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Chalong Police pressured over Knudsen murder
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police expect the investigation into the stabbing murder of Norwegian Simen Sparre Knudsen to end in arrests soon.Knudsen, a resident of Phuket for 20 years, was stabbed and left for dead on a dark, hilly roadside in Rawai on September 23.He later died in hospital, despite a valiant effort by a German man to save his life.…
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Red-shirt-Friday campaign sweeps Phuket
PHUKET: In a global groundswell of support for the people of Burma, SMS messages have been circulating around the island in the past few hours with the message: “In support of our incredibly brave friends in Burma: May all the people around the world wear a red shirt on Friday, September 28.”This message was brought to the Gazette‘s attention by…
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Last air-crash victims identified, repatriated
PHUKET CITY: The bodies of all 89 victims of One-Two-Go flight OG269 have been identified and the last three corpses, all Iranian, being kept at Phuket International Airport (PIA) were flown out yesterday afternoon.Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima announced the news at a special meeting chaired by Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit at the Phuket Public Health Office yesterday afternoon.He also reported…
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One-Two-Go crash probe points to wind shear, pilot decision
BANGKOK (Nation): The probe into the crash of One-Two-Go flight OG029 points to wind shear and the pilot’s decision to land despite weather warnings as likely causes, the air crash investigation committee has announced.“The initial finding, which encompasses the weather conditions at the time of the accident, communications between the tower and the crashed plane’s pilot as well as other…
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Police hunt for Knudsen’s killer
RAWAI: Police say they have suspects in mind but are collecting more evidence to submit to Phuket Provincial Court when they apply for arrest warrants in the case of Norwegian Simen Sparre Knudsen, who was stabbed to death on September 23.Mr Knudsen, 47, was stabbed and left for dead on the road from the Kata Viewpoint to Rawai at about…
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Patong Hill road being resurfaced
PATONG: In response to the large number of accidents on the section of Phra Barami Rd from Kathu to Patong – one of the busiest roads on the island – the Phuket Provincial Highways Office (PPHO) is spending nearly 10 million baht on resurfacing the road.PPHO Deputy Chief Nirong Khumtua explained to the Gazette, “We have received many complaints from…
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Norwegian dies after knife attack
RAWAI: Police are investigating the murder of a Norwegian man who was stabbed on the road from the Kata Viewpoint to Rawai just after midnight early Sunday morning and later died in hospital.Chalong Police Superintendent Col Chalit Kaewyarat identified the victim as Simen Sparra Knudsen, a Norwegian who had lived in Phuket for more than 20 years.Col Chalit said two…
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Reinard rides again
PHUKET: Luxembourg national and local environmental activist Marco Reinard is due to complete his 24-hour solo mountain bike marathon ride around Phuket at 4 pm today, arriving at Yoonique Stone bar, Nai Harn, the same place he set off from yesterday.Marco’s ride for environmental awareness is part of his continuing campaign to create awareness of pollution and environmental issues facing…
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Air-crash mystery hero steps forward
PHUKET CITY: Australian Robert Borland, who was pulled from the burning wreckage of One-Two-Go Flight OG269 on Sunday by a “man in a yellow shirt”, finally had a chance to thank his savior in a meeting arranged yesterday afternoon by the staff of Bangkok Phuket Hospital, where both men are being treated for injuries sustained in the crash.The hero was identified as…
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French mourn air-crash victims
PHUKET AIRPORT: A French delegation arrived in Phuket this morning to mourn the loss of 10 French nationals killed in Sunday’s One-Two-Go plane crash. Led by Rama Yade, Minister of State responsible for foreign affairs and human rights, the group arrived at the airport at 9:30 am and placed flowers before a metal storage container housing the bodies of 10 victims,…
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ICEC site decision deferred
PHUKET: Originally scheduled to be held today, the provincial committee meeting set to make a final decision on the site for Phuket’s long-awaited International Convention and Exhibition Center (ICEC) has been postponed until further notice. The reason for the postponement is that Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit, who chairs the committee, was called to an urgent meeting today at Government House…
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OrBorTor gear up for elections
PHUKET: The Phuket Election Committee (PEC) today held a meeting to present ballots and ballot boxes to representatives from each Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) on behalf of the Central Election Commission in Bangkok. “Each OrBorTor must keep these things safe in a place where there is a security guard,” PEC Director Supap Akkam told the Gazette. Elections for OrBorTor councils…
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33 foreign crash victims remain unidentified
PHUKET AIRPORT: Forty-eight hours after the ill-fated One-Two-Go flight OG269 crashed at Phuket International Airport (PIA), killing 89 of the 130 people on board, the cause of the disaster is still unknown and 33 corpses of foreigners remain unidentified. Phuket Airport Director Sq Ldr Pornchai Eua-aree told the Gazette that there is no problem with the runway and that the…
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Death toll at 89, all bodies recovered
PHUKET: As Phuket woke up to memories of yesterday’s airport disaster, the death toll of those on board One-Two-Go flight OG269 stood at 89, including five crew members. A press conference held this morning at Phuket International Airport was attended by Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongchaoom; Kalaya Pakakrong, acting managing director of Airports of Thailand (AOT); Udom Thantiprasongchai, managing director…
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88 perish in One-Two-Go crash
PHUKET: Of the 130 passengers and crew aboard One-Two-Go flight OG269 that crash landed at Phuket International Airport about 3:45 pm today, only 42 survived the crash and fire that followed it. Of these, 15 were Thai nationals.At a press conference at the Airports Of Thailand office about 9 pm, Phuket Airport Director Sq Ldr Pornchai Eua-aree said the crash…
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Death toll in Phuket plane crash rises
PHUKET (Nation): Some 60 bodies have been retrieved from the wreckage of a One-Two-Go airplane from Bangkok that exploded and broke in two after it slid off the runway and crashed at Phuket International Airport this afternoon.Some reports put the death toll at about 80, but this has yet to be confirmed. The nationalities of those on board are not…
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Cherng Talay locals protest Tesco-Lotus branch
CHERNG TALAY: Some 50 protesters gathered in front of the Red Room restaurant on Srisoonthorn Rd yesterday morning to protest the construction of Phuket’s first Tesco-Lotus Express store.The protesters claim that the work defied a stoppage order issued by the now-disbanded Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor).The protest was held just around the corner from the project site on Soi…
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Send in your photos!
Where were you during last night’s tsunami scare? The Gazette‘s news desk is asking for help from citizen reporters in sending in any digital images you may have taken that capture the spirit of what happened – along with any other comments you might have about what you saw and how it relates to Phuket’s readiness to deal with a…
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Patong breathes easy after tsunami scare
PATONG: Following the high state of tsunami alert last night, after a major quake off the coast of Sumatra – followed by several powerful aftershocks – it’s business as usual for the Phuket tourism industry, despite the excitement.Indonesian government authorities issued a tsunami warning after a powerful earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale jolted parts of Indonesia’s Java and…
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Massive quake hits Indonesia, tsunami warning issued
JAKARTA (Nation, DPA): A powerful earthquake jolted parts of Indonesia’s Java and Sumatra islands at 6:10 pm this evening, prompting Indonesian government authorities to issue a tsunami warning. The Thai Meteorological Department said the earthquake that hit Indonesia happened at the same active fault that triggered tsunami on December 26, 2004. “This is very dangerous situation. We have to watch…
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Investigation launched into prison death
PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Police are investigating the death of an inmate who died on the way to hospital yesterday afternoon after suffering blows to the head and body with a heavy object.Phuket Provincial Prison Director Paisal Suwanraksa has confirmed that the victim was 38-year-old Sakulthep Konkaew, a Chiang Rai native who last year began serving a two-and-a-half year sentence…
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Phuket rated Thailand’s first “hygienic” fishing port
RASSADA: Following recent renovations, Phuket Fishing Port is being hailed as a model for hygienic port operations and is set to become Thailand’s tuna export hub after successfully qualifying as the country’s first certified “hygienic” fishing port.Port Manager Pramual Rakjai announced at the monthly Governor Meets The Press event on September 3 that following inspections by the Fishery Department in…
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Wounded Israeli flies home
PHUKET CITY: Israeli tourist Adam Berdichevsky, whose left foot was mangled during the boat capsizing that claimed the life of another Israeli tourist on September 4, flies back to Israel tonight after a week of treatment at Bangkok Hospital Phuket.Assistant Hospital Director Dr Sompoch Nipakanont said the latest in a series of operations to the mangled foot was performed yesterday,…
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Woman found dead at Chalong Pier
CHALONG: A body found by local fishermen yesterday morning was of a Thai woman who apparently committed suicide by jumping into the sea at Chalong Pier, police say.Lt Col Chana Suthimas of Chalong Police Station today told the Gazette that a group of fishermen alerted police after they found the body of a woman floating near fishing boats at Chalong…
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Serial burglar nabbed
PHUKET CITY: After a series of unsolved home burglaries, Phuket City Police finally arrested 28-year-old Wirat Nookue at his home in Rassada Village 3 on September 8.Stolen goods valued by police at 600,000 baht were recovered.At a press conference yesterday, Phuket City Police Superintendent Pol Col Nos Svettalekha explained that Wirat, described as a “dealer in used goods”, was spotted…
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Man arrested for Koh Kaew murder
PHUKET CITY: Police have arrested and charged one of two suspects wanted for the beating murder of a disabled man in Koh Kaew on the night of September 2.Police identified the suspect as Somyot Longlode, 22, apprehended in Phang Nga’s Koh Yao District at about 5 pm Thursday night.Case investigator Pol Lt Theeradet Jiraksa of Phuket City Police told the…
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Phuket Airport disaster drill hailed a “success’
PHUKET: The emergency response drill at Phuket International Airport (PIA) on Thursday was a “success”, PIA Director Sq Ldr Pornchai Eua-aree told a press conference after the event.The drill started at 10 am with PIA air traffic control guiding a Thai Airways International Airbus A300-600 simulating engine trouble in to land.Once safely stopped on the tarmac, the aircraft was quickly…
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Sarasin Bridge to close on Halloween
PHUKET: The Sarasin Bridge will be closed from midnight October 31 to midnight November 1 so that a key scene for a Thai-language feature film can be filmed on location.The bridge will be closed so that the opening scene of a romantic comedy, given the in-production name Valentine, can be filmed.The scene will involve a car accident during which lead…
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Phuket to host “sufficiency education’ expo
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Rajabhat University (PRU) will host a regional conference and exhibition demonstrating how to implement sufficiency economy practices with respect to education in the South from September 13 to 14.The exhibition will include explanations and discussion on applying His Majesty the King’s sufficiency economy philosophy and policy in public and home schools. Four home schooling Phuket families will…
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Cops nab rape, robbery gang
TUNG TONG: Police have arrested a gang of six youths who last week forced their way into two homes in Kathu, where they stole cash and valuables and gang-raped one female occupant at knifepoint.The arrests were announced during a press conference led by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Decha Budnampetch at Tung Tong Police Station late Tuesday afternoon.The suspects…
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