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Air passengers surpass year-ago figure
PHUKET: Heartening news for the low season comes with the latest monthly figures issued by Phuket International Airport. These show an 8.73% rise in passengers using the airport, compared with June 1999. The statistics show that 208,426 passengers went through the airport in June of this year, compared with 191,698 in the same month last year. Due primarily to an…
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Village chief smoked out by police
CHALONG: Sema Adhan, a village headman in Chalong, was arrested for possession of marijuana at his home yesterday. Pol Capt Chana Suthimas of Chalong Police Station said an informer told police yesterday that there was marijuana hidden in a house in Chalong. In the process of acquiring a search warrant, police investigators found that the house belonged to Sema, who…
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Drugs spreading rapidly into southern Thailand
HAT YAI (AFP): Amphetamine addiction, which has caused havoc in Thailand’s cities and been named its top national security threat, has now spread to the rural south, the army says. “I believe that more than 50 percent of the villages in the south already have a drug problem,” said Lieutenant General Narong Denudom, the commander of Thailand’s Fourth Army which…
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Tourist guide nabbed for passing phoney bill
CHALONG: After arresting Viroj Chookrue, a Thai photographer, on counterfeiting charges three days ago, Chalong police arrested the man who they suspect gave the money to him. Porramet Thongton, a 28-year-old tourist guide, was arrested yesterday on counterfeiting charges after Viroj told police that Porramet had given him a phoney $50 bill. Pol Capt Sanae Panmee of Chalong Police Station…
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Beach tar not really a hazard, say officials
NAI YANG: In response to complaints from both tourists and Thais about tar washing up on Phuket’s beaches, a team of local government officials and environmental experts investigated the problem at Nai Yang Beach yesterday. The investigation was led by the Phuket Health Office and the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) at the request of Phuket Governor Charnchai Soontharamut. Phuket…
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Chinese minister to visit Phuket
PHUKET: Chen Changzhi, Vice Minister of the ‘Ministry of Inspection’ of The Peoples Republic of China, will arrive in Phuket tomorrow for a personal visit. Mr Chen and his entourage will stay at the five-star Le Meridien Phuket on Relax Bay. Scheduled excursions for the group include Krabi and Phang Nga Bay National Park. They also plan to visit Phuket…
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Phuket parents don’t want sex bags in schools
PHUKET: Phuket is trying to bolster its defense against AIDS by increasing education and stepping up the distribution of condoms. But the province faces stiff resistance from the local population. According to Dr Boonrieng Chuchaisangrat, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, the reason Phuket has the second highest rate of AIDS infection in southern Thailand is that both…
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PPEA announces blackouts for August
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) has announced scheduled blackouts for the month of August. The PPEA will be clearing tree branches and adding covers to the electric lines in these areas. On all days listed, the blackout will extend from 9 am to 4 pm. August 3: from Phuket Town Municipality to SU Garage, including Surin Rd; some…
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Deadly disease returns to Phuket
PHUKET: Burmese, Laotian, and Cambodian laborers have brought a deadly disease back to Thailand, the Phuket Provincial Health Office said yesterday at its monthly meeting. In March, two people in Phuket were infected with the contagious disease, which is called Meningo Cocemia. The first, an unidentified Burmese worker, transmitted the contagious disease to a Thai child living in the same…
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THAI plan to ground “unsexy’ stewardesses slammed
BANGKOK (AFP): A top labor union representative today slammed plans by Thai Airways International (THAI) to ground older stewardesses not sexy enough to meet its hostess profile. THAI is planning to replace older stewardesses with younger, sexier models, labour union president Jaemsri Sukchotesri said, by moving over-45s to ground staff positions. “THAI is not selling sex. We are simply selling…
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20 die in traffic accidents
PHUKET: Twenty people died in traffic accidents between May 20 and June 20, according to statistics from the Wachira, Thalang and Patong government hospitals. Ampaipan Pawawattananusorn of the Phuket Provincial Health Office reports that 18 of the victims died while on motorcycles, while one was in a car and one was riding a bicycle. In the same period, 84 people…
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Thai journalists taught to fire weapons
KHON KAEN (AFP): More than 100 Thai journalists have started a government-funded weapons training course in a northeastern province where several reporters have been killed, police said today. There are 111 members of the press, including 13 women, on the course. It is teaching them how to fire several types of guns, said police Lt Col Montri Jaranpong of the…
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German arrested for lonely hearts scam
BANGKOK (AFP): A German man who ran an Internet scam, posing as a Thai woman in search of a Western husband, has been arrested for fraud, police said today. Rudiger Reischert, 50, conned at least 500,000 baht out of men who responded to an advertisement he placed on a matchmaking website in the name of “Thaee Maiyuran”. The money the…
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Turtles found trapped in fishing net
NAIYANG: One sea turtle was found dead this morning on Naiyang Beach, along with two others badly injured and barely alive after having become tangled in a nylon fishing net. Suthon Klapsong, a security guard from the Phuket branch of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd, found two of the turtles early this morning when he spotted a large black object…
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Ordeal at sea after fishing boat sinks
PHANG-NGA BAY: An 83-year-old was among seven men rescued today after their fishing boat sank early Monday morning off Koh Taloo in Phang Nga Bay and they spent as much as 30 hours clinging to debris. Commodore Preecharn Jamjaroen of the Royal Thai Navy’s Third Fleet said that the seven took the boat out on Monday morning to go fishing…
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Rotting body “was executed’
THALANG: The bloated and rotting body of a murdered man was found Saturday in a rubber plantation next to the entrance to the Bang Pae waterfall in Thalang. Pol Maj Jaroon Plaiduang of Thalang Police Station said that police had not been able to identify the victim because the corpse had been rotting for about seven days. However, they suspect…
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Two Drown at Kata Noi
KATA NOI: Two Japanese tourists drowned at Kata Noi Beach on Friday. Pol Maj Pissanu Poonwong of the Phuket Town Police identified the victims as Yoshinori Gotoda, 51, and Sajime Miya, 54. The two men were guests of the Kata Thani Hotel and had arrived in Phuket on Wednesday as part of a tour group. Although there were red flags…
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Young People’s Party wins by-election
PHUKET TOWN: Watcharapong Anantrakul of the Young People’s Party won by a narrow margin in yesterday’s Phuket Town Municipal Council by-election. K. Watcharapong beat four other candidates in the by-election, which was held to replace Suwit Sa-Ngiamkul, who resigned from the council to run in parliamentary elections to be held around the end of the year. Just over 25% of…
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Ministry aims to get the sex out of massage
BANGKOK (AFP): To restore the image of traditional Thai massage, all public hospitals will be required to offer classically trained masseurs to patients, Health Minister Korn Dabbaransi announced today. “In order to rehabilitate Thai traditional massage, so that it is not misused for commercial sex, all hospitals under the ministry will have to hire masseurs,” Korn said in a statement.…
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Man drowns while fishing in park
PHUKET TOWN: An elderly man was found drowned in the lake at Suan Luang Park on Thursday. Pol Maj Pitsanoo Poolwong of Phuket Town Police Station told the Gazette that he received a report from people living in the area that there was a body floating in the lake. When the corpse was taken out of the water, it was…
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Two die in separate suicides
PHUKET: A 32-year-old katoey (transsexual), Patcha Jitbantad from Bangkok, jumped to his death from the top floor of the Sky Condo in Patong on July 15. A suicide note found in his apartment stated that he was depressed because he was suffering from AIDS. Pol Lt Col Saguan Maungtam of the Kathu Police Station said that at 5:10 am the…
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Father drowns at Kata Beach
PHUKET: A Thai man drowned on Tuesday (July 18) while swimming with his nine-year-old daughter in front of Club Med at Kata Beach. Pol Lt Teerawat Leamsuwan of Chalong Police Station said that Mana Sakulpakdee, a 54-year-old educational supervisor at the Office of Educational, Religious and Cultural Development, drowned while playing in the sea with his daughter Naruecha. Mana and…
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Suspect grabs officer’s gun, fires shot
PHUKET TOWN: A 20-year-old Phang Nga native was arrested on Monday after a fierce struggle with police, during which he grabbed an officer’s gun and fired a shot. Pol Capt Wisan Magnadsare of the Phuket Town Police Station told the Gazette that he and Pol LCpl Supachai Pongsuwan were patrolling on their motorbike at around 3:30 am when their suspicions…
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Bangkok-based ya bah dealer arrested
PHUKET: Police on Friday arrested a Bangkok-based ya bah dealer and his local associate, and seized 2,100 pills of the drug. Pol Maj Manat Iamchareonchaikul, an inspector with the Phuket Narcotics Police, told the Gazette that 36-year-old Narumol Bormuang, arrested July 7 on charges of possessing and trafficking in ya bah (methamphetamine), gave them information about the two men, Winai…
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Council sets up P.O. box, invites letters
PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) has set up a new P.O. box to receive comments and questions from local residents. Dr Prasit Koysiripong, president of the OrBorJor, told the Gazette that the purpose of the new P.O. box is to make it easy for people to ask questions or make suggestions on how to improve Phuket. “Every…
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Dutchman arrested at scene of road accident
KATHU: Johannes W. Wisser, a 53-year old Dutchman currently on trial for assault, found himself in more hot water when he was arrested early yesterday morning for several traffic violations, including reckless driving that caused injury to another motorist. Wisser, who police say has resided in Phuket for eight years, was also charged with drunken driving and attempting to flee…
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Island-wide blackout set for July 25
PHUKET: The entire island will be without power for nine hours on July 25, the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) has announced. The blackout, from 7 am to 4 pm, is necessary because of work being done by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), which is replacing the main power line into Phuket. The new line will be able…
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Dry spell about to end
PHUKET: The dry sunny days of the past couple of weeks are about to come to a soggy end, Phuket’s weathermen have warned. Amorn Chantanavivate, director of the Southwestern Regional Meteorological Center, told the Gazette today that a southwest monsoon is forecast to hit the Andaman Sea and the entire southwest coast of Thailand tomorrow, lasting about five days. He…
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Fed-up elephant kills teaser
PATTAYA (AFP): An elephant hired to give tourists rides gored and killed his mahout’s brother, who had teased the animal for years, police said today. “They were not getting along very well and the elephant was very unhappy whenever the victim went near him,” said Pol Maj Thanakrit Larpinpisant of the Pattaya police. It was the second fatal attack by…
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“Don’t smuggle guns to Indonesia,’ ministry warns
BANGKOK (AFP): Thailand’s Foreign Ministry today warned the nation’s fishing fleet of the possible grave consequences of smuggling guns to Indonesia’s Maluku islands, where a sectarian conflict is raging. It said that the Thai embassy in Jakarta had informed the ministry that Indonesia’s Admiral Achmad Sutjipto had vowed to sink any ship found in the area with weapons destined for…
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