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Nation takes stake in Phuket Gazette, joins board of directors
PHUKET: Pana Janviroj and Prasert Lekavanichkajorn have joined the board of directors of The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd following the acquisition of a 19.7% interest in the local newspaper by the Nation Multimedia Group Pcl (NMG). Khun Pana is editor of ‘The Nation’ and Khun Prasert is the paper’s chief operating officer. With a Master’s Degree in economics from Tuft’s…
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A glorious act of philanthropy
PATONG: Any person whose face matches a photocopy of one of the passports seized in Haad Yai last week can claim 10,000 baht and a handwritten chit to reclaim the passport in Bangkok from a man waiting on Thaweewong Rd. Clutching his belt pouch tight, the philanthropist, who identified himself only as “Mr May”, said he will give 10,000 baht…
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Eco-tour firms protest tuk tuk ‘bullies&’
PHUKET TOWN: About 70 staff from five eco-tour companies gathered in front of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office on Phuket Rd last night to protest the “bullying” behavior of tuk tuk drivers in the Kata-Karon area. The protest blocked traffic for about an hour. Anupharb Thirarath, director of the TAT Phuket office, was handed a letter by the…
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Employers turn in 126 “unemployables’
PHUKET: In the latest development of the government’s crackdown on illegal aliens, 126 Burmese have been rounded up and will be shipped back to Burma within the next few days. Phuket Immigration made the arrests after tip-offs from Phuket employers. Three days ago, police publicly urged employers to tell police of any Burmese who are not fit to work as…
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Another runaway bus on Patong Hill
PATONG: Twenty-six people were injured yesterday afternoon when a bus careered off the road and into a wall at the bottom of Patong Hill. Aboard the bus belonging to Chiang Mai tour company Udom Tour were 39 Thai passengers, aged from 40-60, who were on a 10-day tour of the South. Pol Serg Maj Suthep Sukeaw, of Kathu Police Station,…
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Rush to solve Laguna dispute
PHUKET TOWN: Thalang District Chief Kanthee Silapa yesterday set himself a deadline of three weeks from now to report his findings on the dispute over whether Thai Wah Development, Laguna Resorts and Hotels’ parent company, had encroached on government land. K. Kanthee announced his deadline – April 20 – at a meeting at Provincial Hall, which was attended by representatives…
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B2m damage in three-home blaze
PHUKET TOWN: A kitchen fire raged out of control and gutted three units of a two-story townhouse complex in Moo Baan Karn Kaeha yesterday afternoon. Total damage is estimated at more than 2 million baht. Five firefighters took nearly one hour to put out the blaze. No injuries were reported. The fire started in the kitchen of one of the…
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Koreans can be interpreters, not guides – Gov
PHUKET TOWN: In response to a long-standing dispute between Thai guides and Korean tour operators, Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi yesterday announced that 99 Korean nationals will be allowed to register as tour-guide interpreters. The announcement was made at a meeting, attended by local government officials and Korean tour operators, which was arranged to resolve months of conflict. The conflict arose…
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Immigration scandal officer to be prosecuted
BANGKOK: Investigations into the corruption scandal at the Patong Immigration Office have already nailed one officer, according to a highly-placed source in the Immigration Department in Bangkok. The source, who requested anonymity, told the Gazette today, “One Immigration officer [from Phuket] has been found to have behaved incorrectly. We will be bringing criminal charges against him. “Another officer is still…
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Burglars rob MP’s company of B1m
PHUKET TOWN: Burglars on Saturday night broke into exporting company Jianvanich Office, of which Phuket Democrat MP Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr is Managing Director, and stole cash and jewelry worth about 1 million baht. Pol Lt Parichat Jaturonphant, of Phuket Town Police Station, told the Gazette that at 11:30 yesterday morning, Apirak Vanich, 37, the company’s manager and K. Anchalee’s younger brother,…
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Lucky Complex operator out of luck
PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) has taken back management of the abandoned Lucky Complex in Saphan Hin after the company in charge of running it failed to pay rent on the building for more than two years. OrBorJor officials, including the president, Dr Prasit Koeysiripong, went to inspect the Lucky Complex on Saturday, shortly after the OrBorJor…
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Patong to get power boost
PATONG: To reduce the number of unscheduled blackouts in Patong, the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) has installed a new substation opposite the Holiday Inn on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd. The substation – which has yet to be hooked up to the town’s power supply – has the capacity to boost power supply in the area from 33 kilovolts to…
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Patong Municipality moves house
PATONG: Patong Municipality moved into its luxurious new offices on Ratpatanusorn Rd this morning. Yongyuth Wichaidith, Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Interior, chaired the opening ceremony, which included the traditional blessing of the buildings by Buddhist monks. The new location comprises three buildings on 6.5 rai of land, built at a total cost of 58.2 million baht. The main Municipality…
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Long-tail owners win klong dispute
BANG TAO: Following a protest by local long-tail boat owners, the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) has ordered a halt to a land modification project by a local landowner. The protest, by Bang Tao boetmen, came after the landowner started filling in the klong, apparently intending to shift the course of the canal so that he could expand his…
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Immigration Dept: corruption exposed
PHUKET: A major investigation has been launched into the activities of Immigration officers in Patong after the seizure of some 40 passports in Haad Yai in recent days. The passports were on their way back from Malaysia after being sent for “visa run” renewals and are now in the possession of the Immigration Department in Bangkok. Among those whose passports…
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Cool relief blows across Phuket
PHUKET: After months of searing heat and little rain, blessedly cool weather reached Phuket today – but the relief will probably last no longer than 36 hours. Tawat Tantamanu of the Southwestern Regional Meteorological Center told the Gazette that the drop in temperature was caused by a low-pressure system moving up from Malaysia. “It has brought clouds and showers this…
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Mob blocks Laguna entrance
CHERNG TALAY: About 300 villagers from Cherng Talay blocked the entrance to Laguna Phuket today to protest over a variety of grievances against the operators of the five-star resort complex. The mob blocked hotel cars, taxis and buses, with the result that resort guests arriving or departing were forced to carry their bags through the picket lines. The protest started…
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Cobra tale ‘poisonous nonsense&’ – Super Cheap
PHUKET TOWN: The Managing Director of Phuket Town’s famed Super Cheap emporium admitted to being furious today about what he sees as a venomous whispering campaign, probably inspired by business rivals. The story going the rounds yesterday and today was that a 40-year-old woman shopping at Super Cheap went to take onions from a display in the vegetables section. As…
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Shark: Will it? Won’t it?
PATONG: Reports that the Shark Club will reopen soon continue to surface – but so far none of the reports appears to have teeth. Earlier rumors that the club would reopen did, however, spark a visit to the venue in the early hours of Friday by the Chief of Kathu District, Suthin Uthaithamrong. K. Suthin told the Gazette that he…
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Play fair, Songkhran revelers told
PHUKET: Police have issued a list of instructions to prevent next month’s Songkhran revels from getting out of hand. The list came with a plea from Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, for people to indulge in traditional water play from April 13 to April 15 without drunkenness or lewdness. In past years, people’s clothes have…
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Walking street project postponed
PHUKET TOWN: The launch of the “Seven Wonders of Phuket” project planned for April 7 has been postponed until April 21. The project aims to attract visitors to the town’s historical areas with activities supporting a “Seven Wonders” theme, and by turning Thalang Rd into a pedestrian-only zone on Sundays. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is expected to preside over the…
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Phuket ax man kills, then flees
PHUKET TOWN: A fierce argument between two laborers ended when one hacked the other to death with an ax, then fled. Police are still hunting for the killer. Officers were called to a construction camp in Sakdidet Soi 9 soon after 10 pm on Wednesday where they found a man, dressed only in blue jeans, with deep wounds at the…
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Mutilated body washed up in mangroves
THALANG: Police have no clues in the hunt for a killer or killers who disemboweled a man and dumped his mutilated body at sea. The body washed up among mangroves near the Fishery Center at Moo 4, Baan Laem Sai, where villagers found it about 6 pm yesterday. The victim’s throat had been slashed with such force that his head…
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Shark rumor sparks official check
PATONG: Government officials checked the Shark Club last night after hearing a rumor that the venue, closed permanently on the orders of Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi, was planning to reopen tomorrow night. Chief of the Phuket Provincial Governor’s office Lertkiat Vongpuaphan visited the Shark Club in Patong to investigate the rumors, an officer in the Governor’s office told the Gazette.…
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Injunction slapped on editors’ assets probe
BANGKOK (The Nation): The Administrative Court has issued an injunction on a money-laundering investigation into journalists critical of the government, pending its review of the matter. Senior journalists of Nation Multimedia Group (NMG), who had petitioned the court for the injunction, hailed the decision as a symbolic gesture by the judges and a strong message upholding press freedom. “This court’s…
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Briton drowns at Patong Beach
PATONG: A British man who had been living in Phuket for 10 years drowned at Patong Beach today. Police named him as Anthony Lord, 71, of Soi Sainamyen, Patong. Mr Lord appeared to get into difficulties about 10.15 am and although other swimmers raced to his aid, they were unable to save him. Pol Maj Sanguan Muangtham, Inspector of Kathu…
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German tourist dies of head injuries
KAMALA: A 40-year-old German tourist was found dead on a stairway with severe head injuries early this morning. Police believe his death was accidental but have not ruled out foul play. Police named the man as Peter Otto, of Kamala Buri Guesthouse. Other guests heard what sounded like Mr Otto’s door opening about 4 am, and then heard someone falling…
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Metered cabs to start April 1
PHUKET: Metered yellow and blue taxis will be cruising Phuket’s streets from April 1, says the proprietor of the private company starting the service. Tawatchai Meeniam, Managing Director of Phuket Metered Taxi Service Co, told the Gazette today that he hopes to start with five taxis, all of them new Mitsubishi Lancers. Fares for the 24-hour service will be 30…
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Riddle of the frozen fisherman
RASSADA: Police believe a Filipino tuna boat crewman, whose body parts were kept in a freezer after a fatal incident at sea last month, died accidentally. After the “Hong Swun Ju” docked at Rassada on Sunday morning, the captain, Hsu Kuo-Ho, 52, told Phuket Town police what happened. He said that while fishing in international waters on February 24, he…
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Weapons of war found in Patong
PATONG: A sack of hand grenades, guns and ammunition found near a hotel in Patong has sparked a police hunt for whoever dumped the dangerous weapons. Police received a telephone call at about 6pm on Thursday, alerting them to the discarded sack of munitions found near the Patong Palace Hotel on the Patong-Karon Road. Inside the bag were two grenades,…
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