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Oil still leaking from sunken fishing boat off Koh Lipe
PHUKET CITY: Oil continues to rise to the surface from a sunken fishing vessel off the coast of Satun, endangering marine life and threatening the tourism industry of nearby Koh Lipe. Yesterday, Alee Suksuwan, head of the Satun Provincial Environmental Protection department, visited the site where oil continues to break the surface from the fuel tank of the vessel, which…
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Gov Wichai to push for reservoir at Kathu Waterfall
KATHU, PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Office will seek a budget from the central government to construct a new reservoir at Kathu Waterfall in order to solve chronic dry season drought problems in the area. On Monday, Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop toured the proposed project site, also a popular tourist destination. He was accompanied by Kathu District Chief Siripath Patakul, Kathu…
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PM confirms plan for Phuket to host Asean summit in June
PHUKET: The government has tentatively chosen Phuket to host the Asean summit with six dialogue partners from the Asia-Pacific region in June, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday. The summit, initially to be held from April 10-12, had to be canceled after it was stormed by red-shirt protesters in Pattaya. Dates for the next summit could not be fixed yet because several…
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Fisherman ends life by lethal injection with weed killer
RASSADA, PHUKET: A commercial fisherman allegedly cheated out of his pay by his employer ended his life yesterday morning by injecting himself with liquid weed killer. At 12:30pm on April 20, Phuket City Police duty inspector Pitak Sompong received a report from residents of Soi Hormok, off Srisuthat Road in Rassada Village 3, that they had found the body of…
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Holy hole
NONG KHAI: Villagers in Phon Phisai and neighbouring districts have been flocking to Tambon Soem to pay respect to a mysterious hole that appeared in a rice field shortly before Songkran. Residents of Village 9 told reporters that one morning earlier this month, after a day and a night of constant rain, they heard a loud bang – like that…
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PMBC treats injured 120kg green sea turtle
CAPE PANWA, PHUKET: Veterinarians at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) are treating an enormous green sea turtle whose carapace was cracked open by fishermen operating illegally in the waters off Rawai Beach. PMBC biologist Kanjana Adulyankosol, who heads the PMBC’s endangered species unit, said a team of officers from the Marine and Coastal Resources Department Region 5 office in…
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Phuket to host Asean summits
PHUKET: The abruptly suspended Asean Summit will be rescheduled in Phuket as soon as possible in an effort to restore foreign investors’ confidence in the country, Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Pollabutr has announced. Asean chief Surin Pitsuwan said on Friday that the summit would take place no later than early June. Mr Alongkorn said the Asean Economic Summit would be…
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PAD concert goes off without a hitch
SAPHAN HIN, PHUKET: Last night saw more than 30,000 yellow-shirted People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) followers gather in a show of support for injured leader Sondhi Limthongkul at the sold-out PAD 6th political concert, which was aired nationwide on ASTV. Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang, one of the PAD’s five core leaders, told the crowd he felt happy to see such…
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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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PAD concert to go on despite Sondhi shooting
SAPHAN HIN, PHUKET: The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) benefit concert will go on as scheduled tomorrow night, despite the shooting of PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul early this morning. Phuket PAD coordinator Aparat Chartchutikumjorn told the Gazette today that Mr Sondhi is now in a stable condition and able to speak after surgeons at Vajira Hospital in Bangkok successfully removed…
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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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Phuket Immigration open today
PHUKET CITY: All Immigration offices in Thailand are open and offering a full range of services today and tomorrow, despite Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva having declared the two days as an extended government holiday following anti-government protests in the capital and other parts of the country.The decision to open Immigration offices nationwide is meant to ease the burden on foreign…
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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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Big bikes a big boost to Phuket
PHUKET: Organizers of Phuket Bike Week have reported record-breaking attendance at this year’s event with about 7,000 bikers and enthusiasts making their way to the island from ‘chapters’ all over the world to take part in a variety of activities that were held between April 10 and 12. Events over the three days under the theme “Global Warming, Riding for Peace”,…
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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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Governor assigns deputies to oversee Songkran checkpoints
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop has assigned three of his vice-governors to oversee checkpoint inspections on the island during the Songkran holiday period. Worapoj Ratthasima will be responsible for Muang District, Tri Augkaradacha for Thalang District and Smith Palawatvichai for Kathu District. Gov Wichai made the announcement outside Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday. As well as the nine primary checkpoints previously…
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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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Poor communities protest at Provincial Hall
PHUKET: A crowd of several hundred people from poor communities in Phuket gathered in the grounds of Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday morning to demand swift action be taken by the Phuket Governor to improve living conditions in their communities. The sit-in was organized by the ’30 Communities Network’, which comprises poor communities in Phuket, including the Pla Katak Pattana Community…
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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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