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Is tap water in Thailand safe to consume?
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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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Rubber protests flare; Trang Airport fears; Tourist Court opens in Pattaya; Film fest loses to lese majeste
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Close eye on rallies as talks with government fail The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Authorities are keeping a close eye on protesting rubber farmers amid fears they may step up the rallies currently being held in several southern provinces following the government’s decision to reject their demand…
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Phuket Prison officer busted for drugs in Bangkok
PHUKET: A Phuket Prison officer who taught inmates new life skills to use after their release was arrested for drug possession in Bangkok on Tuesday.Thanawit Puangnoi, 56, was arrested after Nonthaburi Provincial Police received a tip-off that a man would pick up drugs in the neighborhood around Jan Temple in Bang Kruai District.Officers staking out the neighborhood saw Mr Thanawit…
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Phuket Opinion: Relegate the blight of jet-skis to the past
PHUKET: It is time that the provincial government considers phasing out the jet-ski rental industry that has brought so much ill-repute to the island. The latest tragedy involving a jet-ski and a foreign tourist came last weekend, when 27-year-old Chinese visitor Shen Baocheng was rendered comatose after his rented jet-ski collided with a speedboat towing a parasailing tourist in Patong…
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Phuket Opinion: So near, but often so far
PHUKET: I don’t miss real bread and real butter, cheese and steak tartare. I don’t miss walking my dog through winter’s first snow, skiing in the French Alps or the mountains of the Czech republic. I don’t miss autumn strolls in my local park or the relief of springtime. I don’t miss the first tulips, young potatoes, fresh raspberries and…
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Cut costs on investments – Phuket Finance
PHUKET: If you are like many expatriates living in Phuket, you have probably failed to realize the impact trading or investment fees can have on your portfolio’s return, as such costs are often hidden and can quickly add up over time. In a rising market, these costs may not be so noticeable; but in a stagnant or falling stock market,…
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Last Call – Is there life on Mars?
PHUKET: I found myself singing the David Bowie classic from Ziggy Stardust just this morning in the shower, with that classic line “Is there life on Mars?” I’m not quite sure of the answer, though sipping cocktails while viewing a lunar Martian sunset certainly sounds like a good idea. That just may be the penultimate sundowner. Yes, the danger signs…
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Phuket Police on guard to face angry rubber farmers
PHUKET: Officers of the Phuket Police assisting local officers to guard the Surat Thani Airport against farmers protesting rubber prices say airport operations are continuing normally. A contingent of 155 Phuket police officers has been at the airport since Monday, Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karachedi told the Phuket Gazette. “So far, no flights have been affected,” he said.…
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Australian tourist dies after severe asthma attack invokes seizure
PHUKET: A 51-year-old Australian woman found dead in her Phuket hotel room on Tuesday morning reportedly died after suffering a seizure brought on by a severe asthma attack, police have told the Phuket Gazette.Tracey Ann Walton from Australia was found dead in her guest room at a Patong Beach resort early yesterday morning. Hotel staff made the discovery and promptly…
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Phuket Police baffled over Bang Tao beach bar blaze
PHUKET: A small bar at Bang Tao beach was burned to the ground late on Tuesday, with no explanation thus far for the blaze.On hearing about the fire shortly before midnight, firefighters and police officers rushed to the scene.“When we arrived, we found the bar – which apparently had no name – ablaze. Despite the modest size of the bar,…
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Phuket Romance: Man stabbed to death in feud over girlfriend
PHUKET: A 20-year-old determined to hold on to his girlfriend was stabbed to death by his romantic rival in Cherng Talay on Tuesday evening.Police arrived at the scene to find a crowd of onlookers and a pool of blood; Autthapon “Adam” Kahapana, 19, had already been rushed to Thalang Hospital.Iyara “Rudy” Puttaraksa, 20, had fled, but was soon found by…
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Phuket’s TSLC sporting tips: Tennis and swimming
PHUKET: In a continuing series of sporting tips provided by Phuket’s Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club, resident experts Tennis Head Coach Roger Cochrane loosens his grip and Aquatics Head Coach Randy Simon is in for the long haul. Loosening your service grip – Roger Cochrane You have probably noticed that the more pressure you feel in a match, the more…
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Phuket’s Superkidz youth tennis is smashing
PHUKET: Over 140 talented youth athletes participated in the Chang LTAT (Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand ) Junior Championship Southern Zone No 6, contested at Phuket’s Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club, which concluded on Sunday, August 25. Super Kidz Tennis. Video Thanyapura Top honors of the event went to Tinnapat Tientawach (12 points), Lerdchai Ronnarong (10 points) and Tapat Paevaronkul…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Rubber protests hit tourism, Expat fund scam bust; Education fails test
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Rubber protest impacting South tourism revenue The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The rubber farmers’ protest in Surat Thani is causing a loss of at least Bt10 million a day to the domestic tourism industry in the South.“Sales of salted eggs as a flagship product of Chaiya in…
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Blackout in Cherng Talay – Bang Tao Beach
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) has issued a late notice that there will be a scheduled blackout in the Cherng Talay area from 9am to 5pm today.The affected area will extend from Soi Bang Tao 1 to Soi Bang Tao 8.The blackout is for PPEA staff to carry out maintenance work on high-voltage power lines.
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Phuket vote fraud allegations can’t stop Pian
PATONG Mayor Pian Keesin has the right to run for re-election even if he is found guilty of vote fraud and the order to remove him from office is upheld, election officials have confirmed. Action to unseat Mayor Pian began last year when the Office of the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) headquarters in Bangkok, responding to a complaint after…
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Phuket python accused of fowl play
PHUKET: A Phuket python got into a chicken coop and devoured a prized breeding hen yesterday, while the fowl’s owner was away from home.Sombat Sae-eow realized something was amiss when he came home and discovered the python, sporting a large bulge in its middle, lying under a bamboo chicken pen.Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers were called to the house in Baan…
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Phuket Airport operators angry over termination of concessions
PHUKET: Business operators whose concessions have not been renewed to operate shops and provide services at Phuket International Airport will have the chance to appeal to a top Ministry of Transport official tomorrow.Col Winai Sompong will arrive in Phuket to discuss the issue directly with the retailers, explained Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak.The news came after Thammawat Wongcharoenyut led nine…
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Chinese tourist comatose after Phuket jet-ski accident recovers
PHUKET: The Chinese tourist rendered comatose when the jet-ski he was riding collided with a paragliding speedboat at Patong Beach has recovered and is to be discharged from hospital today. A nurse at Phuket International Hospital confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that Shen Baocheng’s doctors had approved his release. Lifeguards pulled Mr Shen from the water unconscious last Saturday morning…
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Australian tourist dies in Patong motorcycle crash
PHUKET: An male Australian tourist died this morning at Vachira Phuket Hospital after the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a power pole in Patong. Patong Police and Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation Worker were notified of an accident near Patong Municipality Office on Ratchapathanuson Road (map here) at about 5:30am. “When we arrived we found a man in his 30s, unconscious,…
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Phuket water authority defends water shutoffs
PHUKET: An argument broke out during the Phuket Governor’s monthly meeting with the media yesterday when journalist-residents of Wichit turned on the manager of Phuket Provincial Waterworks demanding to know why their water had been suddenly cut off for three days.“Phuket Provincial Waterworks shut off the water supply water without notice,” said one media member who lives in Wichit.“I didn’t…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Fukushima radiation spikes; Nazi trial; Rodman returns to N Korea; Suez ship attacks; 64yo makes Cuba-Florida swim
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community High radiation spreads at ruined Fukushima plant, Japan vows aid Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: High radiation levels are spreading at the ruined Fukushima nuclear plant, its operator said on Monday, and the Japanese government prepared to offer more funding and oversight to try to contain the crisis.Japanese…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Experts offer recipe for reconciliation; Blair meets Democrats; Southern protests unabated; Chiang Mai train derails again
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Experts rely on trust to deliver reconciliation The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Democracy, elections, trust and civil society are key elements for reconciliation, panelists said at a forum yesterday to find solutions for Thailand’s major political divide.Jens Orback, Sweden’s former minister of democracy, said nations have diversities…
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Australian honorary consul Larry Cunningham steps down
PHUKET: Larry Cunningham, Australia’s Honorary Consul in Phuket, will retire at the end of this month. Mr Cunningham was designated as Honorary Consul in 2005 and has been in the position formally since October 2007. Australian Ambassador to Thailand James Wise paid tribute to him. “Australia could not have wished for a more committed and energetic honorary consul,” he said.…
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Phuket pilgrimage to honor the late Luang Pu Supha
PHUKET: Followers of revered monk Luang Pu Supha will travel to his final resting place in Sakon Nakhon Province, in Northeast Thailand, to honor the man who became one of Phuket’s best-known monks.Formally known as Phra Mongkol Visut, Luang Pu Supha died at 5:20am today, confirmed Piyawat Seehaworrachart, who had served the revered monk since 1959.“I was very sad towards…
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Body with head wound found floating near Phuket port
PHUKET: An investigation is underway after a man’s body was found floating at the Yod Duangporn fishing port in Rassada yesterday morning.The body bore a 10cm wound to the scalp, stretching from the middle of the forehead to the top if the head, said Lt Col Watcharapong Praiphun of the Phuket City police.“The man was wearing a medallion with Mon…
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Phuket taxi driver pleads guilty to abducting, sexually assaulting Chinese tourist
PHUKET: The illegal taxi driver charged with abducting and sexually assaulting a Chinese teen tourist on May 17 (story here) entered a plea of guilty to all charges at Phuket Provincial Court this morning. Paitoon Kruain, 32, initially told the court he was innocent of the crimes, but changed his plea to guilty after a robust challenge from the judge.…
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Race for adventure
PHUKET: Adventure racing is a sport that is rapidly capturing the imagination of sporting and adrenaline junkies in Thailand and around the world. These non-stop races, ranging in length from 4-8 hours, require teams to run, trek, mountain bike and paddle, while navigating a course through the wilderness. Likened to an expedition with a stopwatch, adventure racing requires teamwork, perseverance,…
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Poll: Who are the real victims of corruption in Phuket?
PHUKET: The recent allegation that at least 60 million baht in corruption payments was fleeced each and every month from businesses and individuals in Patong finally put a figure on just a part of the corruption rampant in Phuket (story here). Every person who has been forced to face the ugly reality of corruption knows what it feels like to…
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Phuket tourism pioneer to speak at next AMCHAM meeting
PHUKET: One of the island’s leading hotel figures, Wichit Na-Ranong will speak about Phuket’s changing tourism landscape this Friday, September 6, at the Indigo Pearl hotel. Mr Wichit will share his extensive experience on Phuket’s journey to become a leading global resort destination, and provide background on how he has strategically repositioned his flagship hotel in Nai Yang to cater…
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Absolute return funds – Phuket Finance
PHUKET: This short article will take a look at whether absolute return funds will begin delivering again. An absolute return fund or strategy is one which attempts – attempts being a very key word here – to deliver positive year-on-year returns regardless of market conditions. There are very many strategies that are employed in the attempt to generate these returns.…
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