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Phuket Live Wire – Need for speed
PHUKET: From time to time, I get messages from people who have looked at the Phuket Internet Speed Reporting site and wonder why we’re measuring international download speeds, using one specific test (DSLReports) to one destination, Los Angeles. Here’s a typical comment: Woody, why should I care how fast this test runs to Los Angeles? I’m happy. My torrents download…
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Boats to show at PIMEX 2012 valued at US$50mn
PHUKET: Boats confirmed for display at the Phuket International Boat Show 2012 (PIMEX) have a combined value of more than US$ 50 million (approx 1.5 billion baht). To be held at the Royal Phuket Marina from March 29 to April 1 2012, this ninth edition of PIMEX is organized by Informa Yacht Group. PIMEX brings leading boat brands, yachting products…
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Kings Cup Regatta to generate B600mn for Phuket
PHUKET: This year’s Kings Cup Regatta is expected to rake in 600 million baht for Phuket. Presiding over a press conference to promote this year’s event, Phuket Governor Tri Aukaradacha last week said that this year’s revenue for the province is likely to exceed that of last year’s edition. Noting that last year’s regatta generated about 550 million baht for…
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Phuket Business: Uncertain future for electronic billboards
PHUKET: Commuters in Phuket have witnessed a gradual upgrade in roadside scenery over the last few years. Advertising and media communications are steadily evolving, and many will have noticed traditional print billboards gradually being replaced with animated, digital versions at various traffic junctions around the island. Indeed, the emergence of Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology represents a sign of the…
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Wage hikes postponed for Phuket and others
PHUKET: The Cabinet has approved the postponement until April 1 of the controversial 300 baht daily minimum wage hike in Phuket, Bangkok, and five other provinces. The decision to postpone from the initial target of January 1 was made in light of the recent flooding, which has dealt a body blow to the manufacturing sector in much of the country.…
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Dewa Phuket wins 7 awards
PHUKET: Dewa Phuket, the boutique resort at Nai Yang beach, bagged seven awards at the ‘2011–2013 Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards’, or HAPA. The HAPA Southeast Asian regional ceremony, which took place on November 17 and 18 in Singapore, welcomed hospitality sector representatives from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Created by World Asia Publications in 2002, HAPA recognizes…
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Phuket marks HM The King’s Birthday
PHUKET: Thousands of people turned out at Queen Sirikit Park for the morning service to honor the 84th birthday of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej today. Offering their blessings were 85 monks from temples across Phuket as well as Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and his wife Mrs Nalinee, who is also president of Phuket Red Cross. Proceedings began at 7am, with…
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MP questions love for flood victims
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Love motel floated boats for flood relief Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An opposition MP Friday came up with “new information” to support his allegation of irregularities involving the government’s Flood Relief Operation Centre (FROC). Phuket Gazette partner newspaper The Nation reports that at a press conference at…
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Aussie pays Bt40mn ‘boybride’ price
PHUKET: An Australian man wed his young Thai boyfriend in Chiang Mai yesterday, forking over 40 million baht in “boybride price” to the man’s family for the privilege. The traditional ceremony took place at the Chiang Mai home of Mr Chaiyanon “Un” Worasilp, a 27-year-old from Chachoengsao province, whose first name is unfortunately translated by the on-line Google Translation service…
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Survival of Phuket tourist snorkeler in doubt
PHUKET: Doubts linger over the survival of a man pulled from the water at Yanui Beach, on Phuket’s southwestern coast, this afternoon after he failed to regain consciousness en route to hospital. Jula Nontree, chief lifeguard for Kata, Karon, Nai Harn and Patong Beaches, told the Phuket Gazette he was notified of the incident at 2:50pm. “When I arrived, lifeguards…
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Ironman 70.3 champions ready for Phuket challenge
PHUKET: Organizers of the 2011 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship welcomed athletes and officials for the start of the second annual triathlon being held at Laguna Phuket on December 4. President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) Paiboon Upatising led the guest speakers and said he was particularly pleased with the organization of the event. “On behalf of the OrBorJor,…
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Phuket marks international day for the disabled
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) yesterday held an event to mark International Day for Persons with Disabilities, observed by the United Nations and countries around the world today, December 3. “The annual observance of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities on December 3 was established by the International Year for Disabled Persons 1981,” said Phuket Provincial Chief…
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Phuket World Musiq Fest launches HM The King’s birthday celebrations
PHUKET: Celebrations for HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 84th birthday on Monday, December 5, got underway across Phuket last night with the opening of the inaugural Phuket World Musiq Festival. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha officiated the opening ceremony, marking the beginning of the four-day festival, which will culminate on December 5 with Thai National Artist Naowarat Pongpaiboon leading the “Father of…
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Phuket Vice Gov calls for Patong to “be nice’ to tourists
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak has called on the people of Patong to not “take advantage” of tourists during this year’s Patong Carnival, the annual festival that marks the start of high season for tourism in Phuket. “I want everyone to be good hosts and welcome the tourists. Be goodwill ambassadors. I don’t want anyone taking unfair advantage of…
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Phuket blood bank calls for foreign blood
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center is calling for blood donations from foreigners to restock dwindling supplies at the Phuket repository. The blood is urgently needed to restock supplies of blood types common among foreigners, says Pornthip Rattajak, acting director of the center. “We are asking for Rh-negative blood because this is the tourism high season. Many foreigners come to…
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Phuket Tsunami Wall of Remembrance ready for memorial service
PHUKET: The addition of a new section to the Tsunami Wall of Remembrance in Mai Khao has been completed in time for the memorial ceremony on December 26. The original wall bore images of all the countries whose nationals died in Thailand in the 2004 tsunami. However, planning permission to allow the construction of a police building meant that a…
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Thaksin to get Thai passport as ‘New Year’s gift’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand to ‘soon’ issue passport for fugitive former premier Thaksin Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thailand will issue a passport for fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra “very soon”, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said yesterday. Phuket Gazette partner newspaper The Nation quotes Surapong as saying that the passport…
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Thai Navy re-floats stranded Phuket King’s Cup boats
PHUKET: More than 20 officers from Kata-Karon Municipality along with volunteers and lifeguards stationed at the Royal Thai Navy Sea Rescue unit heaved together this afternoon to refloat two King’s Cup Regatta boats into the water at Kata Beach. The two boats were left stranded on the sand this morning after strong winds pushed them onshore last night. Supachai Janphet,…
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Russian man run over by Phuket parasailing boat
PHUKET: A 51-year-old Russian man on holiday in Phuket was rushed to hospital today after suffering severe injuries when he was run over by a parasailing speedboat at Kata Beach. The man, Nikolai Nefedov, suffered a broken left leg and cuts on the back of both thighs. Some of the cuts were were down to his bones, said Chaiwat Sittidet,…
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FC Phuket ready to pluck Chanthaburi “Hares’ on Sunday
PHUKET: FC Phuket Head Coach Sompong Wattana has resumed his duty as “chief of the tribe” – just in time for the Southern Sea Kirin’s long-awaited home match against Cash Today Chanthaburi FC, nicknamed “The Hares”, on Sunday. The coach, who goes by the nickname “Rock Rhino”, rejoined the team on Wednesday following a leave of absence he took last…
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Texas gunman shoots woman and 4 children
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Texas gunman shoots woman, 4 children before killing self Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Texas man opened fire on five people, including four children, on Wednesday afternoon before reportedly killing himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, local authorities said on Thursday. The shooting happened at around 3.20p.m.…
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Anti-graft alliance vows to keep close watch
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community “Clean Thailand DIY” campaign The NationThe Anti-Corruption Network (ACN), an alliance of private watchdog groups, yesterday launched the “Clean Thailand DIY” campaign to monitor the government’s spending of Bt800 billion earmarked for post-flood recovery efforts. ACN chairman Pramon Sutivong said the group is inviting people to…
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Phuket misses out on Dance Festival as it moves to Chiang Mai
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Dance Festival moves to Chiang Mai due to flooding The Nation Thanks to the flooding, the Dance Center has not only postponed its International Dance Festival but relocated it from Bangkok and shortened it. It’s set for tomorrow. “This is the 11th edition and the first…
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Strong winds leave Phuket King’s Cup triple-champ beached
PHUKET: Strong onshore winds last night left a three-time class champion in the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta stranded on the sand at Kata Beach. Matt Allen’s 44-foot Ichi Ban, on which he won the IRC 1 class at the Phuket King’s Cup last year, was left standing vertically in the sand after the tide ran out this morning. “It looks…
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Phuket police yet to ID male motorbike crash victim
PHUKET: Phuket police have yet to confirm the identity of a young Thai man who died last night when the motorbike he was riding crashed into an electricity pole near the Heroines’ Monument in Thalang. The accident occurred in front of the Fakthong Transport Company, about 400 meters east of the monument, shortly before 8pm. Police and Kusoldham Rescue workers…
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Officials confirm safety plan for Phuket “death bend’
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak today confirmed the slew of safety features to be rolled out at the notorious “100 bodies curve” at Kho En in Thalang, in hopes of reducing the number of fatal accidents at the deadly bend. The move comes after a four-year-old boy and his aunt were killed when a pickup slid out of control…
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Phuket marks World AIDS Day
PHUKET: Phuket has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS in Southern Thailand and the third-highest per-capita rate of infection in the country, Phuket Public Health Office Chief Sak Tanchaikul announced today. Dr Sak delivered the news at a press conference to mark today, December 1, as World AIDS Day. “This year the slogan is ‘Getting to Zero’,” said Dr Sak. He…
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Experts call for consistency with “Brand Phuket’
PHUKET: The Greater Phuket chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) last night held a meeting to discuss the history, evolution and future of “Brand Phuket”. Hosted at the Anantara Resort in Mai Khao, discussions of the island’s brand were fueled by inspirational presentations by marketing communications expert David Johnson and brand guru David Keen. Also in attendance were…
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Phuket “floating corpse’ to be buried if unclaimed
PHUKET: The body of the foreign man found floating in the sea south of Phuket last month will be buried at the Mai Khao Cemetery if it remains unidentified, the Phuket Gazette has been told. The corpse is currently being held at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town. “The hospital has already contacted me and said that if no relatives…
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Phuket Business – Looking forward to 2012
PHUKET: Walking into my local shopping center yesterday I was amazed to see Christmas decorations adorning the shops and general surroundings. A quick check of the date on my watch and I realized that although the trees, baubles and tinsel were a trifle early, it certainly was closer to the holidays than I had imagined! This gave me food for…
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