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  • Former Phuket Governor jailed for 36 years on child-sex charges

    Former Phuket Governor jailed for 36 years on child-sex charges

    BANGKOK (Nation, Kom Chad Luek, TNA): Chalerm Phromlert, who was Phuket Governor from 1987 to 1991, was sent to Pathum Thani Prison yesterday after the Supreme Court upheld his 36-year jail sentence for multiple counts of statutory rape.Judge Samart Ardnarong handed down the verdict against Chalerm, who was accused of having sex with four schoolgirls aged between 13 and 16…

  • Phuket prepares for national elections

    Phuket prepares for national elections

    PHUKET CITY: Crowds of supporters turned out to cheer Phuket’s national political party representatives as they registered their candidacies and drew lots to be assigned their ballot numbers at Phuket Community Hall on Monday.Eight candidates representing four of the five political parties running in the December 23 national election turned out on the first day of registration.Registration closes on Friday.The…

  • International rugby returns to Phuket

    International rugby returns to Phuket

      PHUKET CITY: Back after a one-year hiatus because of the 2006 coup, 80-80 rugby returns to Phuket November 16 – albeit downsized from what organizers had hoped would be a large-scale, international tournament. The King’s Cup Rugby-80 tournament, ro be played at Sanaam Chai in Phuket City, will run until November 23. Although teams from nations including Wales, England…

  • Case closed on Korean’s death plunge | Thaiger

    Case closed on Korean’s death plunge

    PHUKET CITY: Police investigations following the death of Korean tour guide Kim Kyoung Hoon, 39, who fell to his death from the roof of The Metropole hotel in downtown Phuket City on November 2, have concluded that Mr Kim’s death was a suicide.Phuket City Police Capt Krerkrit Ritnuang told the Gazette that Korean embassy officials initially suspected that Mr Kim’s death…

  • Tour agent’s throat slashed | Thaiger

    Tour agent’s throat slashed

    KATHU: Tung Tong Police are investigating the death of Sommai Chumee, 37, a travel agency representative found with his throat slashed in his home at the Irawadee Ketho residential development on Friday afternoon.Tung Tong Police Inspector Lt Col Kittipong Klaikaew confirmed reports in the local and national press that the victim had been stabbed repeatedly in the neck but had…

  • New Chalong Police chief announces robbery arrests

    New Chalong Police chief announces robbery arrests

    CHALONG: The new Superintendent of Chalong Police Station, Col Samarn Chainarong, yesterday announced that Chalong Police officers on Thursday arrested two of four people involved in a series of robberies and had recovered 67 stolen items.Col Samarn said in a press release that Chalong Police had been monitoring the gang and pulled over Kaewjai Sooksabai, 35, as she was driving…

  • Customs seize B5m of fake goods

    Customs seize B5m of fake goods

    PHUKET CITY: Thai Regional Customs Bureau 4 and the Phuket Customs Office at 10 am yesterday held a press conference at the Phuket Customs House on Phuket Rd to announce the seizure of counterfeit goods worth 5 million baht from a wholesaler in Patong.Regional Customs Bureau 4 Director Rakop Srisuppa-at and Phuket Customs chief Jakson Kitarmorn showed the media the…

  • Patong porn director caught red-handed | Thaiger

    Patong porn director caught red-handed

    PATONG: A Kathu Police investigations unit early yesterday morning arrested an Indonesian adult-film producer in his hotel room after he was caught conducting a photo shoot with one of his starlets – a Thai ladyboy.Pol Sub Lt Nitikorn Rawang, duty officer of Kathu Police Station, said the bust took place at 4:20 am.After receiving a tip-off that a video shoot…

  • Man stabbed in karaoke brawl | Thaiger

    Man stabbed in karaoke brawl

    TALAD YAI: A 25-year-old man was stabbed at a karaoke bar early Monday morning after an argument broke out over which song to sing, said Pol Sub Lt Jakkrapon Suchon of Phuket City Police.Komson Kampan, 25, was drinking with four friends at Phaithong Karaoke on the road to Koh Sireh when three younger men entered the bar, said Lt Jakkrapon.“The…

  • Woman arrested, 2,550 pills seized in ya bah bust | Thaiger

    Woman arrested, 2,550 pills seized in ya bah bust

    THALANG: A 33-year-old woman was arrested early Tuesday morning for possession of 2,550 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills, according to a press release read by Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit at Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday.A team from the Phuket Provincial Police drug suppression unit and Border Patrol Police 425, who are based in Takuapa, Phang Nga, set up a sting operation.Undercover…

  • Deadline for local ‘yellow pages’ | Thaiger

    Deadline for local ‘yellow pages’

    PHUKET: Businesses wishing to appear in the 2008 Gazette Guide, Phuket’s ‘yellow pages’, have until 6pm on Monday, 12 November, to enter (or update) their listings. New listings and updates received before the deadline will appear online within 48 hours and will be included in the hard-copy book for 2008, due out mid-January. New listings or updates received after the…

  • Prominent architect Tucker Bishop passes away

    Prominent architect Tucker Bishop passes away

    PHUKET: One of the island’s most prolific architects, Tucker Bishop, passed away last night at the age of 57 at Bangkok Hospital Phuket.Although he had been suffering from long-term kidney complications, Mr Bishop continued to work on many high-profile jobs up until his death.Bill Barnett of C9 Hotelworks, who had worked with Mr Bishop on several projects, said, “With a…

  • Global pub crawl to tour Phuket | Thaiger

    Global pub crawl to tour Phuket

    PHUKET: A group of fun-seeking Australians will be quenching their thirst on the island next year as part of the first Round-the-World Pub Crawl organized by Australian tour company Thirsty Swagman. The group of 25 drinking travelers will enjoy a month-long party, traveling “Around the World in 60 Pubs”, starting from London on March 24, 2008. They will be draining…

  • Thalang woman hangs herself | Thaiger

    Thalang woman hangs herself

    THALANG: Police discovered the body of Benjawan Rakkarndee, 30, at her home in Village 1 Srisoonthorn, near Soi Bangkham, on November 1 after she hanged herself, police said.Maj Prakorb Boonkwan of Thalang Police said, “I was informed about the body by the village chief at 10 am. I then called the Kusoldharm Foundation and a doctor from Thalang Hospital to…

  • Cherng Talay Tesco saga continues

    Cherng Talay Tesco saga continues

    PHUKET: As construction of the controversial Tesco-Lotus Express store in Cherng Talay reaches its final stage, the legality of an alleged ban on its construction remains unclear and local authorities admit they are unsure which authority is responsible for approving – or halting – the store’s construction.On October 31, Samarn Krohlek and Apisit Ngarnpresertkit, leaders of a local protest against…

  • Spa tax to be scrapped | Thaiger

    Spa tax to be scrapped

    PHUKET CITY: The controversial 10% tax on spa services will soon be scrapped, a member of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has said during a recent visit to the Phuket Provincial Health Office. Sangsit Piriyarangsan, head of the NLA’s finance committee and chair of a special panel set up to review the spa tax, said his members heard from representatives…

  • Major fire drills to be held in Phuket City | Thaiger

    Major fire drills to be held in Phuket City

    PHUKET CITY: Aroon Kerdsom, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) office, has announced that fire-evacuation drills will be held in Phuket City tomorrow in order to improve emergency-response plans.A fire drill will be held at the Government Housing Bank, on Bangkok Rd, at 7 am, followed by another drill at The Metropole hotel at 9:30am.A meeting…

  • FIVB: favorites win all-US final

    FIVB: favorites win all-US final

    KARON: Tournament favorites Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh from the US were pushed to their limits, but maintained their composure to walk away with the title and $32,000 first-prize money in the Second Phuket Thailand Open of the Swatch FIVB Beach Volley World Tour 2007 held on Karn Beach from October 31 to November 4.The pair overcame stiff opposition from…

  • Two billion baht slated for Layan condo-marina project | Thaiger

    Two billion baht slated for Layan condo-marina project

    PHUKET: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit on Wednesday met with Korean investor Wang Il Lee to discuss a planned 2 billion baht investment in a condominium, villa and marina project to be built at Layan Beach.The project, at the north end of Bang Tao Beach in Cherng Talay, would contain the first marina on Phuket’s west coast.The Korean initiative, by the Puvana…

  • Don’s Mall robbed | Thaiger

    Don’s Mall robbed

    RAWAI: A gang of seven teenagers, six of them masked, tore off the doors to Don’s Mall Minimart at 4 am yesterday, making off with computers and money from cash registers.Don Battles, founder of the Rawai landmark mall, told the Gazette, “This was a well-planned teenage gang. Six broke into the minimart while one was the lookout. They then broke…

  • Americans, Chinese make FIVB semi-finals

    Americans, Chinese make FIVB semi-finals

    KARON: Number-one seeds Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh from the US almost suffered a shock defeat at the hands of number 32 seeds Galyna Osheyko and Svitlana Baburina from the Ukraine, but recovered to make the semi-finals of the Swatch FIVB Beach Volley World Tour 2007 being played on Karon Beach.Yesterday was the second day of play of the tourney.…

  • Mystery surrounds Korean’s death plunge | Thaiger

    Mystery surrounds Korean’s death plunge

    PHUKET CITY (Nation, Gazette): South Korean tour guide Kim Kyoung Hoon, 39, fell to his death from the rooftop of The Metropole hotel in downtown Phuket City early this morning.Capt Krerkrit Ritnuang, of Phuket City Police Station, said that a hotel security officer found the body of Mr Kim, who was not a guest at the hotel, lying in the…

  • Like maggots from heaven | Thaiger

    Like maggots from heaven

    PATTAYA: Caught out with a full bladder on his way home after a fishing trip, squid fisherman Singha Sangnuam, 26, met an unexpected sight when he stopped to relieve himself against a tree in Banglamung on September 24. Part way through his business, something dropped from the branches and landed with a thud right in front of him. A cloud…

  • Holy cow? | Thaiger

    Holy cow?

    SRISAKET: Villagers in Srisaket’s Khun Han district have been flocking to pay their respects to the body of a buffalo calf that not only looked human, but also had the superhuman ability to transmit the winning numbers in the upcoming lottery draw. The calf was born at 2 pm on September 22 to a female buffalo belonging to farmers Yim…

  • Phuket Carnival marks high season arrival

    Phuket Carnival marks high season arrival

    PATONG: The Phuket Carnival 2007 will take over the streets of Patong today through Saturday, marking the official launch of the high season with musical performances, parades, food and games and much more. The festival started at 7 am with an alms-giving ceremony at Loma Park. Commerce Minister Krerkkrai Jeerapat will preside over the official opening ceremony 6:30 pm tonight…

  • Thais miss out as FIVB tourney begins

    Thais miss out as FIVB tourney begins

    KARON: The world’s top women’s beach volleyball players took to the sands today as part of the Swatch FIVB Beach Volley World Tour 2007.After a closely-fought battle, Thais Manerat Udomchavee and Julaluk Radarong narrowly missed out on a place in the second qualifying round after losing 2-1 (21-16, 19-21, 15-12) to Dutch pairing Sanne Keizer and Mered de Vries.In hot…

  • Sarasin Bridge closed | Thaiger

    Sarasin Bridge closed

    TAH CHAT CHAI: The Sarasin Bridge was closed at 6 am today and traffic is being diverted until tomorrow so that preparations can be made for the opening scene of a Thai romantic comedy to be filmed on the bridge.Northbound traffic now joins the carriageway onto Thepkrasattri Bridge in front of the JW Marriott Phuket & Spa and continues using…

  • Police call for Kata Viewpoint streetlights | Thaiger

    Police call for Kata Viewpoint streetlights

    RAWAI: Chalong Police this morning urged Phuket Governor Niran Kalaynamit to co-ordinate with the Kata-Karon and Rawai municipalities to have more streetlights installed along the dark stretches of road near Kata Viewpoint in order to make the streets safer for nighttime motorists.Speaking at the Phuket Provincial Security Meeting this morning, Lt Col Suwat Kaewprom, deputy superintendent of Chalong Police Station,…

  • Patong tunnel idea given fresh impetus

    Patong tunnel idea given fresh impetus

    PATONG: The concept of building a tunnel between Kathu and Patong has been refloated and is being researched with an 80-million-baht feasibility study. Building the tunnel alone is already being estimated to cost as much as up to a billion baht. Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit told the Gazette that the Phuket Provincial Office held a meeting with the Highways Department…

  • Allegations of vote-buying under investigation | Thaiger

    Allegations of vote-buying under investigation

    THALANG: Accusations of vote-buying in the presidential election in the Srisoonthorn Administration Organization (OrBorTor) council election on October 7 are being investigated, including a vote recount, after official complaints were filed with the Phuket Election Commission (PEC) on October 5.Kraisri Kiewwan, chief administrator (Palad) of Srisoonthorn OrBorTor, told the Gazette that on October 5 a group of Srisoonthorn residents filed…