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Central website on tsunami victims launched
PHUKET: Worried relatives and friends of people living in or visiting provinces stricken by Sunday’s tsunami now have a central point for information on victims here. The Official Thai Tsunami Information Center website, set up by the Royal Thai Police, has Thai, English, Japanese, Chinese, French, German and Spanish versions and contains long lists of people injured, killed or missing…
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13 looters arrested in Patong
PATONG: Police have arrested 13 people for looting damaged businesses in the Patong area.Pol Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen, the Superintendent of Kathu Police Station, told the Gazette that since December 26 his officers had arrested nine Thais and four Burmese for looting.“In accordance with the law, people engaged in theft at a time of crisis like this are subject to severe…
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A somber New Year
PHUKET: About 500 people gathered at Central Festival on the outskirts of Phuket City last night in a somber and emotional candlelit gathering to remember those killed by last Sunday’s tsunami.Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula, Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura and government officers also attended the memorial gathering.Each person received a candle and a white rose. Songs, both in Thai and English,…
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HM: Harmony and compassion will save the Kingdom
Though expressing grave concern about the natural disaster in the South, His Majesty the King last night singled out the good that has come from the incident: that Thais have once again demonstrated the unique harmony and compassion that has preserved the Kingdom for centuries.In his televised New Year speech, the King began by saying that in 2004 Thailand had witnessed many…
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Huge progress made in Patong cleanup
PATONG: Just five days after the tsunami hit Patong Beach, astonishing progress has been made with the clean-up of the resort town.Tourists are back in the water or strolling along the sand, though the view is very different from the clutter that existed before the wave hit. With no beach chairs or umbrellas, one can now look along the entire…
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B20m support for beleaguered tourists
PHUKET: The Government has given the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) permission to spend 20 million baht on supporting tourists in the six provinces affected by the tsunami.Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop said during a visit to the emergency centre at Phuket Provincial Hall that the TAT would receive 20 million baht of the 260 million baht Thailand has already…
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Midnight memorial in Patong tonight
PATONG: There will be a memorial service for victims of the December 26 tsunami at midnight tonight at the west end of Soi Bangla, near the Patong waterfront. The event is being organized jointly by the Phuket Tourism Association and the Patong Beach Hotel Business Association as a way for survivors to remember friends and relatives who perished in the…
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Phang Nga death toll soars
PHUKET: As rescue workers in Khao Lak continue the gruesome task of recovering the bodies of those killed in the December 26 tsunami disaster, the death toll from Phang Nga rose overnight to a staggering 3,689 corpses – more than double the figure reported at 4:30 yesterday afternoon.The figures were released at 8 am today by the emergency center at…
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Grim toll still rising
PHUKET: Official figures released by the emergency center at Phuket Provincial Hall at 4.30 this afternoon show the number of dead in Phang Nga, Phuket and Krabi, the three provinces worst hit by the tsunami, has climbed to 2,232 .In Phuket the number of dead has risen to 282 (149 Thai, 108 foreigners and 25 of unknown nationality). No new…
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More help for tsunami victims
Support for those affected by Sunday’s tsunami disaster continues to increase.Private tour companies are offering free minibus services to return tourists from the Provincial Administration Organisation (OrBorJor) and nearby offices to their hotels or to Phuket International Airport.Bangkok Phuket Hospital is screening patients and is, with the help of Bangkok Airways, airlifting serious cases to Bangkok free of charge, marketing…
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Devastated Khao Lak resembles war zone
PHANG NGA: Hotels, resorts and other structures along the beach in Khao Lak were devastated by last Sunday’s tsunami waves, which ravaged everything in their path and pushed wreckage back all the way back past Highway 4, the main road through the area.A fisherwoman, Sawaad, told the Gazette, “I saw the huge wave come over one kilometer onto the land.…
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First emergency funds arrive
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Vice Governor Winai Buapradit said today that the Phuket government has received an initial 10 million baht from the government to deal with damage cause by Sunday’s tsunami wave.He said Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula would remain in the province and continue to coordinate humanitarian relief and clean-up efforts, as well as the ongoing search for victims.He added…
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Dead to be buried in Mai Khao
PHUKET: Phuket is preparing a 10-rai plot of land at the Sea Gypsy cemetery in Tambon Mai Khao to bury victims of Sunday’s tsunami waves. Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura said after a meeting with local officials at Phuket Provincial Hall today that the dead will be kept until then in four 40-foot cold-storage containers.Officials will begin moving the bodies to…
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1,536 died in tidal waves
PHUKET: Figures released this morning by the emergency center at Phuket Provincial Hall list 1,536 people dead, 8,953 injured and 4,073 missing in the six southern provinces affected by Sunday’s tsunami waves.Among the dead are 187 foreigners, 1,175 Thais and 174 people whose nationalities remain unknown.The breakdown of the figures is as follows:Phuket: 233 dead; 1,268 injured; 1,580 reported missing.(Deaths:…
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Assistance for Hong Kongers in Phuket
PHUKET: Hong Kong residents of Phuket or the surrounding areas who require help following the tsunami tragedy may call the Hong Kong Immigration Department’s 24-hour hotline at + (852) 2829 3010.Immigration Department Officers are in Phuket assisting, and can be reached on + (852) 6409 1846 or at their temporary office in Room 270, Boat Lagoon Resort, Tel: 66 (0)…
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Translators needed
PHUKET: Both the Provincial Government and the island’s Tourist Police have appealed for volunteers to help with translation between Thai and English or other languages.Volunteers should go to the Provincial Hall on Narisorn Rd, Phuket City, or to the Tourist Police headquarters on the east side of the bypass road (on the right heading toward the airport), in the row…
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Free flight for Australians, New Zealanders
PHUKET: Australian airline Qantas will provide free seats for stranded nationals of Australia and New Zealand this evening, taking off at 6:45 pm.Those wishing to be on the flight should go direct to the airport and contact the airline’s representatives. For further information, contact Australian embassy personnel in Phuket at 076-370672.
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Donations urgently needed
PHUKET: As the island continues its recovery from the tsunami that hit the island on Sunday morning, many hospitals and other organizations are calling for donations to assist victims. Hospitals: clothes, shoes, counseling: Wachira Phuket Hospital and other hospitals say there is an urgent need for shoes, shorts and T-shirts, especially in sizes large enough for foreigners. Shoes are the…
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Cabinet approves B2.8bn in emergency aid
PHUKET: The Cabinet yesterday approved a 2.8-billion-baht emergency relief budget to help relieve the suffering of those affected by December 26 tsunami.Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula said that during a video-conference Cabinet meeting in Phuket yesterday morning, PM Thaksin ordered that the search for bodies in the areas of the Phi Phi Islands and Khao Lak be intensified.Bodies are now piling…
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Patong clean-up underway
PATONG: Patong Municipality yesterday approved a 20-million-baht budget to begin clean-up operations following the devastation wrought by tsunami waves on Sunday.Mayor Pian Keesin today told the Gazette that municipal officials were still searching for bodies, but that 100% of those who suffered injury had already been sent to hospitals.He said workers and vehicles had been hired to clear debris along…
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Commercial airlines offer free evacuation flights
PHUKET: At least five Thai commercial airlines are offering free flights to Bangkok to assist the government effort in evacuating the dead and wounded from the island.Vasing Kittikul, Executive Vice-President of the Thai Airways (THAI) Commercial Department, said that THAI had already evacuated some 1,100 people to Bangkok today.Those injured or needing to arrange transport for the deceased should call 076-327274 or…
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Three-day national mourning period announced
THAILAND (The Nation): Government spokesperson Jakrapob Penkhae has declared a three-day mourning period from today until Thursday, for the victims of the tidal waves that have killed an estimated 2,000 people in southern coastal regions.He added that religious ceremonies will be held throughout the country for the victims on Thursday, starting at 7 pm.Besides flying the Thai flag at half-staff,…
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Toddler reunited with family; mother still missing
PHUKET: Swedish toddler Hannes Bergstrom, just 20 months old, early this afternoon was reunited with his uncle, Kim Kärkkainen, and grandmother Raija Kärkkainen.Hannes was separated from his parents when he was rescued at Bang Niang Beach, Khao Lak, where the family were staying, and brought to Phuket International Hospital.Family members in Finland saw the photograph of young Hannes on the…
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Fishermen to receive compensation
PHUKET CITY: Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Newin Chidchob arrived on Phuket yesterday afternoon to offer assistance to local fishermen who lost their boats in Sunday’s tsunamiK. Newin said he had received reports of damage to 300 large fishing boats and 2,400 longtail boats. Some 20,000 people employed in coastal fishing in the six affected provinces, such as fish farmers…
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Tourism Council President calls for speedy assistance
PHUKET: Tourism Council of Thailand President Vichit Na Ranong has called for the government to expedite assistance to help in the clean-up effort in the wake of the December 26 tsunami.“It’s too early to estimate the total cost of the damage, but we must begin the clean-up as soon as possible. We can’t afford to wait for three months. The…
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Laguna denies being “totally destroyed’
PHUKET: Laguna Phuket has issued a press statement denying reports broadcast globally on Cable News Network (CNN) that the resort was “totally destroyed” in the Boxing Day tsunami.Laguna Phuket events and Press Relations Manager Michelle Payette told the Gazette, “Not only are we not gone, but we are operational. And we think we will be fully operational within four days.“Anything…
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Final death toll could exceed 2,000
BANGKOK: More than 700 foreign tourists are believed to have died when tidal waves smashed into southern Thailand on Sunday, the deputy interior minister said this morning.“The latest figure we have is more than 990 confirmed deaths. Of these, some 200 were Thais and the rest were foreigners,” Sutham Sangprathum told reporters before a cabinet meeting on the disaster.“But from…
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THAI adds more special flights, bigger planes out of Phuket
PHUKET: Thai Airways has announced a change to larger aircraft and two special flights from Phuket to Bangkok.Mr Kanok Abhiradee, THAI’s President, said that the airline has taken the step to facilitate transportation of the injured and others affected by the natural disaster in the South of Thailand. The special arrangements take effect from today, 27 December, onwards.The special, additional…
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Baby boy identifed
PHUKET: A young boy rescued by a couple and taken to Phuket International Hospital has been identified as a 20-month old Swedish boy.Family members in Finland saw the photograph of young Hannes Bergstrom on the Phuket Gazette website and contacted the boy’s uncle, Tim Karkkinen, in Pattaya within an hour of the story going online.Mr Karkkinen told the Gazette that…
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Accommodations prepared in Bangkok for foreign tourists
BANGKOK: The Tourism Ministry has prepared over 1,000 rooms in Bangkok to accommodate foreign tourists whose hotels in Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi were destroyed by yesterday’s tidal waves.All domestic airlines will arrange special flights to send foreign tourists from the three provinces to Bangkok. All expenses will be shouldered by the ministry.
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