Phuket

Immigration chief urges strict safety checks in Phuket

Published

3 years ago

December 2, 2016

Immigration chief urges strict safety checks in Phuket | The Thaiger

PHUKET: Officials are tightening security checks at Phuket immigration in preparation for the high season, in accordance with orders issued by the Immigration Commissioner yesterday.

After meeting with officials to discuss safety initiatives, Lt Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn visited the immigration offices in Phuket Town and at Phuket International Airport to review safety procedures and ensure readiness for the high season, particularly given the slash in visa fees announced late last month (story here).

“The cabinet’s decision to reduce the visa fee from 2,000 to 1,000 baht between December and February will increase the number of tourists visiting Thailand and Phuket. Therefore, we have to be ready to handle that influx,” said Gen Nathathorn.

“A high number of tourists is good for the economy, but also quite risky. Our main duty is to ensure their safety and security, so the top priority is to prevent dangerous people from entering the country. We will also keep a strict eye on blacklisted and criminal elements,” he added.

Gen Nathathorn added that in the future, he expected the government to approve a proposed biometric security system to be installed at immigration.

“As far as the speed of service is concerned, we will add more officers and equipment as a long-term solution. In the short term, officers should check fight status to see which periods are the busiest during the day. This will help them manage their time and schedules better, and we will have enough personnel present at all times, without overworking them,” said Gen Nathathorn.

He also said it was important to ensure transparency during the entire process.

“I want all officers to strictly follow legal processes. Be accurate, but work fast in order to provide convenience to visitors,” he added.

— Kongleaphy Keam

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Hua Hin

Southern Thailand braces for rough weather and rain

Published

19 hours ago

October 19, 2019

May Taylor

Southern Thailand braces for rough weather and rain | The Thaiger

The Thailand Meteorological Department issued a weather warning for southern Thailand with torrential rain forecast to hit the region throughout the weekend. The heavy monsoon over the Gulf of Thailand and south of the country is being blamed for the rough weather, with the TMD predicting flash flooding in many areas.

(Phuket, Hat Yai and Hua Hin’s forecast below)

“Waves are expected to reach 2 metres in height in the lower Gulf of Thailand and possibly higher at the height of the storm. Ships are advised to proceed with caution.”

For the north and northeast of Thailand, the TMD forecasts strong winds and cooler mornings as the arrival of the “winter” season, coupled with a moderate high-pressure system, causes temperatures to dip.

Hua Hin’s five day forecast

Phuket’s five day forecast

Hat Yai’s five day forecast

SOURCE: The Nation | weather.com

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Crime

Now you see him, now you don’t… Patong Police hunt foreigner over $30k theft

Published

2 days ago

October 18, 2019

Greeley Pulitzer

Now you see him, now you don’t… Patong Police hunt foreigner over $30k theft | The Thaiger

PHOTO: Patong Police

Patong Police have yet to develop any tangible leads tracking down a foreigner who made off with US$30,000 in cash from a currency exchange booth in Kalim, north of Patong in Phuket, last Tuesday.

The man is about 168 centimetres tall with grey hair and around 60 years old, Patong police told The Phuket News.

“We have no clue what nationality he is.”

He was last seen at the currency exchange booth wearing a purple polo shirt, blue jeans and black cap. Police have checked hotels in the area, police stations across the island and Phuket Immigration, but have yet to join the dots and come up with firm leads.

“Investigators have checked CCTV in the area and collected what evidence we have but we still do not know the man’s name or where he was staying.”

The man had visited the booth several times before Tuesday, when he disappeared with the $30,000 in US banknotes, according to police.

“It was always small amounts”, he added, noting that the amounts didn’t warrant staff at the exchange booth to check the man’s passport before making the exchange.

The man arrived at the booth again at about 1pm on Tuesday, saying that he had 900,000 baht cash to exchange.

SOURCE: The Phuket News

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Crime

Mystery surrounds security guard found dead in his Phuket room

Published

3 days ago

October 17, 2019

The Thaiger

PHOTOS: Phuket Hot News

The security guard of a hotel in Nai Yang, northern Phuket, 52 year old Yingyot Butsabong, from Maha Sarakham province, was found dead yesterday (October 16) in his room. Police remain mystified how the man came to grief.

A woman named Supattra received a call from the hotel he worked at and was informed that he didn’t show up at work yesterday, so she went to his apartment to check on him.

She saw that his room was locked from the inside, so used the key she had in her possession to open the room and found Yingyot laying on the floor, face down. She thought he was just sleeping so she tried to wake him up but once she flipped him, she found that he already passed away.

She immediately called Saku police, and once on the scene, police found that there was some blood on the floor. The man had a 2 centimetre wound on his left eyebrow which was deep into his skull. There was also a wound on his chin about 1 centimetre long and about a centimetre deep. His left eye had a bruise which looked like he was attacked by a hard object.

Police report that he had been dead for around four hours in the room.

The room was not ransacked and there was no sign of fighting or theft. His body has been sent to Thalang Hospital for a detailed autopsy and to look into the cause of death.

SOURCE: Phuket Hot News

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