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- Phuket News
Safari firm ordered to move elephants
RAWAI: Baanchang Safari Phuket was today given until October 1 to remove its 13 elephants from premises next to a local school, or face prosecution. The order was given at a meeting at the offices of the Rawai Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor). “Muang Phuket School lodged an official complaint about the elephants and we asked for them to be removed…
- Phuket News
Call for flood-relief donations
PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Provincial Public Welfare Office (PPWO) today urged the public to donate water, food, clothing and cash for the thousands of people left homeless by the recent floods in northern Thailand and Isarn. Worst hit in the floods were seven villages in Phetchabun province’s Lom Sak district. Agence France Presse reported this afternoon that 90 corpses have…
- Phuket News
Environmentalist warns of action over expo center
MAI KHAO: Thanu Naep-nien, spokesperson for the environmentalist group Wildlife Fund Thailand, today warned that action will be taken if protected sea turtles that lay their eggs on Nai Yang Beach, in Sirinart National Park, are affected by the proposed international convention and exhibition center (CEC). “If the site is near Nai Yang beach, it will affect every sea turtle…
- Phuket News
Man found dead with 37 stab wounds
KOH SIREH: The body of a murdered man was found washed ashore near the Rassada Fishing port on Thursday morning. Pol Lt Khaneung Pitakkullatorn of Phuket Town Police Station said that he arrived at the scene at 8.30am to find the 25- to 30-year-old man lying face up, dressed only in a blue T-shirt and green underwear. He had been…
- Phuket News
International call rates slashed
PHUKET: The Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) has announced that it has cut its overseas call rates between 7% and 40%. In addition to these savings, those making international calls between 7 am and 9 pm on Sundays receive a further 20% discount. Phone calls to Australia and North America now cost 22 baht a minute at peak rate (between…
- Phuket News
National players dominate volleyball contest
SAPHAN HIN: One hundred and thirty-two volleyballers blocked, dug and spiked their way through the First Annual Phuket Town Municipality Beach Volleyball Competition, which was held at Saphan Hin over the weekend. The tournament was dominated by the three Cheua Saphan Ruam teams, each of which included players from Nakhon Sri Thammarat who are in the Thai national squad. In…
- Phuket News
Boat import taxes demystified
PHUKET: Taxes for importing a yacht into Thailand have long been a matter of confusion, discussion, argument and speculation. Now, however, Gazette inquiries with the Customs Department, both in Phuket and in Bangkok, have uncloaked the way that the various taxes are applied. For a start, it has been confirmed that there is no such thing as a “luxury tax”…
- Phuket News
New Chamber Chairman slams smear attempt
PHUKET: Pamuke Achariyachai, the new chairman of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, today called a press conference to slam a report in the national newspaper, Matichon. The report, in this morning’s issue of the newspaper, quoted an unnamed member of the Chamber as saying, “It’s such a shame. The Chairman of the Chamber should be a person of good image,…
- Phuket News
Pamuke the winner in Chamber chaos
PHUKET: Pamuke Achariyachai, President of the Kata Group of Hotels, was elected Chairman of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce today, following three months of confusion that climaxed in the resignation yesterday of his predecessor, Charn Wongsatayanont, Managing Director of Phuket Jet Tour. K. Charn resigned as the result of a protest from a member that the former chairman’s membership and…
- Phuket News
Governor backed for top job in the South
BANGKOK: Powerful forces appear to be lobbying for Phuket Provincial Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi to be promoted to Director of the Southern Border Administrative Center (SBAC), a senior position with the Ministry of Interior. The previous holder of the post, Palakorn Suwannarat, resigned in mid-July amid criticism of his handling of a recent spate of bombings in the South of Thailand,…
- Phuket News
Fugitive ex-mayor surrenders to police
PHUKET TOWN: The former mayor of Patong, Dr Anan Ananthanawat, surrendered to police on Saturday, nearly two years after a warrant was issued for his arrest on charges of involvement in the murder of an ex-policeman. Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, told the Gazette that he received a phone call from Dr Anan’s lawyer on…
- Phuket News
Contest to boost awareness of King’s Cup
PHUKET: In a drive to involve the Thai community more deeply in the annual King’s Cup Regatta, the event’s organizers today launched an essay and painting competition for Thai students, with cash prizes totaling 100,000 baht. The competition, which is open to students from primary school up to university (but not to students attending international schools), was launched at a…
- Phuket News
Mayor slams Greenpeace criticism
PHUKET: Phuket Town Mayor Phummisak Hongyok yesterday angrily dismissed a report by environmentalist group Greenpeace that alleges the waste incinerator in Saphan Hin emits higher than normal levels of the toxic substance, dioxin. Speaking at a press conference at the Phuket Merlin Hotel, Mayor Phummisak said, “If they wanted to talk about this, they should have sent their people to…
- Phuket News
Leap in dengue fever cases
PHUKET: The Phuket Health Office (PHO) has issued its second dengue fever warning in less than a month. On June 12, the PHO reported that 55 cases of dengue fever had been recorded since the beginning of the year. Today it announced that the figure had risen to 75. Dr Boonrieng Chuchaisangrat, chief of the PHO, told the Gazette, “At…
- Phuket News
German dies of heroin overdose
PATONG: A German man, Edgar Radke, 44, died yesterday in Patong of a heroin overdose. Pol Capt Chawalit Petchsripen of Kathu Police Station told the Gazette that Mr Radke met a friend for coffee in the lobby of a hotel. After a while he got up to go to the toilet. When, after a long time, he did not return,…
- Phuket News
Bangkok airport goes to the dogs
BANGKOK (AFP): The authorities at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport said today that they had launched a drive to ensure that stray dogs that have made their home next to the runways don’t end up straying onto the tarmac. The dogs have taken up residence on the golf course next to the airport, where they thrive on scraps from the clubhouse…
- Phuket News
Tourist drowns off Patong beach
PATONG: The body of a Malaysian tourist, Cheu Chee Hou, 27, was found yesterday on Patong Beach, after he disappeared while in Phuket on his honeymoon. Pol Capt Ampolwat Sangruang of the Kathu Police Station said he received a report from villagers that they had found Mr Hou’s body lying on the beach opposite the Holiday Inn Hotel on Thaweewong…
- Phuket News
Governor clamps down on “bar beers”
PHUKET: In an effort to control beer bars, known locally as “bar beers”, Phuket Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi has ordered officers of Tambon Administration Organizations (OrBorTor) to reject building modification requests from such bars. At the regular provincial meeting between the Governor and chief officers of OrBorTor in Phuket Town this morning, Governor Pongpayome complained that bar beers were unsightly and…
- Phuket News
Notorious pirate caught
RANONG (AFP): Police said today they had arrested notorious pirate Viroj Buasuwan, better known as “Roj 100 Corpses” for his brutal treatment of ships’ crews. Viroj, 50, was arrested on Saturday in Ranong on charges related to an attack on the Burmese trawler “Thorae” in January, the Crime Suppression Unit said. Roj and his 20-strong gang forced the crew of…
- Phuket News
TAT issues swimming warning
PHUKET: The local branch of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) today warned that people should not swim at beaches where red flags or warning signs indicate that it is unsafe to do so. The warning was issued, the TAT said, in light of statistics that show that drowning is the leading cause of death among tourists during the southwestern…
- Phuket News
Phuket sees boom in new businesses
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket is still the Number One place in southern Thailand in which to open a business, according to Veerachai Tantiwathanavallop, Director of the Phuket Commercial Registration Office. A total of 392 business were registered between January 1 and May 31, an average of 78 new businesses a month. “That is about 10% to 15% higher than last year,”…
- Phuket News
More entertainment zones mapped out
PHUKET: Muang and Thalang Districts have mapped out the areas in which they propose to have entertainment zones. These areas must be specified in order to meet the requirements of proposed new legislation governing the entertainment industry. In a paper released yesterday, Vice-Governor Amnuay Sanguannam explained that the Muang District plan includes 13 separate entertainment zones – one in Tambon…
- Phuket News
Owners urged to give land for expo center
PHUKET TOWN: The Governor of Phuket has asked local landowners to donate 100 rai of land for the construction of an international convention and exhibition center (CEC). The call by Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi came at a meeting held this afternoon in the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization chamber. Also present at the meeting were representatives of the Tourism Authority of Thailand…
- Phuket News
Power grid ‘will improve radically’
PHUKET: By December next year, Phuket will have a much more sophisticated and reliable electricity supply, according to experts from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) and the European Union (EU), which is providing some of the funds for upgrading the system. The upgrade includes the construction of two new substations in addition to the existing two and the laying of…
- Phuket News
Embassy clarifies visa rules – sort of
KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has clarified the reasons for its recent imposition of harsh “old” requirements for a Non-Immigrant B visa, in particular as they apply to any foreigner wanting to go to Thailand on a business trip. As reported by the Gazette Online yesterday the consulate in KL has, since May 21, been handing…
- Phuket News
KL consulate tightens up B visa rules
KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Thai Consulate in Kuala Lumpur has joined its counterpart in Penang in making it a great deal more difficult for foreigners working in Thailand to obtain a Non-Immigrant ‘B’ visa. A memorandum, dated May 21 and handed out to applicants on their arrival at the consulate, lists 10 documents – including confidential company papers – that…
- Phuket News
Seatran wins port tender with 90m baht bid
PHUKET TOWN: Seatran Travel Co Ltd has won the tender to run the Rassada Port with a bid worth more than 90 million baht over the 30 years of the lease. The port is owned by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor). The decision was announced on Friday by the OrBorJor’s Deputy President, Wisut Santikun, who headed the committee examining…
- Phuket News
Phuket shut out of medals in Rugby 10s
SAPHAN HIN: So far but no further was the catchphrase for Phuket this afternoon, as the Phuket Barbarians crashed out of the Cup semi-finals in the Phuket Island Lager International Rugby Tens, going down 0-27 to the eventual winners, Hong Kong FC Vandals. The Phuket Vagabonds, meanwhile, slaughtered the Hong Kong Bulls 40-0 in the Bowl semi-finals, only to be…
- Phuket News
Gov urges businesses to tell him of problems
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi today urged foreign investors in Phuket to inform him of their suggestions, complaints and problems so he could deal with them or pass them on to the government. Speaking at the monthly meeting of the International Business Association of Phuket at the Royal Phuket City Hotel, the governor also stressed that corruption in government…
- Phuket News
After 100 days, jury still out on Thaksin
BANGKOK (AFP): After 100 days in office, the jury is still out on Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra — literally. Thailand’s constitutional court is deliberating corruption charges against Thaksin. If convicted, he may be forced out of office and barred from politics for five years. That pressure has seen him scrambling to leave a legacy by pushing through his populist…
