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Sponsored Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Opinon: Life-saving lessons
Prathaiyut Chuayuan, 50, from Phuket, is the president of Phuket Lifeguard Club (PLC). He graduated from Prince of Songkhla University, Pattani campus, with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He was involved in exchange programs in England and Australia related to life-saving services. He started his first job as a lifeguard at Le Meridien in Phuket in 1998. He has…
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Construction worker killed in Patong landslide
PHUKET: A landslide at a construction site in Phuket killed one worker and injured five others this morning. Myanmar national Set Lai, 20, was crushed by the dirt and rebar. The other five workers were rushed to Patong Hospital, four have since been discharged, confirmed Lt Col Weerapong Rakhito of the Patong Police. The fifth worker is still in hospital…
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Bangla bouncer files police brutality complaint
PHUKET: The alleged victim of a vicious attack by police in Patong filed a formal complaint against the officer and others in his party yesterday. The bouncer at Hollywood nightclub on the party town’s famed Soi Bangla, 29-year-old Kamolchai Singhakerd, told police that Patong Deputy Superintendent Sorapong Chukaew and a group of his officers attacked him at about 2am on…
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Navy continues Rohingya “helping on’ mission
PHUKET: The mission of ‘helping on’ Rohingya and Bengali migrants by providing medical services and translators, as well as food and water supplies will continue until further notice, confirmed the Royal Thai Navy. The mission was launched with a tentative two-week deadline last month (story here). “Our vessels, HTMS Saiburi and the HTMS Angthong, and aircraft are continuing to search…
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Jet-skis make waves at luxury resort off Phuket
PHUKET: The Naka Island, A Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, based on the small island off the east coast of Phuket, is battling against local jet-ski operators. “The jet-skies are dangerous. They are always coming too close to customers swimming at the beach,” said The Naka Island representative Sureeporn Roongreung. “They have yet to hurt anyone swimming or diving, and…
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Opinion: A stone’s throw
PHUKET: It is imperative that you have excellent defense driving skills in Phuket, especially if you are a daily commuter on some of the island’s busiest roads, such as Thepkrasattri. Drivers stop in front of you and park without warning, and people switch lanes without signaling and open car doors without looking. And, as I found out on my way…
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Phuket on alert for MERS virus
PHUKET: Phuket Health officials have ramped up efforts this week in order to identify passengers who are possibly carrying the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (Mers-CoV) to the island from South Korea or the Middle East, where the virus is spreading. “We received an order from the Ministry of Public Health in Bangkok to be on alert for the virus,” Phuket…
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Business Buzz: Defining your perfect customer
PHUKET: One of the first things you should be focusing on in business is deciding what your niche is and who your perfect customers will be. Most people, in theory, will have done this as part of the initial planning and deciding what business to go into, but sometimes businesses change and go through significant metamorphosis over time, so it’s…
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Opinion: Too good to be true
PHUKET: The recent proposal to launch a potentially free shuttle service for tourists transiting at Phuket International Airport is an excellent idea. However, islanders should not be optimistic about such a service being available any time soon. Until the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) came to power just over a year ago, Phuket’s tourism economy suffered brazen abuse…
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Heavy rain floods underpass construction site
PHUKET: Heavy rain today caused the second flash flood this month at Samkong Intersection, the construction site of Phuket’s second underpass. Though the deep waters caused tailbacks in the afternoon, it has since drained, confirmed Chalermpol Wongkiattikun, project manager from the Department of Highways. “I had to order our staff out into the rain with a digger to start clearing…
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Phuket Governor praises English-language media
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong praised the island’s foreign media yesterday during a public forum to raise awareness of the negative effects corruption has on society (story here). “I am glad that we have the media, especially the English-language media. They have a reporting style that is different from Thai media,” said Governor Nisit at the Royal Phuket City Hotel.…
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BISP strikes gold at SEA Games
PHUKET: It was an absolutely incredible night for British International School Phuket (BISP) in the pool on Sunday at the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. In one evening, the school’s student athletes – representing Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand – brought home one gold, one silver and one bronze medal, in intense competition against the finest swimmers in Southeast Asia. Year…
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Superyacht licence registration coming soon
PHUKET: Registration for foreign-flagged superyacht chartering licences is expected to begin next month, Marine Department Director-General Chula Sukmanop revealed to the Phuket Gazette. “Officials have been discussing how to standardize criteria for the licences. We are pushing hard on what needs to be done, in terms of laws, to allow foreign-flagged superyacht charters in Thailand,” said Mr Chula. A public…
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Boy crushed to death by cement truck
PHUKET: An 11-year-old boy was killed after he fell off the back of his mother’s motorbike and under the wheel of a cement truck yesterday. Rescue workers arrived at the scene at the traffic light in front of Makro in Kathu to find Thanaphat Songserm severely injured underneath the truck. Patchanee Songserm, 42, had just picked up her son from…
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Protesters demand high-voltage power line update
PHUKET: More than 100 locals from Thalang villages gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday looking for an update on a high-voltage power line project that is slated to run through their community. Protesters filed a complaint on May 20 over the potentially negative effects a high-voltage power line project could have on their lives (story here). The complaint was first…
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Boat propeller slices British diving student’s leg near Koh Tao
PHUKET: A British diving student is in hospital in Koh Samui after her leg was nearly severed by a boat propeller while diving near Koh Tao. Alice Louise Davies, 20, had just completed a dive with Scuba Shack near Koh Hin Sam Kon on Tuesday afternoon and was about to exit the water when the accident happened. “A motorboat, Thanicha…
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Phuket’s poor gather to receive food donations during annual alms festival
PHUKET: More than 1,500 of Phuket’s poorest people went to the Kusoldharm Foundation headquarters in Phuket Town on June 4 to receive donations of food as part of the annual Te Krajard merit-making ceremony. “This year, we also handed out 250 kilograms of rice to a total of 34 schools and 5kg packs of rice and foodstuffs to poor locals,”…
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Opinion: Tackle criminals with technology
Col Kraithong Chanthongbai, 60, from Phang Nga province, is the superintendent of the Phuket City Police. He earned a PhD in public administration from Bangkokthonburi University, and has been superintendent since January this year. Here, he talks about the role of technology in the investigation process, problems Phuket police face in solving crimes, and different approaches taken in cases involving…
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Police launch new no-parking zones in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Island officials have established six new ‘no-parking’ zones and extended the hours in which it is prohibited to park on some of Phuket Town’s busiest streets in order to combat traffic congestion in the area. The move was prompted by the ever-increasing number of cars on Phuket and the subsequent worsening of traffic congestion, especially on narrow Phuket Town…
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Phuket resort sets up private life-saving team
PHUKET: Katathani Phuket Beach Resort is beefing up Kata Noi Beach security by providing its own privately funded safety and rescue team to patrol the small but popular stretch of sand. “This safety project is being launched in hopes of raising tourists’ confidence. We want all related businesses to join us and serve as examples for other beaches,” said Katathani…
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New shuttle gets nod from Phuket airport director
PHUKET: A new shuttle service from Phuket International Airport to three final destinations on the island has garnered the approval of Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan. “I personally think it is a good idea to have a shuttle bus running from the airport to destinations throughout the island, such as Saphan Hin in Phuket Town, Karon and Rawai,” Ms Monrudee told…
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Lighthouse Weekend Market a boon to businesses
PHUKET: The new addition of a mini-motor expo at the Lighthouse Weekend Market last month produced four on-the-spot car sales, tagging the event as a business generator on Phuket – one in so much demand that it will continue through the rainy season. The cars that sold were Mini Cooper, Volvo and Subaru models, confirmed Kanittha Prasopsirikul, market organizer and…
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Island View: For cyclists’ sakes
PHUKET: There has been a lot of talk lately about bike safety throughout the nation, with even the idea of cyclists needing some sort of licence being considered. Concerns were made ever more vocal after last month’s road deaths up north in Chiang Mai and Bangkok where a total of five cyclists were killed within a two-day span. It wasn’t…
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Business Buzz: Re-make marketing plans
PHUKET: We all know that social media marketing is popular, but how can we best use it for our business to increase awareness, grow our customer base, make more sales and improve profitability? Targeting people using social media is easy if done correctly, but to be successful and get the best results, you need a blueprint to make sure everything…
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Police drop case against Aussie expat charged for Phuket killing
PHUKET: Police have dropped the case against Australian expat and Phuket community member Mark Pendlebury for the fatal stabbing of a nightclub employee across the street from the island’s famed party strip, Soi Bangla, in March. The decision was made by police after CCTV footage surfaced backing claims that Mr Pendlebury had acted in self defence when confronted by 25-year-old…
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Thanyapura to boost ‘Sports Hub of Asia’ status with B300mn investment
PHUKET: Thanyapura Phuket is looking to invest an additional 300 million baht in an expansion plan that will further strengthen its status as the Sports Hub of Asia. To be scaled over five years, the investment will see the spectacular 23-hectare complex gain a 100-meter training pool, four tennis courts, a multi-room Wellness Center, an international school working toward becoming…
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Police postpone charging owner of fatal Phuket bungy-jump tower
PHUKET: Police are expected to press charges on Thursday against the owner of World Bungy Jump, the site of the death of a 25-year-old tourist last month. Vinat Chanthornwiboonkul will be charged with reckless endangerment as police continue to investigate the case of Kuwaiti Abdullah Adel Kadhmbadman, who died after jumping from the 30-meter bungy tower (story here). “Even though…
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Finance: Strong dollars for investors
PHUKET: One of the biggest and most unappreciated risks faced by global investors this year is the continued strength of the United States dollar holding back key investing asset classes. After all, a strong dollar tends to be a double-edged sword.BAD FOR LARGE CAP US STOCKS As foreign currencies weaken against the dollar, US stocks that are large cap multinational…
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Human trafficking “caretaker’ turns himself in
PHUKET: A human-trafficking ‘caretaker’ handed himself in to police north of Phuket on June 2. Alee Banjob, 35, from Ranong, was wanted for his connection to a human-trafficking network operating in his home province, explained Kanokpol Pimthong, Deputy Director of Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) in Phang Nga Province. Mr Alee’s surrender follows the October 14 arrest of Songphol ‘Boss…
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Phuket Town streets to change direction for light-rail project
PHUKET: Plans for Phuket’s light-rail project are going full steam ahead, with changes to the train’s route and adjustments to traffic directions in Phuket Town being the focus of the latest meeting for the 23.5-billion-baht venture. The proposal for the project to run through town was made in May of last year (story here). “We are now drawing up more…
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