News
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Sponsored 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 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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Samui’s tender trap – Phuket Property Watch
PHUKET: Everywhere you turn these days, tourism talk inevitably winds up on the subject of the mass market. It’s not unlike barreling down a dead-end street on a supercharged, high-speed bulldozer. There is no such thing as a damage control button to push. Yes, there will be collateral damage. Meanwhile back on the broader Thailand train of thought, and particularly…
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Phuket party thieves arrested with B1mn of stolen goods
PHUKET: Two hedonistic thieves who robbed a liquor store and drove off with their loot in the back of the store’s truck have been apprehended with over a million baht of loot from an extended stealing spree around Phuket. Undercover officers first located Ekkachai “Ek” Sae Kang, 33, on a soi off Sakdidet Road, and he led them to his…
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Phuket braces for more underpass traffic jams at Tesco junction
PHUKET: Motorists who have seen the road blocks placed on the median strip in front of Tesco-Lotus on the bypass road (map here) need not fear about long traffic jams at that intersection just yet, the Phuket Gazette has been told. Phuket Highways Office Director Samak Luedwonghad confirmed to the Gazette that there are no plans to block the road…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Two guards gunned down at rubber rally; Case of missing Saudi reopened; DSI ‘allowing itself to be manipulated’ – Phinyo Thongchai; Supermodel downfall; Magical boy
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Tension rises after killing of protesters The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Tension at the week-long rubber growers’ rally in Cha-uat in Nakhon Si Thammarat intensified early yesterday when unidentified men opened fire on volunteer guards, killing one and seriously wounding another. The shooting came just…
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Campaign launched to preserve Phuket sea gypsy culture
PHUKET: Plans are afoot at a local-government level to improve living conditions and enhance opportunities for the Phuket sea-gypsy community.“We will start working on Phuket sea gypsy communities at Baan Hin Luk Diao and Baan Laem Lah in Thalang on September 5. These are the first areas we will address,” Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut said on Friday.He was speaking after…
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Phuket cobra gunned down in village standoff
PHUKET: Rescue workers in Thalang, in the north of Phuket, last night were forced to shoot dead a meters-long cobra after frantic attempts to remove it from a tree within a workers camp failed. Kusoldham Foundation rescue workers were called to the camp, located in Baan Lipon, Srisoonthorn, at 10:30pm by Somneuk Jaturapushkul, the village headman’s assistant. “Villagers were afraid…
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Human Rights Commission Rohingya-shooting report due “this month’
PHUKET: The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) yesterday confirmed that the report on the case of the Royal Thai Navy opening fire on Rohingya refugees off the coast of Ranong in February, will be concluded this month. During the shooting, naval personnel allegedly killed at least two refugees fleeing arrest. The report will be handed over to Prime…
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Two Frenchmen and a Thai busted for stealing in Karon
PHUKET: Two Frenchmen and one Thai woman have been arrested after being caught stealing booze and snacks from a local chain of convenience stores in Karon.The arrests followed reports of three people working together to shoplift at three different outlets of the Bamboo store franchise all on one day – Thursday.Their modus operandi was to have one of them distract…
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Phuket Cricket: ICC on a roll, youth team crushes Laguna
PHUKET: In round 8 of Phuket’s Outrigger T20 cricket league, ICC took on Patong in the morning session, while the Youth side faced Laguna in the afternoon session. In the morning match, Patong’s total of 136-5 was comfortably chased down by ICC who reached 139-3 in the 17th over. In the afternoon encounter, the Youth side amassed the league’s highest…
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New goal for Phuket FC – Survival
PHUKET: If there was any hope left for Phuket FC to still get promoted after their home-draw last Wednesday (August 21) to 2nd placed Air Force, then it was all but relinquished with an away-loss the following Sunday night (August 25) to 3rd placed Singhtarua FC. Played in front of an energetic “Klong Toei Army” crowd at the PAT Stadium…
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Krabi killer manhunt moves to Koh Lanta
PHUKET: Police are scouring the tourist island of Koh Lanta, across Phang Nga Bay from Phuket, in their efforts to arrest double-homicide fugitive Samran “Khui” Suetrong. Samran is wanted for shooting dead his stepson’s wife, Siripan Noorod, 24, and her 19-month-old son Autthakorn Noorod, at their home in Krabi’s Khao Phanom District on Monday night (story here). A warrant for…
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Ao Chalong Yacht Club Sailing School to host Open Day
PHUKET: On Sunday September 8 Phuket’s ACYC Sail School is holding an “open day” event, starting at 10am. Club members will be taking kids and adults sailing in the Open BIC dinghies and taking bookings for their “dinghy sailing program”. There will also be kayaks to use, mirror dinghy and tasar sailing and onshore games – including a bouncy castle!…
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Beach Volleyball World Tour hits Phuket’s sands in October
PHUKET: The 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour will make its penultimate stop at Karon Beach, Phuket at the end of October. This will be the 8th successive year that Thailand has staged an Open series women’s event on the FIVB calendar. The US$110,000 Phuket Thailand Open powered by PTT, which is organized by Pentangle Promotions Co., Ltd and the…
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Phuket Special Report: One fateful night at the Longhorn Saloon
SPECIAL REPORT POLICE promptly arrested three Thai musicians for the stabbing murder of American tourist Bobby Ray Carter Jr and the assault of his 27-year-old son in Krabi four weeks ago yesterday. Since then, however, the case has slowed to a crawl. A trial date has yet to be set, police have yet to press formal charges and all three…
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Burmese Rambo stabbed in Phuket slap flap
PHUKET: A man humiliated by a slap on the head in front of a group of people stabbed his assailant four times, sending him to the hospital. The event transpired after an evening of drinking at a Burmese workers’ camp behind Phuket Simon Cabaret in Patong (map here). After work yesterday evening, a 30-year-old man known as “Rambo” got together…
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Grimes brothers take on tough international field – Phuket Sports
PHUKET: The Grimes brothers have had a fairly busy summer with their racing schedules, having took part in the Rotax Invitational Thailand race, which was held in conjunction with the fourth round of the Thailand Rotax Max Challenge at Bira International Kart Circuit, just south of the Bangkok.The Rotax Invitation race was held for the first part of the weekend.…
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Phuket kratom arrests continue as nation ponders decriminalizing the leaf
PHUKET: Three Burmese men were arrested in Thalang yesterday for possession of kratom leaves. Their arrest follows the felling of a kratom orchard in Patong three days ago and precedes a meeting of the Narcotics Control Board, Food and Drug Administration, Public Health Ministry and National Police next week about whether to decriminalize the leaf (story here). The arrests yesterday…
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Phuket jet-ski operators urged to be fair, polite
PHUKET: Complaints about jet-ski operators filed by tourists holidaying in Phuket have prompted the island’s authorities to launch a two-day seminar aimed at educating the operators about charging fair prices and being polite. Tourist complaints about jet-skis reached such a level that Qin Jian, Vice Consul of the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China, based in Haad Yai, lodged…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Cooking gas price hike; Ensure car locked; Land returned; To foster closer Thai-American ties
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Court petitioned to block LPG price hike The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The foundation for Consumers yesterday filed a petition with the Central Administrative Court, seeking an order blocking a Cabinet resolution to hike the retail price of household LPG. The hike of liquefied petroleum…
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Phuket Court orders media blackout on Swedish murder trial
PHUKET: Officials at Phuket Provincial Court today ordered a media blackout on the ongoing trial of Swedish nationals Tommy Soderland and Sebastian Ljung amid concerns that the media was influencing witness testimonies. The two men are on trial for the alleged murder of Maksim Schantz in Phuket in 2011(story here). “We have seen at least one story in the media…
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