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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Patong eyes giant Ferris wheel to get Phuket high season rolling
PHUKET: Phuket officials are scrambling to find a location to set up the Patong Eye, a giant Ferris wheel that is hoped to spin out fresh revenue during and after the Patong Carnival starting on December 15. “The Patong Eye could generate money to compensate for financial losses from Thailand’s National Youth Games last year,” said Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat…
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DSI puts violent Phuket taxi driver rank in cross hairs
PHUKET: The head of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) team operating in Phuket believes that enough information was gathered during a sting operation of a violent taxi rank on the island to launch a full-out investigation. “For us to step in, we must declare a case a ‘special investigation’. Given what happened at the Merlin Beach Resort at Tri…
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Kamala Police net meth dealers in hotel sting
PHUKET: Plainclothes police arrested two ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) dealers in a sting operation at a Phuket guesthouse on Wednesday night, seizing a total of 1.6 grams of the drug. Lt Suchart Chumphusaeng led four other officers of the Kamala Police in the raid at Popeye’s Place guesthouse, near Phuket FantaSea, where plainclothes officers had arranged to buy 1.6 grams…
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Anti-Yingluck protesters in Phuket pledge to not back down
PHUKET: Protesters have vowed to keep pressure on the Phuket provincial government until results of the anti-government rallies are seen in Bangkok. “The protests in front of Provincial Hall will continue until the big protest taking Bangkok by storm sees results,” protest co-ordinator Amnuay Kumban told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “The protests have gone too far to start backing…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Abhist digs in; Yingluck rejects protesters’ demands; Anand calls for mutual retreat, peace talks
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Abhisit: Dems will strive to oust ‘Thaksin regime’ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Opposition Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva Thursday insisted his party is determined to overthrow the “Thaksin regime”, saying the government had lost legitimacy. He said the Democrats are ready to support popular…
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As Provincial Hall falls silent, Phuket Governor works on
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut assured the public yesterday that everything is “business as usual”, despite the closure of Phuket Provincial Hall by protesters on Wednesday. Governor Maitri explained that he was continuing his work outside the office. “The main gate is closed and Provincial Hall is silent, just as the protesters requested, but I am still doing my job. My…
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Phuket murder convict Lee Aldhouse happy to serve jail time in Thailand
PHUKET: British national Lee Aldhouse, sentenced today to 25 years in jail for the murder of American Marine Dashawn Longfellow in Phuket in 2010, is happy to serve his jail term in Thailand, the Phuket Gazette was told today. The Phuket Provincial Court sentenced Aldhouse, known in Muay Thai kickboxing arenas as the “Pitbull”, to 25 years’ imprisonment for the…
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Phuket Honorary Consul reports violent abuse, intimidation by taxi drivers
PHUKET: The Honorary Consul of Ireland this week revealed to the Phuket Governor how she was threatened and intimidated at a resort in Rawai, where taxi drivers refused to let her leave after picking up a friend and her children.The news came at Governor Maitri Inthusut’s quarterly meeting with Phuket’s honorary consuls at Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday.“I went to…
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Phuket throat slasher arrested in Patong
PHUKET: Police have arrested one man for the murder of Phuket construction worker Than Zaw, 24, a Myanmar national whose body was found dumped in a pond near the Patong Municipality offices on Sunday. Mr Than’s throat had been slashed and his torso had been stabbed at least 17 times (story here). Patong Police arrested Myanmar national Aung Htre, a…
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Stoney Monday founder faces trial in Phuket for B80mn fraud
PHUKET: The Australian who formerly ran the Stoney Monday Oasis Hotel in Patong has been arrested in Krabi and brought back to Phuket to face trial for embezzlement and six counts of fraud. The alleged damages total more than 80 million baht. Rell Vivien Hayes, 51, was arrested last Friday while allegedly selling property at an upscale resort south of…
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Swedish tourist drowns at popular Phuket beach
PHUKET: Big Phuket waves at Karon Beach claimed another tourist’s life yesterday afternoon. Swedish national Ann Gorli Teres Fjellner, 59, was knocked over and dragged out by heavy waves at about 9:30am, Karon Police Deputy Superintendent Pachai Matthayan told the Phuket Gazette. “Lifeguards saw the waves pull her out, but when they went to save her, she was already missing…
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Victim’s sister laments 25-year sentence for Aldhouse Phuket murder
PHUKET: The sister of American Marine Dashawn Longfellow today lamented the 25-year jail term handed down to her brother’s killer, British national Lee Aldhouse, saying that the sentence was not long enough. Marquis Longfellow voiced her disappointment with the sentence less than an hour after Aldhouse was given the 25-year jail term today (story here). “Lee took the life of…
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Phuket Provincial Hall silent after anti-government protests
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Hall has bowed to the peaceful demands of thousands anti-government of protesters yesterday, and has shut down its operations. “No officers will work today or tomorrow at Provincial Hall or the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization [PPAO] Office,” said a public relations officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We also didn’t work yesterday.” The closure of both provincial…
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Phuket officials target taxi ranks
PHUKET: Phuket officials put taxi ranks on the chopping block on Tuesday in hopes of allowing police to take quick action against illegal parking. As a result, all taxi rank operators in Phuket must identify themselves to local police stations by December 31, the same deadline day for all taxi, tuk-tuk and tour van drivers on the island to become…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Syrian opposition to attend Geneva; US airlines playing it safe over East China Sea; Price jumps for Philippines’ typhoon rebuilding; Vietnam attacks social media
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Syrian opposition to attend Geneva peace conference Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Syrian National Coalition opposition group will attend the “Geneva 2” talks in January aimed at ending the civil war, the group’s president, Ahmad Jarba, said on Wednesday. In an interview with Reuters and…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Protesters take more ministries; Water-plan forum shut down; Funds dwindle for fight against Aids
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Protesters lay siege to more ministries; some officials express support The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: For a third day yesterday, anti-government protesters continued to lay siege to key government offices in order to challenge Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s government and her brother Thaksin’s authority. The…
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Phuket Gazette World News: US bombers enter China-disputed airspace; Ukraine riots; No Syria rebel ceasefire for Geneva; Mexico deports cartel teen beheader
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Defying China, U.S. bombers fly into East China Sea zone Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Two unarmed U.S. B-52 bombers on a training mission flew over disputed islands in the East China Sea without informing Beijing, Pentagon officials said yesterday, defying China’s declaration of a new airspace defense…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: PM slapped by censure; Tourism may lose B25bn; Bullion bonanza; More rain for South
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt fights censure, protests The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A political battle took place on two fronts yesterday, with anti-government protesters besieging more government ministries and the opposition beginning its no-confidence onslaught against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the House.Thousands of demonstrators, protesting against a government-backed bill…
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Triathlon champion Chris McCormack takes reins of Thanyapura Phuket
PHUKET: Thanyapura Phuket has appointed multiple world champion athlete, Chris McCormack, as Executive Chairman of the island’s world-class megaplex as it takes a big stride into the future with the establishment of Thanyapura International to take its unique and ground-breaking “Thanyapura Active Healthy Lifestyle” concept to the world.Mr McCormack will take up the reins at Thanyapura Phuket on December, 1,…
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Buakaw breaking it down in Phuket
PHUKET: Muay Thai is Thailand’s signature sport, and its most famous active practitioner is Buakaw Banchamek, the rock-hard pugilist from Surin who first stepped into the ring at the tender age of eight and has been fighting regularly ever since – last Monday (November 18) right here in Phuket. Thailand has produced some great fighters over the years: Khaosai Galaxy…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Honduras wins two presidents; Pope meets Putin; Israel sends aide to US for Iran talks
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Honduras leftist disputes Sunday vote count, supporters march Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Leftist Honduran presidential candidate Xiomara Castro refused on Monday to accept partial official results that show her conservative rival on course to win Sunday’s election, and a group of her supporters took to the streets.Castro,…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: PM Yingluck extends ISA; Suthep calls for people’s government; Floods ease in South
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM extends ISA and insists she won’t resign or dissolve House The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra last night extended the invocation of special internal security law to cover entire Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district and Pathum Thani’s Ladlumkaew district.Since October 18,…
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Marine safety summit sails forward with local, international support
PHUKET: Safer Phuket, a new marine-safety non-government organization (NGO), made a splash today with the announcement of the Coastal Water Safety Summit in January at the PIMEX Boat Show. The announcement comes in the wake of over 200 tourists being stranded on nearby islands over the weekend due to heavy weather (story here), and fatal rip currents on Phuket’s west-coast…
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Phuket Heartbreak: Father identifies Gao Yang’s body
PHUKET: The father of Gao Yang underwent the heart-wrenching process of identifying his son’s body today. The 20-year-old Chinese national Gao Yang slipped from the rocks at Promthep Cape and fell into the sea at the iconic promontory last Wednesday. His body was recovered after it was spotted by a passing speedboat on Friday (story here). Gao Haiming, 49, arrived…
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Six protesters injured in bus crash home, recovering in Phuket
PHUKET: Six of the Phuket protesters injured in a bus crash on Saturday, while en route to anti-government rallies in Bangkok, were transferred to Phuket hospitals last night. “They were transferred from hospitals in Surat Thani and arrived in Phuket at about 9pm,” protest co-ordinator Amnuay Kumban told the Phuket Gazette. The six were admitted to Vachira Phuket Hospital, Provincial…
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Don’t risk tourists’ lives, warns Royal Thai Navy
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy has warned all tour operators to obey orders to stay in port during dangerous weather conditions following navy ships being dispatched to rescue tourists stranded at Koh Racha and the Similan Islands over the weekend.“If the ports are ordered to close due to the weather, please do not launch your vessels. We understand it is…
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Man with throat slashed found in Patong pond
PHUKET: Police are looking to identify a man whose body was found in a lagoon behind the Patong Municipality offices early yesterday morning. The man’s throat had been slashed and his torso had been stabbed at least 17 times, reported officers at the scene (map here). “The body was found at 8am by local tuk-tuk driver Pattanapong Sombat, 36,” Maj…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Iran nuclear breakthrough; Children slain in Syria; AK47 runs riot at Yemeni Gangnam Style wedding; Philippine Maoists on hold for Haiyan
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Breakthrough deal curbs Iran’s nuclear activity Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Iran and six world powers clinched a deal on Sunday to curb the Iranian nuclear programme in exchange for initial sanctions relief, signalling the start of a game-changing rapprochement that would reduce the risk of a wider…
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Ruedi Wild and Melissa Hauschildt win 20th Laguna Phuket Triathlon
PHUKET: Preliminary results are in, and it was Ruedi Wild of Switzerland and Melissa Hauschildt of Australia who won this year’s Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT). Mr Wild won the men’s class with a time of 02:34:41, while Ms Hauschildt was the top women finisher in 02:45:24.This year is the 20th edition of the LPT.For full results and pre-coverage of the…
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Storm sinks Phi Phi ferry, ravages longtail, speedboat fleet
PHUKET: Heavy seas at Phi Phi Island this morning sunk a large passenger ferry, beached a cargo boat and heavily damaged at least six speedboats and 20 longtail boats, officials have confirmed. The Andaman Jet Wave ferry, registered to carry 250 passengers, had yet to begin its daily operations of carrying tourists to and from Krabi and Phi Phi, explained…
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