News
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Seedlings planted in Phuket Town for HM The King
PHUKET CITY: Environmental activists and staff of the Royal Phuket City hotel came together yesterday morning to plant 82 seedlings in an empty lot downtown as part of celebrations for HM The King’s 82nd birthday today. Seedlings of the tree, Barringtonia asiatica, a mangrove species, were chosen for the project. Royal Phuket City hotel General Manager Jintana Trakulhoon chaired the…
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Nation unites in wishing beloved King a happy birthday
PHUKET: His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej turns 82 today. On the occasion of his birthday, His Majesty will grant an audience to his well-wishers at the Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall inside the Grand Palace this morning. His Majesty will reach the Amarin Winit-chai Throne Hall at around 10.30am. Accompanying him will be HM the Queen Sirikit, HRH Crown Prince Maha…
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Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Day 4: IRC2 Class goes to the wire
PHUKET: While the outcome in many of the classes remains a foregone conclusion, the IRC 2 class is wide open going into the final day of the 2009 King’s Cup after Thai Navy 1, skippered by CPO. 3 Wiwat Poonpat, won the only race of day four to cut Team Bentley’s lead in the series to a single point.Team Bentley, skippered by…
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Turtles released in Phuket for HM The King
WICHIT, PHUKET: About 100 students, sailors and marine biologists gathered this morning to take part in a turtle release ceremony to mark the 82nd birthday of HM The King tomorrow.The release, chaired by Vice Admiral Chumnum Ajwong, took place at Cape Panwa, on the beach between the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) and the Royal Thai Navy Third Naval Area…
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Phuket shellfish release to mark HM THe King’s Birthday
WICHIT, PHUKET: More than 100 people took part in a marine animal release ceremony yesterday as part of celebrations for HM The King’s birthday tomorrow. The participants, mostly school children, gathered at Mudong Pier in Wichit for the event, which began at 10am. Released into the sea from plastic bags filled with seawater were 2.5 million tiny postlarval prawns and…
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Another man shot dead in Chalong
CHALONG, PHUKET: A drinking session outside a mini-mart ended in the drive-by shooting murder of a Nakhon Sri Thammarat man early this morning. At 6:30am Chalong Police were notified of a shooting near the entrance to Chao Fah West Soi 55. Arriving at the scene, across from the Infinity Car Finance Shop, investigating officers including Chalong Police Superintendent Chinnarat Rittakananond…
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Phuket Number One in HIV/Aids nationwide: MoPH
PHUKET CITY: Phuket has the highest incidence of HIV/Aids infection of Thailand’s 76 provinces, but the figures are skewed by the island’s huge migrant population, the island’s top government doctor says. Dr Pongsawat Rattanasaeng, director of the Phuket Public Health office, said Phuket’s emergence as a top tourist destination is largely responsible for the province’s dubious distinction as Thailand’s ‘per…
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King’s Cup work permit crackdown rumors are false
PHUKET CITY: Rumors of an imminent crackdown on foreign sailors taking part in the King’s Cup Regatta over work permit violations are untrue, the head of Phuket Immigration has confirmed. A thread on the popular Thai Visa web forum yesterday started with the post: “Latest from Phuket Town… raiding King’s Cup regatta tomorrow for professional sailors without work permits….” As…
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New Phuket lifeguards next year
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) wants to improve the provincial lifeguard service and have a new contractor running it by the start of the new year.Lifeguard services ended on November 18 with the expiration of a five-month contract awarded to service provider LP Laikhum Company in mid-June.The PPAO is still waiting for the firm to return all…
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Phuket holds activities for the disabled
PHUKET CITY: Phuket yesterday held early activities to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities, held annually on December 3.More than 200 disabled people attended the event, which began at 10am at Phuket Rajabhat University Convention Hall.Activities included an exhibition aimed at informing disabled people of their rights, a legal consulting service, job application assistance and even free haircuts.There was…
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Cafe del Mar’s José Padilla in Phuket sunset performance
PHUKET: Café del Mar’s José Padilla will be playing his signature sunset chill out tunes this Thursday at Anantara Phuket Resort & Spa for a night of ‘Silk Rhythms’. Party goers at the luxury resort’s vast pool-scape can sip sparkling wine in the water with a broad view of the sun setting over the sea while the ‘Godfather of Sunsets’…
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Desperately seeking Simone in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Where is Simone? An English artist who has been traveling to Thailand for holidays with her family for over 15 years is trying to contact ‘Simone’, a Soi Bangla ladyboy, to let her know that a painting of her was recently voted into the ‘Top 50 Favorite’ paintings on the world-famous Saatchi on-line art gallery. Artist Lisa Andrews…
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Phuket King’s Cup Day Two: Hi Fi takes lead
PHUKET: Neil Pryde’s Hi Fi is leading the way in the Premier Class after the second day of racing at the 2009 Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.Chris Meads on Full Metal Jacket came second and Pryde’s perennial Asian Yachting Grand Prix rival Ray Roberts settled for third on Evolution Racing.Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban looks set to run away with the IRC1…
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Dive boat sunk for Phuket artificial reef project
RAWAI, PHUKET: In the latest bid to create an artificial reef in Phuket waters, an old dive boat was sunk off Koh Racha Yai on Saturday morning. The aging vessel Harruby was donated to the Department of Marine Coastal Resources (DMCR) for the project by The Racha Resort. Following a religious ceremony and speeches by a number of officials, the…
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Body found off Karon identified as Australian
PHUKET CITY: Chalong Police have confirmed that the body of a man found floating off Karon Beach yesterday is that of 31-year-old Australian Ben Douglas Richard, who went missing from a villa hotel in the Surin Beach area over the weekend. Chalong Police investigator Boonlert Onklang told the Gazette Mr Richard had been staying at a villa owned by a…
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Phuket King’s Cup: Full Metal Jacket beats favorites
PHUKET: With over 110 yachts and 18 dinghies entered in 15 different classes, this years Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is shaping up for another bumper season. The fleet contains a healthy contingent of old adversaries as well as some new contenders.Ray Roberts on Evolution Racing and Neil Pryde on Hi-Fi were expected to set the running in the Racing Class…
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Brits encouraged to sign up with tracking system
PHUKET CITY: British Ambassador to Thailand Quinton Quayle is encouraging all British subjects who live or travel to Phuket or other parts of Thailand to register their presence here using a new on-line service set up by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Click on this link! campaign encourages British Nationals to use LOCATE, an online system, to register…
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Phuket toy boy murder suspect: ‘I acted alone’
PHUKET CITY: The 21-year-old man suspected of murdering elderly Japanese citizen Yukiho Yamada and burning his body in Phuket continues to insist he acted alone, but police remain skeptical. Suwit Maengsri told police his 50-year-old lover Tubtim Saehak – Mr Yamada’s wife – was not involved in either the killing or the disposal of the body. Mr Suwit said he…
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King’s Cup Regatta returns to its roots
PHUKET: Action at the 23rd King’s Cup Regatta got underway over the weekend with two days of competitive dinghy racing off Kata Beach.Now in it’s 22nd year, the event is Asia’s biggest and most popular regatta.Inaugurated in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand, the event has been held every year since then during…
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Tourist found dead off Phuket beach
PHUKET CITY: The body of a man presumed to be a foreign tourist was pulled from the sea off Karon Beach earlier today.Chalong Police were notified of the body’s discovery by staff at Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort around noon today.Phuket Ruamjai Kupai Foundation workers used one of the resort’s boats to recover the floating body, which was discovered about…
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Readers’ Poll: Plastic initiative good for Phuket
PHUKET: Over half of Phuket Gazette voters think the new charge for plastic bags is a good idea. The results come in as Phuket prepares to implement a one- or two-baht charge for plastic bags at the island’s major retail stores beginning in February. Of the 580 voters who took part in the poll, 306 (or 52.8%) agreed that the…
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Court sentences killers of British sailor
PHUKET CITY: Two Burmese fishermen were sentenced to 25 years in prison for the March 2009 murder of British yachtsman Malcolm Robertson off the coast of Thailand’s Satun province, The Guardian has reported. At the time of the murder, the semi-retired couple were on their way from Phuket to Malaysia’s Langkawi Island, where they planned to leave their yacht and…
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OPINION: A tough time for Phuket police
PHUKET: The past week has seen a real change in the weather in Phuket, literally and figuratively. The monsoon season appears to finally be drawing to a close and with temperatures dropping in colder northern climes, high season is upon us. Hotel occupancy rates are rising and the island’s population continues to swell. By some estimates Phuket’s actual population is…
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Man nabbed over killing of Japanese in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: A man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of killing a 75-year-old Japanese national, reportedly out of rage at the victim for abusing his Thai wife, with whom the alleged killer was romantically involved. Suwit Maengsri, 21, was wanted for conspiring to murder Yukiho Yamada, stealing his cellphone and burning his body to cover up the crime. He was…
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Grass gets greener for Phuket sea cows
PHUKET CITY: The grass will be greener for sea cows (dugongs) visiting Phuket thanks to a seagrass fertilization project currently underway.Bangkok Hospital Phuket and the Mekawanich Foundation are teaming up to produce 20,000 ‘effective micro-organisms’ (EM) balls that will be introduced into the sea off Pa Khlok and into the fetid waters of Klong Pakbang in Patong.The project will be…
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Andaman Travel Trade show starts tomorrow
PHUKET CITY: The 4th Andaman Travel Trade (ATT) show starts tomorrow at the convention area on the first floor of Central Festival Phuket. With the tagline ‘Three Destinations – 1,000 Activities’, the fair aims to promote tourism-related business throughout the Andaman coastal region. Representatives from more than 120 organizations will take part, including 75 from Phuket, 15 from Phang Nga…
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Dutch crash victim’s remains to be repatriated
SAKHOO, PHUKET : The remains of Dutch national Klaas Verbeek, who was killed in a motorbike accident on Monday evening, will be repatriated to Holland over the weekend.Pol Maj Rassada Kleongwong of Tha Chat Chai Police, identified the driver of the vehicle that collided with Mr Verbeek’s motorbike as Pol Sgt Maj Thavorn Tongkham, who is assigned to the Tah…
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Woman confesses to arranging murder of Japanese husband
CHALONG, PHUKET: Chalong Police say a 50-year-old Thai woman has confessed to having her elderly Japanese husband murdered after he asked if he could keep a mistress. Seventy-five-year-old Yukiho Yamada’s skeletal remains were found in a burning car in Chalong at around 4:30am Wednesday morning. His wife, Tubtim Saehak, said she hired Suwit ‘Kai’ Mansri, a 21-year-old Thai man from…
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Alleged ladyboy killer nabbed in Phuket Town
PHUKET CITY: The suspected killer of a ladyboy found dead in Wichit on Saturday morning was caught early Wednesday morning at a short-time hotel near Saphan Hin. A Phuket City Police press release identified the suspect as 22-year-old Phichai ‘Muk’ Lakkor. Mr Phichai was initially arrested by Phuket City Police crime suppression officers for the illegal possession of a firearm.…
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Fear of girlfriend leads to death plunge
BANGKOK: A man fell to his death November 15 as he tried to lower himself onto the balcony of his fifth floor flat – rather than go in through the front door and meet his angry girlfriend. The body of 29-year-old Surasak Kasan was found lying on the ground under the balcony of his apartment in Din Daeng. He had…
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