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How much is Thai health insurance?
Health insurance in Thailand is essential for expats and locals, providing financial protection and access to quality care. Costs depend on age, health, and coverage level, with basic plans being cheaper but limited and comprehensive plans offering more benefits at...
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Gangs war with “swords’ at Saphan Hin
SAPHAN HIN: Two gangs each of about 40 teenagers battled with long-bladed weapons, reported as swords, at Saphan Hin about 1 am on Sunday. In the melee, a 16-year-old died after being struck down while riding his motorbike and a member of the same gang fled his attackers by jumping into Klong Bangyai, but with his right hand severed and…
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Cop shoots self by accident
WICHIT: A police officer on a solo stakeout on Monday accidentally shot himself in the wrist, the Gazette has learned.Following up a report that an officer had been shot by motorcycle thieves, the Gazette today spoke to Sgt Rakchart Suksrinuan of the Phuket City Police.Speaking from a hospital bed at Vachira Phuket Hospital, where he is being treated, Sgt Rakchart…
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King’s Cup honors HM The King’s birthday with sail-past salute
PHUKET: Before racing got underway in the 21st King’s Cup Regatta today, a royal sailpast was held to honor HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 80th birthday. A majestic sight to behold as crews lined the 103 competing yachts chanting three cheers, doffing their sailing caps and some even singing Happy Birthday.A parade of sail is an appropriate way for international sailors…
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Long Live The King
PHUKET: In honor of HM Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 80th birthday today, more than 100 yachts taking part in the 21st King’s Cup Regatta completed a sail-past salute before taking to deeper waters for today’s racing.If it were not for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej being a keen yachtsman and master craftsman of sailing dinghies, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta would not…
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Chalong dope bust: 3 arrested, 9 kilos seized
CHALONG: Chalong Police seized nine kilograms of marijuana last Wednesday after a sting operation that resulted in the arrest of three men.Chalong Police Superintendent Pol Col Samarn Chainarong told a press conference on Thursday that after gathering intelligence from informants, police received information about a group of men who had been selling marijuana in Phuket.Pol Maj Veerayut Sitthirattakul of Chalong…
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Collisions mar Day 2 of King’s Cup Regatta
PHUKET: After yesterday’s passage race around the islands, the sailors got down to the serious business of racing on multiple windward/leeward courses. Once again it was an idyllic day for sailing with gusts of 15 to 20 knots of northeasterly breeze fanning the boats along under clear blue skies. Several collisions on the course saw a huge attrition rate in…
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Jelik wins King’s Cup opener
PHUKET: Clear blue skies and 8 to 10 knots of northeasterly breeze greeted the sailors on Day One of racing. Some may have been a little late arriving at the starting area, especially after dancing the night away at last night’s welcoming party at the Kata Beach Resort. The race officers selected passage courses that took the fleet around the…
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Phuket ICT Center set for December 5 launch
SAPHAN HIN: As part of a government initiative to promote information and communications technology (ICT) in Thailand, Phuket Municipality and the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) have teamed up to open the Phuket ICT Center at the Phuket Municipality Youth Center in Saphan Hin.The ICT Center, slated for a grand opening at 11:09 am on Wednesday, comprises four zones. The…
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MP candidates call for local election commission to be replaced
PHUKET CITY: Six local MP candidates from four political parties held a press conference Wednesday afternoon, calling for the national Election Commission (EC) to replace all the members of the Phuket Election Commission (PEC) currently chaired by Phuket Vice-Governor Tri Augkaradacha.The six politicians charged that the PEC’s joint staging of an “anti-vote-buying” activity with the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor)…
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Chalong Police nab cable cutters
CHALONG: Chalong Police have arrested two suspects for late-night thefts of electric cable that left homes in Rawai and Chalong in blackout over the past month. At a press conference at Chalong Police Station yesterday morning, police identifed the culprits as Mana Sae-Tun and Sansern Klaseuk, both 23-year-old Phuket natives.The thieves were presented to the media by Chalong Police Investigtions…
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Rajabhat student stabbed
RASSADA: A first-year student at Phuket Rajabhat University was seriously wounded after being stabbed repeatedly by her boyfriend at her rented room in tambon Rassada on November 28, Phuket City Police Duty Inspector Lt Col Adul Nirapai told the Gazette.At about 10 pm, Sujitra Chatavee, a native of Phang Nga Province, was stabbed repeatedly by her boyfriend with a small…
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Digital Gazette takes off
(PHUKET): In a development which might surprise a number of “old media” publishers (and not surprise more modern ones at all), the Phuket Gazette‘s new “Digital Gazette” has sold 21 subscriptions into its tiny niche readership market within the first 24 hours of its launch as a paid product. Incorporating virtually the entire content of it’s now 64-page weekly hard-copy…
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Yellow-top bikers oppose vote buying
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Vice-Governor Tri Augkaradacha gave out 200 yellow crash helmets to motorcycle-taxi riders at Phuket Community Hall on Monday November 26.The color yellow symbolizes devotion to the king and are part of a campaign to discourage vote buying in the upcoming government elections on December 23.The helmets were donated by Ruam Pong Motor Co Ltd. and are adorned…
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Dutch tourist stabbed near Downtown Market
PHUKET CITY (Kom Chad Luek/Gazette): A Dutch tourist is recovering in Bangkok Phuket Hospital after being stabbed twice by a knife-wielding thief outside the Downtown Market on Ranong Rd last night.The tourist, 51-year-old Thomas De Klerk, was shopping at the market with his wife Maria Kroezen at the time of the attack, staff at the hospital told the Gazette.The victim…
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Police investigate case of electrocuted Swede
PATONG: Kathu Police are investigating the death of 34-year-old Swedish tourist Robert Karlsson Svard, who was found dead in his room at a Patong guest house on the afternoon of November 23. Pol Sub Lt Thitikorn Rawang, Duty Officer of the Kathu Police, confirmed as accurate a report in a local Thai-language newspaper that said Mr Karlsson Svard died of…
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Mystery body surfaces in Klong Tha Chin
KOH SIREH: The body of an unidentified man was discovered in the Tha Chin river near Koh Sireh November 26. The body is believed to be that of an Indonesian or Burmese laborer who was attacked and then thrown into the sea, said Pol Lt Amporn Musikapan from Phuket City Police Station.Lt Amporn said, “I got a call on the…
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Incendiary behavior sparks murder at Saphan Hin
SAPHAN HIN: Phuket City Police are investigating the fatal stabbing of man whose celebration of the Loy Kratong Festival with firecrackers allegedly angered a group of young revelers, two of whom allegedly stabbed him in the back while he was urinating.Pol Capt Sathit Nurit, Duty Officer of the Phuket City Police, identified the victim as 29-year-old Apichart Kaewpanya, a resident…
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Russian tourist dies of heart failure
PATONG: A Russian tourist died of an apparent heart attack in his room at the Patong Resort Hotel early yesterday, a local Thai newspaper has reported.Kathu Police Duty Officer Pol Capt Padungpong Duksukaew was quoted in the report as identifying the tourist as Yury Bogdanov, 58.The death was reported by 56-year-old Irina Bogdanov, wife of the deceased, the report said,…
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New Karon Municipality offices open
KARON: Karon Municipality dedicated its new 63-million-baht office building yesterday morning with a ceremony presided over by Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit.The new offices, which took about 17 months to complete, are on three rai at Kata Beach, next to the Kata Beach Resort. The stately four-story building replaces two old, single-story wooden buildings at the same site.Beneath the building is…
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One reported dead, at least two injured in road accidents
PHUKET: A Russian woman has been reported to have died in an accident in Thalang late last night and a five-vehicle crash on the bypass road yesterday afternoon caused damage to several cars and left an American man in hospital.Pol Lt Sathawat Srirattanapong, duty officer of Phuket City Police, told the Gazette that the accident in the southbound lane of…
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German dies in head-on smash
PHUKET: German national Werner Josef Theisen died after the Nissan NV he was driving and a pickup truck collided on Airport Rd about midday last Saturday.According to Pol Lt Col Jamroon Plaiduang from Thalang Police Station, three vehicles were involved in the accident, which occurred as Mr Werner was driving from Phuket International Airport towards Phuket City.“Mr Werner swerved left…
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Security guards arrested for theft
KATA: Police arrested four employees of a private security firm for stealing valuables from the same people they were hired to protect: guests and staff at the Club Med Phuket resort in Kata.Chalong Police Superintendent Col Samarn Chainarong presented the four guards to the media at a press conference at Chalong Police Station yesterday morningThe first two presented were Nakhon…
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Swedish consulate to close
PHUKET CITY: The Swedish Consulate in Phuket will cease operations June 30 next year.The consulate, which opened in late 2004 to assist Swedish victims of the tsunami disaster, will be one of four Swedish diplomatic missions closing worldwide for financial reasons, acting Consul General Christina Palm told the Gazette.Swedish victim-identification work finished in June 2006, but the consulate remained open…
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Key areas hold first Municipal elections
PHUKET: The first-ever municipal elections in Rassada, Rawai and Wichit, all upgraded from tambon administration organization (OrBorTor) to municipality (tessabaan tambon) status in August, were held November 17.In Rassada, large crowds amassed at the vote-counting center at Phuket Rajabhat University. Suratin Lian-udom, leader of Raksa Rassada, won 3,264 votes to defeat Preecha Jai-ard of Rassada Prongsai party, with 3,241 votes.Somchai…
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Rotary International awards One-Two-Go hero
THALANG: Rotary Club of Patong President O.B. Wetzell on November 20 presented a Rotary International “Family and Community Service Award” to Paiboon Papan, the One-Two-Go flight OG269 passenger who heroically saved the life of expat resident Robert Borland and other survivors of the crash on September 16.The ceremony was held at the offices of Thalang Trading Co Ltd , where…
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Great gobbler hunt now closed
(PHUKET): The Disaster Prevention departments of the following Phuket restaurants have now stepped in to announce traditional turkey feasts for Thanksgiving 2007 – Thursday, November 22. (See our earlier story here.) BYD LoftsPatong Beachfrom 8pm850 bahtReservations requiredTel: 076-343024/7 Don’sRawaifrom 5 pm320 bahtReservations recommended076-289314 Les AngesRoyal Phuket Marinafrom 12 noon til 9:30 pm1,500 baht076-360803 Tavern on the HillPatong Beachfrom 7:30 pm475…
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Australia wins Rugby 80-80 opener
PHUKET CITY: Australia converted a last-minute penalty to beat Thailand 34-24 yesterday in a quality opening match at the international Rugby 80 tourney being played at Sanaam Chai in Phuket City. The Thai national squad opened the scoring with a penalty in the 11th minute. Australia then rallied to lead 17-16 until the 42nd minute, when Thailand converted another penalty…
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Turkey emergency prompts appeal for help
(PHUKET): American pilgrims on Phuket are up in arms at what appears to be a conspiracy by the island’s restaurateurs and F&B managers to deprive them of a basic gastronomic right: their annual indulgence in a feast of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, cranberry sauce….Wesley Gobbler, head of the Special Investigations Unit of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, told…
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Italian tourist dies in bathroom fall
PATONG: An Italian tourist died on Thursday from head injuries sustained after an accidental fall in the bathroom of his hotel.Pol Maj Vicharn Suwansit of Phuket City Police identified the deceased as Mr Luca Magozzi, 47.Mr Magozzi was rushed to Patong Hospital after he slipped on the bathroom floor of his hotel in Patong early Thursday.After slipping into a coma, he…
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Man drowns at Kata Beach
KATA: An elderly German tourist on holiday with his wife drowned at Kata Beach late Thursday afternoon.Chalong Police duty officer Capt Parichat Jaturonpan identified the deceased as Rudolf Breidach, 67, a guest at the Thavorn Palm Beach Hotel in Karon.Mr Breidach, his wife and a female friend, also German, went swimming about 5 pm. There were no Phuket Provincial Administration…
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