Phuket
ENGLISH FOOTBALL ROUNDUP: Man City draw on recent memory for New Year title fight

PHUKET (Reuters): Champions Manchester City go into 2013 facing a daunting seven-point deficit on Premier League leaders Manchester United and a testing encounter against stubborn Stoke City on Tuesday.
Roberto Mancini’s side ended the year which delivered their first Premier League title with a gritty 4-3 triumph over Norwich City, proving their high-profile players also have the mettle for a fight.
It’s early days in the long title run-in, but United, who travel to Wigan Athletic on New Year’s Day, are traditionally strong in the second half of the campaign.
Mancini, however, does not need to trawl the memory banks too far for inspiration as United threw away an eight-point advantage with only six games left to play last season.
“We showed we are there for the title,” Mancini said after his team displayed their steely core to beat Norwich despite Samir Nasri’s sending-off just before halftime.
“We won’t leave this title easily and will fight every game. With 10 players the guys were fantastic. For us, now it is not important to look at the table.
“We only need to work, to win as many games in a row as we can, and maybe in February we will look again at the table.”
Stoke’s trench-warfare approach may not win many plaudits from the aesthetically minded but they will certainly provide City with a physical challenge.
They are one of the Premier League’s most resilient teams and have gone 10 matches without defeat after clawing back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with Southampton on Saturday.
They are far from the league’s best travellers, however, having won only once away from home all season, and will be without suspended midfielder Steven N’Zonzi.
Defensive Reinforcements
United, who kept a clean sheet for the first time in seven matches in the 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, should be able to call on defensive reinforcements in Phil Jones and Rafael for the trip to Wigan.
Jones missed last week’s victory over Newcastle United after picking up a knock in the draw at Swansea last weekend, while Rafael has not featured since the Manchester derby this month because of a hamstring strain.
United’s 1-0 defeat at Wigan late last season was a major factor in their failure to win the title but it was their first Premier League loss to their north-west neighbours in 16 matches.
Two teams enjoying a renaissance following mid-season wobbles are Arsenal and Chelsea who have both won their last four league games.
Chelsea, who play Queens Park Rangers on Wednesday, should prove too strong for the league’s bottom club, having tightened up at the back under interim manager Rafael Benitez.
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is doubtful, having been withdrawn at halftime in Sunday’s 2-1 comeback win over Everton with a strained leg muscle, and there will be no John Terry who continues his recovery from a knee injury.
There was little sign of tightening up at the back for Arsenal as they shipped three goals against Newcastle on Saturday, but it mattered little as the Gunners showcased their full attacking armoury to find the net seven times.
Next up for Arsenal is a trip to Southampton where contract rebel Theo Walcott began his professional career.
Walcott, handed the central striking berth he craves, evoked memories of former Arsenal great Thierry Henry with a hat-trick that underlined his importance to the club and left manager Arsene Wenger hoping his contract impasse is swiftly resolved.
“My desire is to extend his contract; he belongs here and hopefully we can do it,” the Frenchman said.
Fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur will be without Gareth Bale at home to Reading after the Wales winger picked up his fifth booking of the season and third for diving in the last month.
Ninth-placed Liverpool, whose spirits were raised following a 3-0 win at QPR on Sunday, host Sunderland on Wednesday, and Everton, in sixth, visit struggling Newcastle.
West Bromwich Albion play Fulham; Swansea City host Aston Villa; and West Ham United face Norwich on Tuesday.
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Phuket
Phuket police officer charged with attempted murder for shooting and critically injuring a noodle vendor

The drunk, off-duty police officer in Phuket who has caught on camera shooting and beating a noodle vendor on Bangla Road is now facing attempted murder charges as well as charges of carrying a firearm in public without a necessary reason and firing a weapon in a public area. The commander of the Phuket police station said he ordered investigators to prosecute the officer Pornthep Channarong with every criminal charge that can be applied.
The officer had gotten into an altercation just before dawn yesterday and shot a young vendor who was walking by. Surveillance camera footage show the 25 year old suddenly falling to the ground after being shot. The officer walks up and shoots the vendor at a close range, but it appears the second shot did not hit the vendor. The officer also slapped the vendor in the face, picked him up and shoved him over, and then kicked him as he lay on the ground.
The vendor has a 4 year old daughter and 3 month old son. His wife says normally he works as a motorbike driver, but he was helping his mother selling noodles. He was shot while he was walking back from collecting a noodle bowl, she says. The vendor is in critical condition and being cared for at Vachira Phuket Hospital’s intensive care unit. He’s in need of Type B blood.
“For his condition, the doctor told me that the bullet went through his lung. He lost a lot of blood. We need a lot of Type B blood for him.”
A disciplinary investigation into the incident was launched by police and Pornthep was officially dismissed from the Royal Thai Police force. Region 8 Police Commander Kitrat Panpetch says the incident does not reflect the police force in Phuket.
“The incident was caused by an officer who did something wrong that our organisation does not want. We are a big organisation with more than 200,000 officers under our control. Our officers are not all bad like this.”
Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pornsak Nuannu says he has reminded the police chiefs across the island to discuss reasons for carrying firearms in public.
“Carrying firearms is to prevent any type of crime that may happen, not to commit a crime by themselves like this incident. If I see any police doing such a thing, I will decisively proceed in terms of both officer discipline and criminal charges.”
SOURCE: Phuket News
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Phuket
Thai Vietjet resumes Phuket-Chiang Rai flights, launches promotion on air fare

The following is a press release from Thai Vietjet on its new promotion “Welcome Back to the Sky” and the resumption of Phuket-Chiang Rai flights.
Thai Vietjet today announced the flight resumption of its domestic cross-regional service between Phuket – Chiang Rai, in response to the increasing travel demand after the government began relaxing travel measures in each province. The airline will resume the service for four (04) round-trip flights a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, with the flight duration around 2 hours and 5 minutes, starting from 26 February 2021 onwards. The flight details are as follows:
Flight No. | Departure from Phuket | Arrival at Chiang Rai | Flight No. | Departure from Chiang Rai | Arrival in Phuket |
VZ400 | 8:15am | 10:20am | VZ401 | 10:50am | 12:55pm |
In addition, the airline also announced the resumption of other domestic cross-regional services including the flight between Hat Yai – Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai – Nakhon Si Thammarat from 19 March 2021 onwards.
Following the service resumption announcement, the airline launched special promotion “Welcome Back to the Sky”, offering special fares from just THB 99 (not inclusive of taxes, fees, surcharges, and add-ons) for Thai Vietjet’s flights between Phuket – Chiang Rai and the flights to/from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi). The special fares are available for booking from 24 – 28 February 2021, with travel period between 8 March – 30 June 2021 on SkyFUN.vietjetair.com
As the COVID-19 situation is under control, Thai Vietjet has been adding flight frequency in line with the increasing demand for travel. The airline has also recently introduced its new product on SkyFUN, the ‘TRIP EASY PLUS’ – travel insurance with coverage of COVID-19 starting from THB 180, which provides further convenience and travel confidence to passengers to travel with the highest level of safety during the pandemic. For more information, please visit https://skyfun.vietjetair.com/insurance.
The promotional fares are available on SkyFUN.vietjetair.com, applied to Thai Vietjet’s domestic flights in Thailand from Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Krabi, Udon Thani, Hat Yai , Khon Kaen, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ubon Ratchathani and the domestic cross-regional flight Phuket – Chiang Rai. The tickets are also available on all other distribution channels including www.vietjetair.com, mobile app “Vietjet Air”, via Facebook at facebook.com/VietJetThailand by clicking “Booking” tab, as well as travel agencies and booking offices. Payment can be easily made with ‘True Money Wallet’ and international debit/credit cards.
Thai Vietjet is committed to providing on time scheduled flights with the highest safety complied with the standards and regulations of the relevant authorities. Thai Vietjet was named the fastest growing low-cost airline in Thailand 2020 by The Global Business Outlook Award. The airline also owns one of the world’s newest and most modern fleet with an average age of only 2.7 years and was awarded the highest ranking for safety with 7 stars by the world’s only safety and product rating website airlineratings.com. The carrier has been strictly performing aircraft disinfection dailythroughout its fleet in compliance with Thai Ministry of Public Health.
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
4 top tourist destinations to be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccine distribution

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says 4 of Thailand’s major tourism destinations are to be prioritised in the distribution of vaccines. They are Phuket, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Surat Thani. In addition, a further 9 provinces with significant infection numbers are being prioritised in the rollout of the first vaccine doses arriving in the Kingdom today.
Taweesin Visanuyothin from the CCSA says 70,000 doses will go to the hard-hit “highest control” area of Samut Sakhon, where Thailand’s second outbreak began late last year. 8,000 doses are being set aside for medical officials in the central province, along with 6,000 for frontline healthcare workers, 46,000 doses for seriously ill patients, and 10,000 doses for migrant workers and local residents.
Another 105,000 doses will be distributed to similar groups in Bangkok, in the central provinces of Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Songkram and Samut Prakan, and in the western province of Ratchaburi and the Mae Sot district of Tak.
The Pattaya News reports that 14,700 doses will be sent to 4 major tourist destinations, with 4,700 going to the eastern province of Chon Buri, 4,000 to the southern island of Phuket, 3,500 to the northern province of Chiang Mai, and 2,500 going to the island of Samui in the southern province of Surat Thani.
In the case of the vaccines going to tourism spots, it is not yet known which groups will be vaccinated first, with that decision being left to the Provincial Communicable Disease Committee and other related authorities.
Meanwhile, the CCSA says other plans for the 4 tourism destinations are being considered, including the possibility of “area quarantine”, which would allow vaccinated foreign arrivals to remain within certain boundaries during their quarantine period. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has been pushing for a vaccine passport policy for vaccinated visitors, while PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says the government may consider lifting quarantine restrictions for vaccinated tourists.
SOURCE: The Pattaya News
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