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 Rotary continues campaign for Philippines victims
PHUKET: Despite the suffering of those affected by Typhoon Haiyan falling from headlines around the world, the Rotary Club of Patong Beach is continuing its campaign to raise funds through its disaster relief fund. “It gets harder and harder as it goes along, as it is no longer in the news,” Chairman of International Projects James Domville told the Phuket…
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Phuket government maintains workflow despite protest closures
PHUKET: The main government offices in charge of keeping the island’s economy ticking over have reported no major disruptions to workflow despite the more than week-long closure of Provincial Hall. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut agreed to close Provincial Hall on November 27, acquiescing to the firm request by thousands of anti-government protesters who rallied in front of the building (story…
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Phuket Immigration vows strictness on retirement visa requirements
PHUKET: Phuket Immigration has vowed to become stricter in its enforcement of retirement visas for married couples by upholding a law that came into effect in November 2008. The law states that foreign retired couples must each show evidence of 800,000 baht in their bank accounts in order to apply for or renew retirement visas, Phuket Immigration Inspector Napat Nusen…
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CCTV shopping images set police on trail of Phuket ATM thieves
PHUKET: Police have identified the men who robbed a Phuket ATM on Tuesday and are seeking arrest warrants. Based on CCTV images from a construction material store in Thalang, Phuket Police were able to identify the men purchasing supplies for the crime, which used a blowtorch to cut the back off the ATM. “We started by looking at CCTV images…
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Phuket celebrates HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 86th birthday
PHUKET: A host of special ceremonies are being held across Phuket today to honor and celebrate HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 86th birthday, which is also Father’s Day in Thailand. The ceremonies kicked off at 6:30am with Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut and a host of other public dignitaries offering alms to 86 monks as part of a blessing ceremony to honor…
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Ray Roberts eyes fourth King’s Cup trophy after Day 2 and 3
PHUKET: Cooler weather brought slightly lower wind speeds for the third day (December 4) of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, creating conditions that required good tactical decisions from all of the teams. In the IRC0 class, Ray Roberts’ OneSails Racing team continued their exceptional form to secure another win today in race four, and a 2nd place in race five,…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Mexico finds stolen radioactive material; Putin could free Pussy Riot members; France backing prostitution law; Japanese WWII submarine found near Hawaii
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Mexico finds stolen radioactive material amid dirty bomb fear Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Mexican police have found dangerous radioactive medical material stolen by thieves that the United Nations said could provide an ingredient for a “dirty bomb,” the country’s national nuclear safety commission CNSNS said…
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Special Report – Thailand secretly dumps Myanmar refugees into trafficking rings
Special Report PHUKET: One afternoon in October, in the watery no-man’s land between Thailand and Myanmar, well-known to Phuket visa-runners, Muhammad Ismail vanished. Thai immigration officials said he was being deported to Myanmar. In fact, they sold Ismail, 23, and hundreds of other Rohingya to human traffickers, who then spirited them into brutal jungle camps. As thousands of Rohingya flee…
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Phuket ATM thieves leave B1.4mn in the machine
PHUKET: Thieves who used a blowtorch to break into an ATM in Patong early yesterday morning made off with 220,000 baht, but left 1.4 million baht in the machine. The robbery, at the Thanachart ATM opposite Loma Park on the beach road (map here), took place at 4am, said Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan. “The machine contained 1.7 million baht,…
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Phuket honors HM The King with gala event
PHUKET: Leading Phuket officials, honorary consuls, prominent business people, notable dignitaries and social figures from across the island gathered at Phuket Rajabhat University last night to honor HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej for his 86th birthday. The event, which was open to the public, was held at the university’s main conference hall. All guests arrived in splendid formal attire or traditional…
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Phuket Police tracking Vietnamese ATM thieves
PHUKET: Police have been issued arrest warrants for a pair of Vietnamese ATM thieves who are believed to have fled to their home country after making off with 1.6 million baht from a Phuket ATM last month. Nguyen Thanh Quang, 25, and Tran Dang Hoa, 26, are wanted for robbing the ATM at the entrance to Boat Lagoon on November…
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No arrests for work permit delays caused by protests
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO), responsible for issuing work permits to foreigners on the island, remains closed today, but those with work permits set to expire or in process need not fear arrest, PPEO chief Yaowapa Pibulpol told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “At this stage we are not sure when we can re-open the office, but all…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Detroit bankrupt; Ukraine still not in Europe; Aussies probe Chinese spy; Santa gets an escort
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ukraine protesters threaten tighter blockade over spurned EU pact Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Ukraine’s government faced a tightening blockade of key buildings by protesters in the capital Kiev on Wednesday amid a crisis over its rejection of closer ties with the European Union that has piled pressure…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Truce in Bangkok; Suthep calls for People’s Assembly; More officials face rice-pledge probe
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Tactical truce reached in Bangkok The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The month-long political confrontation came to a pause yesterday as the nation prepares for His Majesty the King’s birthday tomorrow.In a televised statement, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra urged all Thais to unite, to show their love for…
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Conflicting reports of coral damage at popular Phuket dive site
PHUKET: Many members of the Phuket diving industry stand at odds with the Phuket Marine Biological Center’s (PMBC) assessment of damage to corals at Racha Yai caused by a storm that lashed the region late last month.“The storm that day [November 23] was not the first time corals in the area have been damaged by inclement weather,” PMBC Director Ukkrit…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Protesters enter Government House; Yingluck meets Army Chief; No more teargas, police ordered
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Protesters declare victory The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Anti-government protesters have declared victory today after they were allowed to enter Government House and the Metropolitan Police Bureau.The protesters were seen moving cement barricades earlier blocking their ways at both venues.Protest leaders declared the victory at the Rajdamnoen…
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Phuket Gazette World News: New York train speeding; Colombian president optimistic about peace; Fate of WTO to be decided in Bali
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New York train was speeding before derailment Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A New York commuter train that derailed on Sunday morning, killing four people, was traveling nearly three times faster than the speed limit for the curved section of track where it crashed, officials said on Monday.The…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Suthep targets police HQ; Protesters hit with live rounds; Train north derails; Woman dies in Rottweiler attack
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Suthep targets city police HQ The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban insisted last night on taking a tough stance against the Yingluck Shinawatra government by calling on his supporters to continue with their efforts to seize the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) – which…
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Student protesters “satisfied’ with results of march on Phuket Police HQ
PHUKET: More than 1,000 student protesters departed from Phuket Provincial Police Station this afternoon satisfied with the results of their march, which had arrived at the island’s police headquarters to ask officers to join their campaign to remove Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from office. “We would like all police officers to be working for the people of Thailand, not the…
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Russian tourists rescued from drowning at Patong Beach
PHUKET: Life guards at Patong Beach rescued two Russian men from drowning within 10 minutes of each other yesterday. Vladimir Himonov, 67, was rescued from the surf in front of the Ocean Plaza shopping center (map here) at 11am. “Life guards saw Mr Himonov swimming about 200 meters from shore. They realized that the Russian tourist was struggling in the…
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Phuket King’s Cup Regatta day 1 results
PHUKET: Day 1 of the 27th Phuket King’s Cup Regatta has officially concluded – the racing anyway – and the results are as follows:IRC 01. Boat: Jelik Skipper: Frank Pong Country: Hong Kong2. Boat: Oi ! Skipper: Ahern Bailey Wilmer Country: Australia 3. Boat: OneSails Racing Skipper: Ray Roberts Country: Australia IRC 11. Boat: Foxy Lady VI Skipper: Bill Bremner…
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Australian real estate agent in arson murder-suicide over internet usage
PHUKET: Jealousy and his stepson’s obsession with the internet drove an Australian real estate agent to burn down his house around him with his family inside, the man’s wife told Krabi Town Police. Naruthai Port, recovering in Krabi Hospital from serious burns across 60 per cent of her body, told police that Australian Richard Port locked all the doors to…
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Mother, daughter escape falling Phuket power poles
PHUKET: A mother and daughter were unharmed by a power pole that came crashing through the roof of their home on Kata Hill early yesterday morning.The utility pole, which luckily had broken free from the live electrical cables attached to it when it fell, punched a hole through the car port roof attached to the house, explained homeowner Kanlaya Sripitak.“My…
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Phuket protesters promise not to target airport, bus station
PHUKET: Protesters in Phuket have vowed not to attempt to close Phuket International Airport or bus stations on the island as they continue their campaign to garner support from government officers. Last Wednesday thousands of protesters gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall demanding that officers walk away from their desks as a sign of support for the anti-government rally (story here).…
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Protect yourself from cyber-crime – Phuket Business
PHUKET: As an expatriate living in a foreign country, you are particularly vulnerable to cyber-crime as you probably use the Internet to access your financial accounts and the statements associated with those accounts. With that in mind, here are ten tips to help you foil potential cyber-criminals: Security starts with your financial institution Although it’s inconvenient, your financial institution should…
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Phuket Gazette World News: New York train crash, 4 dead, 70 injured; Fast and Furious star dies; Honduras protests erupt; India space race overtakes China
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New York train derailment kills four, injures 70 Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A suburban New York train derailed on Sunday, killing four people and injuring 70, including 11 critically, when all seven cars of a Metro-North train ran off the tracks on a sharp curve, officials said.The…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Clashes leave 3 dead; Army heads Yingluck-Suthep meet; Social media peace surge
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hospitals say 3 killed, 58 injured The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Three people were killed in yesterday’s unrest and at least 58 injured, according to an official report by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Erawan Health Emergency Centre late yesterday.At least two of the victims died of gunshot wounds.…
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Rasmus Petreus and Melissa Hauschildt win Challenge Laguna Phuket
PHUKET: Rasmus Petreus of Denmark and Melissa Hauschildt of Australia are the respective men’s and women’s champions of the inaugural Challenge Laguna Phuket, having crossed the finish line with times of 4:05:06 and 4:30:29, respectively. Mr Petreus was followed closely by Alberto Casadeli of Italy who clocked in at 4:07:13, and his Italian compatriot Alberto Alessandroni in 4:07:52. From strength…
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Phuket Sport: Inaugural Thanyapura Junior Challenge triathlon winners
PHUKET: Hundreds of junior athletes and spectators alike turned up at Thanyapura Phuket this morning to participate in the inaugural Thanyapura Junior Challenge triathlon event, which turned out to be a special and timeless day for many. Indeed, the spirits of staff, local media, peers, parents and relatives were seemingly unhindered by the morning’s blistering heat and humidity; supporters wholeheartedly…
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Phuket Opinion: Changing for a Safer Phuket
PHUKET: While wishing ‘Safer Phuket’ (story here) the best of luck in its difficult mission to raise marine-safety standards in local waters to international levels, it is clear that the new NGO’s success will depend on its ability to change a deeply-entrenched “culture of carelessness” that pervades locally, both on land and at sea. This will be no small challenge.…
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