News
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Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Phuket Airport Express Bus still in the red
PHUKET: The Airport Express Bus lost 800,000 baht in its first seven months of service due to taxi drivers poaching customers and lack of support from the Airports of Thailand (AoT), the owner of the transport business told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. The much-heralded inaugural run of the service, which offers rides between the airport and Patong for 120 baht,…
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Phuket vehicle rental operators warned of passport scam
PHUKET: Patong Police warned vehicle operators in Phuket to carefully scrutinize renters’ passports following a report from Samui that a rented bike had been stolen. Krabi restaurant owner Jurgen Weber reported that two foreigners used a third party’s passport to rent a motorbike from his sister-in-law’s shop in Samui. And they never returned it. “I always tell rental operators that…
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Gardening for layabouts
PHUKET: I’m sure you have heard the expression, beloved by florists the world over, “Say it with flowers”. Here’s an interesting slant on the expression. An elderly couple employed a “nice” German prisoner of war to tend their garden during the Second World War. I remember the practice – my English parents did likewise. But this POW was different. When…
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Russian tourists unharmed in 10mn baht resort fire east of Phuket
PHUKET: Flames engulfed a resort in Krabi Tuesday night, dislodging 60 Russian tourists as it burned 35 bamboo bungalows to the ground. Damages were estimated at 10 million baht. Koh Sriboya villagers informed Subdistrict Chief (Kamnan) Samran Raden of the fire at about 8pm. He rushed to the scene, where he found villagers and resort staff collecting sea water to…
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Rohingya rape case held north of Phuket dropped for lack of evidence
PHUKET: The prime suspect in the rape of a Rohingya woman was released from Takuapa District Prison on Monday after the case against him was dropped for insufficient evidence, said a court officer on Tuesday. The 26-year-old Rohingya man had been held at the prison since June while the Takuapa Court gathered evidence (story here). “The judge wrote in his…
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Phuket governor says Karon Beach water safe, clean
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut washed his hands on Tuesday in Karon Beach canal water, which had run black and rancid on Monday. “The water itself is clear,” Governor Maitri said. “The black color is just sediment that had gotten stirred up. I want everyone to know that the water is clean and won’t harm you.” Just a day earlier, locals,…
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Krabi students in global art project
PHUKET: ABC Charity, a global art project of kids helping kids, has continued its journey around the world. They are creating the world’s first ever “human alphabet” – each letter made up of 500 children, in 26 different countries – ABC charity does not only help create fantastic memories for children, it will also raise money for a good cause.…
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Cycling: the spice of life
PHUKET: WITH surprising speed given the temperature, the amorphous speck approaching in the distance gradually revealed itself to be a group of 14 cyclists. Maybe it was the promise of a cold beer and big plate of food at Bill Bentley’s Pub and Restaurant in Mai Khao that provided the final surge of energy, or maybe they were downright tough…
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Etihad Airways to launch daily Abu Dhabi to Phuket flight
PHUKET: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will expand its network in Southeast Asia with the launch of a non-stop daily service between Abu Dhabi and Phuket. The new route will launch on October 26, 2014, using a two-class configutation Airbus A330-200 aircraft, with 22 Pearl Business seats and 240 Coral Economy seats. The flight will…
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Phuket’s X-Terminal officially opened
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport’s X-Terminal was officially opened yesterday, after a successful trial period serving Chinese and Russian charter flights. “From now on, all international charter flights will check in at X-Terminal,” said Makin Petplai, president of Airports of Thailand (AoT). “The check-in system works well. Passengers check in at the X-Terminal, then take the shuttle to the main terminal…
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Police charge Phuket driver for death of Finnish national
PHUKET: Kamala Police are withholding the name of the driver charged for hitting and killing a Finnish national on Saturday. Robin Straka, 25, was rushed to Patong Hospital after the accident with severe head injuries and was later transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital (story here). However, doctors were unable to save him. “Mr Straka had crossed the Kalim-Kamala Road to…
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Phuket police chase down snatch-theft duo
PHUKET: Phuket police quickly scooped up a pair of bag-snatch operators working in Patong late last night.“We received a report at about 11:40pm from a witness saying that a female foreigner had her bag stolen in front of Patong Hospital while she was walking with a friend,” Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police told the Phuket Gazette this morning.From the…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Budget cuts to slash U.S. Army to smallest since pre-World War Two
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Budget cuts to slash U.S. Army to smallest since before World War Two Phuket Gazette / The NationPHUKET: The Pentagon said on Monday it would shrink the U.S. Army to pre-World War Two levels, eliminate the popular A-10 aircraft and reduce military benefits in order to meet…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Pakistani village gives girls pioneering sex education class
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Pakistani village gives girls pioneering sex education class Phuket Gazette / ReutersPHUKET: In neat rows, the Pakistani girls in white headscarves listened carefully as the teacher described the changes in their bodies. When the teacher asked what they should do if a stranger touched them, the class…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Violent deaths shake Bangkok to core
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Death, injury toll jumps after attacks Phuket Gazette/ The NationPHUKET: The number of casualties from political violence over the past three months has surged to 21 dead and 762 people injured nationwide since November 30.Of this number, 718 were injured in Bangkok, two in Rayong, eight in…
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Tourists shocked as Phuket beach water turns rancid again in Karon, this time black
PHUKET: Locals, tourists and officials were shocked yesterday as water at one of Phuket’s most famous beaches turned rancid and black. The stinking water flowed from Nong Han Canal across Karon Beach and into the ocean at a rate that transformed the color of the sea, Village Chief Winai Chidchiew told the Phuket Gazette. “I went to see it myself…
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Phuket student wins national spelling competition
PHUKET: Darasamuth Phuket School student AJ Grosvenor won first place at the national spelling competition in Bangkok on February 19. The 10-year-old Por 4 student studies under Andy Dawson in the English Program at the school in Phuket Town.Grosvenor won first place in the Phuket round, then first place again in the southern provinces round and completed his hat trick…
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Fire erupts on Toh Sae Hill, destroys two rai of Phuket jungle
PHUKET: Flames engulfed the dense jungle on Toh Sae Hill on Friday night after a dry tree caught on fire, most likely from a discarded cigarette, said a Phuket firefighter.Phuket City Municipality Firefighter Chief Pairat Sulin was notified of the fire by residents and led his brigade to the scene near the Khao Toh Sae Viewpoint at about 11pm.“When we…
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Phuket maid pulled from bus to Bangkok with over B100,000 in stolen loot
PHUKET: A maid who had been working for two months at the home of a Phuket official made off with more than 100,000 baht in cash and valuables on Saturday, but was quickly apprehended.When Boonum Earjittrakul, a Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council member, discovered that a gold bracelet valued at 104,250 baht and 10,000 baht in cash were missing…
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DMCR chief calls on Phuket residents, tourists to protect marine sanctuaries
PHUKET: An illegal fishing net found in a popular dive spot last week prompted officials to call on Phuket residents and tourists to help preserve ocean conservation areas by keeping an eye out for illegal fishing activities. “Last week a group of divers saved a lot of reef fish trapped in an enormous fishing net at Shark Point and provided…
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Police solicit help to catch ATM-scammer gangs operating on Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket Police asked for help on Friday to bring scam artists to justice, noting that there are at least three gangs on the island targeting ATM customers. The conference followed the arrest of two French nationals for attempting to bribe police officers after being caught in an alleged ATM scam (story here). “People should be aware of possible scams…
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Phuket pounce on Pattaya
PHUKET: Yesterday was the first fixture of the Yamaha League One season and fans saw a spirited bout between Phuket FC and Pattaya United FC, who were relegated from the Thai Premier League this year, resulting in a 1-0 final score that secured victory for the Ronins. As the sun went to sleep, the crowd woke up, with about 4,000…
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Ukrainian expat falls to death from Phuket condo balcony
PHUKET: A 27-year-old Ukrainian man died early yesterday morning after attempting to climb from a fifth-floor balcony of a Phuket Town condo to his home on the fourth floor.Phuket City Police were notified of the incident by the building’s security guard at 1:10am and rushed to the scene with Kusoldharm Rescue workers. “We found the body of Oler Volkov on…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Ukraine sets European course after ouster of Yanukovich
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ukraine sets European course after ouster of Yanukovich Phuket Gazette/ ReutersPHUKET: Ukraine’s interim leadership pledged to put the country back on course for European integration now that Moscow-backed Viktor Yanukovich has been ousted from the presidency, while the United States warned Russia against sending in its forces.As…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Yingluck leaves Bangkok as bombs, gunfire punctuate unrest
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai PM leaves Bangkok as bombs, gunfire punctuate unrest Phuket Gazette/ ReutersPHUKET: Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the target of anti-government protesters who have blocked parts of Bangkok for weeks, has left the city and is staying 150 km away, her office said on Monday, without specifying the…
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Hazardous Phuket moorings removed from Chalong Bay
PHUKET: Eight unmarked concrete moorings near the Chalong Pier fairway that are believed to have sunk two boats within the last year were removed last Friday. “I think it is best to have the blocks near the fairway removed to prevent further accidents,” said Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut, maintaining that no blocks exist within the approach channel itself.…
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German woman takes fatal fall down stairs in Phuket
PHUKET: A 72-year-old German woman died yesterday after falling down a flight of steep stairs at a rented house near Nai Thon Beach. Tah Chat Chai Police were notified of the incident at 7:30pm and rushed to the scene with rescue workers. At the house on Sakoo-Nai Thon Road, police found the body of Margret Hiller lying at the bottom…
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Finn struck by car while crossing Phuket Road
PHUKET: A 25-year-old Finnish man was struck and injured by a car as he was crossing the road in Kamala early this morning. Robin Straka had crossed the Kalim-Kamala Road to use the ATM at a Tesco Lotus. On his return, he suddenly stopped walking, and seemed to be thinking about something, witnesses told police. “That was when he was…
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Phuket cops’ early morning raid nets 11 thieves, drug users
PHUKET: Police netted nearly a dozen snatch-theft and drug suspects during an early morning raid in Phuket Town yesterday. CCTV images of suspects stealing bags from two foreigners on Thalang Road in Phuket Town on Tuesday allowed officers to identify the suspects’ den on Srisena Road. The police raid on the house led to five teenagers being charged for ‘theft…
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Phuket Opinion: Navigating the ‘expat hump’
PHUKET: I openly admit that I had no idea what I was walking into when I decided to move to Phuket last August. Not only had I never been to Thailand, but I had never even left my vacuum-sealed bubble of a home country: America. The gravity of my move became immediately apparent as I left the airport. The sights…
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