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Four teens arrested in Phi Phi murder
PHI PHI ISLAND: Four teenagers allegedly involved in the murder of a 24-year-old Belgian man after a fight have been arrested, police report.The man, Gregorey Vandervaeren, had been on the island only three days when he was shot early Sunday morning. Police said that Mr Vandervaeren was in a fight with the teens before one of them used a gun.…
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Bang Tao beach vendors face eviction
BANG TAO: People operating 48 businesses on Bang Tao Beach have been given until Friday to vacate the beach – or face having their premises demolished.At a meeting at Provincial Hall last Friday, Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Nivit Aroonrat told beach stall vendors that they must move out because the provincial government wants to clean up the area.He said the vendors…
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Hotels facing major staff shortage
PHUKET: The island’s tourism industry faces a shortage of labor in the coming high season and the Phuket Provincial Labor Office (PPLO) has warned that new hotels opening in Phang Nga are likely to draw more workers away from Phuket.PPLO Chief Decha Preukpatanarak told the Gazette, “We’re chronically short of labor in the high season, with hotel occupancy so high…
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Tuk-tuk driver denies tourist rape
PATONG (Gazette, Kom Chad Luek): A tuk-tuk driver arrested yesterday afternoon has denied raping a 20-year-old female Australian tourist in the early hours of Thursday morning.Pol Col Teeraphol Thipjareon, Superintendent of Kathu District Police Station, today told the Gazette, “The suspect has admitted that he took the woman back to her hotel on the night in question but he denies…
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Poor people get solar power
PHUKET CITY: Solar power generation systems have been installed in the homes of 351 poor families in Phuket as part of a nationwide project to bring power to areas not yet connected to the main grid.Announcing this at a meeting at the Thavorn Grand Plaza hotel on September 4, Prawat Siripatrodom of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEC), said that a…
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Veg festival to go yellow
PHUKET CITY: Organizers of this year’s Vegetarian Festival have asked for those taking part to wear yellow shirts on the second day of the festival, October 23, to commemorate HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s Diamond Jubilee.Participants traditionally wear white throughout the festival as a sign of purity.The announcement came during a meeting of the event’s organizing committee at Phuket Town Inn.Phuket…
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PGTV News Tuesday 5th August 2006
PGTV’s Phuket News today features stories about the Jungceylon opening date, Phuket police transfers, Central Phuket’s second anniversary and Koh Sirey’s colony of wild monkeys. In addition to these and other news stories focused on Phuket, today’s show features an interview with Phuket’s German Honourary Consul Dirk Naumann. PGTV, produced by the Phuket Gazette, is aired daily on the Phuket…
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Italian tourist dead in blaze puzzle
CHALONG: Mystery surrounds the death of Italian tourist Marco Oniga, 44, whose charred remains were found on the bed of his apartment in Chalong on the afternoon of September 1. At about 4:30 pm, Mr Oniga’s naked body was discovered by one of the apartment building’s maids. As she was making her daily rounds, the maid smelled smoke coming from…
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PGTV News Monday 4th August 2006
PGTV’s Phuket News today features stories about the flooding and landslides caused by recent rain, the Phuket boatshow in Bangkok, and an update on both Airport and crime statistics. In addition to these and other news stories focused on Phuket, today’s show features a interview with local author Jim Newport. PGTV, produced by the Phuket Gazette, is aired daily on the Phuket…
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Academic coalition calls on Thaksin to quit
BANGKOK (The Nation): More than 40 academic groups yesterday called for the prime minister’s resignation and warned that existing discord could lead to civil war.“Thaksin Shinawatra must halt all political activities immediately and allow an investigation into alleged abuses of power,” said Anan Laolertworakul, a leader of a network of 43 academic groups.Anan urged civil servants to ignore “unjustified instructions”…
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Jungceylon to open “by December 1′
PHUKET CITY: The long-awaited Jungceylon project will open for business by December 1, a top executive for project owner Phuket Square Company Ltd told the Governor today.Prawit Janyasittikul, Deputy CEO of Phuket Square, visited Phuket Provincial Hall this morning to brief Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura on the progress of the project, located on Rat-U-Thit 200 Phi Rd in Patong.Jungceylon, originally…
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Surge in petty crimes sees 30 police officers transferred
PHUKET: As the island seems to be suffering from a major surge in petty crimes, some 30 police officers have been approved for transfer out of the province in the upcoming annual round of promotions and transfers, on October 1. The main reason put forward by the officers for the transfers: “overworked”.At his monthly meeting with chief officers on Wednesday,…
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The usual suspects
PHUKET: Crime statistics for August, released by the Phuket Provincial Police, show that the usual two crimes – gambling and drugs – yet again topped the list of offenses committed in the month.A total of 181 people were arrested on gambling charges during the August 1-25 reporting period. Eleven of these were held for their involvement in the underground lottery.Of…
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JD pools to sue for 100 million baht
PHUKET: JD Pools today announced that it plans to sue both Desjoyaux Pools (Thailand) and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) following the DSI raid of the JD Pools Phuket warehouse on August 18.At a press conference this morning, Thanusak Phungdet, Managing Director of JD Pools Group, said that JD Pools will claim for damages arising from a distortion of…
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Prepare for October floods – Governor
PHUKET: Following the recent downpours that caused minor floods and landslides around the island, Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura yesterday warned officials to prepare at-risk areas for potential floods and landslides in October, when more heavy rains traditionally deluge the island.The unusually heavy rain in Phuket in August has led forecasters at the Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast), based at Phuket…
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PGTV News Thursday 31 August 2006
PGTV’s Phuket News today features stories about the Ao Phuket project, a new slaughterhouse for Phuket, Norwegian fish farming methods adapted to snake-head fish and an update on the flooding and landslides caused by recent rain. In addition to these and other news stories focused on Phuket, today’s show features a documentary about Volunteers in Phuket. PGTV, produced by the Phuket Gazette, is…
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PGTV News Wednesday 30th August 2006
PGTV’s Phuket News today features a story about the recently amended dive regulations, a look at scholarships to China, information about a tax hike at Thai airports and we discover a Phuket street that aims to to have the cleanest and tastiest food. In addition to these and other news stories focused on Phuket, today’s show features a documentary about Thai kickboxing.…
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Confusion over Chinese role in mega project
PHUKET CITY: Some two weeks after it was reported that Thai Longstay Management Corp Ltd (TLM), a private company 30% owned by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), signed a 40-million-baht “primary contract” with a Chinese state-owned enterprise to help develop part of a long-stay project at Saphan Hin, Phuket Vice-Governor Niran Kanlayanamitr, head of the provincial committee for the…
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Modern slaughterhouse on the way
PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Municipality has announced plans to build a new high-standard slaughterhouse to replace the current one near Ruam Phun Pol Bridge.Chaiyapreuk Phanpreuk, Deputy Mayor of Phuket City Municipality, said that the move is necessary because the Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), which owns the land where the current slaughterhouse is, informed him that the contract for the use…
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Lucky Complex to become science center
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) has failed to secure funding for the proposed redevelopment of the Lucky Complex at Saphan Hin and will instead use the vacant six-story building for office space and a “Science Learning Center”, OrBorJor President Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr announced at a media party at the Phuket Merlin Hotel on August 15.“The investors, the Royal…
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PGTV News Tuesday 29th August 2006
PGTV’s Phuket News today features news about the recent amended dive regulations, a look at an association that is dealing with mental health and we find out about how and why wine awards are given. In addition to these and other news stories focused on Phuket, today’s show features a documentary about the Art scene in Phuket. PGTV, produced by the Phuket Gazette,…
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Dive regulations published
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket provincial authorities have today released details of the new dive industry regulations that came into effect on Friday, when they were signed by Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura. The new regulations, which underwent a legal review before being signed by the Governor, consist of three parts. The first is the announcement ordering dive operators to comply with the…
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PGTV News Monday 28th August 2006
PGTV’s Phuket News today features an update on the missing tourist in Phang Nga, an announcement that Phuket is rabies free and a visit to a The Phra Tong Buddha. In addition to these and other news stories focused on Phuket, today’s show features an interview with Phuket’s German Honorary Consul. PGTV, produced by the Phuket Gazette, is aired daily on the Phuket…
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Dive regulations signed
PHUKET CITY: The new regulations governing Phuket’s dive industry have now been signed by Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura and will come into effect on September 1. Aekachai Soonthorn, secretary to Provincial Chief Administrative Officer Nivit Aroonrat, told the Gazette that the new regulations were signed by the Governor at 4.30 yesterday afternoon.A draft of the regulations has been under review…
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Police continue hunt for abductor
CHALONG: Police are still searching for the second man allegedly involved in the abduction of Jitra Soonsud, 35, who was found handcuffed and drugged in a house in the Phuket Country Home estate, on Chao Fa East Rd, on May 29.“We know who he is and we have had a warrant issued for his arrest, but I don’t want to…
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Park fee hikes deferred
PHUKET: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will postpone its scheduled doubling of entry fees at all national parks, scheduled to take effect from September 15, by more than a year, Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) Deputy Chairman Sarayuth Mallam told the Gazette today.Speaking by telephone from Bangkok, K. Sarayuth explained that Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat has…
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Missing tourist believed found
PHANG NGA: A woman’s body, believed to be that of missing Scottish tourist Shenaz Kapoor, has been found near the Song Phraek waterfall in Phang Nga. Miss Kapoor has been missing for nine days following a white-water rafting accident on August 15. (See earlier story here.) The body was found in the water at around 6am today by a police…
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Beer bottles bombard cop shop
PHUKET CITY: A gang of teenagers, possibly angry with the police for setting up roadblocks to crack down on motorcycle gangs, launched an attack on Phuket City Police Station in the early hours of yesterday morning, lobbing beer bottles at the building.Pol Lt Theeradet Jiraksa told the Gazette, “While I was on duty, a teenager stopped his motorcycle on the…
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Underwater park ready for divers
PHUKET: Sculptures worth 4 million baht have been placed on the seabed at a depth of 15 meters close to Koh Racha Yai, and are being promoted as a special “must see” site for divers in the coming high season.Phuket Diving Park, as the site is now known, features sculptures including Thai demons (yak), traditional decorative arches, a sala, two…
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Inhalant abuse rife among teens
PHUKET: Phuket’s Juvenile and Child Protection Office has released statistics showing that 270 youths under the age of 18 were charged with criminal offenses during the first six months of 2006. The office noted that the figure indicates an increase in youth crime, with a total of 488 such crimes reported in 2005.Of the 270 cases, 243 involved boys, compared…
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