Search Results for: vessel
- Phuket News
Strong winds expected to continue
PHUKET: A government weatherman has warned that the high winds caused in Phuket by typhoon Imbudo are likely to continue for a few more days as the storm system moves slowly west across the South China Sea in the direction of Hainan island, China. Tawat Tantham-Nu, Director of the Southwestern Regional Meteorological Center, predicted that heavy gusts of wind, similar…
- Phuket News
Coral reef bombers still at large
KOH LANTA: The coral on two undersea mountain reefs, blasted more than a year ago by fishermen using illegal explosives, has grown back and marine life has returned, authorities say. But the vessels that inflicted the damage have not been identified despite photographic evidence showing at least one boat in the area at the time. The diving community along the…
- Phuket News
Murder suspect on the run
PHUKET TOWN: Police are hunting for a Cambodian fisherman known only as Yao after the body of his friend, workmate and fellow countryman was found stabbed to death on board a fishing boat in the Rassada Port area yesterday. Officers arrived at the fishing vessel Sor Chanachol 444 after receiving a call at 1 pm, said Pol Capt Passakorn Sontikul…
- Phuket News
Skipper hacked to death by Burmese crew
PHUKET TOWN: Police believe the Thai skipper of a fishing vessel found dead on Sunday was murdered by members of his Burmese crew and dumped in the water after an argument that ended in violence. Jirachai Krairat, 35, who had gone missing the previous night, was found floating face down with his head almost severed from his body, in water…
- Phuket News
B10m log cargo floats free
PHANG NGA: Heavy monsoon seas unleashed a 10-million-baht cargo of Indonesian logs and scattered them across waters off Phang Nga at the weekend. Now the company that owns the cargo is offering a 500-baht reward for each of 532 logs and has asked police to prevent Thai villagers “salvaging” them. On Friday evening, the logs were being towed on a…
- Phuket News
Two fishermen missing, feared drowned
CHALONG: Two crewmen are missing, feared drowned, after their fishing boat sank off Racha Noi, a small island south of Phuket. Six other men from the “Por Paweena 9” were rescued by another fishing vessel. Survivors told of the boat being smashed by rough monsoon seas in darkness about 3 am last Friday (August 2). It sank soon afterwards. Lt…
- Phuket News
Thai-Malaysian Naval exercise concludes
AO MAKHAM: A ceremony was held yesterday to mark the conclusion of a joint naval exercise between the Royal Thai Navy Third Fleet, the Malaysian Navy and the Marine Police. Burma’s sudden closure of its border with Thailand added some interest, but the annual event, which started on Sunday, was otherwise without incident. The exercise featured the Royal Thai Navy…
- Phuket News
Sea rescue center will protect tourists
CHALONG: A 15-million-baht Sea Rescue Center is to be set up to coordinate emergency rescue operations off Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi, it was revealed today. The center, to be set up in Chalong, will become a nerve center for information about mishaps and accidents at sea, which will be gathered and disseminated to various marine agencies. Making the announcement…
- Phuket News
Boat safety boost for Songkhran
PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said yesterday it will be stepping up boat safety measures during this year’s Songkhran festival. Napasorn Kakai, Assistant Director of the local office of the TAT, said that arrangements have been made for officers from the Phuket Harbor Office, the Marine Police and the Tourist Police to be stationed…
- Phuket News
Bust nets B8.5m in smuggled goods
AO MAKHAM: A squad of 25 Marine Police officers seized boat spares, radios and electronic equipment worth 8.5 million baht in a raid on a Taiwanese fishing vessel on Saturday. Pol Col Peera Boonliang, Superintendent of the Phuket Marine Police, told the Gazette yesterday, “We received a tip-off that the goods would arrive on a Taiwanese fishing boat and be…
- Phuket News
Seized yacht finally auctioned off
PHUKET TOWN: The sailing yacht “Bin Cha Cha” was finally sold at auction this morning at the Phuket Customs Region 5 office, after two previous attempts to sell it last year failed. Niwat Triemsantipap, the assistant general manager of the Maiton Resort, acquired the 7.9-meter yacht with a bid of 200,000 baht, just one third of its original reserve price…
- Phuket News
Submarine firm woos authorities
PHUKET: The promoters of planned submarine trips for tourists last night made a bid to convince authorities that their machine is safe – and to persuade them to issue the necessary permits. The presentation by Phuket Submarine Ltd, at the Royal Phuket City Hotel, featured slides of the DS-48 sub that the promoters hope will be operating in the waters…
- Phuket News
Tuna boat burns and sinks
KOH HEY: A Taiwanese-owned tuna fishing boat, the KM Vaninda 34, caught fire yesterday about nine nautical miles off Koh Hey and sank after burning fiercely for about an hour. The Taiwanese skipper and engineer, along with the seven other crew members – one Malaysian and six Indonesians – jumped overboard and were rescued by a passing dive boat, the…
- Phuket News
Seized speedboat to be auctioned
PHUKET: A nine-meter British-built speedboat with twin 200hp Mercury engines, seized from a dive company in Ao Chalong earlier this year, will be put up for auction on November 8 at the Phuket Customs Region 5 offices on Phuket Rd. As with previous vessels put up for auction, the speedboat, “Seafarer”, was seized for alleged non-payment of Thailand’s crushing boat…
- Phuket News
Tax cut in bid to salvage boating industry
PHUKET: In a move likely to prove ‘too little too late’, Thailand’s cabinet has approved reduction in the country’s levies on imported pleasure boats from 209% to 47%. Sources contacted by the Gazette in Phuket and Bangkok were not prepared to speculate on a firm date for final approval or implementation of the measure, but there was a consensus that…
- Phuket News
Seized yachts fail to sell at auction
PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Customs Region 5 office is holding on to the motor yacht “Old Crow” and the sailing yacht “Bin Cha Cha”, after failing to sell either of them at its auction today. At the Customs office on Phuket Rd, only two would-be buyers submitted bids for “Old Crow”, while no bids were made for “Bin Cha Cha”.…
- Phuket News
Sunset trip ends in tragedy
LAEM PROMTHEP: A man drowned and a young woman is still missing after a fishing boat sank 800 meters off Laem Phromthep around 7 pm yesterday. The body of the boat’s owner, Somsak Nakaew, 30, was discovered about 11 am today at Yanui beach. Narthanong Kaewkanha, 19, remains missing. She is believed to have drowned. Pol Lt Col Narong Nerdbuth,…
- Phuket News
Andaman ordeal ends on Karon beach
KARON: Four Indonesian fishermen and their boat ended up on Karon beach yesterday after a three-week ordeal at sea, drifting with a broken engine. Pol Maj Sana Pandee of Chalong Police Station told the Gazette today, “I was informed by the Navy that a foreign vessel was sitting on Karon beach.” When he arrived at the beach, he said, he…
- Phuket News
Reward offered for stolen yacht
PHUKET: A reward of US$4,000 (180,000 baht) has been offered for information leading to the recovery of the yacht “Dreamtime”, reported missing from its mooring in Ao Chalong on Thursday. The five-million-baht yacht belongs to a British man who returned from working offshore to find it gone. Dreamtime is the third yacht in 10 years to disappear in similar circumstances,…
- Phuket News
More submarine plans for Phuket
PHUKET: Another submarine will enter Phuket’s water soon, if a company from the mid-Pacific island of Saipan gets its wish. Jack McClure, general manager of Pacific Subsea Saipan Inc, today met with local officials, including the Governor of Phuket, Pongpayome Vasaputi, to brief them about his company’s plans. Pacific Subsea Saipan already runs submarine tours in Saipan, and wants to…
- Phuket News
Bangkok considering yacht owners’ problems
PHUKET: The Thai government is considering cutting the taxes on imported yachts and doubling the time that foreign yachts may stay in Thai waters before owners have to pay such taxes. Manit Wittayatin, Director-General of the Thai Customs Department told a meeting of provincial officials in Phuket today, “The regulations for yachts entering Thai waters create difficulties for many foreigners.…
- Phuket News
Two held for murder of Chinese fisherman
PHUKET TOWN: Two young men have been arrested and charged with the murder of a member of the crew of a mainland Chinese fishing boat during a brawl in the fishing port in the early hours of yesterday morning. They have also been charged with assault on another member of the boat’s crew. Pol Maj Songwut Khunjan, Investigation Inspector with…
- Phuket News
Policeman wins luxury yacht auction
PHUKET TOWN: A police officer who declined to give his name, but who works in the Economic Crime Investigations Division in Bangkok, today won the auction for a luxury motor yacht at the Phuket Customs Region 5 office. And thanks to the fact that there were no other bidders, he got the boat for a song – just 5.5 million…
- Phuket News
Passengers taken off cruise ship
AO MAKHAM: About 250 passengers aboard the cruise ship Andaman Princess were taken off the vessel yesterday afternoon after a bilge pump broke down near Maiton Island. “The problem arose in the engine room at 4:30 pm when a pump stopped working and the ship began to list,” said Narong Chinsot, Phuket Operations Manager of the Andaman Princess. K. Narong…
- Phuket News
Largest drug haul in Thai history
TUBLAMU, PHANG-NGA: The Royal Thai Navy recorded the largest drug bust in Thai history on Sunday, after they seized an estimated five million ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and 100 kilograms of heroin valued at more than a billion baht ($25 million). Four naval patrol boats and a Dornier helicopter from Tublamu base captured two fishing trawlers, one carrying the drugs,…
- Phuket News
Boat operators warned over Similans
SIMILAN ISLANDS: Boat operators wanting to enter the Similan Islands Marine National Park before November 2 have been warned that they must get special permission first, or face action for contravening the National Parks Act of 1961. The warning was issued after two vessels were halted on Wednesday by Wittaya Hongwiangchan, who took over as the park’s Chief in May.…
- Phuket News
Eight arrested for illegal fishing
MAITON ISLAND: Officers from Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office have arrested eight Thais and impounded two boats caught double-trawling in a protected marine area. Intipol Khwathai of the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office told the Gazette that he received, via the Phuket Town Police, an anonymous tip that illegal fishing was taking place around Maiton Island. The area is part of a…
- Phuket News
Shipwreck survivors plucked from sea
PHUKET: A Thai transport ship, H. Charoensamut 28, on Monday rescued nine Indonesian sailors whose cargo vessel had sunk two days earlier. The survivors are now in Phuket awaiting repatriation. Jian Tabpian, 51, captain of the Thai ship, told Marine Police that as his vessel was passing through the Straits of Malacca, one of his crew saw the nine men…
- Phuket News
Governor checks out mini-sub
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket Governor Charnchai Soontharamut, accompanied by the Phuket Harbour Master, officers from the Royal Thai Navy and local police officers, went to Koh Sirae this afternoon to examine the mini-submarine located by Gazette reporters. The visit came after K. Charnchai saw pictures taken by the Gazette and reprinted in an English-language daily newspaper. After taking photographs and measuring…
- Phuket News
Mystery mini-sub found on Koh Sirae
KOH SIRAE, PHUKET: Gazette staff today located and photographed the mini-submarine that has been at the center of a controversy over the presence of Tamil rebel operations in Phuket. But so far, the discovery of the mini-sub raises more questions than it answers. The part-finished sub is about five meters long and is large enough to hold two, perhaps three…
