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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 Business: Tourism growth projected at 15% by Seacon head
PHUKET: Piya Sosothikul, executive director of Seacon Group, and owner of the Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa, recently gave his outlook for Phuket tourism. Mr Piya said he expects tourist arrivals to increase by 15% this year, despite a decline in arrivals from the island’s traditional tourist source markets in Western Europe, due to the economic and financial crises affecting…
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Thailand Futsal League – Phuket United down Samut Prakarn on the road
PHUKET: The island’s pro futsal team, Phuket United, were victorious in their second match of the Thailand Futsal Premier League 2012-2013 season, winning 3-0 on the road last night against Samut Prakarn United. Goals were scored by both of the club’s foreign players – Brazilian duo, Rogerio Moreira and Jackson Santos – as well as Thai player, Nattaphong Buachary. After…
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Krabi Police clamp down on noisy motorbikes
PHUKET: Krabi Police destroyed more than 600 illegal motorbike exhaust pipes seized during police checks across the bay from Phuket in September. At a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the culmination of a campaign entitled “Youths join together: ride motorbikes without modified exhaust pipes”, Krabi Governor Prasit Osathanon and Krabi Police Commander Nantadech Yoinuan witnessed the crushing of the impounded…
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Phuket councillor road death prompts by-election
PHUKET: The death of incumbent councillor Samart Piman in a Phuket road accident in September led to San Changlek being elected councillor to Rawai Municipality after a close by-election on Sunday. According to the preliminary vote count, Mr San received 895 votes, just 32 votes more than those cast for Sommai Yukunakorn, his only rival for the Ward 1 seat…
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World News: Fallen Gurkhas honoured
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nepal rites to banish ghosts of fallen Gurkha soldiers Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Wrapped in white and with their heads shaven, retired Gurkha soldiers sat cross-legged on the stems of dried rice plants for three days of symbolic and traditional mourning, laying to rest the…
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Champions League football: English riches not enough on European stage
PHUKET: Real Madrid and AC Milan led a procession of six teams into the Champions League last 16 last night while big-spending Manchester City failed again on the European stage to further dent English soccer’s standing. Milan qualified with a 3-1 win at Anderlecht, their goals including a spectacular overhead kick by Philippe Mexes which was a near carbon copy…
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Phuket biologists believe stranded dolphin now safely out to sea
PHUKET: Officers at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) who released a stranded Spinner dolphin back into the sea on Saturday are confident that it is now safe. “Our officers monitored the release area after letting the dolphin go on Saturday. We haven’t seen it return to the beach,” Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, who heads the PMBC’s Endangered Species Unit, told…
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World News: Sesame Street’s Kevin Clash resigns over sex allegations
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Voice actor of Elmo resigns amid underage sex allegations Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: Kevin Clash, the puppeteer who has been on “Sesame Street” for more than 28 years and created the high-pitched voice of Muppet character Elmo, resigned yesterday after new allegations were made public that…
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Phuket Business: Coca-Cola pouring B200mn into Thai cola battle; New player enters market
PHUKET: Coca-Cola (Coke) is spending 200 million baht on marketing in the final quarter of this year in hopes of surpassing Pepsi to become the undisputed leader of Thailand’s 38.5 billion baht carbonated-drink market.Colas represent about 75% of Thailand’s carbonated drink market. This is followed by flavored drinks (20%) and lemon-lime beverages (5%). The cola segment is also the most…
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Phuket Sports: IronTwins talk about competing
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette continues its build up to this year’s Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club IronKids on December 1. This week, Dutch twins Chloe and Maxime Schrijnemaekers, 10, are the featured IronKids.Chloe’s views on IronKidsPhuket Gazette: Why do you compete in IronKids?I really like the sport and love doing three sports combined into one event. Also, it gives me…
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One Phuket swimmer drowns, one sent to hospital
PHUKET: Two swimming* incidents on Koh Racha, about 25 kilometers south of Phuket, have left a Chinese woman dead and an Indian woman in hospital. (Click here to see Phuket Breaking News report.) Yuan Dingrong, 56, who was spending a week in Patong with nine of her family members, drowned after getting into difficulties while swimming* off Ao La (La…
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World News: India hangs last Mumbai militant in first capital sentence since 2004
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community In great secrecy, India executes last surviving Mumbai attacker Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: India executed Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the lone survivor of a militant squad that killed 166 people in a rampage through the financial capital Mumbai in 2008, hanging him today just days before the fourth…
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Tourists rushed to Phuket after ‘near drowning’ during snorkelling day trip
PHUKET BREAKING NEWS: A 50-year-old Chinese tourist has been rushed to Phuket International Hospital after being pulled from the water feared drowned while snorkelling off Racha Yai Island at about midday today.Meanwhile, about the same time also off Racha Yai Island, an Indian woman, about 40 years old, was pulled from the water after also choking on water difficulties while…
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Phuket Airport authorities approve all ‘new’ taxis
PHUKET: Despite an Airports of Thailand (AOT) senior executive just last month announcing a freeze in the number taxi vehicles serving Phuket Airport, local officials yesterday approved every request made by local taxi operators to boost their airport fleets. Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by all main parties involved (see below), the Phuket Mai Khao Company and the…
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World News: Extramarital sex not unusual says wife of U.S. General on trial for adultery
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international communityPHUKET (Reuters): The wife of a U.S. Army general facing adultery and sex charges said on Monday that military marriages have suffered from the extended U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, and described infidelity as an emotional war wound that gets overlooked.In an interview with Reuters, Rebecca Sinclair…
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Brit Aldhouse to be extradited to Phuket
PHUKET: British national Lee Aldhouse, wanted on murder charges in Phuket, has lost his High Court appeal and will be extradited to Phuket. The news of the UK High Court dismissing Mr Aldhouse’s appeal follows High Court judges agreeing to postpone the extradition hearing so that Mr Aldhouse’s lawyers would have more time to prepare their case. Mr Aldhouse successfully…
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Work on Phuket underpass deferred to Friday
PHUKET: The lane closures to make way for the construction of Phuket’s first underpass in front of the Phuket Central Festival shopping mall has been postponed for two days. Originally planned to commence on Wednesday (tomorrow), Italian-Thai Development project managers confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today that the start had been delayed intentionally to prevent mid-week traffic congestion. “The lane…
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PAD rallies in Phuket to “reclaim Thai petrol’
PHUKET: Key leaders of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) staged a rally in Phuket Town yesterday to inspire support for their “reclaim PTT” campaign.The campaign opposes the privatization of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) Public Company Limited, which currently operates as a state enterprise listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).The leaders of the PAD, better known…
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Phuket police nab bag snatchers in Patong
PHUKET: Police quickly arrested three young men today, all of whom have reportedly confessed to no fewer than eight bag-snatches in Phuket’s premier tourism town of Patong.The arrests followed a bag snatching on the Patong beach road, at 12:36am.Quick police action saw officers move in and arrest the three suspects – Sarayuth “Ice” Aisuwan, Bunharn “Diao” Banpeung and one man…
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World Sports: Manchester City top EPL; European football review
PHUKET: Manchester City topped the Premier League for the first time this season after thrashing Aston Villa while Barcelona stayed three points clear in La Liga as Lionel Messi scored twice in a win over Real Zaragoza.Bayern Munich extended their Bundesliga lead to eight points with a 1-1 draw at Nuremberg while leaders Juventus stayed four clear of Inter Milan…
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World News: NATO allies may send missiles to Turkey
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Netherlands, Germany may send missiles to Turkey – report Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Turkey has said it has intensified talks with NATO allies on how to shore up security on its 900-km (560-mile) frontier with Syria after mortar rounds fired from Syria landed inside its…
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World News: Obama begins historic Myanmar visit
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Praise and pressure as Obama begins historic Myanmar visit Reuters / Phuket GazetteYANGON: Barack Obama became the first serving U.S. president to visit Myanmar today, trying during a whirlwind six-hour trip to strike a balance between praising the government’s progress in shaking off military rule and pressing…
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Chaianan wins re-election as Kathu Mayor in Phuket polls
PHUKET: Chaianan Sutthikul was re-elected to his second consecutive term as Kathu Mayor in the Kathu mayoral election and Kathu Municipal council election held in central Phuket yesterday.In the preliminary vote count, Mr Chaianan scored 5,437 votes to defeat his only rival for the Kathu top seat: two-time former Kathu Mayor Prasert Khaokijpaisarn. Mr Prasert was elected to his first…
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Police seek arrest warrant for Phuket “hit-and-run’ bus driver
PHUKET: Police have now requested that the Phuket Provincial Court issue an arrest warrant for the bus driver who fled the scene on Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang last Wednesday after the tour bus he was driving struck a motorbike and killed two women. Thalang Police Sub Lt Chatree Chuwichian, the investigating officer in the case, confirmed to the Phuket Gazette…
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World News: Israel, Gaza intensify bombings this morning
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Israel, Gaza fighting rages on as Egypt seeks peace Phuket Gazette / ReutersPHUKET: Israel bombed militant targets in Gaza for a fifth straight day this morning (Phuket time), launching aerial and naval attacks as its military prepared for a possible ground invasion, though Egypt saw “some indications”…
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FIFA Futsal World Cup: Epic Brazil vs Spain final tonight
PHUKET: The stage is set for another epic FIFA Futsal World Cup final between the world’s top two national teams – Spain and Brazil – with the seventh edition of the prestigious tournament to conclude tonight in Bangkok. Meanwhile, the first match of this evening’s Europe vs South America double-header will see Futsal World Cup newcomers Colombia challenge Italy for…
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World Sports: United and Chelsea slip up as City hit five
PHUKET: Manchester United were humbled 1-0 by Norwich City and Chelsea upset at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday as Premier League champions Manchester City took advantage of their rivals’ mistakes with a 5-0 demolition of Aston Villa.United, who suffered their third league defeat of the season in the late kickoff at Carrow Road, succumbed to a 60th-minute header from their…
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World News: Iranian officials denied entry to United States for U.N. meeting
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. denies visas for Iranian officials to attend U.N. meeting Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: The United States has denied visas to Iranian officials hoping to attend a U.N. meeting in New York, Iran’s state news agency [INRA] reported last night. The Iranian judiciary’s Human Rights Headquarters…
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Local Kathu elections halt alcohol sales
PHUKET: Alcohol sales will be banned within the Kathu municipal area starting at 6pm today until midnight tomorrow due to local elections. The affected area includes: from Wat Samkong temple on the bypass road just north of Tesco Lotus, to the Phuket Mining Museum behind Loch Palm Golf Club, to just before the Patong City sign on Patong Hill and…
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‘Hit-and-run’ driver still at large
PHUKET: Phuket police have identified, but not caught, the bus driver who fled the scene after his bus struck a motorbike on Thepkrasattri Road and killed two women on Wednesday. “We contacted the driver’s employer, allowing us to identify the suspect,” Thalang Police Sub Lt Chatree Chuwichian told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “We are waiting for them to contact…
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