‘New’ motorcycle helmet law for Phuket

– A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: Authorities in Phuket say they are about to bring to a halt the dangers of riding a motorcycle without a helmet after the region’s Police queued up new motorcycle safety laws set to come into force later this year.

From July 1st this year, police say, any motorcyclist or passenger caught riding without a helmet will be fined.

According to the UK-based ‘motorcycle community’ website visordown.com, the decision was taken to make helmet use compulsory in a bid to reduce the number of riders killed or seriously injured on the region’s roads.

It was not immediately clear why the compulsory wearing of a helmet is considered a “new” law, as the helmet law was introduced in Phuket in 1996. What could be “new”, however, would be any enforcement of that law, which has been widely scoffed at over the past 14 years.

Phuket scores AFC cup match

ESPN star.com
Muang Thong’s Thunderdome Stadium lost out to Phuket’s Surakul Stadium on Tuesday as it was deemed too dangerous to stage the AFC Cup group G decider game between Muang Thong United and South China of Hong Kong in Bangkok, due to the political unrest, even though the Thunderdome is situated in Nonthaburi, many miles from the Bangkok protests.

Rene Desaeyere, manager of Muang Thong United, has not happy about the move since it nullified their home advantage. “It is unbelievable that politics comes into sport like this and we can’t play at Muang Thong,” he fumed.

Thai Premier League champions Muang Thong United went on to lose the match1-0 last night.

Charity golfing in Phuket

PR log
The 11th annual Child-Watch Charity Golf Tournament organised by the British Business Association Phuket (BBAP) will be held at Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket on 24 April.

HotelTravel.com Chief Information Officer Olivier Dombey said the company was delighted to sponsor the 11th annual Child-Watch Charity Golf Tournament.

“It truly is a worthy cause because it targets and assists the Thai children in Phuket who are most at risk because their parents are either unwilling or unable to care for them,” he said.

The Phuket Gazette newspaper and PGTV are media sponsors for the event.

Child-Watch Phuket provides full-time care for more than 70 underprivileged school kids who have been abused, and maintains a day care facility for children whose parents are incarcerated.

Phuket ‘The Place’ for holiday villas

Bangkok Post
The Wealth Report 2010 “Attitudes Survey”, which was jointly prepared by real estate consultancy Knight Frank and wealth management firm Citi Private Bank, says that Phuket is the place international investors go for top-end holiday villas, while Bangkok remains the only city in Thailand to have a developed urban luxury market.

The survey says the average cost of a luxury villa in Phuket is now about 108 million baht, while the average price of a premium Bangkok condominium currently stands at 176,000 baht per square metre.

Prime property price trends in the Asia-Pacific countries have changed significantly since the economic crisis, the report says, from a 40% contraction in Cambodia to 5% growth in Thailand, and a 20% increase in Singapore and China.

GTC prevails in Phuket Cricket

The Assam Tribune
Gauhati Town Club (GTC) defeated former champion The Corner Tigers of Pakistan in the final of the 7th Phuket International Cricket Sixes Tournament at Karon Stadium in Phuket.

Hirakjyoti Das of Gauhati Town Club was adjusted Player of the Tournament, while Haroon of Corner Tiger received the Man of the Final Award.

There were 24 teams from Australia, the U.S, Singapore, Hong Kong, Pakistan and Thailand (Bangkok) in the tournament, which also saw two teams from India, apart from the GTC.

— Gazette Editors