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Parental slur incites drunken Phuket murder
PHUKET: Police have arrested two suspects for the murder of the Thalang motorcycle taxi driver whose body was found in a canal in central Phuket yesterday (story here). Thalang Police Superintendent Sirisak Wasasiri this morning presented to the press Chakrit Polklum, 35 and Prasit Sae-ong, 31. “Our investigation led us to discover that the day before Mr Thammanoon’s body was…
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Thai suspects claim innocence in Phuket attack on Kedah royal bodyguard
PHUKET: The two Thai men arrested for their involvement in the attack on a Kedah royal family bodyguard at a hotel in Patong on Tuesday night claim that though they were at the scene, they had no prior knowledge that the attack would occur. The bodyguard, Mohd Sobri Bin Said, suffered bruising to his body and a serious wound to…
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Phuket Gazette Queer News: Man versus ATM? Police win
PHUKET: Nobody likes having their card swallowed by the ATM – but most people take it on the chin. That’s not how you could describe the actions of 26-year-old Ekaphong Bunyaratphan, who got rather upset when his card was gobbled by a cash dispenser in Samut Prakan. Mr Ekaphong, who was more than a little “refreshed” at the time, lost…
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Phuket tourists, divers to be warned off damaged coral zone
PHUKET: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) will install floating signs to warn tourists and local divers not to disturb coral that is undergoing restoration after suffering extensive damage at a seawalking site off Phuket. The site includes more than 300 square meters of coral off Khai Nai Island that was allegedly destroyed by a seawalking tour company…
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Europa League winners to gain Champions League ticket
PHUKET: To try and boost the ailing Europa League, UEFA president Michel Platini announced last week that – starting from the 2014/15 season – the winners would qualify for the Champions League. Platini also said that a fifth Champions League place is to be awarded to clubs in the big European leagues. Under this new system, the Europa League winners…
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Dylan Hartley to miss Lions tour
PHUKET: We now know the final composition of the Lion’s squad, the English Premiership winners, the Pro Twelve Irish champions, and the finalists in the French domestic competition. Jonny Wilkinson, not selected for the Lions tour of Australia, but available in the case of injury, gave another vintage performance in steering European Cup winners Toulon to the French championship final…
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Phuket taxi driver continues to deny sexual assault charges
PHUKET: In Phuket Prison since May 20, illegal taxi driver Paitoon Kruain continues to deny that he sexually assaulted a Chinese tourist whom he picked up at Phuket International Airport on May 17 and drove around in his car for five hours (story here). “He has been charged with sexual assault, deprivation of liberty and being under the influence of…
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Phuket Prison used to lure meth dealer
PHUKET: Thalang District officers yesterday used Phuket Provincial Prison as a venue to lure a suspected drug dealer into making a ya bah (methamphetamine) delivery during which he was arrested.Undercover officers placed Atthachai Sittabut, 36, under arrest during a sting operation in front of the prison in Phuket Town at 2:30pm.A subsequent search of Mr Atthachai’s house in Mai Khao,…
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Phuket Gazette World News: US to boost Asia military presence; Oklahoma tornado; SARS-like virus in Italy; God’s bank posts profit
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. rebalance to Asia-Pacific gaining steam, Pentagon chief says Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The U.S. military will devote more air power, ground troops and high-tech weaponry to the Asia-Pacific region as it moves ahead with a strategic rebalance, the U.S. defence chief said on Saturday in a…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: PM ordered to reinstate security chief; German fugitive enjoys Bangkok holiday; Smoking in spotlight
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM ordered to reinstate National Security chief The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Transferred former National Security Council secretary-general Thawil Pliensri won a historic legal victory yesterday when the Central Administrative Court ordered Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to reinstate him in his previous position.However, Government Spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi…
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Phuket Opinion: Let the taxis go free
PHUKET: I saw many things of interest in Bangkok last week, including a woman riding a motorbike with a squirrel on her shoulder. But the sweetest sights of all were the little red lights that peeped out here and there between tuk-tuks, trucks and cars on the busy streets of the capital. They spelled out waang in Thai, or “free”…
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US Navy transport contractor reaches agreement with Phuket taxis
PHUKET: Following a breakdown in land transportation services yesterday that left sailors from the USS Nimitz waiting hours to enjoy their shore leave, the Phuket Marine Chief organized a meeting last night and negotiated a settlement between the transportation company contracted by the US Navy and local taxis. Although 37 buses are needed, 28 are now available to transport sailors;…
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Phuket Opinion: Finding a cure for overloaded courts
Parinya Chaowalittawin, 45, took up the position of Chief Judge at Phuket Provincial Court on April 1. Originally from Trang, Judge Parinya has Bachelor’s of Law, Barrister-at-law and Master of Law degree from Ramkhamhaeng University. He has served as a judge for 17 years. Here, he explains what needs to be done to help clear the backlog of cases at…
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Phuket Opinion: Keeping pace with disaster
PHUKET: The construction of a wall along Kamala Beach that could be a barrier during an emergency evacuation once again highlights the need for constant vigilance and above all, common sense in the never-ending preparation for a tsunami or other natural disaster. Few places on Phuket were hit harder than Kamala, where the bathymetry and onshore topography allowed the surging…
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Five fugitives in Phuket to face Kedah royal guard probe
PHUKET: All five suspects accused of carrying out an attack on a Kedah royal family bodyguard at a high-end resort in Patong just after midnight on Tuesday (story here) arrived at Patong Police Station for questioning this morning. Being escorted into the compound at 8:30am were three Thais: Prakong Seesopha, 32; Sakorn Seesopha, 34; and Thanyaporn Toh-in. Joining them were…
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Chinese Ambassador wins promise of translators for Phuket Police stations
PHUKET: The Deputy General Director of Tourism has vowed to hire Chinese translators for Phuket police stations in reaction to concerns raised by Chinese Ambassador to Thailand His Excellency Guan Mu on Wednesday. “We will hire police translators to work with the police,” Deputy General Director of Tourism Kajorn Weerajai said. “I also plan to make a guide book for…
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Australian world triathalon champs to go head-to-head at Challenge Laguna Phuket
PHUKET: Reigning World Champion Pete ‘PJ’ Jacobs has confirmed he will race the inaugural Challenge Laguna Phuket half distance triathlon on December 1 – setting up an intriguing contest with fellow Australian Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack, the defending title-holder and two-time World Champion, for a slice of the race’s 25,000 euro prize purse. The elite pair will compete at Challenge Laguna…
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The rise of ASEAN football
PHUKET: The sport of football is considered by many to be the most popular game on the planet. While it has been a mainstay in the European and South American nations for decades, increased access to matches and a youthful fan base have now allowed this exciting sport to reach the far corners of the globe. A notable example of…
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Phuket motorbike taxi driver found dead in canal
PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of man whose body was found in a canal in central Phuket late yesterday afternoon with a deep cut under his chin. Thalang Police led by Duty Officer Kitthiphum Thinthalang arrived at the scene, a canal behind the Thalang Victory Memorial Field (map here), at 6:15pm. Local residents identified the man as 53-year-old local…
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Two in Lamborghini survive after slamming into power poles in Chon Buri
PHOTOS: Issara Parinyothai A father and son, driving in a Lamborghini sports car, have survived after colliding with power poles in Chon Buri, north of Pattaya. Emergency responders were notified of the incident yesterday on Sukhumwit Road in Chon Buri city area, south of Bangkok. At the scene found the damaged ‘Aventador’ Lamborghini sport car valued 34 million baht in…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Obec bows over schools; Chalerm to head BRN peace talks; Hot rods a mystery; Bomb blast ‘from the heart’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Pupils at small schools to use facilities at other sites: OBEC The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) bowed to public pressure yesterday, with Obec secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat announcing no small schools would be closed this academic year. Instead, pupils will be…
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Phuket manhunt called off as German fugitive arrested
PHUKET: The Phuket manhunt for the Carlo Konstantin Kohl, who escaped his Australian guards at Suvarnabhumi Airport while being escorted home to Germany (story here), has been called off. Police arrested the 25-year-old at the German Embassy in Bangkok yesterday, Immigration Police Commissioner Panu Kerdlabpol said. “We had officers waiting for him at the embassy,” Lt Gen Panu said. Kohl…
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Five arrested over attack on Kedah royal family bodyguard
PHUKET: Police today arrested five men for the attack on a Kedah royal family bodyguard at a high-end resort in Patong just after midnight on Tuesday. Four of the men, including three Malaysians, were arrested while trying to exit Thailand at the busy Sadao checkpoint in Songkhla province. The first arrest was made at a rented house in Sikao District…
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![No blockade: Phuket taxis called to the rescue [Video Report] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/phuketnews_As_soon_as_he_realized_the_bus_wasn_t_coming_village_headman_Narong_c_21196_WEBwVpIIXF_jpeg.jpg)
No blockade: Phuket taxis called to the rescue [Video Report]
PHUKET: Following the confusion at Phuket’s Deep Sea Port this morning (story here), it has come to light that the hundreds of taxis, tour vans and tuk-tuks at the gate to Phuket’s key port facility were called to the rescue of the thousands of US Navy servicemen and women looking to enjoy shore leave on the island. The armada of…
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US Navy sailors caught in Phuket taxi blockade
UPDATE: This story has since been updated through the stories ‘No blockade: Phuket taxis called to the rescue [Video Report]’ (click here) and ‘US Navy transport contractor reaches agreement with Phuket taxis’ (click here). PHUKET: Taxi drivers have set up a blockade at Phuket’s Deep Sea Port, where the USS Nimitz and the USS Princeton are anchored. According to reports,…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Myanmar mob violence returns; US soldier to confess Afghan massacre; Vincent and Bruno get married; PNG sorcery stoked
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Buddhist mobs attack Muslim homes in Myanmar, one dead Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Security forces struggled to control Buddhist mobs who burned Muslim homes on Wednesday for a second day in the northern Myanmar city of Lashio in a dangerous widening of ultra-nationalist Buddhist violence.…
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Phuket FC swoops down on Krabi Andaman Eagles
PHUKET: The Islanders advanced to 4th place of the 18-team Yamaha League One (YL1) after downing Krabi FC in a Phang Nga Bay derby match last night in Phuket Town. Despite Krabi dominating the attack early on, the two Southern sides went into the locker rooms at half time scoreless. The deadlock was broken eight minutes into the second half,…
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Phuket hosts full-scale tsunami drill
PHUKET: A total of about 300 emergency-response officers from Phuket and Phang Nga joined forces to stage a full-scale tsunami evacuation and sea rescue drill off the northern tip of Phuket yesterday.The drill started with the sounding of the tsunami warning alarm, prompting the officers from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) in Phuket and Phang Nga to…
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Swedish Muay Thai fighter found dead on Koh Lanta
PHUKET: The body of a Swedish Muay Thai fighter was found yesterday at the popular tourist island Koh Lanta, across the bay from Phuket.Police and rescue workers arrived at a rental room at the Otto Bar after receiving a report of a dead foreigner. Police named the man as “Kasper Pobias Byreborg”, 29.“We believe he had been dead for about…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Court rules troops killed Italian reporter
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai court rules troops responsible for Italian reporter’s death Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Italian photojournalist who was shot dead in Bangkok while taking pictures of a military crackdown on an anti-government protest in 2010 was killed by a bullet fired by a soldier, a…
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