News
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Sponsored Siam Paragon celebrates 'A Prosperous Chinese New Year 2025'
Siam Paragon, in collaboration with KASIKORNBANK, is hosting a spectacular Lunar New Year celebration, Siam Paragon A Prosperous Chinese New Year 2025, from today until February 2, at Parc Paragon. This year’s event is inspired by the rich heritage of Dunhuang,...
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Phuket Business: Beer, wine and automobile excises poised for revision
PHUKET: In light of Cabinet’s recent approval of tax hikes for cigarettes and liquor, the Excise Department is now looking to increase revenue shares from the trade of beer, wine and automobiles.Quoted in a report by the Nation, Benja Louichareon, director-general of the Excise Department, said, “The department is also looking at whether it should increase tax on beer and…
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Phuket Business: AMCHAM affirms commitment to saving the environment
PHUKET: The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Greater Phuket Chapter assembled at Holiday Inn Patong for its third meeting of the year recently. Organized in conjunction with environmental organization, SEEK, the evening’s discussions focused on ways that hospitality and tourism stakeholders can implement “Green Tourism” practices while reducing operational overheads and thus increasing profit margins. The meeting followed an all-day,…
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Body of Burmese worker found at Phuket construction site
PHUKET: The decomposing body of a worker from Myanmar was left undiscovered at a Phuket construction site for at least three days before being found late yesterday afternoon. Thalang Police were notified of the body at 6:15pm. Arriving at the scene with Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation workers, police found the body pinned between a wall and some metal scaffolding at the…
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DNA tests confirm French tourist as Tiger Disco fire victim
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Police Institute of Forensic Medicine in Bangkok has confirmed that the fourth – and last – victim to be identified from the Tiger Discotheque fire in Phuket on August 17 is that of French tourist Emmanuel Becard, aged 30. Friends of Mr Becard reported him as missing the day after the fire, which killed four people.…
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Hunt continues for suspect in Phuket Police shooting
PHUKET: Chalong Police continue to search for a suspect who remains at-large following the June shooting of an on-duty officer in a live music venue in Phuket. Lt Col Boonlert Onklang of the Chalong Police told the Phuket Gazette today (September 4) that his officers are still searching for Phiromchai “Un” Tuaktham, the only one of five suspects wanted in…
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French tourist killed, another comatose in Phuket motorbike crash
PHUKET: One French tourist is dead and another remains in a coma after the motorbike they were riding crashed on the beach road in Karon before dawn yesterday.Chalong duty officer Boonlert Onklang said that police were informed of the accident, at a curved section of the beach road near the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort, at 3.40am. Arriving at the scene,…
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“Hungry ghosts’ inspire new Phuket TAT chief to push cultural tourism
PHUKET: The new director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office is drawing up plans to push Phuket’s cultural festivals after witnessing his first Por Tor festival in Phuket.Director Chanchai Doungjit told the Phuket Gazette this morning that he is devising a four-year plan to bring tourists in from around the world by expressly focusing on Phuket’s cultural…
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World News: Michael Clarke Duncan dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community “Green Mile” star Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54 Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: American actor Michael Clarke Duncan, who starred as a death row inmate in ‘The Green Mile’ and in other box office hits such as ‘Armageddon and ‘Kung Fu Panda’, died at…
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World News: Lufthansa cabin crew strike causes flight cancellations
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hundreds of flights canceled as Lufthansa cabin crews strike Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Cabin crews at German airline Lufthansa today launched a fresh strike at two major airports in Berlin and Frankfurt over an escalating pay dispute, a labor union said, forcing the airline…
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“…but I do believe there is an issue here.”
“I want to apologize for the timing of my comments but I do believe there is an issue here.” Oscar Pistorius has apologized for his outburst after he lost the final of the 200 meters at the Paralympic Games in London. South African Pistorius, known as Blade Runner, was beaten to the post by Alan Oliveira in a shock result,…
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Local TAT chief bullish on Phuket tourism industry
PHUKET: The new director the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office in Phuket Town has proclaimed the “low season” a thing of the past with so many tourists arriving year-round. Speaking at the “Governor Meets the Press” gathering at Provincial Hall today, TAT Southern Region 4 Office director Chanchai Doungjit expressed confidence in the performance of the Phuket tourism industry,…
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Phuket to host ITU World Triathlon Long Distance Series opener
PHUKET: Next year, Phuket will host one of the eight prestigious events of the ITU Long Distance World Triathlon Series. The event will be held in Patong on May 4-5, 2013. The news was delivered today by Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha, accompanied by Bryan Lunt, chairman & CEO of title sponsor Absolute World Group. Joining them at a press conference…
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Booze and ballots don’t mix: Phuket poll
PHUKET: A majority of Phuket Gazette readers think the election-weekend alcohol bans should remain in place despite their cost to the local economy, the results of our online readers’ poll reveal. A total of 1,599 readers took part in the two-week survey, which was timed to span consecutive weekend alcohol bans: the first an island-wide ban for the Phuket Provincial…
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Phuket Sports: Islanders almost bag the Cat
PHUKET: The Islanders maintained their 10th place standing in the 18-team Yamaha Division One football league thanks to a 1-1 home draw against Nakhon Ratchasima FC on Saturday evening. The match, played under clear skies at Phuket FC’s Surakul Stadium, drew a crowd of about 2,500 fans, including dozens of Korat “Swat Cat” fans who travelled all the way from…
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Landslide win for Phuket’s Pian Keesin – the Mayor of Patong
PHUKET: Pian Keesin was re-elected to a third consecutive term as Patong Mayor yesterday, with members of his “Rak Patong” party winning 17 of the 18 seats contested to give him an unassailable majority in the new city council. Turnout for the polling, which ran from 8am to 3pm, was 63.5% of 12,831 eligible voters. There were 217 spoiled ballots…
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Weird World News: The missing link: A woman, chimps and Bigfoot
PHUKET: The “Missing Link” riddles headlines in this week’s Weird World News Roundup as a Bigfoot impersonator gets hit and killed by not one, but two teenage girls driving cars; a woman unable to link the description of a missing person to her own identity joins a search party for herself; and a Chimpanzee’s carry-on tradition ‘missing link or not’…
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Phuket Airport expansion finally underway
PHUKET: Wing Commander Pratheep Wichittho, Deputy Director of Airports of Thailand (AOT) Public Co Ltd, today announced that the long-awaited 5.7-billion-baht expansion project at Phuket International Airport is finally underway. Mr Pratheep was joined at a press conference at the Royal Phuket City Hotel by Phuket Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham, who said that the expansion project would not adversely affect…
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Australian Govt rejects Bamford blast over Phuket rape claim
PHUKET: The Australian Government has flatly rejected allegations by one of their own citizens, Stevie Bamford, who went on Australian national television and accused embassy officials of telling her to lie about her alleged sexual assault ordeal on Phuket. Ms Bamford, 21, alleged on the prime-time television show Today Tonight that Australian consular officials told her to confess to lying…
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Phuket Opinion: There’s no place like home
PHUKET: The low turnout for the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) council election last weekend highlighted yet again the problems the island faces due to the fact that so many migrant workers who live here continue to maintain house registrations in their “home” provinces, in some cases despite having lived and worked on the island for over a decade. The…
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Election alcohol ban in Patong this weekend
PHUKET: All alcohol sales in Patong are banned tonight and tomorrow due to the elections for Patong Mayor and the municipal council being held in Phuket’s busiest tourism town. In accordance with the Election Act, the alcohol ban will be in effect from 6pm tonight through to midnight tomorrow night. “Retail shops, restaurants, entertainment venues and convenience stores are prohibited…
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Phuket FC Coach: “Anything can happen’ tonight against Korat
PHUKET: Fans of Phuket FC are confident that their side will not walk away without at least a point in tonight’s home football match against a slightly better-ranked, yet tired and injury-riddled Nakhon Ratchasima FC side. To be played at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town, the 25th fixture of the season will kickoff at 6:30pm. The Islanders’ Head Coach, Narong…
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Phuket Sports: Futsal soon “United’; World futsal cup draw
PHUKET: The island’s professional futsal (five-a-side indoor football) team Phuket United is set to begin pre-season training for the Thailand Futsal League (TFL) 2012-2013 season, scheduled to kick off unofficially by next month. Speaking on the phone from Bangkok, the team’s secretary, Samak Rattanatilok na Phuket, informed the Gazette that the team has finally received confirmation from the TFL about…
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Phuket ready for “hungry ghost’ festival
PHUKET: Phuket City Municipality has organized a wide range of activities for the annual Por Tor festival from September 2 to 15, including colorful street processions tomorrow and next Sunday. Promoted internationally by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) regional office in Phuket Town, the Por Tor festival has its roots from the Chinese “Spirit” or “Hungry Ghost” festival (zhong…
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Forensic test results delay trial of Nong Som’s killer
PHUKET: The delay in receiving test results from the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Police General Hospital in Bangkok has resulted police having to defer bringing to trial the killer of 17-year-old Sunisa “Nong Som” Saiyoy. Nong Som was killed by an intruder in her family home in Chalong on July 10 while her parents were still tending to their…
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Once in a Blue Moon
PHUKET: The National Astronomical Research Institute (NARIT) has announced that the rare lunar event, known as a ‘Blue Moon’, is scheduled to occur tonight. NARIT Deputy Director, Dr. Sarun Posayachinda elaborated that a Blue Moon refers to the second full moon within a given month. A full moon generally takes place once a month. This occurrence happens approximately once every…
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Phuket Sports: Football season in its infancy
PHUKET: Last weekend was the second week of the new football season and even though it is still early, a familiar pattern seems to be emerging. Manchester City and Liverpool played out a thrilling 2-2 draw with Martin Skrtel the hero and villain of the game. The Slovakian international defender opened the scoring for Liverpool, but all his good work…
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Phuket Sports: F1 – Spa favors the brave
PHUKET: This weekend Formula 1 is back from an agonizingly long half-term break. And it’s Spa – one of my favorite tracks in F1 as it tests drivers more than any other in the world. Along with Monza it is the fastest circuit of year because the corners need to be taken flat out. The drivers will corner Eau Rouge…
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Chalong Mayor gets cooking at Phuket food, entertainment festival
PHUKET: The first annual “Chalong Food and Entertainment Festival” kicked off in Phuket last night, and will continue to offer a wide variety of food and beverage options, as well as staged entertainment through to Monday night. The five-day event is open from 4pm to midnight in the field opposite Wat Ladthi Wanaram (“Wat Tai”), on Chao Fa East Road…
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Songkhla man unconscious after savage beating by Phuket youth gang
PHUKET: Phuket police are investigating the beating of a man from Songkhla who was set upon by a gang of youths in Cherng Talay last night. Local police received reports of gunfire and a wounded man outside a row of flats on Pasak Soi 4 in Cherng Talay Village 4 at 10pm. At the scene they found the victim, 21-year-old…
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Phuket officials plan B20mn ‘final solution’ for Patong Hill road
PHUKET: The section of hill road between Patong and Phuket Town that caved in during the heavy rain last week has received makeshift repairs and is now open to traffic, thanks to an emergency injection of cash from the Department of Highways. The road was reopened after two days of reconstruction, explained Samak Luedwonghad, the director of the Department of…
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