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Villagers make murky discovery
BURIRAM: The discovery of ancient artifacts is always a cause for excitement. A common way to unearth such relics is at an archaeological dig, though just as often they are discovered by pure chance at construction sites. While some finds are more dramatic than others, few can beat a recent tale from Isarn of two 1,500-year-old Buddha images rising from…
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Man murders pregnant girlfriend
PHUKET CITY: An enraged man slashed the throat of his pregnant girlfriend as she was working at a 7-Eleven store in Phuket City at 3:45 am on January 7. He was arrested by police the same day as he was preparing to leave the island.Phuket City Police Superintendent Col Nos Svettalekha identified the victim as 26-year-old Vipaporn Yimaim, a native…
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Jealous man kills ex-wife’s new husband
CHERNG TALAY: A jealous ex-husband allegedly stabbed his former wife’s new husband to death just before dawn on January 5, then fled the scene with the woman.Cherng Talay Police Duty Inspector Pol Lt Col Jessada Sangsuree identified the victim as Rungnapa Sriburam, 31, a native of Kalasin province who was staying on Soi Layan in Cherng Talay Village 6 at the…
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Yamu marina a “test case’ for coastal development
PHUKET CITY: Human Rights Commissioner Wasan Panich, who is leading the investigation into whether permission should be granted for a marina to be built at Cape Yamu, yesterday announced the project was developing into a “test case” on guidelines for similar developments in the future.K. Wasan made the announcement at a public hearing at the Phuket Merlin Hotel, where people…
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Police seek two Burmese for double murder at sea
RASSADA: Police are looking for two Burmese men wanted for the murder of a squid boat owner and his wife, whose bodies were pulled from the sea near Koh Dokmai late last week.The Gazette’s Thai-language affiliate newspaper Kom Chad Luek originally reported that the first body was discovered by fishermen off Koh Dokmai, some 30 kilometers west of Phuket City,…
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“Seven Days of Danger’ leaves 6 dead, 76 injured
PHUKET: The road toll in Phuket during the holiday season “seven days of danger”, from midnight December 28 to midnight last night, stands at six dead and 76 people injured in a total of 72 accidents, Phuket Vice-Governor Tri Augkaradacha was told today.Of the accidents reported during the period, two-thirds were attributed to alcohol and almost all of them involved…
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Police call for witnesses to Rawai horse accident
RAWAI: Police are calling for witnesses to a collision between a horse and a motorbike on Wiset Rd yesterday. The accident occurred about 3:30pm and it is understood that the motorbike had a sidecar. More information is sought to assist in the investigation.The collision, at the entrance to the Phuket Riding Club on Wiset Rd, splintered the horse’s leg bones and a veterinarian…
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Blacklist threatened for bars that break request for “national mourning silence’
PHUKET (Kom Chad Luek, Gazette): Muang District Chief Wisit Kurattanavej this afternoon threatened to blacklist entertainment venues that do not follow the government’s request to observe the national mourning of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, who passed away early yesterday morning.K. Wisit made the announcement at a meeting to discuss a ban on “entertainment noise” during the 15-day national mourning period,…
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Phi Phi pee turns deadly
KOH PHI PHI DON: An American tourist on holiday at Koh Phi Phi Don fell about five meters to his death after he stopped to relieve himself at a rocky outcrop on the way back to his bungalow after celebrating New Year’s Eve at a local bar.Sub Lt Noppadon Klompong of the Krabi Muang District Police outpost on Koh Phi…
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Nok Air quietly grounds Phuket-Haad Yai route
PHUKET: Nok Air has quietly suspended its loss-ridden Phuket-Haad Yai service, once again making it impossible to fly between Southern Thailand’s two busiest airports, the Gazette has learned.Nok Air Executive Vice-President for Marketing Sehapan Chumsai told the Gazette today there were not enough passengers to continue the service, which began June 6 last year using 150-seat Boeing 737-400 aircraft.The service…
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New Year bust nets 300 ya bah pills
PHUKET: Provincial authorities working with a Border Patrol Police drug-suppression unit from Phang Nga on New Year’s Day arrested a man for possession of 300 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills with intent to sell. Wisut Romin, deputy chief of the Phuket Provincial Special Operations Unit, identified the suspect as Kittiphong “Phong” Leamsai, 41.After a period of surveillance, officers from the drug-suppression…
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Thailand enters national mourning
PHUKET: The Royal Household Bureau today asked for staff at all government offices, state enterprises and educational institutions to fly the national flag at half-mast and to wear black for the next 15 days as a mark of respect for HRH Galyani Vadhana, who passed away early this morning.An emergency meeting of the Cabinet today concurred the request.Students, however, may…
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Phuket holiday road toll: 5 dead in 4 days
PHUKET: Figures issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) for the first four days of the “seven days of danger” holiday road-safety campaign put the death toll from accidents in Phuket at five, including two foreigners.A total of 43 accidents were reported during the period that ended at midnight last night, with 48 people suffering injuries requiring…
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Protesters rally against third Tesco
WICHIT: Some 50 protesters gathered at Phuket Provincial Office on December 26 to protest the construction of a new Tesco-Lotus branch on Chao Fa East Rd, which if completed would become the retail juggernaut’s third branch on the island.The protesters, some of whom are vendors at the Moom Muang market near the proposed project site, converged at Provincial Hall about…
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Tossaporn’s win under investigation
PHUKET: The Election Commission (EC) in Bangkok has accepted for investigation one complaint of electoral fraud against Tossaporn Thepabutr, one of the two Democrat Party candidates elected to represent Phuket in parliament in a landslide win in the December 23 general election. Phuket Election Committee (PEC) investigation officer Ratchapon Thongnuengarm confirmed yesterday that the EC had ordered him to collect…
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Phuket land prices skyrocket
PHUKET: The tax man will have some jolly years ahead as the government-assessed land prices for many locations in Phuket are seeing triple-digit rates of growth.On Thursday, the Phuket Provincial Treasury Office (PPTO) confirmed details of the new land values, which were leaked to a Prachachart Turakij reporter in October (click here for full story).https://phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?fromsearch=yes&Id=6033Land appraisals are done every four…
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Wife comatose after severe beating
PATONG: A 37-year-old woman is clinging to life at Vachira Phuket Hospital after her enraged husband of 20 years allegedly beat her over the head with a dumbbell early yesterday morning.Pol Lt Col Serm Kwannimit identified the victim as Dawan Harnsena, a native of Nongkhai and long-time Patong resident.After questioning the victim’s younger sister, police learned that Dawan’s likely assailant…
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“No water shortage in 2008,’ says Phuket waterworks chief
PHUKET CITY: An unusually wet December has kept Bang Wad reservoir in Kathu filled to capacity, while forecasts for continuing rainfall through March mean there is little reason to worry about water shortages in 2008, the head of the provincial waterworks authority said yesterday.Reporting to Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit at the monthly Phuket Provincial Security Council meeting at the Katina…
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Chef scorched in Patong gas explosion
PATONG: The chef at a newly opened restaurant on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd suffered first- and second-degree burns to 40% of his body after a cooking gas cylinder exploded on Wednesday morning.Pol Capt Jongserm Preecha of the Kathu Police told the Gazette that he received a report at 8 am that there was an explosion at Patong Corner Restaurant, on…
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Tsunami memorial service lights up Patong
PATONG: Some 700 people joined a memorial service for those who died in the tsunami three years ago, each placing a lit candle in the sand, basking the beach in a solemn glow.Guests and dignitries, including Swedish Ambassador Lennart Linner and Tourism and Sports Minister Dr Suwit Yodmanee, joined the event, giving speeches on loss, grief and recovery and laying…
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Tsunami victims remembered
PATONG: About 200 people took part in a memorial service at Loma Park this morning to mark the third anniversary of the 2004 tsunami disaster.The event, which began at 10 am, included a food and alms offering to 108 monks who spent an hour praying for those who perished.Phuket Vice-Governor Tri Augkaradacha opened the service, which was organized jointly by…
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Two die in bypass junction smash
PHUKET CITY: Two people have died after a high-speed collision between a motorbike and a pickup truck at the Tesco-Lotus intersection on the bypass road this morning.Patthama Jiewluan, a high-school student at Phuket Wittayalai School in Phuket City, died at the scene.Jirapan Chanchaivej, the driver of the pickup, died later at hospital.Lt Theeradet Jiraksa of Phuket City Police Station, who…
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Work begins on new retail center on bypass road
WICHIT: Amid rumors that a new shopping mall is under construction opposite Central Festival Phuket on the bypass road, the Gazette has learned that a new branch of homeWorks, a complete home decoration and building supplies subsidiary of retailing giant Central, is slated for the site.Work began recently on the large plot behind Darasamuth School, with trucks working day and…
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Airport post office relocated
MAI KHAO: The post office at Phuket International Airport has been relocated from the departures terminal to the arrivals terminal on the ground floor of the airport.Kusol Yamyean, manager of Post Office Region 8, told the Gazette that the post office was closed on December 22 so that furniture and equipment could be moved.The post office keeps the same opening…
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Security guard, 26, murdered in Kamala
KAMALA: Police are investigating the murder of a security guard found beaten and shot to death outside a room at an apartment building in Kamala on Saturday afternoon.Duty Officer Pol Lt Chaiyapong Thamasurin of the Kamala Police identified the victim as 26-year-old Jirasak Khundamri, who was employed as a security guard by a private firm in Cherng Talay. He was…
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Democrats file complaint against smear campaign
PHUKET CITY: On the eve of the national general election yesterday, Democrat Party MP candidates for Phuket Tossaporn Thepabutr and Rewat Areerob on Saturday handed a petition to the Phuket Election Commission (PEC) complaining that leaflets attacking them have been distributed around the island in violation of election law.The pair of political hopefuls handed the complaint and a copy of…
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Luangpoo Supha, 114, blesses “safe teddies’
CHALONG: Phuket Vice-Governor Tri Augkaradacha traveled to Wat Luang Phu Supha Saturday morning to present 2,000 “Nong Prodpai” (“safe sister bear”) teddy bears for blessing by revered monk Luangpoo Supha.The teddy bears are to be distributed to motorists at police checkpoints during the “seven days of danger” period, from December 28 to January 3.Luangpoo Supha, who is reputed to be…
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The Metropole lights huge Xmas tree
PHUKET CITY: Expats feeling a twinge of homesickness for the sights and sounds of Christmas may wish to pay a visit to The Metropole hotel on Phuket Rd, where Christmas carols fill the air and an enormous Christmas tree was lit up in a ceremony on Thursday night. Staff at the hotel say the 10-meter-tall tree is the largest in…
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DDPM-Phuket announces road-safety campaign
PHUKET CITY: In its annual attempt to limit road carnage over the holiday period, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) will once again organize a multi-agency effort to promote safe driving during the “seven days of danger” period, from December 28 to January 3.DDPM-Phuket Chief Chotenarin Kerdsom said in an official DDPM-Phuket press release the annual migration of…
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Ya bah bust in Thalang
THALANG: During a sting operation near the Heroines’ Monument yesterday, Phuket Provincial Police special investigations unit arrested a Thalang man for possession of 400 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills with intent to sell.Lt Anukul Nukate of Thalang Police explained that undercover police arranged to meet Surachai Maimad, 29, at 3 pm on Srisoonthorn Rd [Route 4025] to buy the pills for…
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