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  • Australian world triathalon champs to go head-to-head at Challenge Laguna Phuket

    Australian world triathalon champs to go head-to-head at Challenge Laguna Phuket

    PHUKET: Reigning World Champion Pete ‘PJ’ Jacobs has confirmed he will race the inaugural Challenge Laguna Phuket half distance triathlon on December 1 – setting up an intriguing contest with fellow Australian Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack, the defending title-holder and two-time World Champion, for a slice of the race’s 25,000 euro prize purse. The elite pair will compete at Challenge Laguna…

  • The rise of ASEAN football

    The rise of ASEAN football

    PHUKET: The sport of football is considered by many to be the most popular game on the planet. While it has been a mainstay in the European and South American nations for decades, increased access to matches and a youthful fan base have now allowed this exciting sport to reach the far corners of the globe. A notable example of…

  • Phuket motorbike taxi driver found dead in canal

    Phuket motorbike taxi driver found dead in canal

    PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of man whose body was found in a canal in central Phuket late yesterday afternoon with a deep cut under his chin. Thalang Police led by Duty Officer Kitthiphum Thinthalang arrived at the scene, a canal behind the Thalang Victory Memorial Field (map here), at 6:15pm. Local residents identified the man as 53-year-old local…

  • Two in Lamborghini survive after slamming into power poles in Chon Buri

    Two in Lamborghini survive after slamming into power poles in Chon Buri

    PHOTOS: Issara Parinyothai A father and son, driving in a Lamborghini sports car, have survived after colliding with power poles in Chon Buri, north of Pattaya. Emergency responders were notified of the incident yesterday on Sukhumwit Road in Chon Buri city area, south of Bangkok. At the scene found the damaged ‘Aventador’ Lamborghini sport car valued 34 million baht in…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Obec bows over schools; Chalerm to head BRN peace talks; Hot rods a mystery; Bomb blast ‘from the heart’

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Obec bows over schools; Chalerm to head BRN peace talks; Hot rods a mystery; Bomb blast ‘from the heart’

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Pupils at small schools to use facilities at other sites: OBEC The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) bowed to public pressure yesterday, with Obec secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat announcing no small schools would be closed this academic year. Instead, pupils will be…

  • Phuket manhunt called off as German fugitive arrested

    Phuket manhunt called off as German fugitive arrested

    PHUKET: The Phuket manhunt for the Carlo Konstantin Kohl, who escaped his Australian guards at Suvarnabhumi Airport while being escorted home to Germany (story here), has been called off. Police arrested the 25-year-old at the German Embassy in Bangkok yesterday, Immigration Police Commissioner Panu Kerdlabpol said. “We had officers waiting for him at the embassy,” Lt Gen Panu said. Kohl…

  • Five arrested over attack on Kedah royal family bodyguard

    Five arrested over attack on Kedah royal family bodyguard

    PHUKET: Police today arrested five men for the attack on a Kedah royal family bodyguard at a high-end resort in Patong just after midnight on Tuesday. Four of the men, including three Malaysians, were arrested while trying to exit Thailand at the busy Sadao checkpoint in Songkhla province. The first arrest was made at a rented house in Sikao District…

  • No blockade: Phuket taxis called to the rescue [Video Report] | Thaiger

    No blockade: Phuket taxis called to the rescue [Video Report]

    PHUKET: Following the confusion at Phuket’s Deep Sea Port this morning (story here), it has come to light that the hundreds of taxis, tour vans and tuk-tuks at the gate to Phuket’s key port facility were called to the rescue of the thousands of US Navy servicemen and women looking to enjoy shore leave on the island. The armada of…

  • US Navy sailors caught in Phuket taxi blockade

    US Navy sailors caught in Phuket taxi blockade

    UPDATE: This story has since been updated through the stories ‘No blockade: Phuket taxis called to the rescue [Video Report]’ (click here) and ‘US Navy transport contractor reaches agreement with Phuket taxis’ (click here). PHUKET: Taxi drivers have set up a blockade at Phuket’s Deep Sea Port, where the USS Nimitz and the USS Princeton are anchored. According to reports,…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Myanmar mob violence returns; US soldier to confess Afghan massacre; Vincent and Bruno get married; PNG sorcery stoked

    Phuket Gazette World News: Myanmar mob violence returns; US soldier to confess Afghan massacre; Vincent and Bruno get married; PNG sorcery stoked

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Buddhist mobs attack Muslim homes in Myanmar, one dead Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Security forces struggled to control Buddhist mobs who burned Muslim homes on Wednesday for a second day in the northern Myanmar city of Lashio in a dangerous widening of ultra-nationalist Buddhist violence.…

  • Phuket FC swoops down on Krabi Andaman Eagles

    Phuket FC swoops down on Krabi Andaman Eagles

    PHUKET: The Islanders advanced to 4th place of the 18-team Yamaha League One (YL1) after downing Krabi FC in a Phang Nga Bay derby match last night in Phuket Town. Despite Krabi dominating the attack early on, the two Southern sides went into the locker rooms at half time scoreless. The deadlock was broken eight minutes into the second half,…

  • Phuket hosts full-scale tsunami drill

    Phuket hosts full-scale tsunami drill

    PHUKET: A total of about 300 emergency-response officers from Phuket and Phang Nga joined forces to stage a full-scale tsunami evacuation and sea rescue drill off the northern tip of Phuket yesterday.The drill started with the sounding of the tsunami warning alarm, prompting the officers from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) in Phuket and Phang Nga to…

  • Swedish Muay Thai fighter found dead on Koh Lanta | Thaiger

    Swedish Muay Thai fighter found dead on Koh Lanta

    PHUKET: The body of a Swedish Muay Thai fighter was found yesterday at the popular tourist island Koh Lanta, across the bay from Phuket.Police and rescue workers arrived at a rental room at the Otto Bar after receiving a report of a dead foreigner. Police named the man as “Kasper Pobias Byreborg”, 29.“We believe he had been dead for about…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Court rules troops killed Italian reporter

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Court rules troops killed Italian reporter

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai court rules troops responsible for Italian reporter’s death Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Italian photojournalist who was shot dead in Bangkok while taking pictures of a military crackdown on an anti-government protest in 2010 was killed by a bullet fired by a soldier, a…

  • Damaged Phuket tourist ferry to be recovered

    Damaged Phuket tourist ferry to be recovered

    PHUKET: Efforts are underway to recover the ferry Puean Foong II, which started taking on water in heavy seas yesterday afternoon with more than 100 tourists on board (story here). The boat was returning from Phi Phi Island to Phuket when strong waves punctured the hull, explained Samphan Aiyara, managing director of Friendship Sea Tour Co Ltd, which owns the…

  • Phuket Finance: Golden rules for investing | Thaiger

    Phuket Finance: Golden rules for investing

    PHUKET: Being a successful investor over the long-term is not going to be easy, but if you have been a bad investor in the past, who has lost money investing, chances are it is because you didn’t follow these simple, yet essential rules.Educate yourself about investing Walk into any bookstore and you will likely see several shelves of books covering…

  • Phuket FC look to swoop down on Krabi Andaman Eagles tonight

    Phuket FC look to swoop down on Krabi Andaman Eagles tonight

    PHUKET: Despite a tough away draw last Saturday in Trat, Phuket FC are in high spirits ahead of tonight’s Yamaha League One (YL1) Phang Nga Bay derby match with Southern rivals, Krabi FC. The all-Southern match-up, both sides 13th of the 34-fixture YL1 2013 season, will be played at Phuket’s Surakul Stadium with a 6:30pm kickoff (click here for map).…

  • Women’s beach volleyball tournament to hit Karon Beach

    Women’s beach volleyball tournament to hit Karon Beach

    PHUKET: The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour is to return to Karon Beach this year after an agreement to continue staging the annual event was recently signed by Pentangle Promotions Co Ltd and the Thailand Volleyball Association with the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). Several changes to the competition format have been made by the FIVB; the qualifying round is…

  • Phuket motorbike thief blames island’s lack of public transport

    Phuket motorbike thief blames island’s lack of public transport

    PHUKET: A 24-year-old local handyman says Phuket’s lack of public transport is the reason he stole a motorbike to go visit a friend. Phuket City Police arrested Koson Hongthong yesterday morning at the old weekend market on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town (map here). Mr Koson was found in possession of a Yamaha Fino that was reported stolen by…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: F-15 crashes – pilot safe; Obama to discuss security concerns; US workers injured in strip club crossfire

    Phuket Gazette World News: F-15 crashes – pilot safe; Obama to discuss security concerns; US workers injured in strip club crossfire

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. Air Force fighter jet crashes off Japan, pilot survives Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: A U.S. Air Force fighter jet crashed in the Pacific Ocean off the Japanese island of Okinawa yesterday morning, but the pilot was safely recovered after ejecting from the aircraft,…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Security boost in wake of bomb blast; Peace talks behind surge in South violence; Rural doctors’ pay fight escalates

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Security boost in wake of bomb blast; Peace talks behind surge in South violence; Rural doctors’ pay fight escalates

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police track components of bomb used in Bangkok The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Police investigating Sunday night’s bomb blast in Bangkok’s Soi Ramkhamhaeng 43/1 suspect the bomb components were purchased at a local store two to three days before the explosion.The motive for the bombing, which injured…

  • Phuket Video Report: More than 100 tourists rescued from sinking ferry

    Phuket Video Report: More than 100 tourists rescued from sinking ferry

    PHUKET: More than 100 people were rescued from a tourist boat that started sinking while returning from Phi Phi Island to Phuket this afternoon after being damaged by big waves.No injuries were reported.The ferry, Puean Foong II, was near Chicken Island (Koh Kai), about 15 nautical miles from Phuket, when it took on water, said Phuket Marine Police Inspector Chatchai…

  • Navy shore-leave to inject 1 million dollars into economy

    Navy shore-leave to inject 1 million dollars into economy

    PHUKET: The island’s economy – especially at the party town of Patong – will be getting an early low-season boost thanks to this week’s visit by the American Navy supercarrier, USS Nimitz along with its armed missile-cruiser escort, the USS Princeton, which both moored off Phuket early this morning. Topping off a week-long journey through the South China Sea, and…

  • Phuket Police post YouTube video of gold shop suspect, unmasked

    Phuket Police post YouTube video of gold shop suspect, unmasked

    PHUKET: Police have posted a YouTube video showing the man they believe committed the gold shop murder-burglary in Phuket on April 8 in the hope that members of the public can identify him. The CCTV footage shows a man with a slight limp smoking as he walks back and forth in front of the C.P. Gold Master & Jewelry store…

  • Phuket Business: Cashing in on Russian relations – Part II

    Phuket Business: Cashing in on Russian relations – Part II

    PHUKET: Mr Phisak Nivataphand, the president of the Thai-Russian Chamber of Commerce and advisor for the Russian Studies Center of Chulalongkorn University, was in Phuket recently to give a speech as part of a seminar aimed at promoting Thai-Russian business relations . Organized by Thai-Russian media firm, Expert Media Co Ltd, the seminar was held at the Royal Phuket Marina.…

  • Bangkok Hospital Phuket to invest B600mn in facility

    Bangkok Hospital Phuket to invest B600mn in facility

    PHUKET: Bangkok Hospital Phuket (BHP) has announced that it will invest 600 million baht to open a new hospital on the island by early next year. The site of the as yet unnamed hospital will be on Chao Fah West Road, just opposite the Chao Fa Villa Phuket housing development in Mueang district. Director of Bangkok Hospital Phuket Dr Narongrit…

  • Phuket tourist safety, security tops Chinese ambassador’s agenda

    Phuket tourist safety, security tops Chinese ambassador’s agenda

    PHUKET: The Chinese Ambassador to Thailand has placed tourists’ safety and security at the top of his agenda for his visit to Phuket tomorrow, the Phuket Gazette has learned.Ambassador Guan Mu will meet with Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa to discuss a range of issues affecting tourists and expats.“The Chinese Ambassador and his team are going to discuss Chinese tourists’…

  • Longtail boats resume island tours after Krabi storm

    Longtail boats resume island tours after Krabi storm

    PHUKET: Krabi longtail boat operators have resumed tourist services to outlying islands following storm seas capsizing much of the local fleet on Saturday. The move to resume tours to the islands in Thailand’s iconic boats comes despite warnings by the Thai Meteorological Department for small boats to stay on shore. The decision follows damage to 77 longtail boats on Saturday,…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Syria fighting intensifies; UK, France clear to send arms; US McCain meets rebels; Turkey forgers busted; Ireland defends Apple tax

    Phuket Gazette World News: Syria fighting intensifies; UK, France clear to send arms; US McCain meets rebels; Turkey forgers busted; Ireland defends Apple tax

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Syria fighting rages, more chemical attacks reported Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Heavy fighting raged around the strategic Syrian border town of Qusair and the capital Damascus on Monday and further reports surfaced of chemical weapons attacks by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces on rebel areas.The Syrian military pounded…

  • Gas tanker leaks 2.5km trail of fuel through Phuket Town

    Gas tanker leaks 2.5km trail of fuel through Phuket Town

    PHUKET: A six-wheeled gasoline tanker truck leaked a trail of fuel 2.5 kilometers long through Phuket Town yesterday, causing motorbikes to skid and fall, resulting in at least one hospitalization. Police responded to a report at 11am that a gas tanker had leaked “gasoline” along Yaowarat Road, from the intersection with Mae Luan Road (map here) all the way to…