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  • Chonburi draw in first match of world futsal club tourney

    Chonburi draw in first match of world futsal club tourney

    PHUKET: Sixteen of the world’s finest futsal clubs, including Thailand’s 5-a-side champions, have gathered in the heart of the Middle East since July 10 to contest the Kuwait Mini World Futsal Club Tournament. Playing in their opening match last Saturday, the winners of the 2012-2013 Thailand Futsal Premier League, Chonburi Blue Wave drew in their first of three scheduled group…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Oregon father and son accused of repeatedly raping young girls

    Phuket Gazette World News: Oregon father and son accused of repeatedly raping young girls

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Oregon father and son accused of raping young girls Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: A father and son have been arrested over allegations they repeatedly raped at least two young girls at their home in the US state of Oregon, but investigators believe there may…

  • Unable to escape Phuket checkpoint, man arrested with heroin

    Unable to escape Phuket checkpoint, man arrested with heroin

    PHUKET: A man trying to avoid a police checkpoint in Chalong last night was caught by Phuket police and arrested for possession of heroin.“We were at a checkpoint at Soi Thanoothep on Chao Fa East Road,” said Chalong Police Lt Phansak Chaithong.“At 11:50pm, we signaled a man to pull over, but he turned his bike around and tried to ride…

  • Drunk driver walks away from motorbike crash with parked 18-wheeler

    Drunk driver walks away from motorbike crash with parked 18-wheeler

    PHUKET: A man charged for drunk driving survived slamming into the door of a parked 18-wheeler in Phuket before dawn today. Rescue workers called to the scene at 3am this morning found Nattapol Kansol, 44, with a bloodied face and injured eye next to his motorbike about 500 meters south of Tesco Lotus Thalang on Thepkrasattri Road (map here). Witnesses…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: BoT Gov slams Govt policies; Thaksin b’day party near Bangkok; Lottery surge; PM placates Isarn; Nenkham’s B300mn

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: BoT Gov slams Govt policies; Thaksin b’day party near Bangkok; Lottery surge; PM placates Isarn; Nenkham’s B300mn

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community BoT Gov slams Govt policies as unsustainable The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Bank of Thailand Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul has slammed government policies as geared towards short-term consumption, saying they have shortcomings and cannot sustain economic competitiveness in the long term.In a speech to Asean ambassadors and high-ranking…

  • Phuket Pythons: “Magic’ baby snake appears in locked locker

    Phuket Pythons: “Magic’ baby snake appears in locked locker

    PHUKET: A soybean milk vendor was given a fright today after a baby python pulled a Houdini and appeared in a her locked locker. Phuket Kusoldham Rescue Foundation workers, responding to the frightened woman’s emergency call, were able to wrangle the one-meter python from its new resting place. “The shop owner closed her shop normally last night, and there was…

  • First cop to be charged with trafficking suspended from force | Thaiger

    First cop to be charged with trafficking suspended from force

    PHUKET: Sgt Maj Weerayuth Feuangfu, the Phang Nga policeman believed to be the first Royal Thai Police officer charged with human trafficking (story here), was indefinitely suspended from active duty last week. “He was suspended from the Royal Thai Police last week pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation,” Phang Nga Provincial Police Commander Chalit Kaewyarat told the Phuket Gazette…

  • Phuket police net motorbike thieves

    Phuket police net motorbike thieves

    PHUKET: Police arrested three Phuket teenagers yesterday for stealing multiple motorbikes and selling the parts for pocket money. The teenagers were caught in possession of nine stolen bikes in good condition and one that had been dismantled, said Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Prawit Engchuan. The teenagers’ activities came to police attention on July 2 when a Mattayom 2 student…

  • Phuket man mutilates self in jealous rage

    Phuket man mutilates self in jealous rage

    PHUKET: A 19-year-old man charged for assisting in the attack on Vorasit “Pla wan” Issara last year (story here) was found bleeding heavily in his Phuket Town room early yesterday morning after he reportedly stabbed himself in the leg in a fit of jealous rage. Police arrived at the scene, an apartment off Phun Phol Road, at about 3:50am to…

  • VIDEO REPORT: Go Eco Phuket scrambles to remove fishing net at top dive site

    VIDEO REPORT: Go Eco Phuket scrambles to remove fishing net at top dive site

    PHUKET: Local marine conservation group Go Eco Phuket on Friday launched two dive boats in an emergency procedure to remove a fishing net at one of Phuket’s top dive destinations, Shark Point. At a Go Eco Phuket meeting last week, in preparation for the group’s annual massive reef and beach cleanup (story here), local dive company Sea Bees revealed video…

  • Thai skipper sails Sansiri into the lead at TRANSPAC

    Thai skipper sails Sansiri into the lead at TRANSPAC

    PHUKET: The 2013 Transpacific Yacht Race (TRANSPAC) started in perfect Southern California conditions on Monday July 8 with Thai entry Sansiri in the first of three starts in a westerly breeze of 15 knots. Co-skippered by Michael Spies and Thai sailor Patinyakorn Bunranrom, the five-strong crew on Sansiri are the first ever Thai entry in a global Ocean Race and…

  • Stalemate edges Phuket FC into fifth

    Stalemate edges Phuket FC into fifth

    PHUKET: The Islanders moved into fifth place of the 18-team Yamaha League One thanks to a goalless draw with second placed team, PTT Rayong on Saturday evening at Surakul Stadium, Phuket Town. Actual play only lasted 40 minutes, as this was the conclusion to the game abandoned on June 9 due to rainstorms over Phuket forced the match officials to…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Cat meat trade discovered

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Cat meat trade discovered

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand continues to slaughter cats for meat trade Coconuts Bangkok / Phuket Gazette The National News Bureau of Thailand reports that law enforcement officials have apprehended a “transnational” cat smuggler on the border between Thailand and Laos. The miscreant was caught transporting 90 cats into Laos,…

  • Special Report: Rice smugglers hitch ride on Thai pledge-price profiteering

    Special Report: Rice smugglers hitch ride on Thai pledge-price profiteering

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Rice smugglers hitching ride on pledge-price profiteering Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Hidden in 18-wheeler trucks, carts and pickup vans, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of rice are being smuggled from Cambodia and Myanmar into Thailand, although the country holds enough stocks to meet half the world’s annual…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Obama calls for calm in Zimmerman protests; Thein Sein in UK; Uganda fears refugee crisis; Italian lawmaker becomes monkey man; Aussie gored in Pamps bull run

    Phuket Gazette World News: Obama calls for calm in Zimmerman protests; Thein Sein in UK; Uganda fears refugee crisis; Italian lawmaker becomes monkey man; Aussie gored in Pamps bull run

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obama calls for calm after Zimmerman acquittal; protests held Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: U.S. President Barack Obama called for calm on Sunday after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of black teenager Trayvon Martin, as hundreds of civil rights demonstrators turned out at rallies…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Farmer credit fails; DSI ups Nenkham hunt; Cabinet to tackle violent oil palm land grab

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Farmer credit fails; DSI ups Nenkham hunt; Cabinet to tackle violent oil palm land grab

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Credit cards fail to win over farmers The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Launched two years ago, the farmers’ credit-card scheme has proved to be anything but a success. As of June, only about Bt10 billion of credit was outstanding in the first phase from the…

  • Phuket Opinion: Thanks giving for 4th of July celebrations at Phuket Airpark

    Phuket Opinion: Thanks giving for 4th of July celebrations at Phuket Airpark

    PHUKET: We would like to extend a most heartfelt thanks to every one of the many volunteer groups who worked together so well to make last weekend’s inaugural Phuket Airshow and Family Picnic such a successful charity event. The splendid festivities, timed to celebrate the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence 237 years ago, had so much going…

  • Phuket Opinion: It doesn’t hurt to give

    Phuket Opinion: It doesn’t hurt to give

    PHUKET: On this lovely island renowned for its wonderful spas, the place I’ve felt most pampered is not one. It’s the sleek and modern Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) next to the employment office, staffed by professionals delivering five-star service to those of us who give about 45 minutes of our time and about 10 per cent of our blood.…

  • Phuket top province for Dengue Fever outbreak

    Phuket top province for Dengue Fever outbreak

    PHUKET: Phuket is now listed as the highest ranking province in Thailand for Dengue Fever outbreaks, Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) Deputy Chief Dr Krit Sakulpat confirmed to the Phuket Gazete today. Despite the ranking, there is no reason to panic, said Dr Krit. “For the statistic, the number of patients is divided by the registered population, which in Phuket…

  • Phuket Poll: Chalong underpass: six routes diverge in chaos and I choose”¦ eh, um, err….

    Phuket Poll: Chalong underpass: six routes diverge in chaos and I choose”¦ eh, um, err….

    PHUKET: Underpasses are the new mega-project craze on Phuket as officials scramble to find long-term solutions to the island’s mounting traffic congestion. Work is already well underway for Phuket’s first underpass at the Darasamuth Intersection in front of the Central Festival Phuket shopping mall, which was started on November 23 last year (story here). The newest addition to several underpass…

  • Man caught on CCTV nicking clean Phuket knickers

    Man caught on CCTV nicking clean Phuket knickers

    PHUKET: Police are now sniffing out the trail of a chronic underwear thief who was caught on CCTV stealing over twenty pairs of drying panties from an apartment complex in Phuket Town.After receiving multiple complaints from residents of Chaloemlarp Apartment about their underwear being stolen, the owner of the complex set up a CCTV camera system.“On July 2 at about…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Army will not meddle in politics; Ramadan peace push; Monk to return with “bigger greatness”

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Army will not meddle in politics; Ramadan peace push; Monk to return with “bigger greatness”

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Army will have nothing to do with Thaksin return: Thanasak The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Supreme Commander General Thanasak Pratimapakorn said yesterday that the issue of whether former PM Thaksin Shinawatra will be allowed to return as a free man was not up to the…

  • Junior Phuket Raceweek set to ‘come of age’

    Junior Phuket Raceweek set to ‘come of age’

    PHUKET: Junior Phuket Raceweek is set to take place Saturday, July 20 off Phuket’s Southeast coast. Sister event to its bigger brother Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek, which celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year, Junior Phuket Raceweek gives budding young sailors an opportunity to race in an international-standard regatta. “There are limited competitive sailing opportunities for youngsters on Phuket, and…

  • Phuket Sports: Twenty20 season opener sees old rivalries resumed

    Phuket Sports: Twenty20 season opener sees old rivalries resumed

    PHUKET: THE Outrigger T20 league kicked off at the ACG cricket ground last Sunday with an action-packed double header. In the first match, The Village took on last season’s finalists Island Cricket Club (ICC) while the second match saw defending champions Laguna take on arch rivals Patong. After a disappointing showing in the recently completed senior league season, the Village…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Northern Ireland troubles flare-up; al Qaeda attack means war; French train crash – 6 dead

    Phuket Gazette World News: Northern Ireland troubles flare-up; al Qaeda attack means war; French train crash – 6 dead

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Violence flares around Northern Ireland marches Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Protestant marchers in Belfast threw objects at police, who responded with water cannon as Northern Ireland’s annual parade season descended into violence on yesterday. Pro-British Protestants march every summer in the British-ruled province, a regular…

  • Phuket Poll: blimp takes back seat to light-rail system

    Phuket Poll: blimp takes back seat to light-rail system

    PHUKET: In response to the 2.6 billion baht that remains unaccounted for after Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi last month confirmed that Phuket will not be bestowed an International Convention and Exhibition Center “unless they vote for Pheu Thai” (story here) – readers of the Phuket Gazette have opted to have a light-rail system built instead. The latest Phuket Gazette…

  • Swiss man breaks leg in fall from motorcycle

    Swiss man breaks leg in fall from motorcycle

    PHUKET: A Swiss man is recovering well following surgery after a motorcycle accident in Thalang yesterday afternoon. Carlo Somaini, 54, was about 300m north of the Heroine’s Monument riding north on Thepkrasattri Road when a motorbike emerged from a soi in front of him. “He was startled,” said Thalang Police officer Thani Petchswee. “He tried to avoid the motorbike, and…

  • Phuket mother in debt sells daughter for sex

    Phuket mother in debt sells daughter for sex

    PHUKET: Phuket police yesterday arrested a mother for selling her daughter for sex. Upon learning that a karaoke bar on Kwang Road in Wichit (map here) was offering sexual services to its customers, police staged a sting operation. “An undercover policeman arranged to purchase sex from a 14-year-old girl in the bar for 3,000 baht,” said Wichit Police officer Passakorn…

  • Phuket’s footy club turnover doubles

    Phuket’s footy club turnover doubles

    PHUKET: Ticketing and merchandising revenue for the island’s pro soccer club, Phuket FC, doubled year-on-year, while the club’s fan turnout has swelled by 93% during the same period. Now at the mid-season point, business seems to booming for the island’s pro soccer club, at least compared to this time last year when fan support for the club was dwindling. But…

  • Woman rescued two hours after fall from Phuket bridge

    Woman rescued two hours after fall from Phuket bridge

    PHUKET: A 43-year-old woman was rescued from the fast-flowing water in the channel separating Phuket from the mainland two hours after she was seen standing at the railing of Thao Thepkrasattri Bridge. Rescue workers and Tah Chat Chai Police rushed to the scene soon after 10pm, when villagers reported seeing a woman stop her car halfway across Thao Thepkrasattri Bridge…