News
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A feast for franchisees
PHUKET TOWN: The third Franchise B2B Thailand event will be held at The Metropole hotel on December 9 and 10, organized by the Department of Business Development. During the event there will be more than 70 Thai food and beverage and service franchises present to meet with potential franchisees. There will also be a seminar with lectures covering different topics…
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New Pay at Post service
PHUKET: The Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) has launched a service called Pay at Post, under which customers can pay various bills and traffic fines at any post office. Services – some at a fee of 40-50 baht – include annual vehicle tax payments, compulsory motor insurance, general vehicle insurance, third party insurance payment service, traffic fines, mobile phone services…
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Beauty in a million
PHUKET: The new Miss Andaman 2002, Waraporn “Oy” Ongkaloy, was crowned on Saturday night and received her prizes – one million baht, a pearl necklace, a pearl crown, and the chance to spend a year promoting the Andaman coast. K. Oy, 21, also won the titles of Miss Photogenic and Miss Popular, netting another 150,000 baht. For the next year…
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Shotgun slaying by after-dinner killer
THALANG: A dinner with family and friends ended in the execution-style shotgun murder of a local leader at Nai Thon last night. Somboon Panyawai, 44, Kamnan of Baan Saku, was blasted as he walked across the road to return to his car parked about 40 meters away. His wife was already in the car. Police believe the killer, waiting among…
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Bar closed over lewd show
PATONG: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has temporarily closed a go-go bar in Patong’s Soi Seadragon after complaints that a lewd and immoral show was performed there. Two Norwegian tourists took photographs to Kathu police as evidence of Norwegian women competing with Thai bar girls in what they described as a “shameful performance.” At first the Pink Panther bar was fined…
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World darts champ to take on island&’s best
PHUKET: British darts legend John Lowe is in Phuket and has thrown down the gauntlet to the island’s players to “send me your champion”. Four bars on the island – Heroes in Patong, the Whispering Cock in Cherng Talay, Duncan’s in Phuket Town and the Anchor Bar in Kata – are hosting preliminary rounds this week to sort out who…
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Sand sculpting a big draw despite rain
KARON: About 300 people gathered at Nong Harn yesterday and braved sporadic showers for the second Chula Phuket Sandsculpting Festival. More than 30 teams of five competed to make the best sand sculptures in four categories of entrants: school, college, hotels and the general public. Between 9 am and 3 pm, entrants took to the sand and made the best…
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Aussie, Canadian win triathlon
CHERNG TALAY: Australians once again had a strong showing in the annual Laguna Phuket Triathlon, even though last year’s men’s and women’s champions both failed to reclaim the top spots in this morning’s competition. Among the men, Craig Alexander of Australia took first place, followed by American Tim De Boom, while last year’s winner, Courtney Atkinson of Australia, finished third.…
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International boat show set for Phuket
PHUKET: An international boat show is to be held in Phuket at the end of next year. As well as being a venue for the boating industry, the Phuket International Marine Expo 2003 (PIMEX) will also showcase the Royal Phuket Marina Resort and Spa, which is due to be completed next year. Supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT),…
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Tourists secure, Gov tells Scandinavians
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi today reassured a group of visiting Scandanavian travel agents and print and TV journalists that Phuket was a secure destination for tourists. His visitors came from Denmark and Norway, which, after the Bali atrocity in October, were among the first countries to issue travel advisories warning their citizens to exercise extreme caution when…
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Immigration arrests drop substantially
PHUKET: The number of people arrested for illegal immigration dropped by more than half between October and November, police statistics show. Figures from November 1 to 25 show 95 people being arrested for illegal immigration, compared with 239 in the comparable period in October. Narcotics arrests and incidents remained about the same with 68 cases reported, and 93 arrests. This…
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Tourist drowns at Kamala
KAMALA: A 63-year-old Swiss tourist died in an ambulance on the way to hospital yesterday after being pulled from the sea at Kamala. Police named him as Alexander Jost, a regular visitor to the island who had been in Phuket on his latest visit since November 20. Pol Capt Narong Loypatumviroj, Inspector of Kathu Police Station, said that Thais and…
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Property expo in HK a roaring success
HONG KONG: The Phuket & Samui Property Exhibition held in Hong Kong on Friday, Saturday and Sunday was, on all counts, a major success. More than 1,000 potential property buyers attended the event at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center. There were 22 exhibitors. “The feedback’s been excellent,” said Bill Barnett, Deputy Managing Director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels…
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Taxis protest over airport ban
PHUKET TOWN: Fifteen drivers from the new metered taxi company Natong Phuket Co Ltd (NPC) gathered at Provincial Hall this morning to lodge a complaint with Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi after being refused entry to Phuket International Airport (PIA). NPC’s Managing Director Adul Lakman and 10 drivers spent an hour discussing the issue with the Governor and PIA Director Lt…
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Italian killed in head-on smash
KATHU: Italian Gian Piero Sala, 32, died when his motorbike was in a head-on collision with a pick-up truck on Wichit Songkram Rd early on Saturday morning. His Thai companion, who was riding pillion, was left in a coma. Pol Capt Kittipong Klaykaew, an inspector at Tung Tong Police Station, told the Gazette, “We rushed to the scene after receiving…
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Ya bah bust sets new record
MAI KHAO: Officers on Friday night made Phuket history with a record seizure of 20,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills with a street value of about 3 million baht. Speaking at a press conference at Provincial Hall on Saturday afternoon, Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi explained that the bust followed a three-month undercover investigation involving about 15 officers of the Border…
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Two murdered in stabbing attacks
PHUKET TOWN: Two men, both the victims of stabbing attacks, were found murdered at separate locations on Friday. Officers answering a call about 7 am found a body, dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, beside Si Sena Rd, near the Rassada port. Pol Capt Kaneuing Pitakkultorn of Phuket Town Police Station said a work permit card in the name…
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Rassada to become a municipality
RASSADA: The port of Rassada and the surrounding district will be upgraded from a Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) to a municipality (tessabaan) in order to allow it to deal more effectively with some of the issues facing the area. The quality of roads and tap water, as well as the need to prevent flooding, were among problems discussed when Phuket…
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New mayor pledges to boost “order’
PATONG: The new Mayor of Patong, Chalermsak Maneesri, has met with Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi to set priorities for the tourist town. With the Governor and the Mayor at Phuket Provincial Hall on November 21 were Somkiat Kwansuwan, Palad of Patong Municipality, and the new Patong executive team. The Governor told them that Patong was an important tourism destination…
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Health drive at Rawai
RAWAI: The We Love Rawai Club (WLRC) has launched a health and exercise project for people living in the tambon. About 200 people attended the opening ceremony of the program in Nai Harn yesterday. Weera Kaviset, president of special activities of the WLRC, said almost 100 people had already signed up to join the program, which will include aerobics from…
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Phuket rates high at world travel show
PHUKET: A big roadshow to London and Paris last week did not have to persuade travel agents that Phuket was a safe destination, it was announced today. Feedback was “fantastic” and another roadshow is being planned, this time to Japan, returning officials told the Gazette. Dr Prasit Koeysiripong, President of the Phuket Provincial Administratrion Organization (OrBorJor), said, “The president of…
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Tracking down a transport solution
PHUKET TOWN: Serious consideration is being given to an electric tram service around Phuket, Dr Prasit Koeysiripong, President of the Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) announced today. He said a group at Prince of Songkla University was researching the feasibility of introducing trams. “The next thing to do is to find a route for the service and to check whether land…
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OrBorJor launches website
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) has launched its own website, in Thai and English, at https://www.phuketcity.org Apart from general information about Phuket and the surrounding islands, the website also features information about the OrBorJor’s current and future projects, details about budget allocation, and links to other government websites. The website also provides visitors with an email address and…
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Submarine tangled in red tape
PHUKET: Plans to begin using a 48-passenger underwater vessel in Phuket this month have been postponed until May next year because of delays in gaining official approval. Surin Bamrungphol, Director of Phuket Submarine, told the Gazette “The Board of Investment took longer than we anticipated and the company that was selling us the submarine sold the vessel that was due…
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Wide interest in travel show
PHUKET: The 2nd Phuket and Andaman Travel Trade (PATT) show will be held at the Royal Phuket City Hotel on December 3 and 4 with the aim of helping to stimulate the market and introduce new tourism products such as adventure tourism, health & spa tourism, and agrotourism. Arranged by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Southern Office, Region 4, the…
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Chalermsak gets Patong mandate
PATONG: The newly-elected Mayor of Patong, Chalermsak Maneesri, began work today after winning Saturday’s poll easily, scoring 4,236 votes against 2,514 for his nearest rival, Pian Keesin. K. Chalermsak is the brother of former mayor Surasak Maneesri, who was ordered to stand aside as mayor and not permitted to run in the election because of allegations of impropriety. K. Surasak…
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US Marine sergeant jailed for rape
CALIFORNIA: The US Marine sergeant arrested for raping, maiming and trying to drown a US Navy petty officer in Phuket in May has been sentenced to 25 years in military prison. Thomas Wolf, 26, on November 13 pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder, rape and maiming, and two counts of assault in connection with the May 8 attack…
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King&’s Cup Regatta fast approaching
PHUKET: The 16th Phuket King’s Regatta begins two weeks from today, returning to Phi Phi for the first couple of days’ racing, before moving to the west coast of Phuket. This year’s fleet, at 70 boats registered by this morning (November 16) and with more expected to tumble in at the last minute, will be bigger than last year’s, offering…
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Auction expected to raise B400m
PHUKET TOWN: An auction of more than 100 Phuket properties on December 7 is expected to raise total bids of more than 400 million baht. The properties, forfeited to the Bangkok Bank because of non-payment of debts, include small hotels in Chalong and Phuket Town. The Legal Execution Department will run the auction, with the Bangkok Bank offering special credit…
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Health posse smoke out offenders
PHUKET: Dr Wanchai Sattayawutthipong, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO), and a team of PPHO officers this morning conducted the province’s first inspection of venues to enforce the smoking ban that came into effect on Friday. The inspection began at 9 am at Phuket International Airport. The two Caffe Retazza cafes attracted the team’s attentions with their “Smoking…
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