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Thais dominate Malaysia in friendly sports
PHUKET: About 200 Malaysian immigration officers were in Phuket on Tuesday to compete in the now traditional friendly clash, the Annual Thai-Malaysian Immigration Department Games, at the Saphan Hin sport center. The games consisted of badminton, table tennis, sepak takraw, bowling, soccer and golf. The home side dominated the badminton, winning the men’s and women’s singles, the men’s doubles and…
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New Chamber Chairman slams smear attempt
PHUKET: Pamuke Achariyachai, the new chairman of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, today called a press conference to slam a report in the national newspaper, Matichon. The report, in this morning’s issue of the newspaper, quoted an unnamed member of the Chamber as saying, “It’s such a shame. The Chairman of the Chamber should be a person of good image,…
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TAT launches Phuket web site
PHUKET: The local branch of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) today announced the launch of its own web site, https://www.phukettourism.org. The web site contains tourism-related information such as details of hotels, festivals, events, businesses and tourism services in Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi. Patpong Abhijatapong, Deputy Governor for Marketing of TAT, told a press conference at the Royal Phuket…
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Two sites short-listed for expo center
PHUKET: The province’s plans for the construction of an international convention and exhibition center (CEC) have taken one step closer to realization with the short-listing of two potential sites – one near the Sirinart National Park on Mai Kao beach, in the north of the island, and the other in the area around the Provincial Mineral Resources Office in Phuket…
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Gov to stay in Phuket for now
BANGKOK: Despite strong lobbying for Phuket Provincial Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi to be appointed Director of the Southern Border Administrative Center (SBAC), the Cabinet has handed the controversial job to the front-runner, Banyat Jansena. Muslim community leaders and teachers in the South of Thailand had lobbied for Gov Pongpayome to get the job because of his track record of dealing with…
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Pamuke the winner in Chamber chaos
PHUKET: Pamuke Achariyachai, President of the Kata Group of Hotels, was elected Chairman of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce today, following three months of confusion that climaxed in the resignation yesterday of his predecessor, Charn Wongsatayanont, Managing Director of Phuket Jet Tour. K. Charn resigned as the result of a protest from a member that the former chairman’s membership and…
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Judge denies bail for ex-mayor
PHUKET TOWN: Accompanied by a heavy police escort, the former mayor of Patong, Dr Anan Ananthanawat, yesterday made his first appearance in the Phuket Provincial Court on charges relating to the slaying of an ex-policeman in Phuket Town in December 1998. Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, told the Gazette that the police requested that the…
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Governor backed for top job in the South
BANGKOK: Powerful forces appear to be lobbying for Phuket Provincial Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi to be promoted to Director of the Southern Border Administrative Center (SBAC), a senior position with the Ministry of Interior. The previous holder of the post, Palakorn Suwannarat, resigned in mid-July amid criticism of his handling of a recent spate of bombings in the South of Thailand,…
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Vicious murder at fishing port
KOH SIREH: The body of a viciously murdered man was found washed ashore behind Asia Stannum Co Ltd at Laem Tokkae, near the fishing port, on Thursday. Pol Maj Jiradaej Kawinkij of Phuket Town Police Station said that he arrived at the scene to find the 25- to 30-year-old man lying face down. The victim was dressed in a black-and-white…
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Hospital cancels call for blood
PHUKET TOWN: Wachira Phuket Hospital has called off its appeal for donations of type O negative blood because it now has ample supplies for current needs. The hospital told the Gazette that it wishes to thank all donors for their prompt help.
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Urgent call for O-negative blood
PHUKET TOWN: Wachira Phuket Hospital has made an urgent appeal for donations of type O negative blood for 66-year-old Nard Hamekeaw. Potential donors are asked to report to the reception desk at the hospital or call 076-217293-8.
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Yacht burns and sinks
PHUKET: A 6-million-baht yacht, the Brulon, belonging to a local dive company, burned to the waterline and sank yesterday in Bang Tao Bay. Pol Lt Col Narong Natebutra of the Phuket Marine Police told the Gazette that he received a report at around 3:30 yesterday afternoon that a yacht was on fire about nine kilometers off Cherng Talay. “The boat…
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Thaksin plans to put clocks forward
CHIANG MAI (AFP): Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said today he is considering moving Thailand’s clocks ahead one hour to bring them in line with neighboring nations and to boost the country’s competitiveness. “Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are situated on the same latitude as Thailand but we are seven hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) while these countries…
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Contest to boost awareness of King’s Cup
PHUKET: In a drive to involve the Thai community more deeply in the annual King’s Cup Regatta, the event’s organizers today launched an essay and painting competition for Thai students, with cash prizes totaling 100,000 baht. The competition, which is open to students from primary school up to university (but not to students attending international schools), was launched at a…
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Ministry rejects entertainment zones
PHUKET: The Ministry of Interior has rejected Phuket’s plans for some 25 entertainment zones (EZs) scattered across the island, it was announced today. As a result, the province is to put forward a much shorter list of EZs, as follows: Patong: An area stretching 50 meters to the north and 50 meters to the south of the intersection between Thaweewong…
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Governor backs sea walking
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi has recommended to the government that sea walking be put on a firm legal footing. In a document sent to the Prime Minister’s office, he also recommended that the local Tourist Business and Guide Registration Office (GRO) be given sole responsibility for issuing licenses and overseeing the industry. A handful of companies currently conduct sea…
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Haze from Indonesia clears
BANGKOK (AFP): “Haze” from forest fires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which hung over Thailand’s five southernmost provinces for the past week, has now cleared, public health officials said today. “The situation is almost back to normal. I think it’s over now,” said Ongart Chanacharnmongkol, director of the Environmental Health Centre in Songkhla province. K. Ongart said some 25,000…
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Mayor slams Greenpeace criticism
PHUKET: Phuket Town Mayor Phummisak Hongyok yesterday angrily dismissed a report by environmentalist group Greenpeace that alleges the waste incinerator in Saphan Hin emits higher than normal levels of the toxic substance, dioxin. Speaking at a press conference at the Phuket Merlin Hotel, Mayor Phummisak said, “If they wanted to talk about this, they should have sent their people to…
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67 killed in bike crashes in 20 weeks
PHUKET: The island’s motorcycle accident death rate continues high, according to the latest statistics issued by the Phuket Provincial Health Office. The figures show, on average, that there was one death every other day in the first 20 weeks of the year, and that 35 people a day were injured. Between January 1 and May 20, 67 people died on…
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Authorities counter dengue, haze stories
PHUKET: Tourism and health officials in Phuket today moved to counter press reports that Phuket is beset by dengue fever and by smoke from forest fires in Sumatra. The Director of the Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Anuphap Theerarath, told the Gazette that a report in a newspaper in Singapore about dengue fever had caused a…
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Grisly remains found in Patong
PATONG: The mutilated body of an unidentified man was found on Thursday in woods next to the Patong-Karon road, not far from Simon Cabaret. Pol Capt Ampholwathana Saengruang of Patong Police Station told the Gazette that the victim was around 170 cm tall and was thought to be 28-30 years old. The head of the corpse, he said, had been…
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Police step up security at Lotus
PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Town police have been called in to help step up security at the Tesco Lotus Supercenter, after bomb attacks on two Lotus stores in Bangkok on Monday and Wednesday killed one person and injured two others. Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, superintendent of the Phuket Town Police Station, told the Gazette that, shortly after the bombings, he…
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Murdered man found near fishing port
PHUKET: A man thought to have been a fisherman was murdered in front of a warehouse belonging to the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization, on Soi Si Sena, near Phuket’s fishing port, on Thursday night. Pol Lt Palichart Jaturonpan of the Phuket Town Police Station told the Gazette that the man, as yet unidentified, died from six stab wounds to his…
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Leap in dengue fever cases
PHUKET: The Phuket Health Office (PHO) has issued its second dengue fever warning in less than a month. On June 12, the PHO reported that 55 cases of dengue fever had been recorded since the beginning of the year. Today it announced that the figure had risen to 75. Dr Boonrieng Chuchaisangrat, chief of the PHO, told the Gazette, “At…
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Telephone numbers change at midnight
PHUKET: All telephone numbers in Thailand will change to nine digits from midnight tonight (July 4-5). This will be achieved by including the area code in the number. Thus, the number 234567 in Phuket will become 076-234567, even when dialed from Phuket. Similarly, the Bangkok number 345-6789 will become 02-345-6789, whether dialed from Phuket or from within Bangkok. Mobile-to-mobile phone…
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German dies of heroin overdose
PATONG: A German man, Edgar Radke, 44, died yesterday in Patong of a heroin overdose. Pol Capt Chawalit Petchsripen of Kathu Police Station told the Gazette that Mr Radke met a friend for coffee in the lobby of a hotel. After a while he got up to go to the toilet. When, after a long time, he did not return,…
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Bangkok airport goes to the dogs
BANGKOK (AFP): The authorities at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport said today that they had launched a drive to ensure that stray dogs that have made their home next to the runways don’t end up straying onto the tarmac. The dogs have taken up residence on the golf course next to the airport, where they thrive on scraps from the clubhouse…
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Shell to start free oil disposal tomorrow
PHUKET: The Shell Company of Thailand (Shell) today announced that it will begin its free marine engine oil collection and disposal service in Phuket tomorrow. The service is part of Shell’s “Rao Rak Talay Thai” conservation campaign, which was launched in Pattani. The name is a play on words, meaning both “We Love the Thai Sea” and “We Conserve the…
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Bangladeshi found stabbed to death
PHUKET TOWN: The body of an unidentified man was found floating yesterday in the fishing port on Soi Si Sena. Pol Maj Wichacom Kumjompa of Phuket Town Police Station said that the victim had been dead at least 48 hours. He is estimated to have been between 25 and 30 years old, and had tattoos on his shoulders that suggested…
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Tourist drowns off Patong beach
PATONG: The body of a Malaysian tourist, Cheu Chee Hou, 27, was found yesterday on Patong Beach, after he disappeared while in Phuket on his honeymoon. Pol Capt Ampolwat Sangruang of the Kathu Police Station said he received a report from villagers that they had found Mr Hou’s body lying on the beach opposite the Holiday Inn Hotel on Thaweewong…
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