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Phuket Rugby Challenge trophy a sizzling success
PHUKET: Blistering heat heralded the first Phuket Rugby Challenge Trophy sponsored by Heineken Thailand played at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club, and DEA Tigers from Hong Kong are the inaugural champions. Using the International Rugby Board (IRB) approved synthetic surface at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club, Bedok Kings and DEA Tigers from Hong Kong, the Singapore Bucks and host club…
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Haitang fallout batters Phuket
PHUKET: The Thai Meteorological Department has issued another tropical storm warning coviering much of Thailand, including the Andaman provinces of Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun. The Thai Meteorological Department issued its initial warning after tropical storm “Haitang” made landfall at Hu, Vietnam at 4am yesterday. The national weather office re-issued its warning at 10:30 last night, following…
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Rampaging Phuket elephant whereabouts unclear
PHUKET: The whereabouts and future plans for Captain, the bull elephant that went on a rampage on September 12 sending a Ukrainian honeymooner to hospital with two broken legs, remain unclear amid dubious claims by the owners of Camp Chang Kalim. In response to claims that Captain was the same elephant involved in a previous rampage in January 2010 that…
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Honesty in football
PHUKET: “I think the Premier league is a strong product because there’s a tremendous honesty in our game and fans play a part in that.” Manchester United’s evergreen manager Sir Alex Ferguson asserting that football is a business. However, it seems that as the Scot reaches seventy-years-old his interpretation of honesty has become skewed somewhat. The fans maybe honest, but…
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Kittipong out of Thailand Open
PHUKET: With a round of the Chang International Tennis Federation Thailand Pro Circuit 2011 being hosted at Thanyapura in Phuket next month, it is hoped that Thai number two, Kittipong Wachiramanowong, will participate. Yesterday, the 20-year-old lost in the first round of the PTT Thailand Open to his idol Robin Haase of the Netherlands, going down 6-3 7-6 7-1 at…
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Phuket prisoners to observe Vegetarian Festival
PHUKET: About 200 inmates at Phuket Prison are taking part in this year’s Phuket Vegetarian Festival by observing a strict diet of ‘vegetarian only’ during the nine-day festival. Prison Director Rapin Nichanon said the effort is part of the facility’s on-going efforts to reform inmates so that they can become law-abiding and productive members of society. Taking part in the…
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Siam Niramit Phuket set for December opening
PHUKET: The new Siam Niramit Theater off the bypass road in Phuket is almost complete and should be ready to open in December, its operators say. Ratchada Niramit assistant managing director Wallapa Phokawat said work on the 2-billion-baht project is now almost 90 per cent complete. The 50-rai complex is located behind the Hino dealership off the southbound bypass road…
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Dropping a bombshell
PHUKET: “We’ve been practicing our goal kicking and our drop-goals a lot. Finals and semi-finals have really gone down to the wire and the track record has proven that drop-goals can win tournaments.” All Black Colin Slade suggests that the 2011 Rugby World Cup could have another Johnny Wilkinson moment to determine the outcome.
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Procession routes for Phuket Vegetarian Festival
PHUKET: The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival unofficially starts at sunset tonight with the raising of the go teng poles for the Jade Emperor and the Nine Emperor Gods to descend to our earthly realm. Each year, the Vegetarian Festival attracts thousands of tourists to Phuket to witness the various activities held across the island. To assist tourists and help motorists…
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“Monk’ hash mule nabbed at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: A Nepalese “monk” was caught on Saturday at Phuket International Airport (PIA) with eight kilos of hashish in his luggage. The haul was said to be worth an estimated 800,000 baht. The suspect, Hise Chhiring Tamang, was presented at a press conference yesterday by PIA Customs Director Montira Cherchoo. Also present was PIA Deputy Director Thani Chuangcho, who said…
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Phuket Town cable burying on hold for Vegetarian Festival
PHUKET: Work installing underground utility cables in Old Phuket Town has been suspended for the duration of nine-day Vegetarian Festival, which starts with the arrival of the new moon tomorrow. “There will be many processions along the streets of the Old Town. The traffic jams would be a nightmare if they continued working while the annual festival was going on,”…
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FC Phuket douse PTT Rayong
PHUKET: FC Phuket recorded their fourth consecutive league win last night, with a 3-0 drubbing of PTT Rayong in wet conditions at Surakul Stadium. Phuket went into the match without golden boy Sarach Yooyen, but Watcharapong “Paeh” Jan-ngam shouldered the goalscoring responsibilities dutifully. He got the Southern Sea Kirin on the board in the 7th minute when he powered down…
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40,000 liters of smuggled fuel seized in Phuket
PHUKET: Police on Friday seized 40,000 liters of smuggled fuel aboard a modified fishing boat at the Phuket Deep Sea Port. The arrests were made just before dusk by a regional police special task force set up to prevent smuggling of fuel, together with the Marine Police in Phuket and officers from the Phuket Provincial Excise Office. Acting on a…
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Phuket Opinion: Scofflaw hotels have little to fear
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette wishes Governor Tri Augkaradacha the best of luck in his efforts to make legal the unknown thousands of unregistered hotels on the island – he is certainly going to need it. According to figures from Gov Tri’s office [see page 8, current issue of the Gazette, or click here for our digital version], there are just…
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Two boys drown in canal along Phuket’s Phang Nga Bay coast
PHUKET: Two young boys drowned late yesterday while playing in an estuary near a popular tourist area on Phuket’s east coast. The boys – Pinitchnan Na Roied, 5, and Wannawut Thanakarn, 7 – were last seen playing in the Klong Mudong canal (map), a large tidal estuary that flows into mangroves along the Phang Nga Bay coast. A Kusoldham Foundation…
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Phuket’s Kamnan Winai dodges a bullet
PHUKET: In the latest violence in Phuket, the controversial chief (kamnan) of Karon sub-district narrowly escaped with his life early this morning when his would-be assassin failed to hit him after firing at close range. Winai Chidchiew told the Phuket Gazette he was returning by motorcycle from a funeral on Patak Road Soi 9 when the attack occurred at about…
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Lifeguards look to becoming career life-savers
PHUKET: More people are looking to become lifeguards as a career choice, says Prathaiyuth Chuayuan, president of the Phuket Lifeguard Club (PLC). The news comes after the Phuket Lifesaving Carnival, held at Kata Beach last Saturday, saw a record 56 entrants compete in the annual beach sports event. “It is very good thing that once they finish training with us,…
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Toyota Motorsport heralds Phuket “pulling power’
PHUKET: Engines will be revving at Saphan Hin next weekend, when Phuket hosts the fifth leg of the Toyota Motorsport “Sprint to Win” series. Toyota executives on Thursday joined Phuket Vice Governor Weerawat Janpen, sexy-model-turned-racer Natalie Davis and other dignitaries at a press conference at the Royal Phuket City Hotel to announce the event. The Phuket event is the second…
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Phuket’s Quiksilver Thailand 2011 Surfing Competition finals day today!
PHUKET: The Quiksilver Thailand 2011 Surf Competition finals are being held today – so get on down to Patong Beach in Phuket and catch the region’s best surfers in action! Day three report: All surfing divisions were in action on Friday in the last day of qualifying for today’s finals. Thirteen competitors enjoyed one meter waves in the Women’s Division…
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Phuket Airport conducts tsunami drill
PHUKET: A tsunami evacuation drill conducted at Phuket International Airport yesterday afternoon was declared a success by organizing officials. About 300 people from 34 organizations and agencies took part in the exercise, including Phuket Airport officers, airline staff, business operators, passengers and volunteers. Codenamed PEMEX 2011, short for Phuket Emergency Exercises, the drill was based on the theoretical approach of…
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Thorpedo in the water!
PHUKET: “I’m excited about being part of an Australian team again.” Ian Thorpe will compete in his first international swim meeting since 2006 when he swims at the World Cup in November. The five-time gold medalist has been named in Australia’s squad of 26 for the Asian legs of the World Cup in Singapore, Beijing and Tokyo. Thorpedo with his…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival: vendors and officials differ on prices
PHUKET: Local residents worried about overpriced onions and pricey pineapples during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival fear not: recent flooding in central and north Thailand will only have a slight effect on produce prices, at least according to officials. The Phuket Provincial Internal Trade Office (PITO) has announced that the flooding crisis in the northern and central parts of Thailand would…
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Surfer Profile: Genevieve Jane Irwin
PHUKET: Nearly 100 of the world’s top surfers are competing at the Quiksilver Thailand Surfing Competition at Patong Beach, Phuket. Fraser Morton profiles a few of the big names at this year’s event. Name: Genevieve Jane Irwin Age: 28 From: Nai Harn, Phuket When not surfing: Radio DJ, 90.5, morning show Division: Women’s Short board Career Competitions: 3 Career Wins:…
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Surfer Profile: Anissa Flynn
PHUKET: Nearly 100 of the world’s top surfers are competing at the Quiksilver Thailand Surfing Competition at Patong Beach, Phuket. Fraser Morton profiles a few of the big names at this year’s event. Name: Anissa Flynn Age: 13 (Goes to Kajonkiet School, Phuket) From: Chalong, Phuket Ambition: Professional surfer Division: Women’s Short board Career Competitions: 5 Career Wins: 3 Fact:…
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Surfer Profile: Tipi Jabrik
PHUKET: Nearly 100 of the world’s top surfers are competing at the Quiksilver Thailand Surfing Competition at Patong Beach, Phuket. Fraser Morton profiles a few of the big names at this year’s event. Name: Tipi Jabrik Age: 33 From: Bali, Indonesia Division: Open Division and Long Board Division Career Competitions: 200 Career Wins: 3 Fact: Last year’s Quiksilver Men’s Open…
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Phuket school inks agreement with Shelton College, Singapore
PHUKET: Phuket’s Kajonkietsuksa School has established an exchange program with Shelton College International in Singapore in a move aimed at preparing its students for bright futures in the travel and tourism industries. The agreement became official after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two schools on Wednesday morning at Kajonkietsuksa School. The terms of the MoU…
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SURF REMINDER: Meet the Phuket Surfers awing spectators at Patong
PHUKET: Surfers vying for the crown of the Quiksilver Thailand 2011 Surf Competition are donning their rash vests and waxing their boards for today’s heats. But wait, why are you not there? Yes, you, our loyal readers? Why are you reading this story? Are you aware you’re missing one of the year’s best sporting events? This is a reminder to…
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Weird World News: Indecent in-flight behavior
PHUKET: Travel by airplane can be tough. Long lines, endless security checks and jet lag can be enough to turn the best of us into agitated, less-tolerant versions of ourselves. But for the most part, we hold our nerve while scoffing down a few prescription pills, sink into our seats and sleep. There are those who don’t want you to…
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Phuket truck driver killed in roadside crash
PHUKET: The driver of a tractor-trailer was killed last night when his fully-loaded rig crashed into the back of another large truck parked along the side of Thepkrasattri Road in Phuket. The driver’s girlfriend, who was asleep in the back of the cab, survived the crash but is being treated for serious injuries at Vachira Phuket Hospital. Thalang Police identified…
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Elephant rampage: Tragedy strikes Phuket honeymooners
PHUKET: A Ukrainian couple’s honeymoon turned to tragedy when a bull elephant went berserk on a Phuket trekking tour, attacking the female elephant she and her husband were riding. Tetiana Meia, 26, suffered clean breaks to her left femur, right tibia (shin bone) and right fibula, along with scrapes and bruises all over her body when “Captain”, a bull elephant…
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