News
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Wondering if you can drink the tap water in Thailand? From brushing your teeth to filling up a bottle, it’s helpful to understand a few basics. Tap water safety in Thailand varies by location, and while some people use it...
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Phuket’s bypass road says goodbye to big sinkhole
PHUKET: Traffic is flowing normally again on the bypass road as construction to fix a gaping sinkhole left behind after days of heavy rain storms last week, was completed today. “The road repairs are done. The lane has been re-opened and is now in use,” Phuket Highways Office Director Samak Luedwonghad told the Phuket Gazette this afternoon. “The hole was…
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Officials scramble to dismantle human trafficking network north of Phuket
PHUKET: Officials north of Phuket are attempting to unravel a human trafficking network after the arrest of a Thai “caretaker”. “It is clear that locals are part of this network. We will dismantle it,” vowed acting Phang Nga Governor Prayoon Rattanasenee today. Songphol Klaimee, 20, also known as “Boss K”, confessed to police that he had been assigned the task…
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Phuket chasing sisters in China
PHUKET: Phuket is chasing the chance to add to its sister-city collection by strengthening ties with Xiamen, a major city on the southeastern coast of China. “Having a sister city inside China, such as Xiamen, could be of great benefit for Phuket,” Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong said yesterday during his meeting with Chinese Vice-Consul General and Director of the Phuket…
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Phuket’s much-needed Chinese consulate to open by month’s end
PHUKET: The long search for a home for the Chinese consulate in Phuket has come to an end, it was announced yesterday. The new consular office will be open by the end of the month, said Wang Huijian, who will be stationed there as the vice-consul general and director . It will be in the Royal Place project, the same…
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Buakaw Under Fire: Fighter flees the ring in championship fight
PHUKET: Once famous for his exhilarating K-1 boxing style, controversial Buakaw Banchamek’s tarnished reputation has suffered yet another setback with his latest antics in the ring, opting to flee the arena and shocking the crowd before the end of his fight. Rising to stardom as one of the most acclaimed K-1 fighters, who drew plaudits with countless captivating fights, Buakaw’s…
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More human trafficking victims netted north of Phuket
PHUKET: A group of 72 human trafficking victims destined for Malaysia were caught in a raid in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, today. Four of the 72 men, who Thai officials are identifying as Rohingya, were taken to Takuapa Hospital to be treated for extreme exhaustion and minor scratches to their feet and bodies, Takuapa District Chief Manit Pianthong said.…
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An Enchanted Evening’ for Phuket and for the Home & Life Orphanage
PHUKET: Just months ahead of the 10-year anniversary of the devastating tsunami that left hundreds of orphans in its wake, the the Home & Life orphanage is raising funds for capital improvements. ‘An Enchanted Evening’, to take place at the five-star Centara Grand Beach Resort on November 1, will be an unforgettable experience of art, entertainment, fine wine and gourmet…
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Phuket officials call meeting to halt island’s growing elephant population
PHUKET: Provincial officials will meet with relevant authorities tomorrow to discuss ways to curb the large number of legal and illegal elephants that continue to arrive on Phuket. “Officials, led by the Phuket Livestock Office, will come together to look at ways to manage the island’s burgeoning elephant population, which has already surpassed the maximum number allowed,” Vice Governor Somkiet…
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Phuket photo contest: Capture the essence of Patong
PHUKET: The Patong Municipality has announced its “Blissful Beach@Patong” photo and video contest in hopes of attracting more tourists to the party town in the lead-up to this year’s high season. “This is the first time we have held this contest. We feel that it is a great way to introduce and advertise Patong Beach to new tourists,” said Boonsong…
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Phuket property rental platform aspires to clear muddied waters
PHUKET: Being an entrepreneur can be daunting at times. It often entails subjecting oneself – and one’s bank account – to an unknown level of risk and necessitates taking a blind step into the unknown. There are usually no guarantees and failure is a common, yet unwelcome, outcome. “Five months ago we said ‘we are going to come out to…
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Protesters lash out at coal plant project east of Phuket – again
PHUKET: Hundreds of residents stood together against Krabi’s coal-fired power plant at public hearing for the project yesterday. The protestors claimed that the meetings were setups and locals were not being heard. The hearing, led by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and guarded by a brigade of armed soliders and police officers, was held at Nua Khlong Community…
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Booze blamed for Phuket drowning
PHUKET: Lifeguards are blaming heavy drinking for the drowning of an 18-year-old on Phuket’s Kata Beach yesterday morning. “There were about six men and one woman drinking on the beach after work. At about 9:20am three of them were swimming in a closed-off section of the beach. They were dragged out by the waves,” Kata-Karon chief lifeguard Uten Singsom told…
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Fluky Phuket winds test sailors in ACYC Race 6
PHUKET: Splendid weather greeted sailors yesterday, but as glorious as the day was, there was little wind for Ao Chalong Yacht Club’s Race 6, Series 2. A slow downwind start with a four-knot tailwind got the boats on their way, popping spinnakers as they crossed the start line. Fluky winds tested the group as they sailed around Koh Lon and…
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Mayor gives reward for return of cash-stuffed wallet in Phuket
PHUKET: A 10,000-baht reward was handed over to an honest Tesco Lotus employee after she returned a cash-stuffed wallet to a Phuket mayor who had left it behind. “I was helping a Burmese person translate the language on the ATM outside the Cafe Amazon at the PTT gas station in Chalong when I noticed the wallet,” explained Sorada Toiparn, 47.…
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Scores of human trafficking victims rounded up north of Phuket
PHUKET: More than 80 human trafficking victims fleeing Bangladesh were arrested north of Phuket in Phang Nga early this morning, a human rights foundation worker confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. “All of them came from Bangladesh, where they found it too difficult to survive in the refugee camp, so they decided to come to Malaysia,” said Htoo Chit, executive director…
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Traffic expert says underpasses not enough for Phuket
Dr Agachai Sumalee, 36, is a scientist at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology and an associate professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has a PhD in Operations Research from Leeds University in England. On September 17, Dr Agachai won the ASPIRE prize for creating an intelligent transportation system that reduces highway congestion in Bangkok. Here, he reveals his concerns…
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Police foil Russian ATM skimmer’s Phuket escape plan
PHUKET: Police nabbed a Russian ATM skimmer for stealing more than 100,000 baht from foreigners’ bank accounts just before he was set to leave the island yesterday morning. Nicolai Petrishin, 27, was arrested at Novotel Resort in Kamala in possession of equipment used for the scam. “We received three complaints from Kasikorn Bank between September 29 and October 5 stating…
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F1: Prayers, politics, practices and plans
PHUKET: Well, apart from Rosberg’s DNF, Singapore went according to form, and Japan of course was affected by a typhoon. This weekend, F1 finally arrives in Russia for its first time at the pristine Sochi Autodrom. It’s hard to bet against a Mercedes 1st and 2nd here, with Red Bull’s cars not far behind and a good showing from Williams…
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Phuket police arrest nine for drive-by revenge shooting
PHUKET: Police have arrested nine suspects, eight of whom are minors, for a drive-by revenge shooting that left two men injured in Phuket on October 3. Watthana Suebsak, 18, was shot in the face and seriously injured, while Prasert Chanthip, 35, was also shot and wounded when a group of masked suspects rode by on motorbikes and opened fire (story…
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Phuket Immigration denies allegations foreigners must pay for services
PHUKET: Phuket Immigration has denied claims it is charging fees for its services, after a Phuket Gazette reader alleged he had to pay 500 baht in the Patong office for an address verification. “I just bought a new motorcycle, so I had to do the address confirmation again yesterday [on October 8],” the reader wrote in the comment section for…
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Phuket Police conclude tourist rape investigation
PHUKET: Police have concluded their investigation into a man who confessed to tying up a Russian tourist, but denied raping her. Police arrested Somdet Srisai, 33, on September 27, after a 29-year-old Russian woman filed a complaint with Karon Police (story here). “We have completed our investigation. The victim has given us all relevant information that can be used in…
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Hundreds gather at home of fallen former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin [video]
PHUKET: Hundreds of people gathered at the Keesin family home in Patong yesterday afternoon in memory of former Mayor Pian Keesin, who was found dead in one of his other homes, north of Phuket Town, on Tuesday morning (story here). The Keesin family has declined to publicly reveal the cause of death. Among the guests present was current Patong Mayor…
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Phuket Town to feature floating market next year
PHUKET: Phuket Town will soon be the home to the island’s first floating market, the opening of which is slated for early next year. The floating market will be set up on part of the Bang Yai canal – the longest canal in Phuket – which begins in Saphan Hin and winds throughout the city. “We believe this project will…
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Opinion: Hooters or bust? Tourists should be handled more delicately
PHUKET: The foreign family with their two young children being subjected to a military-clad scare during a raid on the illegal taxi they hired is unfortunate (story here), but efforts by police to rid the island of “black plate” taxis still deserve full public support. Like many other tourism-tarnishing incidents, this one involved tourists travelling on the “mafia mile” between…
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Beach thief nabbed in Phuket
PHUKET: Police arrested a snatch-and-dash beach thief in Phuket last night. The 20-year-old Myanmar national named by police only as “Mr Kla” was arrested at 8:30pm after Patong Police caught up with him on the island’s main party strip – Soi Bangla. “Mr Kla confessed that he had stolen an iPad from a family of Korean tourists when he saw…
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Phuket Gazette sponsors Asian Beach Games
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette has joined forces with the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) to ensure that the world takes notice every day as Asia’s top athletes battle it out from November 14 to 23 at the 4th Asian Beach Games. With Governor Nisit Jansomwong encouraging the local community to get involved, both to show that Phuket can still glisten…
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Phuket praised for progress in prepping for upcoming Asian Beach Games
PHUKET: The Minister of Tourism and Sports has praised Phuket’s leaders for the progress made in prepping the island for the upcoming 4th Asian Beach Games. “Phuket has made great progress, but we must remember that besides competing, athletes will also be experiencing Phuket for themselves. We must take this opportunity to impress them,” said Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn…
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Managing your retirement
PHUKET: When planning for retirement, once a plan is in place, the next step is actually to manage it. While it’s not a full-time job, there are certain things that need to be regularly taken care of in order to ensure one’s retirement runs smoothly. First, the age-old question of whether to rent or buy needs to be addressed. Many…
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Gun battle brings down suspected serial 7-Eleven stickup artist
PHUKET: Police arrested a man suspected of several armed robberies at 7-Eleven stores after a shootout in Phuket today. Phuket Town native Piriya Tangbunjerd, 41, was slightly injured in the short gun battle. “Mr Piriya was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital with a gunshot wound to the hip. The two officers involved in the incident suffered no serious injuries,” Phuket…
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Fast arrest of thief should boost tourists’ confidence, say Phuket police
PHUKET: Police are hoping that the speedy arrest of a knife-wielding thief who targeted a Bahrain couple on Monday will raise tourists’ confidence in their safety. Patong Police arrested Ismael Pomalee, 30, from Pattani, less than 24 hours after the robbery. “We received a call at about 9:30pm on Monday saying that the couple had been held at knife point…
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