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How much is Thai health insurance?
Health insurance in Thailand is essential for expats and locals, providing financial protection and access to quality care. Costs depend on age, health, and coverage level, with basic plans being cheaper but limited and comprehensive plans offering more benefits at...
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Phuket Gazette: Aviation deal between Israel and the EU expected to boost tourism
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community EU and Israel reach comprehensive aviation deal Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: The European Union (EU) announced yesterday that it has finalized negotiations on a comprehensive aviation agreement with Israel. Following eight rounds of negotiations since December 2008, the two sides have agreed to develop…
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Phuket Gazette: Terrorist Mohamed Merah killed in ambush by French police
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community French police kill gunman responsible for school massacre Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: The French gunman behind Monday’s shootings at a Jewish school, and allegedly behind recent attacks against soldiers, was confirmed dead after several hours of confrontation with police forces, local authorities said Thursday.…
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Princess Yachts say ‘thank you’ in style
PHUKET: Princess Yachts Thailand held a lavish ‘thank you party’ at Phuket Boat Lagoon on Thursday evening in conjunction with the launch of the Princess Yachts South East Asia network. The annual Princess Rendezvous started on the evening of March 22 before their cruise to Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island in Krabi on March 23. Hundreds of guests attended…
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FC Phuket fired up for first home game
PHUKET: Final preparations for FC Phuket’s first home game in their Thai Yamaha League Division One campaign are underway at Surakul Stadium. Kick off is scheduled for 4pm on Saturday against Rajpracha FC from Nakhon Pathom province, who finished one place ahead of Phuket in eighth spot at the end of last season. Controversy surrounded their first meeting in February…
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Phuket landlord takes life by hanging
PHUKET: A wealthy Phuket landlord took his life by hanging yesterday while his two sons were asleep upstairs, according to a local news report. Thalang Police duty office Somkhit Khaosang was notified of the death by a neighbor in a row of townhouses near the Heroines’ Monument at about 4pm, according to Siangtai Daily. When officers, led by Thalang Police…
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Donald goes old school in PGA
PHUKET: The PGA tour this week hit the Innisbrook Resort in Florida. Rory McIlroy isn’t playing for the next few weeks meaning golf’s world number one spot was up for grabs. That brings us to former number one Luke Donald, whose golf swing now looks as if it’s in slow motion and he has clearly worked out it’s not all…
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Noppowan powers into semi-final at Phuket ITF tourney
PHUKET: Thai tennis sensation Noppawan Lertcheewakarn upset the form books on Thursday by dismissing number one seed Erika Sema of Japan from the Chang ITF Women’s Pro Circuit event being held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club on Phuket. Sema, ranked at 136 in the world, fought back in the quarter-final after losing the first set to the sixth-seeded, but…
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Eerie silence cloaks the Phuket death of a Swedish tourist
PHUKET: The death of a 35-year-old Swedish tourist, whose body was discovered in his hotel room at Kata Beach, has quietly surfaced on Phuket. The resort involved, the Swedish embassy in Bangkok and police have all confirmed that James Karlsson was found dead in his room at the Serene Resort last Wednesday. However, they have all declined to offer any…
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Phuket Gazette: Drug-crime busters accused of possessing drugs
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Drug-crime busters accused of possessing drugs PHUKET (The Nation): Four drug-crime busters were arrested by fellow police after they allegedly made an arrest and seized drugs, but failed to report them to a supervisor, let the suspect go and kept the drugs, city police chief Pol…
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Fishermen found dead in Phuket estuary
PHUKET: The body of a fisherman was found dead along the banks of a mangrove estuary on the west coast of Phuket yesterday. Cherng Talay Police were notified of the death by residents of Baan Layan at about 10am yesterday. At the scene, a muddy riverbank near the north end of Layan Beach, they found the body of 52-year-old Praphat…
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Phuket Gazette: Asian economic news round-up
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Top Asean/EU trade officials to convene in Cambodia PHUKET (The Nation): The 2nd ASEAN-EU Business Summit will be held in Phnom Penh on April 1, to bring together entrepreneurs, private investors and public policy-makers from both the EU and ASEAN to address key issues related to…
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Phuket Gazette: Thailand welcomes Burma’s decision to have international observers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand welcomes Burma’s decision to have international observersPHUKET (The Nation): Thailand has welcomed the Burmese government’s invitations for international representatives as observers for the parliamentary by-election on April 1. Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said that the move demonstrates Burma’s efforts to promote credibility of the upcoming…
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Phuket Gazette: Eco-news for Thailand includes bad news for polluters
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Suzuki launches Thailand-made eco car PHUKET (The Nation): Suzuki Motor (Thailand) yesterday launched a new version of its Swift compact model under a Thai government program to promote local manufacture of fuel-efficient vehicles. Suzuki Motor Corp’s Executive Vice President Toshi Hiro said three versions of the…
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Phuket Gazette: Thailand business news
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Honda’s April restart means no plans for relocation PHUKET (The Nation): Honda Automobile (Thailand) will not relocate to Indonesia, as confirmed by its plan to resume operation at the Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya province on April 1, said Industry Minister Pongsvas Svasti. It was reported…
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Phuket Sports: ITF Phuket reaches finals stages
PHUKET: Thailand’s Noppawan Lertcheewagarn exacted vengeance on Aiko Nakamura of Japan yesterday at the Chang ITF Pro Women’s circuit event being held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club on Phuket.Noppowan lost to Nakamura in their first and only meeting five years ago in the Pattaya Open.Both are two-handed players and Noppawan was concerned going into the match that this aspect…
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Phuket Gazette: Probe into Rangers’ ops; Sonthi faces tough question; Reconciliation
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Rangers’ operations lawful: probe PHUKET (The Nation): The investigation into the shooting of a pickup in Pattani in January by Army paramilitary rangers, which left four villagers dead, has found the operation was lawful under the rules of combat engagement and called for compensation to all…
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Phuket Gazette: Bomb blast hits Indonesian Embassy in Paris
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bomb blast shocked embassy staff but there were no known injuries Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: A bomb exploded near the Indonesian Embassy in Paris early yesterday morning, breaking windows and damaging cars but causing no casualties, officials said. It is unclear who was behind…
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Budget breakdown; Phuket to get speed cameras, “monkey cheeks’
PHUKET: The mobile Cabinet meeting on Tuesday approved 23 projects worth 628 million baht that can be developed immediately in five provinces along the Andaman coast, including a network of speed cameras in Phuket. For the 23 projects slated for immediate start-up, the Cabinet ordered that plans be hurriedly drawn up and presented to the Budget Bureau within two weeks,…
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Phuket Gazette: Dating websites join to ban sexual predators
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Dating websites will now be checking sex offender registries Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: Leading online dating companies Match.com, eHarmony and the operator of the websites ChristianMingle and JDate have signed an agreement to check their subscribers against U.S. sex offender registries, the companies announced yesterday. The…
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Phuket Drama: Yingluck monitor lizard fiasco averted
PHUKET: The bloated carcass of a monitor lizard was hastily retrieved from a swamp at Klong Koh Pee in Phuket on Monday, just moments before the arrival of Thai premier Yingluck Shinawatra, it can now be revealed. Prime Minister Yingluck and her entourage were scheduled to arrive at the Saphan Hin side of the proposed Klong Koh Pee elevated road…
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Phuket Gazette: Canadian Prime Minister to visit Thailand
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Canadian PM to arrive in Thailand tomorrow PHUKET (The Nation): Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will pay an official three-day visit to Thailand, starting tomorrow, at the invitation of his Thai counterpart to strengthen bilateral relations. The visit will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment…
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Phuket News Watch: Teenager arrested for sexually molesting 7-year-old boy
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community California teen arrested for sexually assaulting boy in a park Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Police in northern California arrested a 15-year-old boy early this morning (Phuket time) in connection with the sexual assault of a young boy in a local park, police said today.…
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Special Report: Will more power solve Patong’s woes?
PHUKET: Mayor Pian Keesin has publicly declared his stand on the need for Patong to become a Special Administrative Zone (click here). His call for the administrative change received a great deal of support at a public meeting held recently to present and explain the concept to local residents and business people. The meeting was coordinated through Patong Municipality and…
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Phuket Gazette: Can there be no good news for journalists in Mexico?
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Mexico: 172 attacks against journalists, 9 dead in 2011PHUKET (News Wires): In 2011, at least 172 attack were carried out against Mexican journalists and media, according to press rights group Article 19.The report, called ‘Forced Silence: the State, accomplice to the violence against the press,’ showed that…
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Cabinet closes with Southern protest
PHUKET: The mobile Cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra drew to a close yesterday to the sound of another protest. Under the banner of the “Southern Network”, the protesters gathered outside the meeting venue at the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Phuket Campus in Kathu. The group had traveled from Satun, Songkhla and Chumphon provinces to call for…
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Cabinet approves Bt200mn for Phuket mangrove flyover
PHUKET: Cabinet today approved 200 million baht to build an elevated road over a mangrove forest on the outskirts of Phuket Town. The project, best known as the Klong Koh Pee project, has been on hold for 15 years. The announcement, made by Deputy Government Spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard at about midday, followed a morning session of meetings at the Prince…
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Phuket to receive lion’s share of Cabinet’s Andaman budget
PHUKET: The Cabinet provisionally agreed to fund 117 of the projects proposed at the Cabinet meeting, at a total cost of about 84 billion baht, Deputy Government spokesman Chalitrat Chantarubeksa announced today.“Ten of the projects are Andaman-wide projects at a cost of 24.8bn baht. The remaining 107 projects are from the individual Andaman provinces,” Mr Chalitrat said. With 67 projects…
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“Naughty’ clouded leopard caught, set free north of Phuket
PHUKET: A clouded leopard was captured over the weekend after a dip into the poultry-house on Thanyamundra’s organic farm in Phang Nga, which produces much of the chemical-free produce served in Phuket.Security guard Surasit Wangphakam was responsible for the capture. Hearing chickens “clucking loudly” inside the poultry-house, he looked inside to discover a female cloud leopard “playing” with the chickens.Fifteen…
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Chalerm in Phuket: Police to focus on drugs, not closing times
PHUKET: Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung told top regional police officers yesterday that strict enforcement of closing times at bar and pubs was not the top priority in tourist destinations such as Phuket because visitors come here to enjoy the natural scenery, not the nightlife. Deputy PM Chalerm, himself a police captain, delivered his mandate to an assembly of top-ranking…
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Laguna Phuket MD resigns
PHUKET: Michael Ayling has resigned his position as Managing Director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels, which owns and operates the Laguna Phuket resort complex on Phuket’s west coast. A media statement issued this morning noted that Mr Ayling’s last day with the renowned resort company will be on May 31, 2012. According to the statement he will be leaving the…
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