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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American aircraft carrier to arrive in Phuket
PHUKET: The American aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis (CVN-74), dispatched four months ahead of schedule back in August, will arrive in Phuket early next month along with two US warships and 3,500 sailors.The Washington-state-based aircraft carrier’s current mission is to ensure security and stability in the “vital Asia-Pacific region”, according to the ship’s Facebook page. The departure of the…
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Phuket Sports: International sporting round-up
PHUKET: THE ICC World Twenty20 started in Sri Lanka on Tuesday and runs until October 7. The fourth edition of the tournament features ten ICC full members and two other ICC members who had to qualify for the tournament. India, England and Afghanistan are in Group A. Ireland are in group B with the West Indies and Australia. Group C…
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World News: 19 dead as anti-Islam film protests turn violent
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Anti-Islam film protests in Pakistan turn violent, at least 19 killed Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: At least nineteen people were killed and scores injured across Pakistan as widespread protests against the anti-Islam film turned violent, local media reported yesterday. In the southern port city…
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Phuket Sports: ICC Move One Step Closer To Finals Berth
PHUKET: ICC and Patong met for the second time in the Outrigger T20 league last Sunday at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) with both teams keen for victory to join Laguna on top of the table and move a step closer to securing a finals berth. Despite heavy rains during the week, the ACG once again came up trumps with…
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Phuket gold thief surrenders to see ‘dying wife’
PHUKET: One of the two men wanted for making off with millions of baht in jewelry from a Phuket gold shop on Monday surrendered to police today, saying that he wanted to see his wife again before she died from a heart condition. The man, a Burmese national named by police only as “Mr Koson”, arrived in front of Phuket…
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Cabinet cuts it close with announcement of new Phuket Governor
PHUKET: A last-minute announcement of Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha’s successor is expected to be made on Tuesday, less than a week before the incumbent takes office.Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the Cabinet on Tuesday were given a list of 19 provincial governor positions that will be available come October 1, according to the Cabinet meeting’s minutes.Governor Tri and 16 others…
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Phuket Sports: Ballers rock Saphan Hin
PHUKET: Thailand’s most significant international basketball tournament has livened up Phuket Town’s brand new 4,000 seat Gymnasium with some fast-paced, slam-dunk and swooshing action this past week. The third and fourth playoff will see PEA (THAI) take on CLS Knights (INA) at 2pm with the final to be played at 4pm which will test the Rising Stars (Thai) against the…
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Phuket Sports: Gonzalo has gone and done it again; Golfing tip of the week
PHUKET: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who didn’t quite make the Ryder Cup team, showed he would have been a worthy pick by beating the field in solid fashion to win the BMW Championship at Royal Park I Roveri in Italy. Garth Mulroy, a little known journeyman from South Africa, tried his best to keep up with Gonzalo. Matteo Manassaro, the young golfing…
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Official probe finds Tiger Disco failed to meet fire-safety regulations
PHUKET: The findings of an official investigation into the Tiger Discotheque fire that killed four people on August 17 were publicly released yesterday. They cite failure by nightclub management to adhere to multiple fire-safety regulations. The report, compiled by the Building Society Inspectors and Officers Association (BSA) and the Association of Siamese Architects (ASA), did not cite the cause of…
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World champion eyes Laguna Phuket Ironman 70.3 title
PHUKET: The recently-crowned 2012 Ironman 70.3 World Champion, Leanda Cave, has signed up for the Laguna Phuket event less than 24 hours after completing her epic World Championship victory in Las Vegas on September 9, and before resuming training for her next title bid at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii on October 13, it was revealed by the…
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Dealer busted after kratom smuggled into Phuket as ‘fresh vegetables’
PHUKET: Phuket Police acting on a tip-off yesterday arrested a dealer and seized 54kg of kratom leaves from an address in Cherng Talay. Col Jirasak Siemsak received the tip-off at about 5pm and quickly put together an investigation team under the command of Maj Pongnarin Suthin. On arrival at a house on Soi Pasak 4, off the Baan Don-Cherng Talay…
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Wife begs gold-thief husband to turn himself over to Phuket Police
PHUKET: The captured wife of a brazen smash-and-grab gold thief last night begged her husband to turn himself over to the Phuket Police so that she could return to Burma and take care of her children. In the midst of tears, Mrs Musa insisted that she did not know the shampoo bottles she was fleeing to Burma with were stuffed…
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Where the Phuket buffalo roam
PHUKET: To highlight the diminishing number of buffalo still grazing on the island, Phuket Democrat MP Raywat Areerob joined local farmers on Tuesday at a small country fair that included a bovine beauty contest. The event, organized by the National Farmers Council (NFC) Phuket office and Srisoonthorn Municipality, with support from the Phuket Agricultural Office, was held at the field…
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Phuket Airport officials unveil how they caught their woman
PHUKET: Following the arrest of a woman wanted by authorities in Bangkok for human trafficking charges, Phuket Airport Immigration officers revealed how they caught the suspect before she could fly out of the country. Phuket Airport Immigration officer Lt Col Wannee Songchaisanguan said that Snr Sgt Maj Wanchai Narin was on duty in the departure hall on September 14 when…
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Fears of Phuket underpass traffic jams prompt ‘alternative routes’ plan
PHUKET: The Highways Department yesterday held a public meeting to suggest alternative routes for motorists to alleviate traffic congestion when construction of Phuket’s first underpass at the Darasamuth Intersection, in front of Central Festival Phuket shopping mall, begins next month. The news came at a public meeting chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa at Wichit Municipality Office. Present were…
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Phuket gold thief’s wife tips off police
PHUKET: Phuket Police this morning are combing the Kathu Waterfall area after the wife of smash-and-grab gold thief Mr Koson tipped off police to his probable whereabouts. The Burmese woman, yet to be named by police, was arrested at the Mo Chit Bus Station in Bangkok last night with gold jewelry valued at about 1.8 million baht in her possession,…
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Thailand News: Protest forces US embassy to close early
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Anti-US protest forces embassy to shut early Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: Five companies of anti-riot policemen were deployed to guard the US Embassy in Bangkok yesterday as about 400 Muslims staged a protest against the US government over an anti-Islam film. “Destroy America!” the…
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Manhunt for Phuket gold shop thieves begins
PHUKET: Police now have arrest warrants issued for the two men wanted for the robbery of a Phuket gold shop yesterday and have set up two teams of officers to track the men down. Meanwhile, police stations throughout Southern Thailand have been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspects in their respective jurisdictions. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit…
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Phuket tour companies wary of national park admission fee hike
PHUKET: Many Phuket tour and dive companies are waiting to see how the final confirmation of the significant hike in national park fees will affect their businesses.The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) announced that the entrance cost at many popular national parks in Thailand would see their first jump in a decade starting January 1.“Although I…
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Phuket consuls praise Provincial Hospital
PHUKET: The British and Australian honorary consuls in Phuket have heaped praise on the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) Hospital. Martin Carpenter, British honorary consul, and Larry Cunningham, Australian honorary consul to Phuket, also called for local media organizations to publicize the facility so people can take advantage of the new hospital’s services. At the meeting of Phuket’s honorary consul…
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Phuket Business: Pickup sales champ
PHUKET: Reinforced with continuous, cutting-edge improvements to its steering and suspension systems, the Toyota Hilux Vigo Champ looks to retain its stronghold on the domestic pickup market. The Phuket Gazette had the opportunity to join an exclusive tour of Toyota Motor Thailand’s (TMT) Ban Pho production plant recently, gaining a first-hand look at the prized truck’s production and assembly line.…
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Phuket Business: 200 years of market crises
PHUKET: With the US stock market sitting near its 52-week high, and already having made a 100% move upwards from its low at the peak of the sell-off that occurred during the financial crisis, I have dug a bit deeper into history to get a feel for the frequency of crashes. I have a good grip on the longer bull/bear…
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Phuket Police identify one brazen gold thief
PHUKET: Phuket City Police have identified one member of the brazen gold bandit duo who robbed a shop of about 3 million baht worth of gold jewelry yesterday. Police identified the man only as “Son”, a roadside food vendor. After a dragnet attempt at a fish factory left police empty handed, they raided Son’s home, only to find that he…
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Live Wire: All I want for Xmas is a 3G tab
PHUKET: Welcome to the fourth and final installment of my series about where the computer industry is headed (click here to see related articles). With the Christmas season just around the corner many people are thinking about buying new electronics – computer, tablet, phone, maybe even a TV. This column will help you stay on top of developments between now…
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Phuket honorary consuls grill local transport chief over new taxi fares
PHUKET: In their first “regular” quarterly meeting with Phuket government officers since February, Phuket Honorary Consuls today delivered a barrage of questions over the new standard taxi fares “agreed to” on September 12. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha, recently returned from a cultural tourism roadshow in Nepal, asked for input from honorary consuls about the new standard fares. Phuket Land Transportation…
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Thai woman arrested in Phuket on prostitution human trafficking charges
PHUKET: Immigration officials arrested a Thai woman believed to be at the center of an international human trafficking ring at Phuket International Airport on Friday as she tried to board a flight to Bahrain.Dujdao “Champagne” Yarana*, 27, was arrested at 7pm by Capt Suppachai Moongaew and immediately taken to Bangkok.After questioning by the Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTD) she was charged…
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Phuket Police gold thief dragnet comes up empty
PHUKET: Phuket City Police have given up their attempt to net a pair of brazen gold thieves at a fish factory today. They have now issued “wanted alerts” for the two men to police stations throughout the neighboring provinces of Phang Nga and Krabi. Included in the alerts are images of the two wanted men, who police believe are Burmese,…
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Phuket Sports: Quiksilver Open finishes on the crest of a wave
PHUKET: Topping a long list of highlights in the four days of non-stop surfing and extreme sports action at the Quiksilver Open Phuket Thailand, Bali’s Mega Semadhi took the ASC/ISC Open Division final yesterday for his first contest win this year, while reigning Men’s Asian Surfing Champion Raditya Rondi (also from Bali, Indonesia) hoisted his second consecutive ASC Championship trophy…
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Phuket Business: Smile – you’re on THAI
PHUKET: Last week Prasert Tanhansa, manager of the THAI Airlines (TA) district sales office in Phuket, announced new Phuket routes to be serviced, starting next month, by the national carrier’s new airline, THAI Smile (TS). Here, the Phuket Gazette’s Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai speaks exclusively with Mr Prasert about market positioning, strategies and more. PHUKET GAZETTE: TS has been called by some…
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US Embassy prepares for anti-American demonstrations in Thailand
PHUKET: The US Embassy in Bangkok has confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that the recent security warning issued to all American citizens was not linked to any specific threats in Thailand. The warning, issued by the US Embassy in Bangkok, reads: “As a general precaution, the U.S. Embassy advises you to exercise caution and to be aware of your surroundings,…
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