Phuket
Sydictive Phuket beach bash kicks off today – amid confusion and stringent rules

PHUKET: The Sydictive Element Phuket beach party has jumped its last bureaucratic hurdle, and with the setup for the mega-event now said to be 90 per cent complete, it’s finally “a go” for Patong Beach. However, the party organizers were handed a 15-point list of rules the party must adhere to or face the possibility of being shut down.
“We have the official documents needed to approve the party from Phuket Provincial Hall and the Phuket Marine Office. The letters were issued on December 28, so we are good to go,” Sydictive Element President Vorachart Petnunthawong said in Patong in the run-up to the event.
The list includes the prohibition of alcohol sales at the party.
In addition to that sobering necessity, the party will be limited to an 800 meter stretch of Patong Beach. Due to the event being held on public land, the organizers will not be allowed to erect any structures to separate those who have paid for “beach” tickets from those who have not.
Despite this discrepancy, Dr Vorachart assured the press that ticket sales were going well, and that the last minute change in the location from Surin Beach had not been an issue.
“We made it clear that if anyone was not satisfied with the new location, they could ask for a refund,” Dr Vorachart said.
“We expect about 50,000 people for the party,” he added.
The party starts at 3pm today and will keep the base booming until 6am tomorrow. Then after a little “down time”, the party will pick up the pace again at 3pm tomorrow and run until about an hour before the first rays of the new year’s sun hit Phuket.
“There will be 15 world-class DJs in attendance and another 15 Thai DJs, as well as many other bands and musicians,” he said.
“However, we have yet to be able to confirm whether Paris Hilton will join the party,” he added.
But Glenn “GG” Gulino, Esq of g2 Entertainment had earlier this month written to the Phuket Gazette that, “Your rights to use her [Paris Hilton’s] name ended weeks ago and since you cancelled her NYE [New Year’s Eve] appearance you cannot use her name. Thank you.”
However, as the Gazette had at no time invited or cancelled Ms Hilton’s attendance at the party, or been involved with the event in any capacity other than reporting on it, Gazette editors were left to believe that the email was meant to be sent to the party organizers.
Dr Vorachart was able to confirm that Aruna Abrams, tyDi, Amadeus, Tiga, Kenishii and the well-known Thai stunt man Tony Ja would all grace the beach party’s stage.
Here is the 15-point Party Criteria List:
1. The party is allowed to be held only on an area of Patong Beach that does not stretch further than 800 meters.
2. The party area cannot be separated from the general public.
3. The party must strictly adhere to local laws, and because of this will be unable to sell alcohol.
4. The event must not threaten the traditions and moral standards of local people.
5. There must be a high-level of security with ample personnel.
6. The organizer must keep the beach clean and pay the trash collecting fees.
7. The two VIP boats must not contain more than 240 people.
8. The boats must have railings to prevent people from falling overboard, except for the entrance to the boat, which must have a proper door.
9. Enough life jackets and life buoys for every passenger must be on board the VIP boats.
10. The floating stage must have at least 10 fire extinguishers on board and the VIP boats must contain at least 5 fire extinguishers.
11. Security must be provided around the perimeter of the VIP boats to save anyone who falls overboard.
12. At least two patrol vessels must be provided by the organizers.
13. Organizers must provide rubbish bins on the boat and prevent any trash from being thrown into the sea.
14. The organizers must agree that if any trouble or issues arise the party must be shut down.
15. The organizers must have “group insurance” for the event.
— Kritsada Mueanhawong
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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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