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This Christmas, give the gift of health: essential options for expats in Thailand
The holiday season is here, bringing warmth, joy, and a chance to reflect on the year gone by. As an expat in Thailand, this Christmas is a great time to invest in something that truly matters: health. Whether for you...
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Monkey business at kratom den north of Phuket
PHUKET: Police raiding a kratom den in Phang Nga last Friday ran into some serious monkey business when they discovered 19 caged macaques. After receiving a tip that beverages made from the leaves of the illegal kratom tree were being brewed in a house in Takuapa, police moved in. “Not only did officers find three men drinking a kratom beverage,…
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Be forewarned about 4G in Phuket
PHUKET: Lest you think it’s 3G déjà vu all over again, the current state of 4G in Phuket has a few interesting new wrinkles. In many ways, the impending 4G roll out – which is already under way, at least in theory – isn’t nearly as confusing as the 3G roll out two years ago. Thank heavens! Let’s start with…
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Queens of the beach compete
PHUKET: With the success of the PTT School Tournament, held in conjunction with the recent 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball Phuket Open, organizer Bob Selznick wanted to give students another chance to develop their skills on the sand by hosting a new tournament. “I promised the girls that I would teach them, and hold a two-person per side beach volleyball tournament…
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Patong Carnival Fun Fest underway
PHUKET: Thousands of tourists and Phuket residents lined the streets of Patong yesterday evening to usher in the annual Patong Carnival, held each year to unofficially mark the beginning of the tourism high season. This year, branded the “Patong Fun Fest”, the carnival got underway with the traditional parade, snaking its way from Phang Muang Sai Kor Road, Prachanukhro Road…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Bachelet wins in Chile; EU suspends trade talks with Ukraine; Peter O’Toole is dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bachelet wins Chile election in a landslide, plans reforms Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Michelle Bachelet was elected as Chile’s president again on Sunday in a landslide victory that hands the centre-leftist the mandate she sought to push ahead with wide-reaching reforms.Bachelet won with about 62 percent support,…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Man held for killing girl, 6; Govt forum backs elections; Elite peace unit ramps up lese majeste crackdown
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Man held in killing of girl, 6 The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Police have arrested a man suspected of kidnapping and killing a six-year-old girl. Footage from security cameras in Bang Na in Bangkok showed the man walking with a girl reported as missing by her parents…
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Tourist Police Volunteer busted for drug dealing in Phuket
PHUKET: Provincial Police arrested long-time expat and well-known Tourist Police Volunteer Garry Halpin yesterday for dealing drugs to tourists and local teens. Mr Halpin, 52, was arrested at the Chalong Villa and Spa last night, where he was in possession of over 18g of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine), drug paraphernalia, a digital scale and cough syrup. “Garry was a tourist…
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Aggressive British beggar beaten on Bangla
PHUKET: A British beggar who was verbally abusing tourists who weren’t giving him money was attacked on Phuket’s main party street, Soi Bangla, last night. Patong Police and Kusoldharm rescue workers arrived at the scene to find Aziz Javid, 29, sprawled out on the road with a crowd of onlookers standing around him. “He was suffering from a minor head…
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Phuket resort looks to bring to heel Kata Noi taxi rank
PHUKET: Reform for the 60-vehicle taxi rank operating at the Katathani Phuket Beach Resort is on the horizon, said Katathani President and CEO Sombut Atiset yesterday. The hotel is working together with the Karon Municipality and Karon Police to establish a balance where everyone can “live together”, explained Mr Sombut. “We are working with the Kata Noi Taxi Service, and…
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Phuket Governor pushes ‘Visiting 3K Police Stations’ project
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut inspected Karon Police Station yesterday as part of his “Visiting 3K Police Stations” campaign to promote Phuket as a safe holiday destination. The governor is using the project to keep a close eye on police stations at three key tourism beach areas – Kathu (Patong), Kamala and Karon. In October Governor Maitri was given a…
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Another Phuket taxi driver arrested for assaulting a tourist
PHUKET: Karon Police yesterday arrested a taxi driver for threatening and assaulting a tourist with a piece of bamboo. Narongsak “Petch” Kongsawat, 19, was arrested at the taxi rank in front of the Centara Grand Beach Resort, Phuket, at about 4:30pm. “Police identified themselves, showed the arrest warrant and took Mr Narongsak to the police station for questioning over an…
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Missing Chinese tourist suffering from Alzheimers found in Phuket Town
PHUKET: A 59-year-old Chinese tourist who was reported missing two days ago and suffers from Alzhiemer’s disease was found last night. The last sighting of Deshen Zhaun, before he was found, was at at 3pm when he entered Madam Massage in the Phuket Merlin Hotel in Phuket Town, said the man’s son-in-law, Wichit Sae-Ju. “When I returned to pick him…
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Russia Beyond the Headlines – all about it, in a language you can understand
PHUKET: The latest issue of the Phuket Gazette, on newsstands across the island this weekend, includes our launch edition of Russia – Beyond the Headlines (RBTH).Like the China Daily we pioneered two years ago as a free supplement for our valued readers, RBTH delivers insights into its host country’s relationships with Thailand and Asia. It also explores Russian culture, sports,…
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Phuket Drift: Pickup makes move, flips, crashes
PHUKET: A pickup truck thwarted in a passing maneuver on Thepkrasattri Road flipped over and landed upside down on the median in Mai Khao yesterday morning. The cab was partially crushed by the impact, but the passenger and driver escaped with only minor injuries. Called to the scene at Baan Suan Maphrao at about 10:30am, police found Wutirai Chuchuay, 26,…
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Tesco Lotus opens new Phuket department store in Chalong
PHUKET: Tesco Lotus today opened its new Chalong Phuket Department Store on Chao Fa West Road.The store offers a wide range of fresh food and groceries, as well as a large variety of housewares, electronics, toys and furniture. The store complex has 72 commercial tenants including banks and leading restaurants. The Tesco Lotus store will create 170 jobs in the…
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Man caught exposing his “big gun’ to Patong ladies
PHUKET: A man who thought it was a good idea to show all the ladies along his street in Patong that he had a big gun in his pants has been arrested and charged with possession of an illegal firearm. He was also charged with carrying a naked weapon in a public place. Officers were alerted to the man’s antics,…
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Phuket Opinion: Providing justice for aggrieved consumers
PHUKET: A friend came to see me the other day. He had a problem. He had fully paid for a pool to be built at his rental house. The pool, measuring only 6m x 8m, took the contractor 11 months to build – and within a few months of completion, it was falling apart. The concrete on the pool terrace…
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Phuket Opinion: Pushing for an Old Town revival
Phuket native Don Limnun-thaphisit, 49, is the project leader of Lardyai walking street and the head of the Phuket Old Town community. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Prince of Songkhla University in the faculty of Science. Here he talks about the need to revive Phuket Old Town and increase the popularity of the Lardyai street market with tourists.…
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Phuket Opinion: Mixing danger
PHUKET: The recent claim of drink spiking by a young British tourist who survived a two-storey fall from her Patong hotel room is just the latest in a long string of similar accusations by foreign tourists, the vast majority of which go unreported. Reliable sources in several units of the local Tourist Police have over the years said that claims…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Abhisit pleads not guilty to murder; Reform tussle; 2-yr-old shot in Pattani; DSI hits abortion-pill websites
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ex-PM Abhisit pleads not guilty to murder charge The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is determined to appear in court to fight accusations that he is responsible for the deaths and injuries of many people during the bloody dispersal of red-shirt demonstrators in…
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Patong ghost-resort owners ordered to clear way for residents
PHUKET: The absent owners of an abandoned resort in the foothills overlooking Patong have been given three months to respond to an order to allow access across their 200-million-baht plot of land – or face a court order to do so.Phuket Vice Governor Somkiat Sangkhaosutthirak delivered the news yesterday at the site of The Crest resort, on Phra Barami Road,…
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New Kathu District Chief vows to continue beach free-zone project
PHUKET: The new Kathu District Chief vowed today to pick up the reins of the Patong “beach clear” zone, which was set in motion by former Kathu chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol. In July Mr Veera requested that the Patong Municipality clear all vendors – including sun bed operators – from a large section of Patong Beach (story here). Mr Veera’s parting…
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Faulty Phuket public lighting deals deadly electric shock
PHUKET: A construction worker died from an electric shock yesterday afternoon when he leaned against a barbed wire fence to urinate. “The fence was accidentally electrified by a frayed wire,” said Lt Peerasit Noopayan of the Cherng Talay Police. A nearby light pole was leaning to one side, and the frayed wire which supplies it with electricity came into contact…
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Thai stars to shine at Phuket’s Patong Carnival
PHUKET: Thai pop stars Sarunyu “Ice” Winaipani and Rattapoom “Film” Toekongsap are among the headline acts to perform at this year’s Patong Carnival, which is held annually to usher in the tourism high season. Also on the bill of performers to entertain the crowds are renowned Thai country music bands Maleehuana and Kangkeng, and nationwide star Bow Wee. This year’s…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Cameron, Obama in Mandela funeral selfie; Rio plundered in storm; Ukraine protest holds fast; Aussie gay marriage illegal
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cameron defends Mandela funeral selfie with Obama Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday defended his behaviour at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in South Africa after he was criticised at home for posing with U.S. President Barack Obama for what some said was…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Six die in Deep South attacks; Suthep may meet top brass; New fish found
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Six killed, 10 hurt in 2 attacks in South The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Five soldiers were killed and 10 others injured – four seriously – in a bomb attack yesterday in Pattani’s Kapho district, while a police officer was gunned down earlier in Yala’s Muang district.…
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Krabi Police ramp up tourist security as trial looms for Bobby Carter murder suspects
PHUKET: Police in the tourist area of Ao Nang, across Phang Nga Bay from Phuket, have beefed up patrols and launched a tourist-friendly campaign to heighten security ahead of the huge influx of visitors expected during the tourism high season. The move to boost safety comes as the public prosecutor prepares to bring to trial three musicians for the stabbing…
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Phuket Governor affirms Phuket Prison’s “white’ status
PHUKET: A pre-dawn search of Phuket Prison today failed to uncover any drugs or contraband being hidden by prisoners. The mass raid of the entire compound was held to establish the facility’s status as a Department of Corrections “White Prison”. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusutwas led about 100 officers, including Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Arayapan Pukbuakao and Phuket Prison Chief…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Bangkok deadlock; Academics fear coup; No bail for Abhisit; Tortoises snared at airport; B77mn ya bah bust
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Game reaches dead end The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra fought back tears yesterday when asked by reporters to respond to the anti-government group’s demand that the whole Shinawatra clan leave the country.In a shaky voice, her eyes welling with tears, she said…
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Search begins for missing Phuket girl, 7
PHUKET: A distraught mother has made a heartfelt plea to find her seven-year-old daughter, Natthapa “Nong Dear” Papkaew, last seen in a Chalong neighborhood on Friday. Nong Dear is about 120cm tall and about 16kg. “She has long black hair and is missing her two front teeth,” Ms Jaroon Papkaew, 45, told the Phuket Gazette. “She was wearing a yellow…
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