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With approximately 106,000 people in Thailand succumbing to smoking-related illnesses annually, people are exploring alternatives in pursuit of a safer option. And for many, the answer is Swedish snus (pronounced snoose and rhymes with goose), a traditional Scandinavian tobacco product...
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TAT opens PO Box for suggestions
BANGKOK: Seree Wangpaijit, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced that the TAT now has a PO Box specifically for people in the tourism industry who wish to write to the TAT to express views or make suggestions. Those wishing to use this service should write to PO Box 33, Suthisarn Post Office, Bangkok 10321. Anonymous correspondence…
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Motorbike taxi driver caught with yaba
TAMBON MAIKAO: A motorbike taxi driver, stopped yesterday at a police checkpoint because he looked suspicious, was found to be carrying 200 amphetamine (yaba) pills in the lining of his helmet. Police, who set the checkpoint at Tambon Maikao near Thalang said the 30-year-old man admitted he had bought the drugs in his home town in Phlypraya District in Krabi…
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False pregnancy lands woman in custody
PHUKET TOWN: A woman who became heavily pregnant, very suddenly, while in the Super Cheap store on Thepkrassatri Rd was arrested yesterday for the theft of two cans of tuna, two cans of rambutans and two of coconut cream, plus a pair of jeans and a pack of plastic bags. Police were called to the store after a staff member…
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New post office opens in Patong
PATONG BEACH: Today saw the opening of a new post office at 41/1 Rat-U-Thit Rd. Wisan Pongtiwattanakul, postal chief in Patong, said he hoped the new branch would make it more convenient for both Thais and foreigners, whether individuals or companies, to handle mail and money transactions. Services offered include domestic and international letter and parcel post, EMS courier, the…
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Drug-dealing duo arrested in rubber plantation
THALANG: Police raided a home in a rubber plantation in Baan Bangtak on Tuesday after undercover officers bought 10 amphetamine (yaba) pills from the occupants. Inside they found a further 65 pills hidden in a rubber-tapping can. A 41-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman were arrested and charged with possession and dealing in illicit drugs. Police said the two admitted…
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Star-crossed couple in double suicide
CHALONG: Police yesterday found the bodies of a young couple who apparently committed suicide when life became too difficult. Alerted by neighbors who called them to investigate a bad smell coming from the couple’s rented room behind Wat Sawangarom, police found the corpses of Kowit Singkasem, 22, and his four-months-pregnant wife Petcharat Sangmanee, 21. Both were hanging from a beam…
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Phuket father and son discover new snail
PHUKET: A species of tiny snail, previously unknown to science, has been discovered by a Phuket father and son who hunted for a live example for nearly two years after finding a fossil. Somnuek Pattamakanthin, 52, who set up the Phuket Seashell Museum in Rawai, and his son Somwang, 22, found a fossil of the snail in 1997 in the…
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Six arrested in drugs raid
THALANG: Police on Saturday raided a house in Baan Pru Somparn and arrested a 42-year-old woman and five men aged between 18 and 50 on charges of possession and trafficking in amphetamines (yaba). Pol. Col. Prapakorn Saksupa, superintendent of Thalang police station, said the raid uncovered 44 yaba pills, three sets of yaba-taking paraphernalia, 32,300 baht and a book listing…
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Laguna Resorts to take over Banyan Tree
PHUKET: Laguna Resorts and Hotels Plc (LRH) has announced a plan to acquire the Banyan Tree Hotel Group, an acquisition that would make it the largest hotel group in Thailand and one of the biggest in Asia. LRH’s board of directors approved the plan on July 9. It has yet to be approved by shareholders, who will meet on August…
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Ten arrested in raid on karaoke club
PHUKET TOWN: Police and Immigration officers raided the Love Karaoke club on Poonpol Rd on Tuesday and arrested two Burmese and three Laotian waitresses found to be in Thailand illegally. The also arrested five Hill Tribe women, also working as waitresses, for working outside the border control area. The 10 waitresses ranged in age from 14 to 22.
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Tong murder trial adjourned until September
PHUKET TOWN: A new prosecutor in the Danis Wayne Tong murder trial this morning asked for an adjournment in order to change the prosecution strategy. The new prosecutor, Jumronsilp Wongintra, said that he believed that the prosecution witness called for this morning’s hearing should not be heard until all other witnesses have first testified. Judge Patchara Panichawara, allowing the postponement,…
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Students in protest over electric shock victims
PHUKET TOWN: About 50 students from Rajabhat Institute yesterday gathered outside the offices of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) to present a petition to the authority following the hospitalisation of three fellow-students with the effects of electric shock. (See story below.) The protest group, led by Somkit Leunrung, was told by Seree Lakaphunt of the PEA that an investigation would…
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Cameras help police keep an eye on Patong
PHUKET: Police in Patong have moved into higher technology as a way of keeping an eye on Phuket’s prime tourist area. A new closed-circuit TV (CCTV) camera system went on-line yesterday morning, along with a new operations centre where cameras can be monitored. The Kathu Police Department is the first department in the southern region to use the technology, said…
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Three hospitalised after electric shocks
PHUKET TOWN: Three young women are in stable condition in Wachira Hospital after accidentally receiving electric shocks last weekend. The three, Supanee Homrotkra, 22, Sakaoduan Sokdej, 21, and Kanya Tongdee, 21, all students at Rajabhat Institute, received electric shocks while visiting a friend in her apartment at the PT apartment complex on Trepkrastree Road. The three were on a balcony,…
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Dead man identified
PHUKET: Police have identified the body of a man found floating on Tritrang Beach last Monday. He was named as Chalermpon Janyaporn, 37, who slipped on the rocks and disappeared while on a fishing trip with three friends last weekend. The body was sent to Patong Hospital for autopsy.
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Patong car bomb puts three in hospital
PATONG: A gold shop owner, his wife and an employee were hurt yesterday afternoon when a home-made car bomb exploded after they got into their vehicle. The bomb exploded after Somkiet Sopark, 32, his wife Hongsuda, 43, and employee Sirinapa Kaopho-ngam got into the car outside the Soparks’ gold shop and residence at 18 Sirirat Road, Patong. The bomb, which…
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Policeman dies in high-speed motorbike chase
KATHU: One policeman died and another was injured last week when their motorbike crashed as they chased a gold robber. Kathu Pol Capt Kittipong Klinekaew said his station received a call that a man had grabbed a gold necklace from a woman’s neck at Phuket Highland Ville on the Samkong-Kathu Road. As the robber drove his motorcycle towards Patong, Policeman…
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Penguins storm to 51-0 victory in Phuket Rugby 7s
PHUKET TOWN: Like one of the tropical squalls that swept the Saphan Hin field from time to time during the second and last day of the Singha Phuket International Rugby Sevens tournament, the Penguins RFC side – representing England – swept all before them, burying Germany under wave after wave of attacks to rack up a final score of 51-0.…
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England favorites in Phuket 7s; Thailand strong
PHUKET TOWN: Penguin International RFC, representing England, look firm favorites to win the Singha Phuket International Rugby Sevens after the first day of the two-day tournament. On a wet and windy pitch, the Penguins trounced Malaysia 37-0 and thrashed Hong Kong 50-0 to come out top of Pool A. Hong Kong came in second in the pool by beating Malaysia…
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Eight arrested for selling copy watches
PATONG: Authorities confiscated nearly 2,000 fake watches with a street value of more than 5 million baht from two shops, and arrested five men and three women, aged 18 to 41, on charges of violating the Trademark Act of 1991. Pol Maj Gen Teerajitr Uttama, deputy director of the Bangkok-based Center for Intellectual Property and Copyright Violation Control, and Pol…
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TOT proposes cut in maximum long-distance charges
BANGKOK: The Telephone Organization of Thailand (TOT) wants to cut its maximum rate for long-distance calls by a third, and to offer subscribers a choice of two payment options. Subscribers currently pay 100 baht a month for the line, 3 baht for each local call (no matter how long), and between 3 and 18 baht a minute for long-distance calls.…
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Police find hundreds of stolen Buddhist artifacts
BANGKOK, June 30 (AFP): Three Thais have been detained following the discovery of hundreds of Buddhist artifacts, some more than 700 years old, hidden in a pond and bushes around their house, police said this afternoon. Sunthorn Sowapee and his son and daugther were detained Monday after police and Fine Arts Department officials found 341 antique pieces near his house…
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Bangkok airport to close one runway
BANGKOK, June 29 (AFP): The Airports Authority of Thailand (AAT) announced this afternoon that it will close down Bangkok international airport’s west runway for maintenance for four months. The repairs to the 3.8 kilometer (2.3 mile) runway are to cost 420 million baht (11.4 million US dollars) and are scheduled to be completed in February 2000, the AAT said. The…
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Province plans census of forest dwellers
PHUKET: The Provincial Forestry Office is to take a census in forest land occupied for decades by squatters, most of them engaged in market gardening. The census is part of a nationwide exercise aimed at finding out just how many people are living in publicly-owned forests, and issuing them with papers that will legitimize their occupation of the land, though…
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Public urged to exchange sub-standard LPG bottles
PHUKET: Following the introduction of new safety regulations covering gas containers of the sort commonly used in homes and restaurants for cooking here, the government has urged consumers to check whether they have sub-standard liquid petroleum gas (LPG) bottles and, if so, to exchange them. After July 31, the only brands that will be legally available will be those manufactured…
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Krabi Airport set to open on July 10
KRABI: The new Krabi Airport will open on July 10, a spokesman for the Department of Aviation said on Friday. The opening ceremony will “probably” be performed by Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, though this has yet to be confirmed. The spokesman confirmed that four airlines are preparing to provide scheduled services to the new airport. Starting July 11, THAI will…
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Police open rice shop to help poor officers
PHUKET: Police in Phuket have gone into the rice business as a way for impoverished officers and their families to supplement their income. Pol Col Chalit Thintanee, superintendent of the Phuket Town Police Station, and his deputy, Pol Lt Col Samarn Chainarong, came up with the idea after seeing how Bangkok Police had successfully allowed officers in the capital to…
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Taiwanese tourist drowns at Hey Island
PHUKET: Mr Lin Ching Shiung, 52, a Taiwanese visiting Phuket with his wife, drowned on Tuesday while swimming at Hey Island. He became the fifth tourist to drown in Phuket waters in the past two weeks. Mr Lin was on a day trip to the island, 30 minutes southeast of Chalong, with a tour group. Weather conditions were said to…
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Report casts gloom on Thai banks
BANGKOK, June 23 (AFP) – Thailand’s banking sector plunged into fresh gloom Wednesday as US ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service said the crisis-hit industry remained “deeply impaired.” The judgment came at a time when many investors had been expecting ratings upgrades from foreign agencies for debt-laden Thai banks which have been struggling to recapitalise. In a report received here Wednesday,…
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Government to consider rise in electricity charges
BANGKOK: The Thai Cabinet is to consider a proposal from the Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to raise electricity prices as an alternative to pushing through a contentious privatization plan. The proposal from EGAT is that electricity prices should be increased by 8.51 satang per unit as a way to wipe out EGAT’s 250 billion baht debt. The privatization…
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