Search Results for: cat

  • Phuket NewsThailand Yacht Show sets sail today at Ao Por Grand Marina

    Thailand Yacht Show sets sail today at Ao Por Grand Marina

    PHUKET: The second edition of the Thailand Yacht Show (TYS) officially opens today at Phuket’s Ao Po Grand Marina, showcasing superyachts, marine toys, sailing accessories and exclusive lifestyles. The four-day event (December 15-18), aimed at promoting Phuket as a world-class yachting and marine leisure hub, officially launches at 3pm with an opening show and tours of some of the superyachts…

  • Phuket NewsKazakhstani tourist dies after falling from Phuket hotel

    Kazakhstani tourist dies after falling from Phuket hotel

    PHUKET: A Kazakhstani tourist died after falling from the balcony of a 5th floor hotel room in Patong early this morning. Patong Police Chief Lt Col Weerapong Rakhito received reports of the incident at about 4am from the D1 Hotel on Phra Metta Road. “We arrived to find the 42-year-old man still alive, lying face up on the asphalt with…

  • Thai LifeGardening: Learning to prune banyan trees

    Gardening: Learning to prune banyan trees

    PHUKET: Recently I received a question about pruning from Franck de Lestapis, general manager of Koh Lanta’s Pimalai Resort and Spa, which boasts a massive banyan tree that dominates the pool and beach. May I say straight away that Pimalai is to be congratulated for allowing such a wonderful specimen to flourish unimpeded. But it needs pruning. Let Franck take…

  • Thai LifeOn Deck: Perfect time to be messing about in boats

    On Deck: Perfect time to be messing about in boats

    PHUKET: I’ve never met Kenneth Grahame. It would be rather difficult, as he passed away in 1932. However, he seemed to have a good outlook on yachting. In his classic book The Wind in the Willows, Rat said to Mole: “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing…

  • Hua Hin NewsProperty Watch: Not everything can be ‘unique’

    Property Watch: Not everything can be ‘unique’

    PHUKET: No other word suffers as much abuse in the Phuket property market as the word ‘unique’, to the extent that the misuse itself is almost unique. The word is important for property investors, because the ‘Unique Selling Point’ is a factor that ought to be addressed at an early stage of investment. However, items that are not unique could…

  • Phuket NewsMan found dead at home, roommate missing

    Man found dead at home, roommate missing

    PHUKET: A construction worker was found dead in his room in Patong yesterday afternoon. Police are looking for his roommate, who disappeared after he was seen drinking with him Thursday night. “We received a report at about 12:30pm of a dead man in a room on Pisitkoranee Road,” said Lt Sirinat Cherdchutrakulthong of the Patong Police. “When we arrived, we…

  • Phuket NewsMan arrested for stealing 80,000 baht in coins

    Man arrested for stealing 80,000 baht in coins

    PHUKET: A Thai man who robbed a Patong exchange booth of 80,000 baht in coins on Wednesday evening was apprehended in Thalang last night. The suspect, named as Promma Seesuree, had broken into the unmanned booth on Rat-Uthit 200 Pi Road and escaped with the loot. “We received a complaint about the incident and collected evidence from the day of…

  • Business NewsKrabi locals selling palm seeds to boost income

    Krabi locals selling palm seeds to boost income

    PHUKET: Krabi locals have managed to find a new way to fill up their pockets with extra cash every month by collecting palm seeds (look chok) from nearby forests. Originally earning a regular income from rubber plantations, an additional income of 15,000 baht per month comes by collecting look chok and using them to make and sell desserts in their…

  • Cannabis NewsExcuse Buster: Alternatives to the ‘white devil’

    Excuse Buster: Alternatives to the ‘white devil’

    PHUKET: “This may seem exaggerated and far-fetched, but sugar is the most dangerous drug of the times and can still be easily acquired everywhere,” says Paul van der Velpen, the head of Amsterdam’s health service. This is the same Amsterdam where the sale of cannabis is legalized. Research that refined sugar is one of the main reasons for our current…

  • Phuket NewsHigh-surf, storm warnings issued for Phuket

    High-surf, storm warnings issued for Phuket

    PHUKET: A high-surf warning has been issued for Phuket beaches, particularly the West Coast ones, by the Surin-Bangtao Surf Lifesaving Club this morning. Starting Wednesday, an unusually powerful and extra-seasonal storm is predicted to affect Phuket and to continue over the next seven to ten days, the “Club” announced today. The beaches named in the advisory are Nai Harn, Kata…

  • PropertyAcross the Land: Proposed 10-year visa for over-50s

    Across the Land: Proposed 10-year visa for over-50s

    PHUKET: Finally, after years and years of consideration and watching other neighboring countries benefit from attracting foreign residents for long-term resident stays, the Thai government has announced a long term (ten-year) visa for foreigners over the age of 50. The intention is to promote Thailand as an international hub for medical services. As Thailand plans to develop itself into a…

  • Phuket NewsHomeless man blamed for Phuket Town fire

    Homeless man blamed for Phuket Town fire

    PHUKET: A mentally unstable homeless man is suspected to have started a fire that burnt down a house in Phuket Town about 5am today. The two-storey house located on Thepkrasattri Road, about 500 meters from Satree Phuket School, was enveloped by flames and smoke when firefighters and officials from the Phuket City Municipality Disaster Prevention (PMDP) Department arrived at the…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket King’s Cup marks 30th anniversary

    Phuket King’s Cup marks 30th anniversary

    PHUKET: This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Under Royal Patronage since its inception in 1986. What has become one of Thailand’s most prestigious sailing events was launched after a number of the country’s yachting fraternity met to discuss what they could do as a special tribute for His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s forthcoming Fifth…

  • World NewsMyanmar judge denies EMG bosses bail

    Myanmar judge denies EMG bosses bail

    MYANMAR: The Tamwe Township court refused to grant bail to Dr Than Htut Aung, CEO of the Eleven Media Group, and chief editor Wai Phyo at their second hearing yesterday. Lawyers Kyee Myint, Kyaw Lin, Soe Tint Yee, Kyaw Soe Moe and Moe Hein submitted an appeal for bail for the duo on November 25. The appeal included the fact…

  • Thailand NewsEU ‘Green card’ for Thailand expected over IUU fishing

    EU ‘Green card’ for Thailand expected over IUU fishing

    THAILAND: The Kingdom should expect to receive a ‘green card’ from the European Union for its efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, once the EU realizes the real progress the government is making in this regard, according to Steve Trent, executive director of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). Mr Trent said the EJF had seen the progress…

  • Phuket NewsSongkhla to Phuket drug line busted

    Songkhla to Phuket drug line busted

    PHUKET: A joint task force charged a drug peddler on Monday after they seized 10,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills valued at 2 million baht at the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint on Saturday. The operation was led by Border Patrol Police Captain Aumpon Samorthai and Tah Chat Chai Police Lieutenant Pisithkorn Maswichien. “We received information early Saturday morning that a drug…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket tour guides, bus drivers demand action for lost jobs

    Phuket tour guides, bus drivers demand action for lost jobs

    PHUKET: A group of local tour guides and a group of local tour bus operators simultaneously submitted letters at Phuket Provincial Hall today demanding that action be taken against illegal tour guides and operations “stealing” their jobs. About 50 members of the Andaman Tour Guide Association (Phuket-Phang Nga-Krabi) led by Mr Krit Thepbamrung gathered at Provincial Hall at 9.30am to…

  • Phuket NewsTim Reed triumphs in Phuket’s Foremost Ironman 70.3

    Tim Reed triumphs in Phuket’s Foremost Ironman 70.3

    PHUKET: Australian athlete Tim Reed was the overall winner of the Foremost Ironman 70.3 held at Bangtao Beach yesterday, crossing the finish line with a time of 3 hours 48 minutes and 33 seconds. The grueling course comprised a 1.9km swim, followed by a 90km bike race from the beach up to the Sarasin Bridge and back, and then a…

  • Pattaya NewsOn Deck: Ready for a wet ‘n’ wild year end?

    On Deck: Ready for a wet ‘n’ wild year end?

    PHUKET: Are you ready for the busiest time of the year? Not Christmas and New Year, but the six or so weeks of marine industry madness that is upon us. Kicking things off is the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show. From 24th to 27th November, eyes are on the Gulf of Thailand as boat brands from around the world join…

  • OpinionOpinion: Taking care of society’s unwanted

    Opinion: Taking care of society’s unwanted

    PHUKET: Noppadol Poungpun is the Project Manager of the Life Home Project Foundation, a non-profit organization with the goal of offering children, women and patients suffering from HIV (Human Immuno-deficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) a more dignified life. Originally from Surat Thani, Mr Noppadol has lived in Phuket and worked for the foundation since 2002. He graduated…

  • Thai LifeKeep it green: A big world on a small planet

    Keep it green: A big world on a small planet

    PHUKET: Louts and hooligans are often accused of ‘behaving like animals’. Unlike most cliches, the expression is a complete fabrication and does a grave disservice to animals everywhere. The world is full of human beings behaving badly. Homo sapiens, not your wild creature, are the louts mindlessly bent on destruction, not only of others but ultimately of themselves. Animals kill…

  • Phuket NewsSafety First: Phuket Airport security meets international standards

    Safety First: Phuket Airport security meets international standards

    PHUKET: News about the grand opening of the international terminal at Phuket International Airport (PIA) has littered the airwaves since its official ceremony in September. Like every new, large-scale project in Phuket, and indeed elsewhere in the world, the new terminal has had its fair share of teething problems – something the public has been quick to notice, criticize and…

  • Phuket NewsFreedom Beach land battle heats up

    Freedom Beach land battle heats up

    PHUKET: Department of Forestry officers yesterday morning checked up on land at Freedom Beach after some titles were revoked back in May, while the alleged owner threatened to sue them. Foresty and Navy personnel were led by Boonsueb Samakwet, director of Forestry Division 12, at about 11am at the site. These are the long-debated four-billion-baht titles covering 65 rai of…

  • Phuket NewsThailand Yacht Show organizers push to make Thailand Asia’s marine hub

    Thailand Yacht Show organizers push to make Thailand Asia’s marine hub

    PHUKET: Organizers of the second edition of the Thailand Yacht Show (TYS) to be held December 15-18 at Phuket’s Ao Po Grand Marina aim to inject millions of dollars into the country’s economy as they steam ahead to make Thailand Asia’s marine hub of choice for superyacht owners and marine leisure enthusiasts. Held in partnership with the Thai government, TYS…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket pensioner busted with illegal concoctions

    Phuket pensioner busted with illegal concoctions

    PHUKET: A 74 year-old woman was arrested Sunday for ‘looking after’ more than 58 kilograms of kratom leaves and 45 bottles of cough syrup used to make concoctions of illegal sedatives. Acting on a tip-off, military officers led by the 41st Military Circle’s Major Sathit Naikoon arrested the pensioner at 10am yesterday at a house in Soi 6 of the…

  • Phuket NewsMotorcyclists injured in coach collision on Patong Hill

    Motorcyclists injured in coach collision on Patong Hill

    PHUKET: The driver of a coach carrying Chinese tourists says he ‘lost control’ of the vehicle when its ‘brakes failed’ on Patong Hill last night, resulting in serious injuries to the riders of a motorbike. The coach was heading down the hill into Patong at 10:23pm when driver Uayporn Rattanasaeng, 51, hit the bike and then slammed into a roadside…

  • Phuket NewsRussian man stopped at airport with protected sea shells

    Russian man stopped at airport with protected sea shells

    KRABI: National park officials in Krabi last Thursday decided to educate locals and tourists in that province on animal preservation after they caught a Bangkok-bound Russian tourist with a giant clam and a conch at the airport. The chief of the Krabi office of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Wittaya Khunsan, said it was useless to arrest the…

  • Phuket NewsGermany’s Michael Raeleart wins Laguna Phuket Triathlon

    Germany’s Michael Raeleart wins Laguna Phuket Triathlon

    PHUKET: German athlete Michael Raelert finished first at the 23rd annual Laguna Phuket Triathlon yesterday, completing the 1.8km swim, 50km bike race and 12km run in 2 hours, 19 minutes and 13 seconds – beating his own record by 11 minutes, which he set when he won the contest last year. In second and third places in the men’s category…

  • OpinionOpinion: No cellphones while re-fuelling

    Opinion: No cellphones while re-fuelling

    PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette wishes the Department of Energy Business (DoEB) the best of luck in its bid to get all motorists to put away their mobile phones while filling up at gas stations – it will certainly be difficult. In May this year, officials of the DoEB confirmed that service station personnel would play a key role in ensuring…

  • Phuket NewsPublic warned of jellyfish dangers in Krabi

    Public warned of jellyfish dangers in Krabi

    KRABI: National park officials yesterday installed warning signs on Koh Hong to educate and warn locals and tourists about jellyfish ahead of the high season. “The signs are in Thai and English, one featuring pictures of jellyfish to help identify which ones are venomous and which not. The other explains what to do if stung by a jellyfish,” said Jampen…