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- Phuket News
V-Day, not VD-Day
PHUKET TOWN: Young Thais have been warned not to lose their virginity on Valentine’s Day this Friday. The Chief of the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO), Dr Wanchai Sattayawutthipong, said research indicated that many Thai teenagers showed their love for each other on this day by having sex. This has led to the slogan among teens: “Lose your virginity on…
- Phuket News
Two die as drug dealers crack down on “squealers’
PHUKET TOWN: Two suspected drug dealers have been shot dead in separate incidents, and police fear a wave of gangland-style slayings could follow in Phuket. The executions, within hours of each other, indicate that the island’s drug overlords are having potential “squealers” permanently silenced rather than risk them talking to police. Elsewhere in Thailand, scores of killings over the past…
- Phuket News
Chalong TOT office to open soon
CHALONG: Telephone Organization of Thailand (TOT) customers living in the south of the island will be able to pay their phone bills at the new TOT office on Chao Fa West Rd from February 24. The payments counter will be open from 8 am-4:30 pm on weekdays, while other services, including applying for a telephone line and transferring numbers from…
- Phuket News
Man dies in wild Saphan Hin brawl
PHUKET TOWN: A 45-year-old man was shot dead and others were wounded as a minor confrontation escalated into a wild brawl at Saphan Hin last weekend. At its height, about 30 people were involved, with at least eight shots fired and long knives being used to slash opponents. When police reached the scene at 2 am on Sunday, the group…
- Phuket News
Pytheus Aura in startling regatta win
PHANG NGA BAY: The most startling result in this year’s QBE Phang Nga Bay Regatta was surely the victory by Pytheus Aura in the Racing class. Last year the boat managed only a third place in the Cruising A class. Summersalt made it two in a row by winning the multihull class, while Tag repeated its second place in Cruising…
- Phuket News
Customs Dept goes online
THAILAND: The Customs Department today launched its revamped website featuring details of procedures for importing or exporting goods, items prohibited in Thailand, and a range of online services. The website – found at https://www.customs.go.th – is currently in Thai only. An English version of the website is expected to be online by the end of the year. The new services…
- Phuket News
Police complete emergency training
PHUKET TOWN: Certificates were handed out this morning to 35 police officers on completion of a three-month course in counter-terrorism, marine rescue, protecting VIPs and handling emergency situations. Pol Maj Gen Kongpol Suwannaraks, the Commander of Phuket Provincial Police, told the graduates, “Security is very important. We must improve it all the time because terrorists also improve their ways.” Those…
- Phuket News
Phuket people vow to battle drugs
PHUKET TOWN: About 3,500 people gathered this morning at the Provincial Hall on Narisorn Rd and pledged to help eradicate illegal drugs on Phuket. At a mass ceremony starting at 9 am, people from all walks of life, including students, community leaders, members of clubs and associations and owners of entertainment venues, vowed not to become involved with drugs and…
- Phuket News
Phuket Town to become Phuket City?
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket Town Mayor Phummisak Hongsyok has invited a cross-section of municipal leaders to join a public hearing to discuss the town’s possible upgrade from tessaban muang (town) to tessaban nakhon (city) status. The meeting will be held from 1-4 pm on Thursday at the Thavorn Grand Plaza Hotel. K. Phummisak said the Municipality first got the go-ahead from…
- Phuket News
Billions of Baht for Phuket
PHUKET: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra dealt a major blow to the Democrat Party yesterday, announcing a multi-billion-baht plan to turn Phuket into the country’s biggest economic and tourism hub over the next five years. The premier has pledged that more than 100 billion baht would be invested in the development program over the next 5-6 years. The Thai Rak Thai…
- Phuket News
Police New Year target is helmets
PHUKET: Police will crack down on bad driving over Chinese New Year next weekend – especially on motorcycle riders who do not wear helmets at night. The Chinese New Year, which falls on February 1 this year, always brings an increase in traffic and accidents. Police are keen to halt the rising toll of unnecessary deaths and injuries in 2003.…
- Phuket News
Quake tremors rattle Phuket
PHUKET: Tremors from a distant earthquake caused anxiety in tall buildings in Patong and triggered a stampede to evacuate the Phuket Vocational College at Saphan Hin, Phuket Town, today. The six buildings at the college shook for almost a minute, with students running downstairs to gather outside. One student, Kittipong Jarusatorn, said later, “Someone shouted, ‘Get out of the building,…
- Phuket News
Laem Phromthep to get B20m facelift
RAWAI: Popular tourist site Laem Phromthep will be improved by a 20-million-baht beautification project spanning seven months, it was announced yesterday. Arun Sorot, President of the Rawai Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor), said, “We plan to build a new car park first. It will take as many vehicles as the old one. Construction will begin in the middle of February.” In…
- Phuket News
Phuket to promote health tourism
PHUKET TOWN: “Come to Phuket for your health” will be the catchy slogan for a new strategy aimed at attracting tourists who need medical or dental care to come to Phuket. Thailand’s inexpensive surgery is to be used as the lure to make the island a center for health care, in addition to its traditional beach, diving and golf attractions.…
- Phuket News
Deputy Interior Minister on Social Order visit
PHUKET TOWN: Deputy Interior Minister Pracha Maleenond plans to meet with owners of Phuket entertainment venues tomorrow as he pursues more effective implementation of the national Better Social Order Policy. Tonight he is likely to make an excursion to check on how the policy is working in local venues, where 2 am closing and adults-only admission are being strictly enforced,…
- Phuket News
Bold trio rob tourists of 200,000 baht
PHUKET TOWN: A couple on vacation in Phuket had cash and belongings worth about 200,000 baht stolen from their car yesterday afternoon by a gang who distracted their attention while their possessions were taken. Luckana “Ann” Polthep, 26, from Nonthaburi, came to Phuket on vacation with her foreign boyfriend. The couple, who were staying in Patong, withdrew 60,000 baht from…
- Thailand News
Bottom’s up for Okker shockers
PATONG: Many Australians have been known to have a drink or two every now and again and perhaps a lie-in as a result. The three young Aussies who performed a strange show for bystanders in front of the souvenir shops in Patong’s Thaweewong Rd earlier this month probably wished they’d stayed in bed. The scene was quite remarkable, even by…
- Thailand News
Is there a real doctor in the house?
UDON THANI: Laborers Samrit Rattanawong, 38, and Prayad Ubolkrut, 29, knew that doctors’ bills could be expensive, but they didn’t realize that a routine check-up would end up costing them 60,000 baht each. The two went to Panyavej Hospital for a medical certificate they needed to apply for work in Singapore. A doctor, who introduced himself as Dr Charnwit Sattayaprasert,…
- Phuket News
PMs enjoy “productive’ talks in Phuket
LAGUNA: Relaxed, smiling and looking like old friends, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his Singaporean counterpart Goh Chok Tong today met members of the press and told them that their talks in Phuket had been, in PM Thaksin’s words, “wide-ranging, revealing and most productive”. There were three main areas of discussion – global and regional development; strengthening the Association of…
- Phuket News
New IT course for Phuket
KATHU: Prince of Songkla University (PSU) is to introduce a bilingual bachelor degree course in Information Technology (IT) in the Faculty of Applied Sciences from June this year, says Asst Prof Puwadon Bootrat, Director of PSU’s Phuket Community College.Prof Puwadon said, “There’s a lack of IT staff in Phuket now and this has been contributing to the high costs of…
- Phuket News
Conference center go-ahead “in January’
PHUKET: The island’s proposed international conference center (ICC) is expected to get the go-ahead from the cabinet in January, with a project budget of more than 1 billion baht, Sports and Tourism Minister Sontaya Kunplome announced this week. The overall proposal has already been submitted to Bangkok for approval, he said. “I expect that in January we will get permission…
- Phuket News
Mayor under fire for park bridge project
PHUKET TOWN: About 20 members of the Rak Suan Luang Club (RSLC) today descended on Phuket Town Mayor Phummisak Hongsyok’s monthly press conference to protest the construction of a bridge in King Rama IX Park, better known as Suan Luang Park. Protest leaders handed Mayor Phummisak an official complaint to stop construction of a bridge over concerns that it will…
- Phuket News
New Pay at Post service
PHUKET: The Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) has launched a service called Pay at Post, under which customers can pay various bills and traffic fines at any post office. Services – some at a fee of 40-50 baht – include annual vehicle tax payments, compulsory motor insurance, general vehicle insurance, third party insurance payment service, traffic fines, mobile phone services…
- Phuket News
Sand sculpting a big draw despite rain
KARON: About 300 people gathered at Nong Harn yesterday and braved sporadic showers for the second Chula Phuket Sandsculpting Festival. More than 30 teams of five competed to make the best sand sculptures in four categories of entrants: school, college, hotels and the general public. Between 9 am and 3 pm, entrants took to the sand and made the best…
- Phuket News
King’s Cup racing to start Monday
PHI PHI: An expected 80 entries are gathering today at Phi Phi in preparation for the 16th King’s Cup Regatta (KC). The week of racing begins Monday off Phi Phi, followed by a Phi Phi-to-Phuket race, then three days of racing off the west coast of Phuket. The regatta wraps up in Kata on Saturday. Pundits are tipping Linklaters Mandrake…
- Phuket News
Tourist drowns at Kamala
KAMALA: A 63-year-old Swiss tourist died in an ambulance on the way to hospital yesterday after being pulled from the sea at Kamala. Police named him as Alexander Jost, a regular visitor to the island who had been in Phuket on his latest visit since November 20. Pol Capt Narong Loypatumviroj, Inspector of Kathu Police Station, said that Thais and…
- Phuket News
Property expo in HK a roaring success
HONG KONG: The Phuket & Samui Property Exhibition held in Hong Kong on Friday, Saturday and Sunday was, on all counts, a major success. More than 1,000 potential property buyers attended the event at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center. There were 22 exhibitors. “The feedback’s been excellent,” said Bill Barnett, Deputy Managing Director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels…
- Phuket News
Ya bah bust sets new record
MAI KHAO: Officers on Friday night made Phuket history with a record seizure of 20,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills with a street value of about 3 million baht. Speaking at a press conference at Provincial Hall on Saturday afternoon, Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi explained that the bust followed a three-month undercover investigation involving about 15 officers of the Border…
- Phuket News
Phuket rates high at world travel show
PHUKET: A big roadshow to London and Paris last week did not have to persuade travel agents that Phuket was a safe destination, it was announced today. Feedback was “fantastic” and another roadshow is being planned, this time to Japan, returning officials told the Gazette. Dr Prasit Koeysiripong, President of the Phuket Provincial Administratrion Organization (OrBorJor), said, “The president of…
- Phuket News
OrBorJor launches website
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) has launched its own website, in Thai and English, at https://www.phuketcity.org Apart from general information about Phuket and the surrounding islands, the website also features information about the OrBorJor’s current and future projects, details about budget allocation, and links to other government websites. The website also provides visitors with an email address and…