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  • Phuket tourists warned about illegal slow loris touts

    PHUKET: A seven-day educational campaign against profiteering from slow lorises and other wildlife is now underway on the streets of Patong. Last night about 30 government officers handed out English-language brochures on the illegal use of wildlife in one of the most tourist-dense areas of Phuket, between Loma Park and Soi Bangla in Patong (map here). The officers were from…

  • Phuket Gazette Sports: Chelsea face second exit as Spurs trounce Inter

    Tottenham thump sorry Inter, Chelsea stung Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Tottenham Hotspur trounced a sorry Inter Milan 3-0 in the Europa League yesterday while last year’s European champions Chelsea were humbled 1-0 by Steaua Bucharest after being stung by a Raul Rusescu penalty.Big-spending Russian pair Zenit St Petersburg and Anzhi Makhachkala failed to manage a goal between them. Zenit lost…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Brazil nightclub fire toll climbs; 31 militants slain on Borneo; China land grab

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Victim from Brazil nightclub fire dies, 16 still hospitalized Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A young woman died yesterday from injuries sustained during a January 27 fire at the Kiss nightclub in southern Brazil, bringing the death toll from the college town tragedy to 241, Brazil’s health ministry…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Chavez to be embalmed; Bin Laden son in law arrested; Rohingya crisis spreads

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bin Laden son-in-law arrested in Jordan, taken to New York Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: U.S. prosecutors unsealed an indictment against a son-in-law of Osama bin Laden yesterday that charged him with conspiracy to kill Americans, after U.S. government sources said he was arrested overseas and brought to…

  • Man dies in reservoir after sacrilegious “wicky leak’ | Thaiger

    Man dies in reservoir after sacrilegious “wicky leak’

    PHUKET: The death of a man who apparently went insane and dived into a reservoir is the talk of a village in the province of Roi Et, in the northeast of Thailand. Villagers of Nonrang, in Muang District, believe the cause of the strange death of 32-year-old Daorueang Chaiyahong was his sacrilegious antics at a company party on New Year’s…

  • Phuket Opinion: Dumping drugs for scouts’ honor

    PHUKET: Rapin Nichanon, 58, has been the Provincial Prison Chief since 2011. Originally from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, he served as the director of Krabi Provincial Prison before moving to Phuket. Here, he talks about how successful the prison’s “scout training courses” (story here) are in helping drug users become valuable citizens: We have been holding our “scout training” courses for…

  • Hail Phuket Provincial Hall

    PHUKET: Protests over the recently-unveiled plan to build a new 465-million-baht Phuket Provincial Hall (story here) strike us as quite surprising, especially the fact that self-described “local people” are leading the opposition: virtually all of the land in the immediate vicinity belongs to the state. Few would argue the need for a larger provincial hall complex on Phuket. Various plans…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: FBI probe launched after drone spotted at JFK airport

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Feds checking pilot’s report of drone sighting during JFK landing Phuket Gazette / News wiresPHUKET: Federal authorities launched an investigation on Tuesday after the pilot of a commercial plane reported seeing a remote-controlled drone near his plane while preparing to land at New York’s John F. Kennedy…

  • Thailand Futsal: Phuket United win four in a row

    PHUKET: The Pearl of the Andaman won their fourth straight futsal league match last night, defeating Prachin Futsal Club (5-3) in a thrilling match in Phuket Town. Played at the Saphan Hin Indoor Sports complex, the match was both sides 27th match of the 30-fixture GMM Sport Thailand Futsal Premier League 2012-2013 season. The visiting team broke the ice early…

  • US Embassy to stage “outreach visit’ to Phuket

    PHUKET: The Consular Section of the American Embassy in Bangkok will hold an “Outreach Visit” at Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort in Karon (map here) on March 15. Consular staff will be available from 8am to midday to provide services on: • Passport renewal applications (US$110 or 3,520 baht for adult passports, US$105 or 3,360 baht for a child’s passport).…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Venezuela mourns Chavez; Kenyans tense over polls; Syria exodus; Vietnam dumps fat cops; Borneo uprising upended

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Venezuelans parade Chavez’s coffin, prepare for vote Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Weeping and shouting, a sea of Hugo Chavez’s supporters paraded his coffin through the streets of Caracas on Wednesday in an emotional outpouring that could help his deputy win an election and keep his self-styled socialist…

  • Keep your Phuket junk clean and green, traders told

    PHUKET: Traders dealing in secondhand goods and discarded items are under scrutiny in the latest campaign to keep the island green. Officers from the Pollution Control Department are working with the regional Environment Office to ensure recyclables and heavy materials dumped at the stores are disposed of appropriately. Surachai Kulthong, from the regional Environment Office headquarters, explained to the Gazette…

  • Russian tourist struck down by Phuket bus

    PHUKET: A Russian tourist suffered head and leg injuries when he was hit by a ‘pink bus’ in the middle of Phuket Town yesterday.The tourist was named as Kirill Kulagin by Lt Col Yongyuth Kongmalai, a deputy superintendent at Phuket City Police Station.“The man was hit by an OrBorJor [Phuket Provincial Administration Organization] pink bus at about 10am, when he…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Forbes super-rich list now has 10 Thais

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 10 Thais on Forbes’ super-rich list, up from five last year Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: Thai billionaires have seen their wealth skyrocket in a year, with 10 making it into Forbes’ list of the wealthy, compared with just five last year (click here for…

  • From the PGA to Phuket

    PHUKET: Golf is a sport that has surrounded Michael Brasier all his life. His father, Brett, is a PGA professional and growing up, Michael would watch him teach golf at various clubs around the world, including the Vines in Australia. It was only natural that Michael would follow his father into the sport: playing on the PGA tour, teaching golf…

  • Putting it all on the line – Live Wire

    PHUKET: With renovations running full-tilt on my new digs in Kathu, near Phuket Town, it’s time for me to stop hypothesizing and analyzing, pays my money, and takes my chances. That’s what this week’s Live Wire is all about – taking chances on a new internet land line. Two weeks ago, I broke down the internet services in Phuket into…

  • Myanmar Navy makes historic visit to Phuket

    PHUKET: Under a tight program, Capt Aung Zaw Hlaing, Commander of Myanmar Number 1 Fleet, still made time for an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette during the navy’s historic first diplomatic visit to a foreign country (click here for story). “We are very pleased to be here. It is the first time our ships have visited Thailand,” Capt Hlaing…

  • Phuket Business: A land of opportunity

    PHUKET: The island emerged last year as Thailand’s strongest hotel market, according to a recent report by Jones Lang LaSalle. The report, entitled Spotlight on Thailand – Hotel Investment Market said that as of December 2012, year-to-date (YTD), Phuket had an occupancy rate of 72.4%. Meanwhile, it said that the Average Daily Rate (ADR) was 3,902 baht, which resulted in…

  • Phuket Business: French ambassador to boost SMEs

    PHUKET: The new French Ambassador to Thailand, Thierry Viteau, made his first visit outside of his station in Bangkok recently to discuss in Phuket the need to strengthen relations in the tourism market. “Phuket and Nice in France have been ‘sister cities’ since 1989; I want to take this opportunity to re-strengthen and renew our relations,” Amb Viteau, who assumed…

  • Phuket Business: Local firm takes the LEED in sustainability

    PHUKET: The island-based construction and development firm, Development Management Group Co Ltd (DMG), recently announced that its Sustainability Manager, John Covello has earned his LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) certification. The designation, with a specialization in Building Design and Construction, makes John one of a small number of sustainable building specialists in Thailand. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy…

  • Phuket Gazette National News: Thailand may oppose protection of sharks, manta rays

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand set to oppose protection of sharks and manta rays Phuket Gazette / The NationPHUKET: Thailand will be juggling several hot-potato wildlife issues as it hosts the 16th Conference of the Parties to CITES, the ‘Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora’,…

  • Phuket Gazette Sports: Man Utd out as Ronaldo scores winner

    Ronaldo returns to knock out United Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Former Manchester United hero Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner against his old club to give Real Madrid a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals last night. United, 1-0 up in the game after Real defender Sergio Ramos put through his own goal…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Venezeula’s Hugo Chavez loses battle with cancer

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obituary: Hugo Chavez – socialist showman who transformed Venezuela Reuters/ Phuket Gazette PHUKET: At two defining moments of his rule, Venezuela’s theatrical leader Hugo Chavez took a small silver crucifix from his pocket and held it above his head. Both marked a quasi-religious “return” for the…

  • Police to make alleged karaoke killers sing | Thaiger

    Police to make alleged karaoke killers sing

    PHUKET: Police have arrested two men for stabbing a man to death early Saturday morning outside a karaoke bar in the port area of Phuket Town. Aphichet Janpradit, 33, and Phusithi Phaosuparp, 43, were both arrested on Sunday at their rented room on Koh Sireh for the murder of 28-year-old Surasit Sukhum, Lt Col Prawit Engchua of the Phuket City…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Draconian IS Act to be lifted; Pollsters puzzle; Worawi confident

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ISA to be lifted in five southern districts Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: To bolster dealings in the South between authorities and insurgent groups, the draconian Internal Security Act will be revoked in five districts in three provinces and replaced by the softer emergency decree,…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Baby cured of HIV; Girl miraculously survives plane crash; UK Queen leaves hospital

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community US baby’s cure from HIV raises hope, new questions Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The remarkable case of a baby being cured of HIV infection in the United States using readily available drugs has raised new hope for eradicating the infection in infants worldwide, but scientists…

  • Phuket residents protest new B465mn provincial hall

    PHUKET: More than 200 Phuket residents protested today against the construction of the new provincial hall. The protesters gathered this morning at Sanam Chai in Phuket Town, opposite the current provincial Hall (map here), to express their concerns that the proposed new hall will negatively affect the lifestyle of people in the area. Former Rassada Mayor Suratin Lianudom and former…

  • Phuket Gazette office to be closed tomorrow

    PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette would like to inform our readers and advertisers that our office in Koh Kaew will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, March 5, due to yet another all-day blackout in the area to upgrade power lines. The blackout affects Soi Harn Farang and Soi Koh Kaew 33, and may affect adjoining areas that are supplied electricity from power…

  • Phuket FC neutralize Big Bang in season opener

    PHUKET: Kicking off the Thai Premier League (TPL) Yamaha One 2013 season, Phuket FC played their season opener out to a 1-1 draw away against Big Bang Chula United (BBCU) on Saturday evening in Bangkok. Played at the Army Stadium, the match was watched by little more than 300 fans, with several dozen Phuket fans making the trip. Relegated last…

  • Phuket mob surrounds British expat who hit motorcyclist

    Correction: The original story yesterday named the driver, as repeatedly confirmed and spelled out to our reporters by Thalang Police Sub Lt Niphon Temsang, as “Martin Ian Potter”. His reports of the surname were incorrect. The driver charged over the incident was Martin Ian Foster, who reportedly works in the hotel industry on Koh Maphrao. The Gazette obtained the correction…