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New bus station planned near Supercheap
RASSADA: The Phuket Provincial Transport Office (PPTO) has agreed to buy 10 rai of land near Supercheap on Thepkrasattri Rd to build a new inter-provincial bus station.The existing bus station, on Phang Nga Rd in Phuket City, will be used for only local buses, vans and songtaew, most of which now leave from Ranong Rd.PPTO chief Chatchawarn Ngarmtup told the Gazette…
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Somtam Express wins Phuket Raceweek
AO CHALONG: After four days of racing in and around Chalong Bay, Scott Duncanson’s Somtam Express has won the IRC 1 class in this year’s Phuket Raceweek regatta.Shifting winds played havoc with the start of the final race in the regatta yesterday and the fleet waited four hours for it to swing around to allow the race to start.Once underway,…
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Somtam Express extends lead in Phuket Raceweek
AO CHALONG: Scott Duncanson’s Somtam Express today secured yet another win to stretch their lead to five points in the IRC 1 class of the fourth annual Phuket Raceweek regatta being raced in and around Chalong Bay and the surrounding islands. Peter Ahern’s Yo! 2 finished three minutes behind Somtam Express on corrected time to hold onto second place overall…
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Marco makes it full circle
PHUKET: Luxembourg national and island resident Marco Reinard arrived at Rawai Pier just after 5 pm on Thursday, tired, sunburned and triumphant after completing a solo 200-kilometer paddle around Phuket in an 18-foot kayak. Marco clocked an average speed of 10 kilometers an hour during his 36-hour circuit of the island, which he completed to raise awareness of environmental issues and…
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Extortion racket taken down in “sting’
PATONG: Kathu Police on Wednesday night arrested four men for allegedly attempting to extort 100,000 baht from the Thai-Nepalese owner of a tailor shop.The four suspects were presented to the media at a press conference at Kathu Police Station at 3 pm yesterday. They were identified as 40-year-old Burmese national Chom “Johnnie Lek” Bunyawej, the ringleader, and his three accomplices:…
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Yo! 2 leads Phuket Raceweek
AO CHALONG: Peter Ahern and his crew on Yo! 2 are in first place overall in the IRC 1 class in the fourth annual Phuket Raceweek regatta, being held in and around Chalong Bay until Sunday. Phuket-built Somtam Express drew first blood, winning Race 1 after a midday start in light conditions that teased crews with breezes of two to…
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Pistol penisectomy
NAKHON SRI THAMMARAT (Gazette, Kom Chad Luek): A Buddhist ordination ceremony in Phraphrom District took a turn for the worse on July 6 after an outbreak of violence led to a firearms incident which left one unlucky follower of the Middle Way with a serious pain in his crotch. The evening began jovially at the ceremony held in Na Phru…
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Temple trots
NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A man known locally to villagers in Kham Thalay So District as Mor Thewada, (which, roughly translated, means ‘Angel of Mercy’ doctor) is under investigation after a patient claimed that his medicine gave him a nasty case of diarrhea. The story surfaced after a patient checked into Kham Thalay So Hospital suffering from a bad case of the…
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Rawai resident drowns at Nai Harn
NAI HARN: John Chatteris, founder of Atsumi Healing Center in Rawai, drowned while swimming at Nai Harn Beach late yesterday afternoon.Ian Lenton, who works at the center, told the Gazette that Mr Chatteris, 61, went to the beach with his family at about 5 pm.Although red flags were posted at the beach, indicating that the surf was unsafe for swimming,…
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Brit charged over child’s death
KATHU: Englishman David Murray, 37, has been charged over the death of his eight-year-old stepson, Narid “Curry” Budtharai, who allegedly died after his head hit the floor while he was being beaten for being a poor student.Pol Lt Col Passakorn Sonthikul of Tung Tong Police told the Gazette that the incident occurred at Murray’s condo home in Moo Baan Irawadee,…
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Locals “uninformed’ about Ao Phuket project
PHUKET CITY: A public opinion survey conducted by researchers from the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) found that 86% of people who stand to be affected by the proposed Ao Phuket development plan said they knew little or nothing about the project drawn up by the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB).After being brought up to…
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All-English radio launches in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Phuket now has its first all-English radio station, 90.5 Phuket Gold FM, broadcasting from the Radio Thailand office near Phuket Rajabhat University.The launch was announced at a press conference at the China Inn restaurant in downtown Phuket City this morning.90.5 Phuket Gold FM is managed jointly by Bangkok-based KOOL…EST Co Ltd and monthly lifestyle magazine Phuket Bulletin.A press…
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Royal Lighthouse escapes break-in
LAEM PROMTHEP: Kanchanaphisek Lighthouse, built in 1996 at Laem Phromthep to celebrate the 50th anniversary of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s ascension to the throne, was the scene of an attempted robbery on Thursday.The would-be thieves, who smashed through one of the glass panels at the entrance to the lighthouse about 9 pm in order to get to a donation box,…
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Tsunami evacuation drills planned for July 25
PHUKET CITY: The National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC), together with provincial and local authorities, will conduct the first full-scale test of its 79-tower tsunami warning system in the six Andaman Coast provinces on the morning of July 25. The exercise has been dubbed “Andaman Wave 007” by the agency.To prepare for the test, which will include evacuation drills in all…
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Three die in Rawai smash
RAWAI: An accident on Wiset Rd left a father, his daughter and his niece dead, and his wife seriously injured after the motorbike they were riding and a car collided on Sunday evening.Chalong Police were alerted to the accident in front of Baan Haad Rawai Bungalow about 8 pm. Pol Lt Col Peeraphan Meemak, inspector of Chalong Police Station, told the…
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Frenchman, 30, dies from “heart failure’
CHALONG: French tourist Sylvain Hervieux reportedly died of heart failure on Sunday evening. An ambulance from Phuket International Hospital responded to an emergency call, but arrived to find that Hervieux had been dead for about 20 minutes.Mr Hervieux had been staying with his mother, Claudine Denis, at a Thai friend’s house in Chalong.Lt Col Peeraphan Meemak, Inspector of Chalong Police…
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Russian tourists say “yes’ to Phuket
PHUKET: Russian tourists now account for the fourth largest group of foreign holidaymakers visiting Phuket behind Sweden, the UK and Australia, said Anoma Wongyai, assistant director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) South Region 4 Office in Phuket.K. Anoma attributed the boost, which nudges China down to fifth place, to the success of the TAT-organized “Leisure 2006” roadshow to…
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Turtles, dolphins continue to wash ashore
BANG TAO: A green turtle weighing about 5.7 kilograms was found at Le Phang Beach at about 9 am Tuesday.Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, a biologist at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), told the Gazette that the female sea turtle, bearing a hard shell 39.5 centimeters long and 37cm wide, was suffering from exhaustion and had difficulty breathing.The turtle was taken to…
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New incinerator for Phuket “on hold’
PHUKET CITY: Proposed plans for a new incinerator on Phuket were put on hold this week despite Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwannasuppana insisting that the island’s garbage problem is too big to wait.The proposal came after large quantities of fish were killed in waters polluted by leaked toxins from the island’s sole incinerator in Saphan Hin.The incinerator, which can burn…
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Students charged over roadside beating
RASSADA: Two second-year university students were arrested after allegedly assaulting a man at an accident scene on Soi Phaneang on July 2.When Phuket City police arrived at the scene, they found the two students, named by police as “Wit”, 22, and “Karine”, 23, both from Pattani province, beating 30-year-old Jaroonsak Khongjit, an employee of Phuket Adventure company.Pol Capt Atthapol Wannasaengthong…
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Woman’s remains identified
THALANG: Police believe they have identified the woman whose remains were found in a wooded area in Tambon Thepkrasattri last Wednesday evening.A cousin of Anutch Maneekwan has come forward, saying that K. Anutch, 40, had not been seen since June 27.The cousin reported that K. Anutch was living in a rented room near Super Cheap, where she worked.“On June 27 she…
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Pharmacy worker arrested after shooting debt collector
PATONG: An employee who shot and injured a private debt collector who tried to collect past-due rent was arrested for attempted murder on Friday.Uthai Petchara, 26, was working with Sarawuth Sukanek, 22, and another employee at Tak Pharmacy, near Loma Park on Thaweewong Rd, when four men entered the shop around 5 pm Friday.Narong Duangmusik, 32, and his accomplices approached…
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German to be deported over no work permit
PHUKET CITY: German architect Frank Witzel is awaiting deportation following his arrest on June 22 by Immigration officials. He had been arrested in February as well, for working without a work permit while on a building site in Patong, and for performing work prohibited to foreigners. Witzel had pleaded guilty to the charges in court in February. He was fined 1,000 baht and handed a one-month…
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Gambling a sure bet in Phuket
PHUKET: Gambling has topped the latest crime statistics released by Phuket Provincial Police with 205 arrests made from June 1 to June 30.There were 125 people arrested in drug-related cases, of which 61 involved ya bah (methamphetamine): five for selling, 30 for possession with intent to sell, 14 for possession and 12 for use. A total of 7,821 pills were…
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Weerapoj and Suwat win Patong by-election
PATONG: Weerapoj Iamsup of the Sor Tor Kaow Mai Party and Suwat Somnam of the Patong Gao-na Party were elected to Patong Municipal Council in the resort town by-election on Saturday.Boonsong Nawarak, acting chief administrative officer at Patong Municipality, told the Gazette that K. Weerapoj drew 898 votes, K. Suwat 646 votes, Somkiat Kuru 637 votes, Wig Tonghom 587 votes,…
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Police have krathom bust in the bag
KOH SIREH: Police staging a krathom raid on a house on Koh Sireh had a surprise on July 4 when a woman carrying a sack full of the contraband leaves accidentally walked in on the raid.Pol Maj Chalermchai Hernsawat led the warrant-endorsed raid on the house of Jarern Musika, 56, about 3:30 pm after an investigation discovered that krathom was…
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Phuket wins To Be Number One prizes
PHUKET: Phuket province was honored with two prizes in this year’s To Be Number One competition, held at Impact Muang Thong Thani in Nontaburi on June 25: one for committed support of the competition and another for dedicated participation.The competition recognizes community projects put forward to tackle drug abuse by local youths.Phuket, Yasotorn and Khon Kaen provinces were each awarded…
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Police nab Patong ya bah dealer
PATONG: Phuket City Police seized more than 220 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and arrested two men and one woman in a series of drugs raids on Thursday.Pol Maj Chalermchai Hernsawat posed as a buyer and arranged to buy ya bah pills from Apiwat “Tee” Sumetheentikul at Sainamyen Soi 1 at 11:30 am.At the rendezvous, police found Apiwat in possession of…
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Skeleton found in Thalang
THALANG: Police are investigating the identity of woman’s skeleton found in woods in Tambon Thepkrasattri on Wednesday evening.Col Chinnarat Rittakananond, superintendent of Thalang Police Station, told the Gazette that the woman was about 40 years old and had been dead for about one month.The skeleton, found near Soi Kok Mu in Moo 1, was dressed in a dark blue T-shirt…
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Election Commission names Phuket monitors
PHUKET: Kittipong Thiengkunagrit, director of the Phuket Election Commission (PEC), has confirmed which five Phuket residents will form the election committee charged with ensuring that polling in Phuket in the next general election will be free and fair.K. Kittipong said that 15 people applied to be election monitors in Phuket.The five chosen are: Phuket Vice-Governor Tri Augkaradacha; Phuket Labor and…
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