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  • Phuket struggles to airlift stranded Air Australia tourists

    Phuket struggles to airlift stranded Air Australia tourists

    PHUKET: Scores of Australian tourists have been left stranded at Phuket International Airport after low-budget carrier Air Australia grounded all flights yesterday due to insolvency. The state-run Australian Broadcasting Commission news quoted a source as saying that Air Australia was even unable to buy fuel at Phuket Airport last night for a flight ready to take tourists home. The directors…

  • Violence condemned; drone strike; mass escape; Florida execution

    Violence condemned; drone strike; mass escape; Florida execution

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Reporters Without Borders condemns violence by Israeli forces against journalists PHUKET (News Wires): Reporters Without Borders on Wednesday condemned the alleged violence used by Israeli forces against Palestinian, Israeli and foreign photojournalists covering demonstrations against Israel’s West Bank separation barrier. In a statement, the Paris-based press…

  • Blasts hit confidence; Security tightened; Bomb expert trained suspects

    Blasts hit confidence; Security tightened; Bomb expert trained suspects

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Confidence of tourists will be hit by blasts PHUKET (The Nation): Tourism business operators believe that Tuesday’s bomb blasts in Bangkok will have a slight impact on the industry in the current first quarter of the year, according to a survey by the Center for Economic…

  • Phuket coral bounces back from bleaching blight

    Phuket coral bounces back from bleaching blight

    PHUKET: Considerable improvement in the condition of bleached coral reefs around Phuket and along the Andaman Coast has been noted by government researchers, it was announced at a meeting early this week. Boonchob Sudthamanaswong, Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Andaman Coast Group (DMCR-Andaman), chaired a seminar at the Phuket Merlin Hotel on Monday to discuss government…

  • Phuket officials set agenda for Cabinet visit

    Phuket officials set agenda for Cabinet visit

    PHUKET: Local government officials and private sector groups will tomorrow finalize which projects will be presented to the Cabinet during the top-level ministerial visit to Phuket on March 19-20. The news comes following a brainstorming session in on Tuesday. “We discussed the monorail project, Patong tunnel project, the Convention and Exhibition Center and the airport expansion,” said Phuket Governor Tri…

  • Chinese government eyes interest in Phuket light rail

    Chinese government eyes interest in Phuket light rail

    PHUKET: A state enterprise from the People’s Republic of China is the latest party to express interest in investing in Phuket’s light-rail project.An administration and engineering team from Mashucon Co Ltd announced the news in a meeting with Phuket Governor Tri Augaradacha at Provincial Hall yesterday afternoon.Executive Chairman Nopphon Tansakul told the governor that his team came on behalf of…

  • Phuket’s Paiboon resigns in shock move

    Phuket’s Paiboon resigns in shock move

    PHUKET: Paiboon Upatising has resigned his position as president of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (OrBorJor). More details about the shock resignation will be revealed at a press conference this afternoon, the Phuket Gazette has been told. Mr Paiboon was elected to office in April 2008, and was cleared of vote-buying allegations by the Appeals Court in Bangkok on September…

  • Phuket Video Report: Alleged contract killer surrenders to Phuket police, claims innocence

    Phuket Video Report: Alleged contract killer surrenders to Phuket police, claims innocence

    PHUKET: Phuket businessman Atsadakorn “Pod” Seedokbuab, wanted by police for being the mastermind behind the assassination of Phuket newsman Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn early last month, surrendered to police this morning. “I had nothing to do with it. I knew Ae very well. Even when he joined the red shirt protests in Bangkok, he called and asked me for money…

  • Phuket Gazette: Bangkok bomb plot update

    Phuket Gazette: Bangkok bomb plot update

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bangkok bomb plot deepens PHUKET (The Nation): Iran and Israel dropped diplomatic bombshells on each other yesterday, accusing one another of being behind Tuesday’s bomb blasts in Bangkok. Israel was quick to implicate Iran in the bomb incidents. “The attempted attack in Bangkok proves once again…

  • Phuket Gazette: Fisherman murdered by police; 272 prisoners dead; 54 rhinos poached

    Phuket Gazette: Fisherman murdered by police; 272 prisoners dead; 54 rhinos poached

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Sri Lanka police open fire on protesters, killing one PHUKET (News Wires): One demonstrator was killed yesterday morning when police officers opened fire on fishermen who were protesting against fuel prices in northwestern Sri Lanka, local media reported. Thousands of fishermen clashed with police during the…

  • Bahrain F1 get Bernie’s backing

    Bahrain F1 get Bernie’s backing

    PHUKET: “I don’t think it’s anything serious at all. It doesn’t change our position in any shape or form.” Bernie Ecclestone, head of Formula One, told British media that despite recent outbreaks of violence in Bahrain, the scheduled April 22 Grand Prix (GP) should take place. He added that if he was advised by the government in Bahrain not to…

  • Phuket select XI to play the MCC

    Phuket select XI to play the MCC

    PHUKET: The famous Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) based at the historic Lords ground in England play their first Thailand tour game tomorrow in a momentous event for the ACG and Phuket cricket. Starting at 2pm, a selection of Phuket’s cricket fraternity will don their whites and play a match to be remembered for the rest of their lives. Non-cricketers may…

  • Phuket Business: Medical tours vital to economy

    Phuket Business: Medical tours vital to economy

    PHUKET: Medical tourism in Phuket is flourishing and contributing greatly to the local economy, a representative from one of Phuket’s major international hospitals has said. Speaking exclusively with the Phuket Gazette, Peter Davidson, assistant manager of international services at Phuket International Hospital, said that “the number of people coming to Phuket for dental work and plastic surgery continues to expand…

  • 130 couples wed at Phuket Muang District Office on Valentine’s Day

    130 couples wed at Phuket Muang District Office on Valentine’s Day

    PHUKET: Hearts were aflutter at Muang Phuket District Office yesterday, as 130 couples appeared to register marriages on Valentine’s Day 2012. Muang District Chief Supachai Pochanukul told the Phuket Gazette, “We prepared a special registration desk for the couples and gave them all Valentine’s Day gifts. We issued certificates to 130 couples; it was a very lovely day.”Among the newlyweds…

  • Phuket Gazette: Thai Deputy Premier wants fast execution of drug convicts

    Phuket Gazette: Thai Deputy Premier wants fast execution of drug convicts

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET (The Nation): A legal study is underway on orders from Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung to determine whether drug-related convicts on death row can be executed within 60 days after final verdicts have been reached. With national drug-related crime statistics reflecting the surge in arrests…

  • Phuket Gazette: Americans alerted in update on bomb blast in Bangkok; US Embassy issues warning

    Phuket Gazette: Americans alerted in update on bomb blast in Bangkok; US Embassy issues warning

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community UPDATE: Bomb blast in BangkokPHUKET (News Wires): Three explosions, six injured; first one goes off at rented house; UK embassy issues warning; Iranian lobs bomb at taxi, then at police car, loses his legs in blast; another Iranian arrested. An Iranian man was badly injured and…

  • Phuket Gazette: Bomb blasts in Bangkok

    Phuket Gazette: Bomb blasts in Bangkok

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Arab-looking man launches two bomb attacks in Bangkok PHUKET (News Wires): Pol Lt Col Witthaya Poonsin, deputy commander of Klong Tan traffic police, said a foreigner, who has yet to be identified, threw the first bomb at a taxi on Soi Pridi Panomyong. The taxi was…

  • Phuket mass wedding goes off – with a hitch

    Phuket mass wedding goes off – with a hitch

    PHUKET: Organizer have confirmed the mass wedding at Phromthep Cape is going ahead today, even though some government agencies wanted it canceled. Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak received a letter of complaint claiming that the private sector shouldn’t be allowed to use public land for commercial purposes. Part of the event includes a flower exhibit that would remain on the…

  • Phuket Gazette: Reactor temperature rises at Fukushima Daiichi; Schiphol reopened after bomb threat

    Phuket Gazette: Reactor temperature rises at Fukushima Daiichi; Schiphol reopened after bomb threat

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nuclear reactor at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant rises to 82°CPHUKET (News Wires): The bottom of one of the reactors at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in eastern Japan rose to 82 degrees Celsius (179.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday afternoon, the Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) said…

  • Phuket flower shops report blooming sales

    Phuket flower shops report blooming sales

    PHUKET: Flower shops in Phuket are doing brisk business today, St Valentine’s Day 2012. Many flower shops report record orders for floral arrangements, from both inside Phuket and off-island. Classic red roses remain the most popular items among the adults, while teddy bears and chocolates are increasingly popular among teenagers. Flower shops in Phuket Town are displaying special flower arrangements…

  • Phuket Live Wire: Yet another PayPal scam

    Phuket Live Wire: Yet another PayPal scam

    PHUKET: A reader wrote to me, asking if she’s been scammed. Ends up, she’s been taken for a ride, and the scam artist threatened to sue. Here’s how it happened, in her words, with a few minor edits: “Woody, I ran a series of ads in the Phuket Gazette, advertising an item I have for sale. I got an email…

  • Phuket Police keep the heat on drug dealers

    Phuket Police keep the heat on drug dealers

    PHUKET: Phuket Police are searching for a man-and-wife team of alleged major drug dealers who are on the run after officers unearthed a trove of methamphetamines from the ground outside their home in Mai Khao. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangkul provided details of the operation at a press conference on Monday. Also attending were his deputies Pornsak Nuannu and…

  • Trousers to go on at Phuket Village Health Volunteers Fair

    Trousers to go on at Phuket Village Health Volunteers Fair

    PHUKET: For people looking for a cheap night out on Valentine’s Day, the alternative band Kangkeng (Trousers) will take the stage in a free concert at Saphan Hin tonight as part of activities in the Phuket Village Health Volunteers Association Fair. The little-publicized fair, organized by the Phuket Provincial Health Office and Phuket City Municipality, got underway last Tuesday and…

  • Phuket Sports: A gem of a fun regatta

    Phuket Sports: A gem of a fun regatta

    PHUKET: By two first-place and two second-place finishes gave Russian Arbuzov Andrev’s Ruby Tuesday victory in Racing class of the 15th Bay Regatta.Day four of the regatta greeted crews with clear skies and good wind as they left their anchorage off the Sheraton Krabi Beach Resort and headed to Ao Chalong for the regatta’s final party and awards ceremony at…

  • Phuket News: Sinkholes threaten Krabi rubber plantation

    Phuket News: Sinkholes threaten Krabi rubber plantation

    PHUKET: Sinkholes have hit a rubber plantation in Muang District Krabi, east of Phuket. Officials there are urging the landowner to fill them as soon as possible before they enlarge. The sinkholes were first reported to the Mineral Resources Department Region 4 Office in Surat Thani on February 7. On the afternoon of February 10, office director Tawatchai Thepsuwan and…

  • Tough love for street beggars in Phuket

    Tough love for street beggars in Phuket

    PHUKET: Government departments are coordinating a crack down on street beggars in Phuket this Valentine’s Day. Tomorrow at 1:30pm, Governor Tri Augkaradacha will implement policies to remove beggars in all three Phuket districts. This will be done in accordance with the Control of Beggars Act BE 2484 (1941), which requires that provincial officers arrest vagrants. “To solve the problem of…

  • Fish truck driver kills five, gets bail

    Fish truck driver kills five, gets bail

    PHUKET: The driver of a truck whose alleged reckless driving killed four young Swedish tourists and their Thai driver in Phang Nga last week has been released on bail, the Phuket Gazette has learned.An officer at Phang Nga Provincial Court told the Gazette last Wednesday that the driver, 27-year-old Muhummadyukee Jehyusoh, requested bail release on February 3.Released three days later…

  • Phuket Sports: Synergy are BSS soccer champions

    Phuket Sports: Synergy are BSS soccer champions

    PHUKET: Brazilian Soccer School’s second international football tournament took place recently at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) with hundreds of young enthusiasts there to show their passion and flair for the beautiful game. Team Synergy, a team that is co-sponsored by TSLC, won the U14 title and did so without losing a single match. Nine local boys from Phuket…

  • Phuket Gazette: TV Journalist couple killed; The Sun newspaper staff arrested

    Phuket Gazette: TV Journalist couple killed; The Sun newspaper staff arrested

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community TV journalist couple murdered in Bangladesh capital PHUKET (News Wires): Two well-known Bangladeshi television journalists were killed at their residence in the capital of Dhaka over the weekend, police said yesterday. The bodies of Golam Mustofa Sarowar and his wife, Meherun Runi, were first discovered on…

  • Phuket druggists to restrict sale of ‘Meth Blue’

    Phuket druggists to restrict sale of ‘Meth Blue’

    PHUKET: Phuket pharmacists will restrict the sale of products containing ‘methylene blue’ to minors, following reports of youths taking the compound to avoid testing positive for methamphetamine use during drug tests. The announcement came during a special meeting on Saturday led by Kiattisak Parnrungsri, secretary of the Phuket Pharmacists Club; Duangjai Pasarphan, pharmacist with the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office…