News
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Phuket taxi drivers demand fare share
KARON, PHUKET: A group of Phuket taxi operators has demanded a ‘fair share’ of the tourists transported between a Karon hotel and local tour destinations. The demands follow a complaint from Centara Karon Resort that heated arguments at the hotel between taxi drivers and tour company representatives have scared off tourists and threatened to ‘tarnish Phuket’s image’ as a tourist…
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Health workers gear up for swine flu spread
PHUKET CITY: The Department of Disease Control is gearing up for a re-emergence of the A(H1N1) virus that causes swine flu.Mrs Sirilak Thaijaroern, director of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) Region 11 Office in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, said the number of new cases of A(H1N1) is increasing nationwide with the arrival of the cool season.To fight the spread of…
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Kathu police keep tabs on ladyboys
PATONG, PHUKET: A ‘ladyboy’ registration plan that went into effect in October has been hailed a success by Patong’s top cop, with a drop in the number of crime cases committed by members of Patong’s transgender community. The registration plan was established last October following concerns that US military servicemen on leave in Phuket might fall prey to gangs of…
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TAT accepting Thai Tourism Award 2010 applications
PHUKET CITY: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is accepting applications for its 8th annual Thailand Tourism Awards, with 101 prizes in five categories up for grabs. The five categories are: attractive tourist destinations, tourist accommodations, tour packages, tourism support organizations and health tourism. Categories are subdivided, with destination awards for such classifications as best ‘natural’ tourist destination, best historic…
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Racha Yai residents protest new resort development
PHUKET CITY: More than 100 villagers from Koh Racha Yai gathered outside Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday to protest a new resort development they claim is disrupting their way of life and destroying the environment. The protesters, led by Chakrit Chandee of the Koh Racha Environmental Conservation and Protection Association, handed a letter to Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop outlining their…
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Alcohol act to be strictly enforced in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket businesses selling and promoting alcohol and tobacco will face stricter enforcement of the Alcohol Control Act in the New Year.Operators of bars, pubs, restaurants and advertising agencies face fines up to 500,000 baht and prison sentences of up to two years for infringements of the laws.The imminent crackdown follows a Ministry of Public Health report claiming that despite…
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Centenary celebrations at Satree Phuket School
PHUKET CITY: Phuketians are invited to join festivities currently underway at Satree Phuket School to celebrate the school’s 100-year anniversary.Many of the school’s 3,334 students have been taking part in celebratory activities since yesterday, including comedy shows, student marching band performances, live animation shows, IQ tests, science and singing contests.Visitors can also have souvenir pictures taken with students wearing traditional…
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Phuket Red Cross Fair starts Dec 30
PHUKET CITY: Phuket is getting ready for what promises to be the biggest Red Cross Fair ever, with the grand prize in the annual raffle no less than a house valued at 2.7 million baht. Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngob yesterday morning chaired a press conference to announce the fair, which will take place at the main staging area at Saphan…
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Fish breeder takes life by hanging in Wichit
WICHIT, PHUKET: Phuket police are treating as a probable suicide the case of a man found hanged to death outside his Wichit home Monday morning. Chalong police station identified the deceased as 34-year-old Sutee Sirithungkan, whose body was discovered by a neighbor around 8am yesterday. Mr Sutee’s body was found suspended by a nylon cord tied to a cross beam…
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‘Aqua Zone’ opens in Patong
PATONG, PHUKET: Tourists seeking some good, clean fun in Patong can once again enjoy ‘Aqua Zone’, a collection of 13 inflated playthings floating in a roped off section of Patong Bay. The 150-square-meter aquatic playground is located off the Patong Bay Garden Resort, which is owned by Patong Mayor Pian Keesin. The structures are anchored to the seabed about 20…
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Domestic dispute turns explosive
TRAT: A quarry worker and his wife were blown up after the man apparently detonated a quantity of C-4 plastic explosive during a domestic dispute on November 19. The blast, heard for up to 50km away, had villagers fearfing an invasion by the Cambodian army. Police and rescue workers found the house of Phen Buntham, 42, and his wife Saijai…
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Alleged Aussie perfume thieves out on bail in Phuket
MAI KHAO, PHUKET: A young Australian couple accused of stealing three bottles of perfume from a duty-free shop at Phuket Airport have been released on bail, but must remain in Phuket while their court cases are heard. Police identified the couple as 21-year-old Nathan Robert Hinds and his 16-year-old fiancée, whose name cannot be reported because she is a minor.…
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Police officers caught smuggling migrant workers
PHUKET CITY: Two police officers in Ranong were caught using a police truck to illegally transport migrant workers between jobs on December 6. Sen Sgt Maj Sombun Yita-amrit, 43, and Sen Sgt Maj Kasem Srisawai, 52, both squad leaders at Phato Police Station in Chumphon, were stopped at an army checkpoint in Ranong’s La-un District. In the back of the…
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Swedish man found dead on Koh Racha Yai
RAWAI, PHUKET: Chalong Police are investigating the case of a Swedish man found dead in his hotel room at a resort on Racha Yai Island in the early hours of Sunday morning. Lt Chana Suthimas of the Chalong Police identified the deceased as 36-year-old Jan Mirael Viltfors. Mr Viltfors’ body was discovered by police in his bed at the Ban…
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Mr India restaurant burns in Rawai
RAWAI, PHUKET: A fire at the ‘Mr India’ restaurant on Wiset Road last night caused an estimated 300,000 baht in damages and brought an abrupt end to the meals customers were enjoying. Chalong Police Inspector Chana Suthimas said it took a total of four fire trucks about 30 minutes to contain the blaze, which broke out in the two-unit shophouse…
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Phuket Gazette Readers’ Poll: Night bashes at Karon Beach
PHUKET CITY: With the ‘Roy Fest Phuket Music Festival’ in September and the subsequent revelry at the ‘Chang Regatta Moonlight Night’ full moon party on December 2, Karon Beach appears to be the new hot spot for large crowds of night-time revelers. But is this really a positive development for Phuket? Have your say by clicking the icon on the…
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German and Czech shine at Laguna Phuket Triathlon
LAGUNA, PHUKET: 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medal winner Jan Frodeno took first place in a new course record and US$ 3,500 in prize money at this year’s exciting Laguna Phuket Triathlon.The South Africa-based superstar posted an overall finish time of 02:24:56, besting the previous record set by Richie Cunningham (AUS) in 2008 by over three minutes.Frodeno was followed home some…
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Barge damages coral at Racha Island
RAWAI, PHUKET: A barge carrying building material has seriously damaged a patch of coral reef off Koh Racha, according to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR). Locals reported that the barge, allegedly belonging to Namchai Ocean Transport Company, was being towed ashore at Siam Bay on Koh Racha Yai. Prachuap Mokharat, a fisheries officer with the DMCR’s regional…
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Motorbike in Phuket pond: one dead, one injured
CHALONG, PHUKET: A woman drowned after crashing her salaeng (motorbike with illegal side-car) into a tin mining pond on Wednesday evening. The victim’s grand-daughter was also seriously injured in the crash. Another passenger, whose age and gender were not reported, escaped unharmed. Witnesses reported that at around 7:30pm, 56-year-old Wanna Rachathanarak lost control of the vehicle, which slid into a…
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Phuket City Park fisherman netted by cops
PHUKET CITY: A 26-year-old man faces up to three years in prison after being caught fishing in a public park. Khomsan Kaewkhampha, an unemployed Phuket City resident, set out for an early morning fishing expedition last Wednesday. When he arrived at the main pond in Rama IX Park (Suan Luang) in Phuket City, Mr Khomsan baited his hook with a…
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Plastic bag MoU signed in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: An agreement to charge a small fee for plastic bags was signed by most of the island’s major retailers, with Tesco-Lotus and 7-Eleven the only major holdouts. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony took place at Phuket Provincial Hall (Sala Klaang) at 2pm yesterday. The event was chaired by Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop. Also attending were new…
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Road closures for Laguna Phuket Triathlon
LAGUNA PHUKET: To ensure the safety of competitors at the 16th Laguna Phuket Triathlon tomorrow morning, traffic restrictions will be in place on certain roads around the resort and in other parts of Thalang District. The restrictions will begin at 7am on the roads immediately surrounding Laguna and continue until approximately 12:15pm. A traffic detour will be enforced for all…
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Seedlings planted in Phuket Town for HM The King
PHUKET CITY: Environmental activists and staff of the Royal Phuket City hotel came together yesterday morning to plant 82 seedlings in an empty lot downtown as part of celebrations for HM The King’s 82nd birthday today. Seedlings of the tree, Barringtonia asiatica, a mangrove species, were chosen for the project. Royal Phuket City hotel General Manager Jintana Trakulhoon chaired the…
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Nation unites in wishing beloved King a happy birthday
PHUKET: His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej turns 82 today. On the occasion of his birthday, His Majesty will grant an audience to his well-wishers at the Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall inside the Grand Palace this morning. His Majesty will reach the Amarin Winit-chai Throne Hall at around 10.30am. Accompanying him will be HM the Queen Sirikit, HRH Crown Prince Maha…
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Turtles released in Phuket for HM The King
WICHIT, PHUKET: About 100 students, sailors and marine biologists gathered this morning to take part in a turtle release ceremony to mark the 82nd birthday of HM The King tomorrow.The release, chaired by Vice Admiral Chumnum Ajwong, took place at Cape Panwa, on the beach between the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) and the Royal Thai Navy Third Naval Area…
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Phuket residents protest destruction of ancient trees
MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Protesters who have blockaded roads to the West Sands resort project began allowing partial access to staff today, but continue to deny access to any large vehicles involved in construction at the site. The blockade began on Tuesday, when local villagers discovered eight pine trees had been felled with chain saws along the border of the project…
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Phuket shellfish release to mark HM THe King’s Birthday
WICHIT, PHUKET: More than 100 people took part in a marine animal release ceremony yesterday as part of celebrations for HM The King’s birthday tomorrow. The participants, mostly school children, gathered at Mudong Pier in Wichit for the event, which began at 10am. Released into the sea from plastic bags filled with seawater were 2.5 million tiny postlarval prawns and…
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Another man shot dead in Chalong
CHALONG, PHUKET: A drinking session outside a mini-mart ended in the drive-by shooting murder of a Nakhon Sri Thammarat man early this morning. At 6:30am Chalong Police were notified of a shooting near the entrance to Chao Fah West Soi 55. Arriving at the scene, across from the Infinity Car Finance Shop, investigating officers including Chalong Police Superintendent Chinnarat Rittakananond…
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King’s Cup work permit crackdown rumors are false
PHUKET CITY: Rumors of an imminent crackdown on foreign sailors taking part in the King’s Cup Regatta over work permit violations are untrue, the head of Phuket Immigration has confirmed. A thread on the popular Thai Visa web forum yesterday started with the post: “Latest from Phuket Town… raiding King’s Cup regatta tomorrow for professional sailors without work permits….” As…
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Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Day 3: Pryde pulls a fast one
PHUKET: Neil Pryde could be on course for another victory in the Racing Division after exchanging first places with Full Metal Jacket on day three of the 2009 King’s Cup Regatta.Hi-Fi finished the first race of the day in pole position while Full Metal Jacket with America’s Cup helmsman Chris Dickson in charge had to settle for second.Roles were reversed in the…
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