News
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Prison population down slightly
PHUKET TOWN: The number of people being held in Phuket’s overcrowded Provincial Prison has fallen over the past month, from 1,247 at the end of March to 1,194 today. Of 1,194 prisoners, 491 men and 105 women are in for drug offenses. Of the remainder, 220 are held for theft; 138 for murder or attempted murder; 50 for sexual assault…
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Police net teenage bike thieves
PHUKET TOWN: In a series of raids on Tuesday night and Wednesday, police arrested five teenagers involved in motorcycle thefts. The first two arrests were the result of police undercover investigation of young people with criminal records after a recent spate of motorcycle thefts in Phuket Town. Officers first staked out the homes of two boys, one 13 and the…
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Teen killed in road rage fight
PHUKET TOWN: After an extreme case of road rage, a 21-year-old man confessed to stabbing a 17-year-old boy to death on Monday. At about 5 pm Monday, police rushed to the home of Jakrit Preechakorn, 17, on Soi Hab Ake off Phuket Rd, after Jakrit’s relatives called to say the boy had been stabbed. Pol Capt Chokchai Suttimek of the…
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Big soccer not coming here yet – FIFA
KATA: Worawi Makudi, an executive committee member of soccer’s international ruling body, FIFA, yesterday said that Phuket was still a long way from hosting international-standard soccer matches. K. Worawi, who is also the General Assistant of the Thai Football Association (TFA), said, “The soccer fields here are not up to international standards, and many changes will have to be made…
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Fisherman murdered on boat
PHUKET TOWN: A man believed to have been a Burmese fisherman was found murdered yesterday morning on the fishing boat “Thavorn 4” at the Sri Sena fishing port. Pol Lt Parichat Jaturonphan of Phuket Town Police Station told the Gazette that crew on the boat found the victim lying on his back in their sleeping quarters. He was wearing a…
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Dead foreigner identified
PATONG: Police yesterday announced that they had identified the man found dead in a derelict Patong building on Sunday as 60-year-old Bjorn Ola Ingemar Ahlin, from Sweden. Pol Lt Col Supamit Sukjaroen, Inspector of Tourist Police, told the Gazette that officers yesterday identified Mr Ahlin’s body after questioning staff at hotels in Patong and Karon about any guests who had…
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Move to close cruise company
PHUKET: Officials today moved to have Lifestyle in Asia – the company at the center of the “sex cruises” scandal – struck off as a registered tourism business. The move comes after allegations that one of the company’s boats was illegally registered, and after a raid on the company’s offices that allegedly uncovered pornographic videos and sex “toys”. Prachuab Tangka-arree,…
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Police peep into Peep Inn
PHUKET TOWN: Police seized pornographic VCDs and arrested three employees after a raid on the Peep Inn hotel on Rattanakosin 200 Pi Rd yesterday afternoon. Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi and Vice Governor Manit Wattanasen led police officers on the raid on what they termed a “love hotel”. Officers seized 52 pornographic VCDs, a television and a VCD player. Three hotel…
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Cruises probe: porn videos found, boat seized
PHUKET: Tourist police have uncovered more evidence they believe links Lifestyle in Asia Co and its managing director, William Anthony Ranauro, to an alleged sex cruise operation promoted on a website, www.loveboatcruises.net. The website has been inaccessible since Saturday, 20 April. Pol Maj Supamit Sukjaroen, Inspector of the Phuket Tourist Police, told the Gazette that investigators conducted a second search…
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Police appeal for information on dead man
PATONG: Police have appealed for information to help them identify a Caucasian man found dead yesterday evening in an abandoned building on Thaweewong Rd. Pol Maj Sanguan Muangtam of the Kathu Police station said that police believe the man was between 40 and 45 years of age. He was about 175 cm tall, with blond hair and a mustache, and…
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Seven Wonders festival opens
PHUKET TOWN: Deputy Prime Minister Pitak Intrawitayanun presided over the opening of the Seven Wonders of Phuket festival on Sunday, during which Thalang Rd, in the oldest part of the town, was turned into a walking street. About 1,000 people turned up to take part in or watch activities along the road, which included a bicycle rally in the morning,…
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Patong Municipality pawnshop set to open
PATONG: The Patong Municipality is set to open its new pawnshop on Ratpatanusorn Rd on May 1 – Labor Day – as part of a nationwide initiative by the Ministry of Interior to give people access to low-cost financing through their municipalities. Sakorn Cheua-yuan, Deputy Mayor of Patong, said, “This is a good chance for people living in Patong to…
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Sex cruise&’ raid is a bust
PHUKET TOWN: A high-profile raid today on the offices of tour cruise operator Lifestyle in Asia Co Ltd turned up no evidence to support a connection between the company and a web site promoting exclusive sex tours in Phuket. The intention of the raid was to turn up evidence that Lifestyle in Asia was running cruises advertised at the web…
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Thalang Rd to close at midnight
PHUKET TOWN: The section of Thalang Rd between Thepkrasattri Rd and Montri Rd will be closed at midnight tonight to allow organizers to build a stage for the first Seven Wonders of Phuket festival on Sunday. Pol Lt Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen, Deputy Superintendent of Phuket Police Station, told the Gazette that a section of Deebuk Rd near the intersection with…
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Plea for bigger police budget
PHUKET: Benjapol Thongton, a member of Phuket’s Public Committee of Inquiry into Police Affairs, today called for Phuket’s police to be given a larger budget. K. Benjapol made his plea at a three-hour meeting of the committee chaired by Pol Gen Soonthorn Saikwan, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, at Phuket Town Police Station. “The committee and police are…
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Couple urged to call Brit embassy
BANGKOK: The British Embassy is keen to make contact with Stacey Paige and Phil Bennet, who are reportedly in the Phuket region. They are asked to call Fiona at the Embassy’s Consular Section, Tel: 02-3058333.
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FIFA President heading for Phuket
PHUKET: Sepp Blatter, president of soccer’s international ruling body, FIFA, will be the guest of honor at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) conference at the Kata Beach Resort later this month, the Gazette learned today. Eam Thavornvongwongse, Director of the Kata Group of Hotels, said that the conference of the AFC – FIFA’s administrative organization for Asia – will be…
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Appeal for information on two foreigners
PHUKET: The Chief of Phuket Immigration Police has appealed to the public for information on two foreign men who both disappeared a few weeks ago after separate strange incidents at the Kata Beach Resort. Pol Col Apirak Hongtong, Superintendent of the Phuket Immigration office, said police want to talk to a man, thought to be named Morris and believed to…
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Elderly Japanese dies on coral tour
PHUKET: Japanese tourist Akira Yamagida, 67, died while on a coral sightseeing tour at Koh Hei on Sunday. Pol Maj Jasada Sangsuri, of Chalong Police Station, told the Gazette yesterday that Mr Yamagida was swimming with his friend Yasuhiro Yamauchi, 56, and two other tourists just five meters off a Koh Hei beach at about midday. After they had been…
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Three dead, 311 injured during Songkran
PHUKET: Three people were killed in traffic accidents in Phuket during the four-day Songkran holiday, according to statistics from the island’s hospitals. The Phuket Provincial Health Office reported that all of the victims died in motorcycle accidents, and all were confirmed to have been under the influence of alcohol. In the same period, 311 people were injured on the roads.…
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Water shortage imminent, says Mayor
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket Town Mayor Phummisak Hongsyok has warned that Phuket faces a shortage of water within five years, and that not enough is being done to solve the problem. At a press conference yesterday the Mayor complained that Phuket’s infrastructure is not being developed to keep up with the increasing demand from local residents and tourists. “Phuket is a…
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Solution proposed for mangrove encroachment
PHUKET: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has proposed assigning small plots of public land to poor people in order to stop further encroachment into Phuket’s dwindling mangrove forests. Gov Pongpayome said in a recent announcement that he had received several complaints about families setting up homes in the mangroves of Phuket. To solve the problem, he recommends building small “villages” with…
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Girls, 13 and 14, busted for ya bah
THALANG: Marine Police officers arrested a 13-year-old girl Tuesday afternoon after she picked up a package containing ya bah (methamphetamine) and heroin from the Thalang post office. Police had received a tip-off alleging that the girl, who was accompanied by a 14-year-old girl friend, was acting as a drug courier for her father, Usman. Police watched her movements for several…
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150 queue to wish Gov Happy New Year
PHUKET TOWN: About 150 Thais and foreigners, including government officers, local politicians and business leaders, gathered at the Governor’s Mansion on Narisorn Rd this morning to take part in the traditional exchange of New Year blessings with Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi and his wife, Mantana. Phuket’s three Vice Governors were the first in a long queue of well-wishers to…
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Boat safety boost for Songkhran
PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said yesterday it will be stepping up boat safety measures during this year’s Songkhran festival. Napasorn Kakai, Assistant Director of the local office of the TAT, said that arrangements have been made for officers from the Phuket Harbor Office, the Marine Police and the Tourist Police to be stationed…
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American diver dies in cave
KRABI: The Royal Thai Navy today returned to Phuket with the body of American tourist Jeffrey S. Gall, 48, who disappeared March 25 while diving in a cave off Koh Ha Yai. Pol Lt Col Prasopchai Bunluesil, Deputy Superintendent of Phuket Marine Police, told the Gazette today that Mr Gall was on vacation with his wife, staying on Phi Phi…
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Meatball vendor killed in robbery
THALANG: The body of a meatball vendor was found by villagers at the side of Thepkrasattri Rd last night. Police believe he was killed in the course of a robbery. The man has been identified as 38-year-old Charoon Sura, a resident of Thalang. Pol Maj Pornthep Phutluecha of Thalang Police Station told the Gazette that villagers called police at about…
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Bike Week off to a roaring start
PHUKET: About 200 bikers rumbled around Phuket today as part of the 8th annual Phuket Bike Week. Hundreds of big bike enthusiasts from all over the country and from overseas have been arriving over the past few days for the six-day festival in Phuket. Yesterday evening, Rat-U-Thit 200 Phi Rd in Patong was jammed with big bikes for a welcome…
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Health Chief in plea for safe Songkhran
PHUKET: Dr Wanchai Sattayawutthipong, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Health Office, has urged people to be particularly careful on Phuket’s roads during this year’s Songkhran festival. Citing statistics showing the rising numbers of dead and injured during the period in each successive year, Dr Wanchai urged everyone to take care when driving, to use safety belts or helmets, and not…
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“Women auction parties’ report denied
PHUKET: Col Apirak Hongtong, Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Police, yesterday emphatically denied a newspaper report alleging that regular parties are held in Phuket at which Thai women are auctioned off to foreigners. His comments followed the publishing of a front-page article on Thursday in a local Thai newspaper. The paper named Col Apirak as its source for the story. Col…
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