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Phuket Dancer: Matt Harding to jig around Siam
PHUKET: Internet sensation Matthew “Dancing Matt” Harding was in Phuket yesterday to record his latest video and promote the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s most recent promotional campaign: “Go Thailand: All That Is Missing Is You”. Perhaps the world’s most well-known globetrotter, Matt was in Phuket for just one day. He met with the media at Mission Hills Phuket Golf Club…
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Lunar eclipse tonight, with supernatural warning
PHUKET: Skies are partly cloudy over Phuket this afternoon, but stargazers should stand a good chance to enjoy tonight’s lunar eclipse – if they dare. While lunar eclipses are far easier on the eye than their solar counterparts, a famous Thai astrologer is warning people born on Sunday, Monday or Wednesday nights that viewing the celestial phenomenon could bring them…
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Pre-match primer: FC Phuket at Buriram on Sunday
PHUKET: A busload of FC Phuket football players and team executives arrived in Buriram yesterday in preparation for their showdown with Thai Premier League Division One leaders Buriram FC tomorrow night. Having already clinched promotion to the elite Thai Premier League, the Buriram “Volcanoes” (27-7-1) look to maintain their undefeated-at-home slate, while Phuket (11-10-7) will strive to be the first…
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Weird World News: Money, money, money”¦ makes us act a bit funny
PHUKET: Men of money made headlines this week with outrageously-outlandish expenditures, financial flops and the odd smart investment. Sweet heavens… how much is the dessert? THE record for the world’s most expensive dessert was gobbled up by a British diamond merchant this week. Carl Weininger spent UK£22,000 (about1.063 million baht) on a chocolate pudding with strawberry champagne caviar and glazed…
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Phuket Darts: Hemingways A gets Swedish firepower
PHUKET: Hemingways A team has managed to put together quite possibly the best dart side the Phuket dart scene has ever had. One-legged Tony C, the long time Patong league stalwart from the UK, is now supported by Rappe and Tony E, both former Swedish champions, and Big Ronnie. Even the talented Ulf (the Ulfman), or the “in form” Aey…
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Phuket expat saved in beach rescue – again
PHUKET: An emotionally distraught man was saved from drowning at Phuket’s Nai Harn Beach this afternoon. It was the fourth time in recent weeks that the man has been rescued from drowning in the same fashion. Beach vendor Song “Dui” Sa-ingtong told the Phuket Gazette that the Belgian man, aged in his 40s and a regular visitor to the beach,…
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Phuket’s Sniffer and Shark put best foot forward for World Record attempt
PHUKET: Athletes of the highest caliber have graced Phuket over the past two weekends at Laguna’s week-long triathlon festival, but their efforts pale in comparison to what lies ahead for Russell Distance Russell and Jay leShark on Saturday. At 1pm on December 10, Russell (aka “Sniffer”) and Jay will begin their attempt to stomp their mark on history by walking…
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Poll: What is Phuket’s top tourist attraction?
PHUKET: Let’s face it, Phuket has so many tourist attractions that most visitors to the island do not have enough time to see them all during their stay. Given this fact, the latest Phuket Gazette online poll asks our esteemed readers which of five very popular tourist destinations on the island they think the number one “must see” attraction. And…
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French girls rescued from Phuket red light district
PHUKET: Excellent field work by Phuket Tourist Police Volunteers has led to the rescue of two preteen French girls thought to have been living on the streets of Phuket for up to eight months. Using photos supplied by the French Embassy, Phuket Tourist Police Foreign Volunteers were asked to keep an eye open for the two sisters, ethnic Moroccans aged…
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Phuket schoolgirl vanishes after Facebook session
PHUKET: A distressed mother is appealing to the Phuket public for help in finding her 12-year-old daughter, who has been missing since Tuesday. The mother, 43-year-old Samruay Saenthaweesuk, reported her daughter Samudchaya “Nong Pin” Yanpunya missing with the Phuket City Police on Tuesday. Mrs Samruay also contacted the Phuket Reporters’ Club at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday asking for help. She…
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Are United’s modern glory days over?
PHUKET: “It is embarrassing to be in the Europa League. I play for Manchester United to be in the Champions League.” Patrice Evra, Manchester United’s 30-year-old France defender, is dismayed at his side’s shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of Swiss team FC Basel.The financial impact could mean a £20m loss in revenue due to UEFA’s secondary competition [Europa League]…
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Bill Gasson and the origins of Phuket’s King’s Cup Regatta
PHUKET: With race day four hosted by AIA Thailand and Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket underway, we take a look at one of the personalities that has contributed to the success of the King’s Cup Regatta. Three sailors hold the distinction of winning the racing division of the Phuket King’s Cup four times in its 25 year history. These stalwarts…
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Royal Pardon: 155 released from Phuket Prison today
PHUKET: Over 150 inmates were released from Phuket Provincial Prison this morning following the Royal Pardon decreed by HM The King on the occasion of his 84th birthday on December 5. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and Phuket Provincial Prison Director Rapin Nichanon presided over the release ceremony this morning, when 155 inmates were freed. A Buddhist monk was on hand…
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Phuket Police need help from tourists: investigator
PHUKET: Foreign tourists who are victims of crime in Phuket all too often leave the country before police can investigate their claims, allowing perpetrators to continue roaming the streets in search of new victims, a Patong Police investigator has said. “I want foreign tourists who are victims of crimes in Phuket to cooperate with us when we investigate their cases,…
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Phuket Media: Gazette iPad App goes ‘top of chart’ for Phuket
PHUKET: With close to 4,000 downloads since it’s launch, the Phuket Gazette‘s latest iPad App has soared to the top of the App store’s search results for “Phuket”. The new version (1.1), launched just ten days ago, on November 28, is rated 4.5 and boasts greatly expanded content over its predecessor (1.0) launched in March of this year. Among the…
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Phuket’s Klong Krata reservoir project delayed by rain
PHUKET: Work on Phuket’s third major reservoir is behind schedule, but officials expect the Klong Krata project in Chalong to be completed on schedule by January next year. Project engineer Nattakom Nookhom of the Region 15 Irrigation Office in Surat Thani said rain has put the work significantly behind schedule. “According to the work schedule we should be near the…
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Missing Swede may be in Phuket: daughter
PHUKET: A Swedish woman is asking Phuket Gazette readers for information to help locate her father who has gone missing and is believed to be in Thailand. The father, Tommy Nyberg, is 60 years old with blue eyes and thinning reddish-brown hair, thin on the top of his head but still thick on the sides. He has a birthmark the…
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Thanyapura Phuket to host Holiday Night Market
PHUKET: Phuket’s Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) will host a “Holiday Night Market and Festival of Lights” on Friday from 5pm onwards. Those attending can enjoy an array of canapé delicacies, drinks from the bar and live acoustic sounds as the sun sets while awaiting the lighting of a uniquely decorated Christmas Tree at 7pm. Also on the same…
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Royal Thai Navy 1 leads Phuket King’s Cup Regatta after day three
PHUKET: The third day of racing at the 2011 Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, hosted by Kata Group Resorts Thailand, set sail in the best weather conditions of the week so far, with winds up to 16 knots providing some exciting racing. In the IRC 2 Class, it was Wiwat Poonpat skippering Royal Thai Navy 1 who triumphed with two wins…
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Phuket called on for urgent blood donation to help Russian tourist
PHUKET: Vachira Phuket Hospital is in urgent need of donations of blood type A-negative so doctors can perform an operation on a Russian tourist injured in a motorcycle accident. “Anyone who has – or knows of anyone with – blood group A-negative is urged to visit Vachira Phuket Hospital and donate blood in order to allow the tourist to receive…
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Phuket Yacht Haven staff praised for averting marina fireball
PHUKET: A power boat berthed at Yacht Haven Marina in Phuket went up in flames last night, but heroic action by staff at the facility minimized the damage to surrounding vessels as they were able to tow it safely out to deeper water. No injuries were reported. Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation emergency rescue workers, called to the scene at 7:45pm, watched…
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Phuket King’s Cup Regatta: Pong rebounds with win, Premier leads the way
PHUKET: Hannes Weimer’s Team Premier surged to the top of the IRC Zero standings to lead the class with five points after the second day of yacht racing today in the 25th Phuket King’s Cup Regatta. Frank Pong’s Jelik II fought back from two fourth-place finishes yesterday to win today’s Race Three in good winds at the start line, easing…
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Prompong returns, inspects Phuket mangrove encroachment
PHUKET: Pheu Thai Party spokesman and party list MP Prompong Nopparit, who is also the vice president of the parliamentary anti-corruption committee, returned to Phuket on Saturday to inspect alleged encroachment on a protected mangrove forest in Rassada. The inspection visit follows Mr Prompong heading a public meeting at Phuket Rajabhat University on November 26. At the meeting, Mr Prompong…
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Phuket police step up student road safety campaign
PHUKET: Officers at Phuket’s Kathu Police Station today stepped up their campaign to have students at Kathu Witthaya School use the pedestrian bridge instead of risking life and limb by crossing the busy road in front of the school. Tung Tong Police Superintendent Col Kraitong Chantongbai told the Phuket Gazette that nearly every day he receives reports of students being…
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Pardoned: Phuket Prison population to plummet 10%
PHUKET: More than 200 inmates at Phuket Provincial Prison will be back on the streets soon, following the Royal Pardon decreed by HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the occasion of his 84th birthday yesterday. Phuket Provincial Prison Director Rapin Nichanon said prison officials were still reviewing the paperwork and could not give an exact figure on how many inmates would…
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Phuket Marine Office to set up holiday safety center
PHUKET: To ensure tourist safety during the upcoming New Year holiday period, the Phuket Marine Department office will step up inspections and open a safety center at its office in Wichit, the agency has announced. Phuripat Theerakulpisut, chief of the Marine Department Region 5 office, said his agency is gearing up for an expected large influx of tourists over the…
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Phuket Skywatch: Total lunar eclipse to mark Thai Constitution Day
PHUKET: The second lunar eclipse to be visible from Phuket this year will occur on the night of December 10, a date annually observed in Thailand as the Constitution Day public holiday. Weather permitting, the entire eclipse should be visible from Asia and Australia. However, North America and Canada will witness only the start of totality as the moon dips…
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Raelert and Rollison reign supreme at Laguna Phuket Ironman
PHUKET: Michael Raelert’s dazzling performance and character shone through at a wet and overcast Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship for the German to take the 2011 title at Laguna Phuket and in the process demolished the course record. When most consider a cautious approach to navigating Phuket during inclement conditions, the two-time Ironman 70.3 world champion powered through the 1.9km swim,…
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Phuket news: 26,000 prisoners get Royal Pardon
PHUKET: In a show of compassion, HM The King today issued a royal command pardoning some 26,000 prisoners nationwide. The decree, signed by His Majesty, was based on the one initiated last year by the Democrat Party-led government. In a statement published in the Royal Gazette, His Majesty said the convicts should be given a second chance. This year’s pardon…
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Phuket united in birthday wishes for HM The King
PHUKET: Scores of civil servants dressed in pink gathered at Queen Sirikit Park in Phuket Town this morning to take part in an alms-giving ceremony to honor the 84th birthday of Thailand’s beloved monarch HRH King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The ceremony, which got underway at 7am, was presided over by Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and his wife Mrs Nalinee Augkaradacha in…
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