Phuket

Jobs go as hotel downturn bites

Published

16 years ago

May 27, 2003

Jobs go as hotel downturn bites | The Thaiger

KARON: About 14,000 workers have been laid off from Phuket hotels in the wake of the tourism industry downturn, Yaowalak Yangyean, Chief of Phuket Social Security Office, told the Gazette today. Other workers have been told to take more days off each month. With tourist arrivals in Thailand reported to be 76% down this May on the same month last year, more cutbacks are expected in June as low vacancy rates in Phuket and other resorts flow through to hotel services and suppliers. Cabinet, meeting in Phuket yesterday, heard plans for schemes to retrain some of the laid off workers in other occupations. K. Yaowalak said that most of the layoffs were among casual staff and short-term staff. Some of the staff who were laid off had returned to their home towns in other provinces. She hoped that the effects of the Sars scare would pass quickly and that the jobs situation would improve rapidly. Somkuan Sakultaewanpitak, Officer of Phuket Provincial Office of Labor Protection and Welfare, told the Gazette that he was seeking adequate compensation for staff who had lost their jobs. Labor and Social Welfare Minister, Suwat Liptapanlop, told a media conference during the Cabinet visit that unemployment in Thailand had reached 900,000 but that this was a small number compared to neighboring countries. Meanwhile, a one-stop service is to be established within months at a cost of 66 million baht to assist Thais who wish to work abroad. The Labor and Social Welfare Ministry, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Public Health Ministry will get together to make medical checks, the issue of passports and visas and checks on criminal background more straightforward.

Phuket

Police searching for the killer after shooting near Saphan Hin

Published

19 mins ago

January 19, 2019

Kritsada Mueanhawong

Police searching for the killer after shooting near Saphan Hin | The Thaiger

A Thai man has been shot dead near Saphan Hin in eastern Phuket earlier today. The arrest warrant has already been issued for the suspect.

The Wichit Police were notified of the incident on Rattanakosin 200 pi Road near Saphan Hin at 3.40am this morning.

Police and rescue workers arrived to find the body of 30 year old Teerasak Saeong from Phuket covered with blood and laying on the road. Two bullet wounds were found on his right and left temple.

Seven bullets were also found around Mr Teerasak’s body. Nearby they found a motorbike. His body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for full autopsy and identification.

Witnesses told police that Mr Teerasak was stopped on his motorbike and was talking with the suspect who was in a black car. The suspect shot at Mr Teerasak and sped away.

Mr Teerasak was the son of a member of Rassada’s Municipal Council. At this stage police believe that the two had personal conflicts. Police are now searching for the driver of the vehicle who shot Mr Teerasak.

Phuket

Danish tourist dies in Phuket road accident

Published

30 mins ago

January 19, 2019

Kritsada Mueanhawong

Danish tourist dies in Phuket road accident | The Thaiger

A male Danish tourist, driving a motorbike, has died after colliding with a truck in front of a market in Kathu.

The Kathu Police were notified of the incident on Phra Phuket Keaw Road in front of the new outdoor Vintage Market in Kathu at 3am yesterday morning.

Police and Kusoldharm rescue workers arrived at the U-turn to find the truck and driver waiting. The driver of the truck was 36 year old Sontaya Suchata waiting in the middle of the U-turn area.

Nearby they found a damaged Honda PCX and 51 year old Claus Pathuel Jensen, a Danish national from Glostrup. He was found unconscious under the truck. He was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Police report that the truck was going to take a U-turn outside the market area. The truck driver says he was unaware that Mr Jensen was coming from behind in the right lane. The motorbike was unable to avoid the collision with the truck and Mr Jensen PCX ploughed into the rear of the vehicle.

Phuket

Australian woman deported for overstaying visa by over 100 days

Published

4 hours ago

January 19, 2019

The Thaiger

PHOTOS: Facebook/Claire Johnson

An Australian woman, who was caught overstaying her visa by 111 days, will be released from detention and deported by Thai authorities tonight.

She came to the media’s attention on Monday after sending urgent messages to a friend saying that she was being taken to a detention centre and that “they are taking my phone”.

46 year old Claire Amelia Johnson is an Australian Gold Coast resident. She will depart Bangkok on a QANTAS flight scheduled to arrive in Sydney tomorrow (Friday) morning.

She was due to return to Australia more than a week ago but on Monday evening sent messages to her friend Juliet Potter and told her that she was in an immigration detention centre in Bangkok and begged her to please “help me”.

Read The Thaiger story about her desperate pleas HERE.

Ms Johnson had been running a medical tourism business called Cosmetic Holidays International that offered cosmetic packages in Phuket”.

The business was voluntarily deregistered with the Australian Securities Commission in May 2017, after five years of operation, but her social media accounts continued to promote her cosmetic-surgery tourism business.

Thailand’s immigration chief, Surachate Hakparn, told Australia’s Fairfax media that Ms Johnson had been arrested, as well as fined, and would be deported after overstaying her tourist visa by more than 100 days.

“My Immigration Department will send her to Australia. She leaves tonight.”

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade would say only that it was “providing consular assistance to an Australian woman detained in Thailand”, without naming Claire.