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5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Virgin Australia’s withdrawal won’t hurt Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket tourism and arrival numbers will not be affected by Virgin Australia cancelling flights to Phuket and Bali from Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, Director of Phuket International Airport Monrudee Gettuphan confirmed today. Virgin Australia will replace services with its budget offshoot Tigerair in a bid to stem bleeding from its international operations, where losses widened to AUS$69 million for…
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TAT pushes Phuket greens for “green season’
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is doing its best to get domestic tourists and expats living in Thailand onto Phuket’s greens during the region’s ‘green season’ with the Phuket Golf Festival. From now until the end of September, the TAT is backing a special promotional price for six golf courses in Phuket, as well as special flight rates…
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Google morphs into Alphabet; investors cheer clarity
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Google morphs into Alphabet; investors cheer clarity Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Google Inc announced a surprise overhaul of its operating structure on Monday, creating a holding company called Alphabet to pool its many subsidiaries and separate the core web advertising business from newer ventures like…
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Gibbon touts re-discovered on Phi Phi
PHUKET: Dressed up gibbons were spotted being touted day and night on Phi Phi island last weekend. However, police and national park officers insisted to the Phuket Gazette that they were unaware that the practice of charging tourists to take pictures with the protected species was continuing in the small party town of Ton Sai. The situation was brought to…
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Phuket’s future Olympian smashes swimming national record
PHUKET: A Nepalese swimmer has smashed a national record at the FINA World Championships just three months after she was forced to sleep in a car and not train for a month, due to the devastating earthquake in Nepal. Sofia Gadegaard Shah, 17, who has already secured a wildcard to the 2016 Olympics, was a symbol of resilience on August…
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Post Office continues to deliver illegal drugs to Phuket
PHUKET: Illegal drugs are continuing to be delivered by the Thai Postal Service, despite concern being raised nationally early last month, said the Thalang District Chief last week. The confirmation came on Saturday morning as officers arrested Siriphop Jaitrong, 35, as he was picking up 5.4 kilograms of kratom leaves from the Pa Khlok Post Office. Thalang District Chief Veera…
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Opinion: Corruption battle
Law Professor Chaisit Trachoetham, 65, has been the Chairman of the State Audit Commission since 2014. He earned his Bachelor’s in Law from Thammasat University, where he is also a professor, and his Bar-at-law and Doctorate from Mahasarakam University. He has been a judge for 37 years, and is also a former president of the Court of Appeals and the…
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Gunman shoots one at crowded Chinese ceremony in Phuket
PHUKET: Police are hunting a gunman who shot a man during a crowded ceremony in front of the Guan Yu shrine in Chalong last night. Rescue workers and police arrived at the scene to find Teearapon Ponsamak, 24, crying in pain from a gunshot wound to his abdomen. “Mr Teearapon’s friends told us that he was at the shrine celebrating…
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New push to turn Phuket into medical tourism hub
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong is ready to help local hospitals make a push into the medical tourism industry as millions of baht flow in for eye-care centers. “More than 30 million baht has been approved for eye-care centers at public hospitals, specifically Vachira Phuket Hospital and Patong Hospital,” Governor Nisit said in an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette…
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Typhoon lashes China’s east coast, eight dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Typhoon lashes China’s east coast, eight dead Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A typhoon battered China’s east coast on Sunday, killing eight people and forcing authorities to cancel hundreds of flights and evacuate more than 163,000 people. Typhoon Soudelor killed six people in Taiwan earlier on…
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Business Buzz: Is ‘social media’ a fad, or is it forever?
PHUKET: It doesn’t matter where we go today, we are surrounded by social media and its influences. Tweet this, like that, share and like this… Terms we were not familiar with not that long ago are now in common daily language. So is this a passing fad or is the social media craze here to stay, and even more importantly,…
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Finance: Cash in on divergence with some dumb luck
PHUKET: ‘Divergence markets’ are a very interesting topic at the moment with the recent trading action in China. From a technical perspective, the action has been fascinating because the NASDAQ continued to make new highs during the first big leg down in China. This is what is called ‘divergence’, when major markets that have been mainly flowing in tandem for…
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Many areas suffer severe flooding
PHUKET: Local officials and Thalang District Chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol took their boats out to check on about 50 households in Baan Nai Yang yesterday after they were inundated with about a meter of water. The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority [PEA] shut down power to the affected area to prevent accidents, confirmed Narong Petcharat, a Sakoo Administration Organization (OrBorTor) council member.…
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Fast Fun Fest drifts through Phuket – rain or shine
PHUKET: The Toyota Motorsport 2015 ‘Fast Fun Fest’ is revved up so that revellers can have a good time at Saphan Hin in Phuket Town this weekend – rain or shine. The free, two-day event will run from 10am to 6pm and showcase the skills needed for the street car race and a drifting competition. Additionally, those attending will have…
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Opinion: In mourning
PHUKET: The Gazette joins the Phuket community in mourning the death of Paiboon Upatising, who passed away after a long battle against cancer last week. A descendent of Chinese immigrants, Mr Paiboon was a highly-successful businessman, who used his own good fortune to help those in need. In addition to having exclusive rights to sell Boon Rawd Brewery products on…
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On your mind: Realpolitik defines US/Thai relationship
PHUKET: Webster’s dictionary defines realpolitik as a system of politics based on a country’s situation and its needs, rather than on ideas about what is morally right and wrong. No doubt, US government officials would deny that realpolitik defines American policies, but it is hard to see any clear moral imperative with regard to that country’s relationship with Thailand. The…
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Special Report: ‘Pink Panther’ passes
PHUKET: Legendary champion of Phuket people and the highest elected official on the island Paiboon Upatising lost his battle against colon cancer on August 2 at the age of 58, with his wife and eldest son by his side. The former Phuket senator, suspended President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) and charter President of the Rotary Club of…
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Phuket Governor announces beach chair judgment day
PHUKET: The island’s beach chair dilemmas will see one final meeting before the controversial subject is laid to rest, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong told the Phuket Gazette in an exclusive interview yesterday. “Prince of Songkhla University (PSU) Phuket campus will present their results to me on August 20,” Governor Nisit said. “We will consider the information they bring to the…
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UPDATE 1: Blows for Obama as key lawmakers come out against Iran deal
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community UPDATE 1-Blows for Obama as key lawmakers come out against Iran deal Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: U.S. President Barack Obama’s hopes of preserving the nuclear deal between Iran and worldpowers were dealt a setback on Thursday when Chuck Schumer, one of the top Democrats in…
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China removes cross from church after month-long protest ends
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community China removes cross from church after month-long protest ends Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Chinese authorities removed a cross from a church on Friday after Christian protesters ended a month-long sit-in on the building’s roof in a bid to protect the cross from what they said…
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Python caught prowling at sacred Phuket shrine
PHUKET: A large python was discovered seeking highland near a Phuket shrine permeated with local lore. The estimated three-meter-long snake, weighing about five kilograms, was quickly bagged at the Baan Toh Sae shrine in Kathu Wednesday, Kusoldharm Foundation rescue worker Kasun Naepnean told the Phuket Gazette. The shrine was built in honor of the legend of Toh Sae, who arrived…
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Severe flooding at Samkong intersection
PHUKET: Flash floods at the Samkong intersection created long tailbacks as the weather warning issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) remained in effect this morning (story here). “To deal with the flood at the junction we added one more water pump to the construction site, in addition to the two that are already there,” Samak Luedwonghad,…
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Trump is center of attention in feisty first Republican debate
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Trump is center of attention in feisty first Republican debate Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Donald Trump was the center of attention at a testy first Republican presidential debate onThursday, drawing boos from the crowd and a rebuke from a rival when he refused to rule…
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Phuket’s small boat warning remains in effect
PHUKET: The warning issued by the Phuket Marine Office for all boats less than 10-meters long to stay ashore remains in effect today. “However, it is fine for smaller boats to access nearby islands, such as Coral Island, Koh Lon or islands in Phang Nga Bay,” said Natchapong Pradit of the Phuket Marine Office. The letter issued by the Department…
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Video Report: Boat Arcade to open next month
PHUKET: With a lot of activities for children and their doting parents, the brand new Boat Arcade, branding itself as the ‘East Coast Edutainment & Family Center’, expects to be a smash hit when it opens its doors next month. The two-storey, high-street style shopping, dining and edutainment complex is dedicated to the island’s international community. Located at the Boat…
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Phuket tourist saves turtle from fishing net
PHUKET: A tourist saved the life of a sea turtle on Lay Pang Beach by alerting lifeguards after finding it entangled in a discarded fishing net on Tuesday morning. “We helped to cut the turtle free after the tourist told us about it,” Aknek Santrawa, a lifeguard of Angsana Laguna Phuket, told the Phuket Gazette. The approximately one-year-old turtle had…
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Food still on table as armed drug dealer gives police the slip
PHUKET: Police are hunting an armed drug dealer who managed to flee his home before officers arrived last night to seize a cache of drugs worth more than 5 million baht and a number of firearms. “When we arrived at the suspect’s home at Si Suchat Grand View 5 in Rassada, the air conditioner was still on and there was…
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Patong Police on high alert for flash flooding
PHUKET: Officers working at low-lying Patong Police Station are on high alert after their station succumbed to flash floods again earlier this week (story here). “The water has drained from the office now,” Lt Col Pongpichan Chayanonpiriya of the Patong Police told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. “We will be better prepared next time, and pay closer attention to weather warnings.”…
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Facebook post helps identify drowned woman
PHUKET: Facebook users were able to identify the woman who plunged to her death off Rawai Pier yesterday, after pictures of her body were posted on the social media platform. Witnesses saw Sriwann Sarapoo, 49, walk down the pier in the heavy rain at about 8:30am. “We were told that she walked to the end of the pier, where the…
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Police fatally shoot ax-wielding man at Nashville movie theater
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police fatally shoot ax-wielding man at Nashville movie theater Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A man with a history of mental health issues who wielded an ax and a pellet gun at a Nashville-area movie theater was shot dead by police on Wednesday, authorities said. The…
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