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Security camera plan gets a boost
PHUKET: The provincial government has moved forward with its plans to introduce surveillance cameras in tourist areas to increase security and boost the island’s image as a safe holiday destination.Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura, during his weekly “CEO meeting” attended by provincial government and other public officials, said that the estimated budget of 50.7 million baht will cover constructing, equipping, maintaining and…
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Bizarre death “was an accident’
PATONG: Police say they believe that the bizarre death of Rassamee Pholrat was an accident, and they expect to close their investigation soon.The 22-year-old from Udon Thani was found dead at the Safari Elephant Camp on Siriraj Rd on October 5, half-naked and apparently trampled to death by an elephant.Kathu Police Superintendent Pol Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen explained to the Gazette,…
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Meridien Khao Lak owner raps TAT
KHAO LAK: The owner of another leading Khao Lak resort has backed the opinions of La Flora owner Sompong Daowpiset over the lack of support the resort area has received from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) since the tsunami.Speaking just after the reopening of his Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort on Friday, ML Vitya Chakrabandhu told…
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New vice-governors arrive
PHUKET: As Vice-Governor Supachai Yuvaboon prepares to move on to a new post in Bangkok, two new vice-governors have arrived to replace him and Vinai Buapradit, who was promoted to Governor of Phang Nga on October 1.The two new vice-governors are Vorapoj Rattasima and Pongsak Playmek, who were previously vice-governors of Samut Songkram and Samut Sakorn respectively.K. Supachai, who arrived…
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Major plans revealed for Ao Phuket
PHUKET CITY (Gazette, Nation): After a lull of 10 months, the Ao Phuket development project – a plan to build a mini-city on reclaimed land in the bay off Saphan Hin, is once again gathering momentum. Plans include a convention and exhibition center, and a casino.Today at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall. chaired by the Interior Ministry Deputy Chief…
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THAI hikes fares for high season
THAILAND: On November 1, the official start of Phuket’s high season, Thai Airways International (THAI) will increase its fares on domestic flights.In a press release issued today, Kalayapha Panich, Thai Airways’ Phuket-based District Sales Manager for Upper-Southern Thailand, said that THAI informed travel agents of the price rises last Friday The increases will affect both business and economy class tickets – THAI…
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At least four dead in Burmese massacre
RASSADA: Four Burmese fishermen were murdered yesterday in what appears to have been the slaughter of the crew of one boat by the crew of another at the fishing port.One badly injured man is in Wachira Phuket Hospital, and police believe that more bodies may yet turn up.Phuket City Police Station Inspector, Pol Maj Yongyuth Krongmalai, told the Gazette this…
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Tsunami memorial website launched
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial government has launched a website to commemorate the December 26 tsunami. The website, www.phuketremembers.com, which is in Thai and English, has a section for the posting of personal tributes, including photos of people lost to the tsunami; a memorial guestbook where people may post personal thoughts; and a photo gallery showing the damage caused on December…
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La Flora owner lashes out at govt, TAT
KHAO LAK: The Minister of Interior, ACM Kongsak Wantana, said yesterday that he was proud of the speed with which Thailand was recovering from last December’s tsunami.Speaking at the reopening of the 200-million-baht La Flora Resort & Spa, which originally opened the day before the tsunami, the Minister said, “After inspecting many places [in Thailand] affected by the tsunami I…
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Airport bus service off to a slow start
PHUKET: Despite getting off to a slow start on its October 1 launch, the new Airport Bus service is slowly gaining in popularity as the public becomes aware of the new low-cost transport option, say its operators.Wiched Radomkij, Manager of Phuket Mahanakorn Co (PMC), which runs the service, said part of the problem stemmed from the fact that the company…
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Scandinavian charter airline sees record bookings
PHUKET: Copenhagen-based My Travel Airways, one of Europe’s largest charter operators, is seeing record bookings to Phuket for the imminent high season, says its Head of Information, Torben Andersen.“The sales situation in Scandinavia is very good,” Mr Andersen told the Gazette by email. “In Denmark we have sold seven out of 10 seats for the coming season. That is 10-15%…
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Ruampaet hospital to close
PHUKET CITY: After being open for 26 years, Phuket’s first private hospital, Phuket Ruampaet Medical Center on Phuket Rd, will close on November 30.Dr Mitr Theva-Aksorn, the hospital’s Director, told the Gazette, “We don’t have the money to continue the lease on the building, so we have to stop operating.”The hospital opened on November 22, 1979, with 36 inpatient beds.…
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Carnival “to be more international’
PHUKET: The annual carnival in Patong, held to mark the opening of the tourism high season, will take place this year from November 1 to 3, and has been renamed “Phuket Carnival 2005”.Phuket Tourist Association President Pattanapong Aikwanich explained that the yearly event is to have more of an international flavor. “We need to accept that 80% of Phuket’s tourism…
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Bypass road 6 months behind schedule
PHUKET: Work on the 111-million-baht project to widen the bypass road will be completed about six months behind schedule, in March 2006, the government official in charge of the work estimates.The artery is being widened to 24 meters in order to accommodate Phuket’s ever-growing number of vehicles. The section from Tesco-Lotus to the Darasamut School Intersection will be six lanes wide…
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Bar busted for underage male prostitution
PATONG: Kathu Police raided the Uncle Charlie’s Boys nightclub on Soi Paradise last Saturday night and arrested two employees on charges of pandering, including arranging the provision of sexual services by boys under 15 years of age. The bar owners, a father-and-son team, were later arrested on six charges, including violations of the Penal Code and Labour Act. Police have…
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Four Phuket hotels get five-star rating
PHUKET: JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa, Dusit Laguna Resort, Sheraton Grand Laguna Phuket and the Mangosteen Resort & Spa have each been given a coveted five-star rating, marking them out as among the best in Thailand.The accolade was awarded by the Foundation for Standards and Human Resources Development in the Service and Tourism Industry (Hotel Standards) on September 27,…
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Korean guide dies in car smash
WICHIT: (Kom Chad Luek) Korean tour guide Song Won Park, 44, was killed instantly when the gray Honda Accord he was driving slammed into a power pole on Chao Fa West Rd at 2:30 am on Saturday.Witnesses said they saw Park speeding toward Chalong from the Darasamut School intersection. He appeared to lose control on the wet road in front…
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New banknote to commemorate end of slavery
THAILAND: The Bank of Thailand will launch a new 100-baht banknote on October 21 to commemorate the abolition of slavery in Thailand 100 years ago.The side of the banknote featuring HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej will remain unchanged.The reverse side, however, will feature a picture of HM King Chulalongkorn Rama V, who reigned from 1868 to 1910, standing above the slaves…
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Scam artist sparks alert in Kamala
KAMALA: Police are warning people to beware of a scam artist posing as an electrician after one foreign resident was bilked out of 1,000 baht by the man.Pol Capt Pongnarin Sutin of Kamala Police Sub-District told the Gazette that a man posing as an electrician went to the home of a foreign resident and told the man’s Thai wife that…
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Viagra overdose may have caused Finn’s death
PATONG: Pekka Juhani Laakso, 47, from Finland, was yesterday found dead in his room at the Sun, Sea & Sand Hotel on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd, seemingly from an overdose of Viagra.Pol Lt Padungpong Sukkaew told the Gazette that he had received a call at 3:30 pm from Preecha Nuwongsri, the hotel’s manager, telling him that a corpse had been…
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Landing fees for charter flights halved
PHUKET: In an effort to attract more flights to the island, Airports of Thailand (AOT) has halved landing fees for all international charter flights arriving at Phuket until December 31.The airport Director, Sq/Ldr Pornchai Eua-aree, told the Gazette that the airport had originally suggested halving fees on all services, but that the Cabinet had approved the reduction only for charter…
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Bizarre death in elephant camp
PATONG: Bizarre theories surround the fate of an Asian woman, probably Thai, who was found dead Wednesday morning at the Safari Elephant Camp on Siriraj Rd, between Karon and Patong.Police have speculated that she may have been assaulted by unknown assailants who tried to rape her, and was then crushed to death by one of the elephants.The woman is thought…
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HRH Princess Soamsavali to visit Phuket
PHUKET: HRH Princess Soamsavali will visit Phuket on October 10 to preside over the official opening of two rooms bearing the name of the Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf at Bangkok Phuket Hospital.The two rooms, the King Carl Gustaf Conference Room and the Tsunami Memorial Room, are in the hospital’s new Outpatient Building.King Carl XVI Gustaf, accompanied by Queen Silvia,…
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Gov halts work on housing project
RASSADA: Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura and Muang District Chief Wirawat Janpen yesterday went to Soi Siang Tai to order a halt to the construction of an 80-unit residential housing project on Toh Sae Hill, citing seven different building code violations. Gov Udomsak said his inspection of the site followed complaints by Soi Siang Tai residents, lodged with the Damrongtham Center,…
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11,000 hotel rooms for tsunami relatives “difficult to find’
PHUKET: (Gazette/The Nation) The Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) is unsure whether its member hotels will be able to provide the 11,000 hotel rooms requested by the government to accommodate family members of tsunami victims expected to attend the first-year memorial services in December. The official number of tsunami dead in Phuket was 279, with 620 reported missing. The disaster claimed…
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TTVI center to close before December 26
PHUKET: The Chalong-based Thai Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) center will close some time before the anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, police say. Pol Col Khemmarin Hassiri, Superintendent of the TTVI’s Thai disaster victim identification (DVI) unit, said that a written order from the Cabinet to close the center was received by the TTVI following a decision…
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Phuket boosts security after Bali bomb blasts
PHUKET: Police are stepping up security across the island following three suicide bomb blasts in Bali on Saturday that claimed at least 19 lives and injured 133 people, Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth, the new Phuket Provincial Police Commander, told the Gazette today.He called for tourists not to be put off by seeing a greater police presence on the street.“I…
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Gambling tops August arrests statistics
PHUKET: Statistics released by Phuket Provincial Police show that gambling once again topped the crime table, with 149 people arrested in August for the offense. Thirty-four cases involved the sale of illegal underground lottery tickets.Eight murders were reported during the month with four cases solved, resulting in the arrests of six people.There were six cases of attempted murder with no…
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New police chief asks for feedback
PHUKET: The new commander of Phuket Provincial Police has asked for more help and feedback from Thais and also from foreigners, both tourists and those who live here.Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth, previously Deputy Commander of Phang Nga Provincial Police, took up his new post in Phuket today.Maj Gen Decha was at Phang Nga Provincial Police for a year, and…
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Patong-Kamala redevelopment to start this month
PHUKET: Work on the long-awaited Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) post-tsunami redevelopment projects for Patong and Kamala beaches will get under way in October, with first-phase landscaping work on both projects to be completed by the end of November, officials say.On June 13, the TAT received approval from the Budget Bureau of 194.7 million baht for the three-phase Patong project…
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