News
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Murder 101: lessons in killing
PHITSANULOKE: Region 6 police apprehended three members of a five-man gang in Phitsanuloke province who shot and killed at least three people and injured several others in at least 10 shooting incidents in Phichit and Phitsanuloke provinces. Among their victims were teachers, military personnel, secondary school students and even a little girl. In confessing to the shootings, the suspects –…
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Officials monitor Singapore Sars case
PHUKET: Officials are monitoring the progress of a new case of Sars in Singapore in case precautionary measures again become necessary for direct flights from the island-nation to Phuket. A 27-year-old post-graduate student in Singapore has contracted the virus and 25 other people who had been in contact with him have been quarantined. While the case brought back memories of…
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Motorcycle theft gang nabbed
PHUKET TOWN : Police have cracked a gang involved in stealing motorcycles over the past several months with the arrest of seven young men and a young woman early today. Announcing the arrests this afternoon, Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, expressed frustration with the legal system. “Because of the softness of the punishment these days,…
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One-year stay financial threshold to double
BANGKOK: A high-ranking official in the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok has confirmed that the minimum financial requirements for any foreign man wishing to apply for a one-year permit to stay on the basis of being married to a Thai will double from July 10 next year. Currently, a foreign man married to a Thai woman may obtain a one-year permit…
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Protesters seek power for the people
PHUKET TOWN: More than 200 villagers protested today at Phuket Provincial Hall about the lack of adequate electric power for their homes in a small community off Chao Fa East Rd in Chalong. About 1,000 people live in 570 dwellings at Kok Tanode, also known as Chalermprakiat, without permanent electricity, Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi was told when he met a…
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10 Indonesian fishermen nabbed
AO MAKHAM: Ten Indonesian fishermen are being held at Phuket Provincial Prison after being arrested on Saturday night for fishing illegally in Thai waters. The two fishing boats the men were crewing were seized after being intercepted by two patrol craft from the Third Fleet, Royal Thai Navy, about 30 kilometers from Koh Racha Yai. Thai fishermen alerted authorities to…
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Stolen coral seized but gang flees
RAWAI: More than 400 pieces of stolen coral were returned to the sea today after police interrupted a gang transferring it from a boat to land on Saturday night. Marine Police were given a tip-off that the gang would be landing their contraband at Rawai at 10 pm. When the officers arrived, they saw four people moving the coral to…
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Dolphin, whale die on beaches
PHUKET: Monsoon storms are probably to blame for the deaths of a young dolphin found on Mai Khao Beach and a whale found at Koh Racha Yai. The 1.7-meter spinner dolphin was discovered by staff of the JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa at 4 pm yesterday. Supot Chantrapornsyl, Marine Biologist at the Phuket Marine Biology Center, told the Gazette…
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Finance Minister has high hopes for growth
CHERNG TALAY: Suchart Jaovisidha, Thailand’s Minister of Finance, today annnounced that he expects steady economic growth in the Asian region for the rest of the year. “We are pleased that, despite a weak international environment due in part to the Sars outbreak and the war in Iraq, which affected the first half of the year, we expect the region to…
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Chanote title project underway soon
PHUKET TOWN: As part of a national campaign to standardize land ownership titles, people who have property deeds other than Chanote have been asked to contact the Phuket Provincial Land Office (PPLO). Thailand’s Land Department is currently undertaking a survey of the entire country and, starting in the 2004-2005 budget year, will launch a drive to upgrade all land papers…
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Thaksin vows to end “evil’ in Thailand
PHUKET TOWN: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday that he would bring an end to “evil” in Thailand through the government’s current campaign against “dark influences”. Speaking at a top-level meeting focused on crushing Thailand’s “dark influences” and drug problems, PM Thaksin said, “I will bring an end to the evil.” He added, “[Currently] 35% of all businesses [in Thailand]…
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PM praises Phuket to Apec ministers
PHUKET: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra praised Phuket in his keynote address to delegates attending the opening session of the 10th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Finance Ministers’ Meeting today. “Apart from attending this Apec meeting, I hope you will also have the opportunity to experience some Thai culture and the astounding beauty of Phuket, Thailand’s largest and most renowned island,”…
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American, 61, found dead in Karon
KARON: Police are searching for a Thai woman who may be able to throw light on the circumstances surrounding the death of 61-year-old American citizen David Lee Dilley, whose body was found yesterday. The woman, Nanthira Srimuang, from Ubon Ratchathani province, has not been seen since Mr Dilley’s body was discovered at the couple’s rented house on Patak Rd, Karon,…
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Thaksin arrives for Apec meeting
PHUKET: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in Phuket late this afternoon, direct from Brunei, to preside over tomorrow’s opening ceremonies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Finance Ministers’ Meeting at the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket. This evening the Prime Minister is due to meet with governors and senior police officers from the 14 southern provinces. The meeting, at the…
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Land activist denies Apec protest rumors
PHUKET TOWN: Land rights activist Uthai Suksirisamphan has strongly denied rumors that he would lead farmers holding SorPorKor 4-01 land papers in an anti-government demonstration during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meetings currently being held in Phuket. Speaking at a press conference at his Phanthep Land and House Co offices on Mae Luan Rd yesterday morning, K. Uthai confirmed that…
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Fake goods raids continue
PATONG: Two fake goods vendors were caught and imitation brand-name goods with a street value of 1 million baht were seized in raids last night, Tharadol Thongruang, Deputy Director of Phuket Commercial Affairs Office, told the Gazette today. The 1,000 items seized included fake Levi, Lacoste, Calvin Klein, Camel and Polo brands. One vendor selling fake goods on Soi Bangla…
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HRH the Crown Prince to visit Phuket
PHUKET TOWN: HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will visit Phuket later this month to officiate at the opening ceremony of the new Phuket Provincial Court building. On September 12 at 5 pm His Royal Highness will lay a foundation stone and unveil a plaque to officially open the building.
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Deadbeat vehicle owners urged to pay taxes
PHUKET: The Chief of the Phuket Land Transportation Office (PLTO) has reported that his office is owed a staggering 141 million baht in overdue vehicle tax, more than half of it due from motorcycle owners. PLTO Chief Prasit Amrapal revealed the numbers at the regular Governor’s press conference at the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office yesterday, and urged those in…
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Ombudsman “works for all’
PHUKET TOWN: Anyone in Thailand – including foreigners living here or visiting the country – may take complaints of malfeasance by government officials to the Ombudsman, a seminar was told today. Pramote Chotimongkol, General Secretary to the Ombudsman, said, “Whenever action or inaction by government employees causes harm, damage or injustice to an individual or to the general public, the…
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Police nab four highwaymen
PHUKET TOWN: Officers arrested four men from a gang of seven who have been terrorizing people on motorbikes on roads in Kathu and Phuket Town for the past two months, threatening their victims with long “Sparta” blades. Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, said today at a press conference that since July police had received no…
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Overseas calls, Internet costs to be slashed?
PHUKET TOWN: The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) wants to drastically reduce the cost of overseas calls and high-speed Internet connections in Phuket, ICT Minister Surapong Suebwonglee said yesterday. Acknowledging complaints by IT-related companies in Phuket that connection costs are too high, Dr Surapong said that he would talk with the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) and other…
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Watch out for strangers, says Wan Nor
PHUKET: Interior Minister Wan Muhamad Nor Matha today urged local people to be on the lookout for strangers in their communities. Some of these people, he said, might be posing as relatives or friends of community members in order to avoid staying at hotels because of current increased security checks. “I have told Governor Pongpayome [Vasaputi] to tell local community…
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Man killed in karaoke brawl
THALANG: A young man died after being stabbed and stomped in a brawl with six others in front of a karaoke bar on Srisoontorn Rd last night. Pol Lt Col Whuttichai Chumput, Deputy Superintendent of Thalang Police Station, told the Gazette that the victim was Winai Yumduang, a 21-year-old factory worker. Col Whuttichai said witnesses had told police that K.…
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Phuket set to raise “tough on drugs’ flag
PHUKET TOWN: Police checks on former drug dealers and users are likely to be followed by Phuket being declared “a province strongly opposed to illegal drugs,” Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi said yesterday. All being well, the declaration will be made on November 1, the Governor said, a month ahead of the national government’s deadline of December 2 in the…
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Scaled-down dog pound gets go-ahead
THALANG: The four-rai mega-pound for stray dogs at the Bang Kanoon forestry plantation in Thalang has been approved, Sunart Wongchawalit, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office (PPLO), told the Gazette today. Construction will start soon and the pound, which will cost about 2 million baht to build, is expected to open in November, he said. “[The site] is far…
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Silver medal student feted in Phuket
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket student Nawanol Theera’ampornpan returned to Phuket from the International Science Olympiad in the United States today with a silver medal for computer sciences. Nawanol, 18, from Phuket Wittayalai School, was one of four students who represented Thailand in the competition, held in Wisconsin. A student band and about 50 friends greeted him with music, cheers and garlands…
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Movies, porn nabbed in raid
PATONG: Officers led by the Deputy Commander of Phuket Provincial Police, Pol Col Apirak Hongtong, seized fake and smuggled goods valued at 1 million baht in raids in Patong last night. The haul consisted of 4,500 foreign movie and music CDs and 100 porn film VCDs. The owner of the shop, on the beach road, was arrested. Three other shops…
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New bus station gets green light
PHUKET TOWN: A new terminus for long-haul buses will be built on 10 rai of land near the Tesco-Lotus supercenter, Samroeng Chaisorn, Vice-President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), told the Gazette today. “Phuket OrBorJor will provide the 38-million-baht budget,” K. Samroeng said, adding that construction is expected to start in October, when the funds come through, though a…
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Sharp rise in tourism predicted
SYDNEY: Asia will see strong performance in aviation, travel and tourism in the final quarter this year, according to an industry report just released. While Thailand is not singled out, the report says Asia has made an “unexpectedly rapid recovery” from the Sars virus scare and accelerated air traffic should ensure a “very positive” outlook. Pent-up demand should drive the…
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Diamond Cliff row “must be solved fast’
PHUKET TOWN: Conflicts between hotel workers and their employers should be resolved quickly in the interests of the Phuket tourism industry, a conference heard today. Union leaders and other interested parties met for the first time to discuss worker-boss relations in the island’s increasingly unionized hotel industry. A focus of their attention was a dispute at the Diamond Cliff Resort…
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