Search Results for: Tak

  • Phuket NewsAcrobuffos set to soak Old Phuket Town | Thaiger

    Acrobuffos set to soak Old Phuket Town

    PHUKET: Renowned street artists Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone, better known as The Acrobuffos, are headlining the entertainment set to take over Old Phuket Town on December 17-19. The comic duo will be performing as part of the first-ever Phuket Street Show Festival, which coincides with the Patong Carnival this month. While the Acrobuffos bill themselves as “laughmakers, street players…

  • Phuket NewsAnapat, 10, sails to Phuket dinghy race victory

    Anapat, 10, sails to Phuket dinghy race victory

    PHUKET: Sailing sensation Anapat Ngarmdee, 10, proved to be one of the stars of the opening weekend of the King’s Cup Regatta by clinching first place in the inaugural Phuket King’s Cup Dinghy Series. The four-series event, featuring a total of 20 races, finished off Kata Beach yesterday. Anapat finished in the top spot, heading a field of 19 Optimist-class…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket drug detection gone to the dogs

    Phuket drug detection gone to the dogs

    PHUKET: Local authorities expect two puppies now under intensive training at Phuket International Dog School (PIDS) to become effective drug detection dogs by January. The two candidates, Bebe and Boo Boo, are both four months old. Bebe is a four-kilogram female beagle, while Boo Boo is a male pit bull currently weighing in at seven kilos. The project is the…

  • Phuket NewsO’Donnell wins Phuket’s inaugural Ironman 70.3

    O’Donnell wins Phuket’s inaugural Ironman 70.3

    PHUKET: Former US Navy lieutenant Tim O’Donnell today dominated the formidable 50-strong field of some 800 competitors to win the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship at Laguna Phuket in just under four hours. The American, whose impressive 2010 season included the Ironman 70.3 Florida title, was first out of the water from the 1.9km swim in 24 minutes 34 seconds.…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket “night tsunami’ drill update | Thaiger

    Phuket “night tsunami’ drill update

    PHUKET: The center of operations for Phuket’s first “night tsunami” drill will be at the Rajaprachanukroh 36 School in Kamala. The drill, to be held on December 14, will begin at 8pm. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has confirmed that more than 200 volunteers will take part, and Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha will preside over the exercise.…

  • Phuket NewsBetter care needed for Phuket’s disabled

    Better care needed for Phuket’s disabled

    PHUKET: Vice-Governor Nivit Aroonrat has joined other leading provincial figures in a call for better facilities for disabled people in Phuket. At a fun day for the disabled at Saphan Hin, V/Gov Nivit on Wednesday voiced his support for the event, saying such activities helped to raise awareness of the problems disabled people faced in their daily lives. He also…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket police denied drug-testing center | Thaiger

    Phuket police denied drug-testing center

    PHUKET: THE Office of Forensic Science has denied Phuket police permission to set up its own Scientific Crime Detection Center. Phuket Police Commander Pekad Tantipong explained the request was turned down due to the lack of experienced officers to staff the center. “Urine tests [for drugs] must be overseen by experts. If the urine is not well kept and protected,…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket to drill for “night tsunami’

    Phuket to drill for “night tsunami’

    PHUKET: Those hoping for a lie in on Phuket’s west coast yesterday were disappointed when the Thai national anthem was played at 8am on all 19 of the island’s tsunami warning towers. Meanwhile, it was also revealed that the island’s first “night tsunami” evacuation drill would take place in Kamala later this month. Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM)…

  • Phuket NewsMentally handicapped man found dead in Phuket Town well | Thaiger

    Mentally handicapped man found dead in Phuket Town well

    PHUKET: A mother looking to transfer her 36-year-old mentally handicapped son to a mental hospital in Surat Thani yesterday arrived at his house in Phuket Town to discover his body at the bottom of a 15-meter-deep well. Kusoldham Foundation workers told the Gazette that the man, Yodchawan Puttarakma, was to be taken to Suan Saranrom Hospital in Surat Thani yesterday…

  • Phuket NewsNetherlands ambassador lauds honorary consuls

    Netherlands ambassador lauds honorary consuls

    PHUKET: Netherlands Ambassador to Thailand Tjaco van den Hout last night praised the work of honorary consuls, saying it was a “thankless” job requiring the consuls to be available at all hours to attend to often “grisly” affairs. “I am so happy to have a consulate here to take care of an estimated 1,500 to 1,800 Dutch residents in this…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket gets nearly Bt 1bn for Asian Beach Games

    Phuket gets nearly Bt 1bn for Asian Beach Games

    PHUKET: Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa on Monday had good news for sports development on the island. Phuket had applied for 700 million baht to develop and prepare the island to host the Asian Beach Games 2014. Instead, the central government has approved nearly a billion baht, he said. “Phuket will host the Asian Beach Games in 2014, and…

  • Phuket NewsForeigner appointed as advisor to Phuket Governor’s office

    Foreigner appointed as advisor to Phuket Governor’s office

    PHUKET: Who is that foreigner standing next to the governor welcoming HRH Princess Sirindorn to Phuket? There he is again, with the party greeting President Jimmy Carter. He can be seen quietly slipping in and out of meetings with the governor, vice governors and the many ambassadors and senior government officials who visit Phuket every year. Now, for the first…

  • Phuket NewsBIS touch rugby tourney in Phuket open to all | Thaiger

    BIS touch rugby tourney in Phuket open to all

    PHUKET: British International School Phuket will host a “touch rugby” mini-tournament on Saturday. The tournament and post-event gathering at the Spice Island in the Boat Lagoon marina is open to everyone – no matter what gender, age or fitness level. Participants do not need to know the rules as they will be explained to you beforehand, and individuals will be…

  • Phuket NewsCigana, Granger reign supreme at Laguna Phuket Triathlon

    Cigana, Granger reign supreme at Laguna Phuket Triathlon

    PHUKET: It was a big day of former champions at the 2010 Laguna Phuket Triathlon yesterday, as Italian Massimo Cigana and Australian Belinda Granger took top honors. The pair were in dominant form in their respective races, crossing the finish line well ahead of the chasing pack, which included a host of top professional athletes and more than 800 amateurs…

  • Phuket NewsCentral Festival Phuket to get Bt.5bn upgrade

    Central Festival Phuket to get Bt.5bn upgrade

    PHUKET: Central Retail Corporation (CRC) has announced a .5 billion baht facelift of the Central Festival Phuket shopping mall that will include the opening of its fourth floor.The renovation, the first since the complex opened in September 2004, will be completed by the beginning of next year. It is intended to cash in on the recovery of the Phuket tourism…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket police seeking “white guy’ sneak thief | Thaiger

    Phuket police seeking “white guy’ sneak thief

    PHUKET: Police believe a Caucasian man carried out a burglary in Kalim around midnight Tuesday, while the Canadian homeowner and his wife were asleep in their bedroom. The Canadian, who asked to remain anonymous, said he discovered something was wrong only when he could not find his laptop computers around 9am the next day. In all, about US$ 5,000 dollars…

  • Phuket NewsNew tsunami buoys off Phuket by new year: NDWC

    New tsunami buoys off Phuket by new year: NDWC

    PHUKET: Two new Italian-built tsunami direct detection units will be installed off Phuket by the end of the year, the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) has revealed. NDWC Director Somsak Khaosuwan said the two units, known as “tsunameters”, will be located about 400 to 500 kilometers offshore. Although the exact locations have yet to be determined, one of the units…

  • Phuket NewsCase closed on bizarre murder-suicide in Phuket restaurant

    Case closed on bizarre murder-suicide in Phuket restaurant

    PHUKET: Police have closed the case file on the bizarre murder-suicide that shocked Phuket Town earlier this month. Diners at Khrua Pailin Restaurant were stunned when restaurateur Bundit Anurakbundit stood up from a table of friends, walked across the restaurant floor to his sister-in-law Wassana Jarit and shot her in the head point-blank. He then turned the gun on himself.…

  • Phuket NewsBritish expats’ Phuket home burgled

    British expats’ Phuket home burgled

    PHUKET: A British couple living in Rawai returned home from dinner last night to find their house burgled, with several valuable items stolen. Charles Stuart Crompton and his wife left their home in Soi Natai at 8:30pm on Tuesday night and went out for a meal. When the couple returned home two hours later they found their house had been…

  • Phuket NewsBritish PM: Phuket, I’m not coming

    British PM: Phuket, I’m not coming

    PHUKET: British Prime Minister David Cameron will cancel a planned family holiday in Phuket over the Christmas holidays following concerns about negative publicity and Thailand’s human-rights record, the British press has reported. Matt Chorley, political correspondent at The Independent, wrote that Prime Minister Cameron had faced claims that the trip would be viewed as showing support for the government of…

  • Phuket NewsStrong Thai baht will hurt Phuket: Poll

    Strong Thai baht will hurt Phuket: Poll

    PHUKET: The surging Thai baht will have a negative affect on this year’s high season for tourism, a majority of Phuket Gazette online readers think. The poll asked online readers: With the Thai baht up more than 11% against the US dollar this year and gaining against many other foreign currencies, it is more expensive for many foreigners to travel…

  • OpinionPhuket Opinion: Good news for medical tourism | Thaiger

    Phuket Opinion: Good news for medical tourism

    PHUKET: Results of a recent Phuket Gazette readers’ poll provide an interesting glimpse into how Phuket’s expatriate community feels about private healthcare services on the island. (See statistics in this week’s issue of the newspaper. Digital subscribers click here.) The poll question asked readers to rate the overall the quality of treatment offered at private hospitals and clinics in Phuket.…

  • Phuket NewsKorean Ambassador visits Phuket

    Korean Ambassador visits Phuket

    PHUKET: The Korean ambassador to Thailand met with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha on Friday, asking him to make it easier for Korean tour guides to work on the island. Ambassador Chung Hae-moon made the request at a Phuket Provincial Hall meeting also attended by Korean Honorary Consul and Phuket MP Tossaporn Thepabutr and Korn Suwanasai, head of Phuket Passport Office.…

  • Phuket NewsDengue control inititiative launched in Phuket Town | Thaiger

    Dengue control inititiative launched in Phuket Town

    PHUKET: Phuket City Municipality has designated four city temples as “pilot areas” in the battle to stop the spread of dengue fever. Phuket Town Mayor Somjai Suwansupapana told the state-run MCOT news agency there have been 693 confirmed cases of dengue in the city so far this year. The number of new cases being reported is on the rise. Monsoon…

  • Phuket NewsFinns find gold in Phuket

    Finns find gold in Phuket

    PHUKET: A Finnish company has opened its first Thailand branch in Phuket, giving jewelry owners a unique opportunity to cash in old gold – regardless of its karat rating. The ‘GoldToMoney’ shop, located at Chalong Circle, may deceive passers-by because it has not an ounce of gold on display. That’s because the company does not sell gold. It only buys…

  • Phuket NewsFC Phuket primed for success in Loei

    FC Phuket primed for success in Loei

    PHUKET: The FC Phuket promotion bandwagon is back on the road this weekend, with the team traveling north to face Loei City on tomorrow afternoon. Kickoff for the AIS Regional League Division 2 playoff match will be at 4pm. Last Saturday the Phuket team came from a goal down to beat Loei 2-1 on the home turf at Surakul Stadium.…

  • Phuket NewsLoy Krathong losing its luster among Phuket youths

    Loy Krathong losing its luster among Phuket youths

    PHUKET: Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn out for Loy Krathong events to be held across Phuket on Sunday night, yet many young Thais seem to be losing interest in the tradition. From Mai Khao to Rawai, floats adorned with flowers and alight with candles will be set adrift at sea, on canals, lakes and rivers to…

  • Phuket NewsPoint blank: Phuket man dies in Thalang shooting murder

    Point blank: Phuket man dies in Thalang shooting murder

    PHUKET: A man was shot dead in front of his mother in his Phuket home last night. Thalang Police duty officer Pratuang Polmana identified the victim as Nipon Lohajan, aged 35. The victim’s mother told police her son answered a knock at the door of their home near the Heroines’ Monument at about 11:30pm. As soon as the door opened…

  • Phuket NewsEntries for Phuket King’s Cup Regatta near 100 mark

    Entries for Phuket King’s Cup Regatta near 100 mark

    PHUKET: Almost 100 boats have already registered for this year’s Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, which will get underway off Kata Beach on December 4. Inaugurated in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand, the event attracts participants from around the world and generates in excess of 100 million baht into the local economy annually.…

  • Phuket NewsRonald Fanelli update: Still no return to Phuket Prison

    Ronald Fanelli update: Still no return to Phuket Prison

    PHUKET: Legal proceedings against confessed killer Ronald Fanelli are on hold until the American returns to Phuket, the Gazette has learned. Mr Fanelli is currently undergoing psychiatric examination at a facility in Surat Thani. The former US Navy officer was taken to Suan Saranrom Hospital for examination on September 13, reportedly at his own request. The case against him has…