket cigarette vendor get a leg to stand on
PHUKET: A Phuket cigarette vendor who was born with a deformed leg and no hands is on her way to getting a new prosthetic limb, thanks to an Australian visitor and an aluminum recycling project. Wilaiwan “Wan” Damnui, 33, has been selling cigarettes and chewing gum on Bangla Road for 17 years. In 1999, she received a plaster leg, but…
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Phuket’s X-Terminal officially opened
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport’s X-Terminal was officially opened yesterday, after a successful trial period serving Chinese and Russian charter flights. “From now on, all international charter flights will check in at X-Terminal,” said Makin Petplai, president of Airports of Thailand (AoT). “The check-in system works well. Passengers check in at the X-Terminal, then take the shuttle to the main terminal…
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Police charge Phuket driver for death of Finnish national
PHUKET: Kamala Police are withholding the name of the driver charged for hitting and killing a Finnish national on Saturday. Robin Straka, 25, was rushed to Patong Hospital after the accident with severe head injuries and was later transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital (story here). However, doctors were unable to save him. “Mr Straka had crossed the Kalim-Kamala Road to…
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Phuket police chase down snatch-theft duo
PHUKET: Phuket police quickly scooped up a pair of bag-snatch operators working in Patong late last night.“We received a report at about 11:40pm from a witness saying that a female foreigner had her bag stolen in front of Patong Hospital while she was walking with a friend,” Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police told the Phuket Gazette this morning.From the…
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Phuket Cricket: Laguna make it five in a row
PHUKET: In match 11 of the Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) cricket league, on Sunday, February 23 at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG), Laguna were matched up against the Island Cricket Club (ICC). In their last encounter, Laguna snatched victory by just one run, and coming off the back of a humiliating defeat in their last outing versus Thalang, ICC were…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Pakistani village gives girls pioneering sex education class
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Pakistani village gives girls pioneering sex education class Phuket Gazette / ReutersPHUKET: In neat rows, the Pakistani girls in white headscarves listened carefully as the teacher described the changes in their bodies. When the teacher asked what they should do if a stranger touched them, the class…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Violent deaths shake Bangkok to core
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Death, injury toll jumps after attacks Phuket Gazette/ The NationPHUKET: The number of casualties from political violence over the past three months has surged to 21 dead and 762 people injured nationwide since November 30.Of this number, 718 were injured in Bangkok, two in Rayong, eight in…
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Tourists shocked as Phuket beach water turns rancid again in Karon, this time black
PHUKET: Locals, tourists and officials were shocked yesterday as water at one of Phuket’s most famous beaches turned rancid and black. The stinking water flowed from Nong Han Canal across Karon Beach and into the ocean at a rate that transformed the color of the sea, Village Chief Winai Chidchiew told the Phuket Gazette. “I went to see it myself…
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No money lost in latest Phuket ATM break-in
PHUKET: Phuket’s Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) fell victim to an attempted ATM robbery last Sunday. Police were informed at about 11am, after an employee went to service the machine located on Sakdidet Road in front of a 7-Eleven, Somkid Onchun of the Wichit Police told the Phuket Gazette. “The thief managed to pry off the cover of the cash dispersal…
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Fire erupts on Toh Sae Hill, destroys two rai of Phuket jungle
PHUKET: Flames engulfed the dense jungle on Toh Sae Hill on Friday night after a dry tree caught on fire, most likely from a discarded cigarette, said a Phuket firefighter.Phuket City Municipality Firefighter Chief Pairat Sulin was notified of the fire by residents and led his brigade to the scene near the Khao Toh Sae Viewpoint at about 11pm.“When we…
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Phuket maid pulled from bus to Bangkok with over B100,000 in stolen loot
PHUKET: A maid who had been working for two months at the home of a Phuket official made off with more than 100,000 baht in cash and valuables on Saturday, but was quickly apprehended.When Boonum Earjittrakul, a Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council member, discovered that a gold bracelet valued at 104,250 baht and 10,000 baht in cash were missing…
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DMCR chief calls on Phuket residents, tourists to protect marine sanctuaries
PHUKET: An illegal fishing net found in a popular dive spot last week prompted officials to call on Phuket residents and tourists to help preserve ocean conservation areas by keeping an eye out for illegal fishing activities. “Last week a group of divers saved a lot of reef fish trapped in an enormous fishing net at Shark Point and provided…
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Speedboat sinks in high-speed collision across the bay from Phuket
PHUKET: All 37 tourists made it to shore yesterday after two speedboats collided at sea about 1km from Krabi.Krabi City Police were informed of the incident at 3:30pm and immediately contacted the Krabi Marine Office to scramble a rescue team.Six were injured when the Chainartnumchork 8, owned by Barracudas Tour, and the The Pimmasa 5, owned by Centara Grand Beach…
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Phuket pounce on Pattaya
PHUKET: Yesterday was the first fixture of the Yamaha League One season and fans saw a spirited bout between Phuket FC and Pattaya United FC, who were relegated from the Thai Premier League this year, resulting in a 1-0 final score that secured victory for the Ronins. As the sun went to sleep, the crowd woke up, with about 4,000…
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Ukrainian expat falls to death from Phuket condo balcony
PHUKET: A 27-year-old Ukrainian man died early yesterday morning after attempting to climb from a fifth-floor balcony of a Phuket Town condo to his home on the fourth floor.Phuket City Police were notified of the incident by the building’s security guard at 1:10am and rushed to the scene with Kusoldharm Rescue workers. “We found the body of Oler Volkov on…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Ukraine sets European course after ouster of Yanukovich
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ukraine sets European course after ouster of Yanukovich Phuket Gazette/ ReutersPHUKET: Ukraine’s interim leadership pledged to put the country back on course for European integration now that Moscow-backed Viktor Yanukovich has been ousted from the presidency, while the United States warned Russia against sending in its forces.As…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: UN calls for an end to violence, offers to mediate
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community UN calls for end to violence, offers to mediate Phuket Gazette/ The Nation PHUKET: UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon is ready to assist in any way he can to end the political violence in Thailand.He called for an immediate end to escalating political violence and urged authorities…
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Hazardous Phuket moorings removed from Chalong Bay
PHUKET: Eight unmarked concrete moorings near the Chalong Pier fairway that are believed to have sunk two boats within the last year were removed last Friday. “I think it is best to have the blocks near the fairway removed to prevent further accidents,” said Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut, maintaining that no blocks exist within the approach channel itself.…
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German woman takes fatal fall down stairs in Phuket
PHUKET: A 72-year-old German woman died yesterday after falling down a flight of steep stairs at a rented house near Nai Thon Beach. Tah Chat Chai Police were notified of the incident at 7:30pm and rushed to the scene with rescue workers. At the house on Sakoo-Nai Thon Road, police found the body of Margret Hiller lying at the bottom…
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Finn struck by car while crossing Phuket Road
PHUKET: A 25-year-old Finnish man was struck and injured by a car as he was crossing the road in Kamala early this morning. Robin Straka had crossed the Kalim-Kamala Road to use the ATM at a Tesco Lotus. On his return, he suddenly stopped walking, and seemed to be thinking about something, witnesses told police. “That was when he was…
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Phuket drug crackdown apprehends 62
PHUKET: Phuket police officers apprehended 62 people on drug charges yesterday as part of an anti-drug sweep in Phuket Town and Rassada ordered by Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut. In total,180 officers took part in the late afternoon maneuver, which involved searching two houses and administering urine tests at four checkpoints. Five teenagers – two girls and three boys – aged…
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Phuket Opinion: Navigating the ‘expat hump’
PHUKET: I openly admit that I had no idea what I was walking into when I decided to move to Phuket last August. Not only had I never been to Thailand, but I had never even left my vacuum-sealed bubble of a home country: America. The gravity of my move became immediately apparent as I left the airport. The sights…
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Phuket Opinion: Forging a place for women on the force
Chollada Chokdeesrijun, 23, graduated from the Royal Police Cadet Academy last year and started working at the Chalong Police Station on November 1. Originally from Bangkok, she and her family moved to Phang Nga when she was 13 years old. Here Lt Chollada talks about why it is important to have women on the police force, and the challenges she…
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Phuket Opinion: ‘Bangkok-centric’ travel slows Phuket progress
PHUKET: There are many different indices used to assess how developed a country is. Fortunately for Thailand, the state of the domestic aviation industry is not among them, because if it were, the country would not fare well in the ratings. In many countries, regional carriers operating small turboprop commuter planes on scheduled routes in lean markets are an important…
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Illegal wedding photographers busted in Phuket
PHUKET: Two photographers, a makeup artist and an owner of a Phuket photography studio were caught working without work permits yesterday after their rude behavior was flagged by local residents. Phuket Old Town residents filed a complaint to police against Love Island Wedding Studio Co Ltd, which had been using their homes as backdrops for pre-wedding photos without asking permission.…
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Phuket Business: Hooters restaurant to open in Patong
PHUKET: Hooters of America, LLC, the well-known hospitality franchise that employs attractive young waitresses to help lure customers, recently announced a development agreement with an international franchisee to open three Hooters locations in Thailand over the next three years. Destination Resorts Co Ltd will introduce the iconic brand and dining destination to the country, with the first Hooters location scheduled…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: CMPO seeks clarification; Social classes discovered in ancient Issan communities; WTO notified of alleged rice dumping
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community CMPO seeks understanding over inability to control rallies Phuket Gazette / The NationPHUKET: The government’s Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO) called for understanding from the public yesterday about its inability to enforce the law and control anti-government rallies following Civil Court’s ruling on Wednesday.CMPO member…
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