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4 dead, 60 injured in Songkran road accidents
PHUKET CITY: The final tally for this years’ “Seven Days of Danger” road safety campaign over the Songkran holiday period in Phuket is four dead, with 60 people injured in 60 road accidents. The figures are almost identical to last year, when four were killed and 64 were injured in 64 accidents. In the annual accounting, only injuries requiring admittance…
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Political turmoil cost Phuket two direct flights from China
PHUKET CITY: Last week’s political turmoil in Bangkok has caused two Chinese airlines to shelve plans to launch direct flights to Phuket from Shanghai and Guangzhou. Following a tourism “roadshow” to mainland China, the Phuket Tourist Association’s Somboon Jirayus said that Shanghai Airlines was set to begin direct flights from Shanghai to Phuket, starting at the end of the month,…
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Phuket ‘Halal Expo’ starts April 30
PHUKET CITY: Phuket is set to host the “World of Halal Science, Industry & Business International Conference 2009” and “Halal Expo”, aimed at turning the southern region into a center of the halal-related industry. Winai Dahlan, dean of the faculty of allied health sciences at Chulalongkorn University, said the dual events were scheduled to be held between April 30 and…
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Phuket to host halal expo
PHUKET CITY: Phuket is set to host the “World of Halal Science, Industry & Business International Conference 2009” and “Halal Expo”, aimed at turning the southern region into a center of the halal-related industry. Winai Dahlan, dean of the faculty of allied health sciences at Chulalongkorn University, said the dual events were scheduled to be held between April 30 and…
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Phuket ready to host postponed Asean summit
PHUKET CITY: Phuket is ready to host the postponed Asean +3 and +6 conferences, following the abrupt cancellation of the financial summit in Pattaya over the Songkran holiday after anti-government protesters stormed the venue where it was being held. Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop said that the government originally planned for Phuket to host the summit, but moved the high-profile event…
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Gov promises action on sea gypsy issues
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop has promised to investigate and clear up issues faced by the impoverished sea gypsy community in Rawai. The announcement came following a protest at Phuket Provincial Hall on April 7 by members of the ’30 Communities Network’ who demanded the Governor take swift action to solve disputes over land ownership and issues over access to utilities.…
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PAD leader Sondhi in serious condition after shooting
PHUKET / BANGKOK: Sondhi Limthongkul, media mogul and one of the five core leaders of the yellow-shirted People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), is in serious condition after being shot in the head early this morning. One of the attackers’ bullets hit his left skull, causing a brain hemorrhage, Vajira Hospital Director Dr Chaiwun Charoenchoktavee said. Doctors are conducting an urgent…
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AirAsia to open ticket office in Patong
PHUKET CITY: As part of its plan to develop Phuket as a second aviation hub for Thailand, Thai AirAsia hopes to establish direct air links with major cities in the region and will set up a sales office on the beach road in Patong, the company’s chief executive officer (CEO) told the Gazette.Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapol Bijleveld says that the…
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Thaksin’s passport revoked
PHUKET: The Foreign Ministry has revoked the Thai passport of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The nullification of his right to travel under that document comes amid widespread concern, in and outside of the Thai government, that such travel could cause further damage to the Kingdom, government spokesman Tharit Charungvat said today. Thaksin’s revoked passport was his last Thai traveling…
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Thailand weakened, but government stronger after riots
PHUKET: Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced yesterday that the state of emergency would remain in place even though the authorities had managed to bring the anti-government protests to a tentatively peaceful conclusion. “The situation has eased and is almost back to normal. But the mission of the emergency decree has not been completed. The government will not be careless, and…
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Bangkok protests may be breaking up
PHUKET: Government TV Channel 11 reported late this morning that Veera Musigapong, a Thaksin supporter and red-shirt leader, told the protesters at Government House in Bangkok to disperse. Weng Tojitrakan, another red-shirted leader, asked soldiers to move back by 20 meters so that the protesters could pick up their belongings and leave the site. Veera told the crowd that the…
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Province to spend Bt1m on drug detection technology
TAH CHAT CHAI, PHUKET: Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop has approved the purchase of two state-of-the-art detection devices, one for explosives and the other for contraband. The devices will be used at the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint.The Alpha 6 detectors, which cost around 500,000 baht each, use “molecular resonance” technology to detect the presence of drugs and explosives from up to…
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Phuket hotel operators upbeat despite cancellations
PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Thai Hotels Association today reported that about 20% of reservations made at Phuket hotels prior to the Songkran holiday have been canceled following the Thai government’s declaration of a state of emergency in the nation’s capital late yesterday.According to the office, most of the cancellations were from Japanese and Chinese tourists, following the issuance of…
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Phuket Songkran marred by road deaths
PHUKET: Phuket’s Songkran celebrations have been marred by the deaths of two Thai citizens and one foreigner in motorcycle accidents. Chotinrin Gerdsom of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) said that over April 10-11 there were 11 road accidents, with 12 injuries and the death of an 18-year-old Thai man. Ekkachai Jantuang died in hospital on April 11…
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Phuket Airport operating normally
PHUKET (thephuketinsider.com): A visit to Phuket International Airport this morning confirmed that flights between Phuket and Bangkok are operating as usual, despite the Thai government’s declaration of a state of emergency in the nation’s capital late yesterday. Thai Airways staff as well as those of other airlines say there has been no disruption of scheduled flights.Phuket Airport Director, Wicha Nernlop…
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Breaking News: State of Emergency declared in Bangkok
BANGKOK (The Nation): Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has announced a State of Emergency in the Nation’s capital as well as neighboring provinces Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya. Phuket and other southern provinces are not affected. Speaking on TV at 5:20 this afternoon (Sunday), the PM asked the public not to panic with the chaos caused by…
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Feisty fish, painful problem
PHUKET: Doctors in Pichit Hospital were presented with a medical conundrum on March 25, when an eight-year-old boy was brought in with a climbing perch stuck up his bottom. The boy, whose name was given in media reports but is omitted here, was carried into the hospital by his 60-year-old grandmother. The boy told doctors that on the way home…
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Governor leads oath of allegiance
PA KHLOK, PHUKET: Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop yesterday morning led a large number of government officers and local politicians from across Thalang District in a ceremony swearing their allegiance to HM The King and the rule of law. The ceremony, held at the Pa Khlok Administration Office, was held to mark “Senior’s Day” in Pa Khlok, as the entire month…
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EU blacklisting irrelevant: One-Two-Go chairman
PHUKET: The chairman of One-Two-Go says the recent addition of the carrier to a European Union blacklist will have no effect on the company, which has never flown to Europe. One-Two-Go’s addition to the updated blacklist was announced in a press release yesterday. To view the release, click here. One-Two-Go chairman Udom Tantiprasongchai told the Gazette this afternoon that the…
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Developers put luxury projects on hold
BANGKOK / PHUKET: Resort-area residential projects that are worth more than 10 billion baht have been put on hold now that demand from foreign investors is showing a significant drop since last year. The key areas affected are Phuket, Krabi, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Koh Samui. According to a survey by The Nation newspaper last week, a number of property…
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44th SEAMEO meet ends today
BANG TAO, PHUKET: The 44th SEAMEO Council Conference and 4th ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting at the Sheraton Grande Laguna Hotel closes today. The conference, which began on April 5, aims to discuss education policy and co-operation on projects throughout South East Asia, a region estimated to contain at least 3 million children and 34.3 million adults without any education. Representatives…
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Over 1,700 men take part in military conscription draw
PHUKET CITY: Over 1,700 young men presented themselves to draw lots in the annual military conscription lottery that took place in Phuket from April 1 to 4. The draws were conducted at the Kathu Witthayalai School in Kathu District on April 1, the Thalang Pranangsang School in Thalang District on April 2 and the Phibul Songkraam School in Muang District…
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Summer camp for convicts
PHUKET CITY: Some lucky inmates at Phuket Provincial Prison are taking part in an experimental four-day “scout camp” education and training workshop between April 7-10. The wide-ranging program, including academic and vocational classes as well as a moral training session, is a good break in the tedium of life behind bars for those attending. In all, 55 men and 25 woman volunteered for…
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Google Maps now available for Phuket Classifieds
PHUKET: Initially introduced as a feature in the Gazette Guide, Phuket’s ‘yellow pages’, Google Maps were launched this morning at Phuket’s primary classified marketplace, the Island Trader Online. Classified advertisers can now pinpoint precisely where the item, property or business they’re advertising is located – a major benefit in a community where postal addresses are often more confounding than enlightening.…
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Rawai Beach seawall crumbles
RAWAI BEACH, PHUKET: Rawai Municipality will set up a panel to investigate extensive damage to a seawall that was built in 2004. Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos said he did not know what caused a section of the wall over 30 meters long to collapse, exposing sharp pieces of rebar and leaving broken lengths of PVC pipe suspended in the air.…
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Phuket Rajabhat students protest UDD actions
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Rajabhat University student organization has released a statement condemning the actions of “certain individuals and groups” which it claims are violating the sanctity of the institution of the Thai monarchy. Though the statement does not mention any names, it clearly refers to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his red-shirted supporters in the United Front for…
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Phuket Prem supporters demonstrate
PHUKET CITY: Hundreds of Prem Supporters’ Association members from around the South on April 2 marched through the streets of Phuket City in support of General Prem Tinsulanonda, president of the Privy Council.Around 300-400 mostly yellow-shirted members of the organization took part in the demonstration, which assembled at Queen Sirikit Park at around 12:30pm.Some of the protesters came from as…
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Singaporean jailed for alleged fraud
PHUKET CITY: A Singaporean man was arrested by Phuket City Police last week for allegedly defrauding an American citizen of 25,300 baht in a bogus business directory scam.Eric Snyder, 64, of the Jairak Enterprise consulting firm said he paid the money to Marcus Tan for advertising in “Info Phuket“, described as a “business listing and traveler’s guide book”.The guide was…
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Frenchmen arrested for poker playing
PATONG, PHUKET: Fifteen foreigners, mostly Frenchmen, were arrested in Patong early yesterday morning for playing poker in a small gambling den clandestinely set up behind a beer bar.Acting on a tipoff, Kathu Police Inspector for Investigations Sakol Bunditsak at 3:30am led a special investigation unit on a successful raid of the Top Relax bar, located at 2/1 Phang Muang Road.Of…
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Province unveils Songkran safety strategy
PHUKET CITY: As in years past, the provincial government is advising the public on how to safely enjoy the upcoming Songkran Festival – and warning people who endanger others that they risk fines or arrest. At a meeting chaired by Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop at Phuket Provincial Hall on Thursday, the Governor called on police and some 50 representatives of local…
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