Search Results for: Tak

  • Phuket NewsPhuket police hunt handcuffed thief who fled from police vehicle at red light

    Phuket police hunt handcuffed thief who fled from police vehicle at red light

    PHUKET: A handcuffed man left behind only his slippers today when he jumped from a police pick-up truck while it was stopped at a red light. Boonrit Boontang, 22, who has been evading police since his escape, had been arrested on July 15 for stealing a motorbike. He was being transferred to Phuket Provincial Court at about 11:30am when he…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket bound bus kills three in Krabi

    Phuket bound bus kills three in Krabi

    PHUKET: Three people died and 10 were injured in Krabi when a pick-up truck rammed another truck, sending it into the path of a bus last night. The accident occurred as a Mazda pick-up was approaching a u-turn near the Makro store on the Krabi-Ao Luek Highway at 8:30. “Witnesses said that the Mazda was going slowly into the u-turn,”…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Raceweek: Foxy Lady too hot to handle

    Phuket Raceweek: Foxy Lady too hot to handle

    PHUKET: Bill Bremner’s Foxy Lady VI scored two firsts in the opening day of racing in the Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek Regatta, which began today off the east coast of Phuket. Peter Ahern’s TP52 Oi! cut a clear lead from the fleet from the outset, but a spinnaker error at the leeward mark handed the advantage to Foxy Lady,…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Raceweek: Fast boats, slick crews to make most of blustery weather

    Phuket Raceweek: Fast boats, slick crews to make most of blustery weather

    PHUKET: The shift to heavy weather this week has set the scene for dramatic racing off Phuket’s east coast as a fleet of 36 yachts compete in this year’s edition of the renowned Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek Regatta. Racing began today following last night’s gala opening party. Setting the courses over the next four days is Simon James, who…

  • Business NewsRetirement is all about safety first

    Retirement is all about safety first

    PHUKET: I cannot even begin to tell you the horror stories I hear from many expats I meet. Unfortunately, they’re coming to see me too late or have not been reading my columns. The first thing that many Americans or Europeans think when they move to Thailand is how cheap it is to live here. We got a lot more…

  • Business NewsAmari appoints new AGM based in Patong

    Amari appoints new AGM based in Patong

    PHUKET: ONYX Hospitality Group, which operates the well-known Amari hotel brand, has announced a restructure of its key hotel and corporate operations roles in Thailand. As part of the restructure, ONYX has promoted their talented hospitality professionals Pierre-Andre Pelletier and David Cumming to the positions of Vice President Area General Manager for Southern Thailand and Bangkok, respectively. Both veterans in…

  • Phuket NewsIslands off Phuket’s east coast next up in beach cleanup

    Islands off Phuket’s east coast next up in beach cleanup

    PHUKET: The islands of Koh Naka Yai and Koh Naka Noi are the next targets in the great Phuket beach cleanup, which has now spread to sands on and off the island’s east coast. Officials planned to visit the islands this afternoon but were informed by a local official that residents there had started clearing illegal beach structures on their…

  • Business NewsGrand Mercure Phuket Patong sets its sights high

    Grand Mercure Phuket Patong sets its sights high

    PHUKET: After 13 years in the Kingdom, 36-year-old Sebastien Tronchet has risen from hotel intern to general manager overseeing the pre-opening, opening and operation of the Grand Mercure Phuket Patong. Like many general managers, Sebastien began in food and beverage (F&B) and quickly ascended the ranks. “I’m lucky to come from a little province in the South of France. We…

  • Thailand NewsPolice reforms cause a stir | Thaiger

    Police reforms cause a stir

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police reforms cause a stir The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: National police reforms introduced by the National Council for Peace and Order have already started creating ripples spreading far and wide, and also in the political arena. Though several senior police officers and academics have…

  • World NewsTripoli airport becomes Libya’s new frontline between rival militias

    Tripoli airport becomes Libya’s new frontline between rival militias

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Tripoli airport becomes Libya’s new frontline between rival militias Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: First, there is a single shot. Then Libyan fighters empty their anti-aircraft guns as others crouch for cover at Tripoli International Airport. Until Saturday night, the airport was a hub for Libyans…

  • Phuket NewsA Phuket success story: British siblings’ locate saviors nearly a decade after the tsunami

    A Phuket success story: British siblings’ locate saviors nearly a decade after the tsunami

    PHUKET: A Facebook hunt led by British siblings for a man and woman who helped them during the devastating 2004 tsunami is over; their guardians have been found. Upin Sengmuang, a small shop owner on Tri Trang Beach, learned today that she and her partner Pitchat were being sought by Emily and Ben Willgrass, who had posted a message on…

  • Phuket NewsSirinath National Park land tug-of-war continues as chief files complaint against illegal landowners

    Sirinath National Park land tug-of-war continues as chief files complaint against illegal landowners

    PHUKET: The Sirinath National Park chief is set to file a complaint against three people who are attempting to upgrade allegedly illegally issued SorKor 1 documents into land title deeds. “Tomorrow morning I will file a complaint to Tah Chat Chai Police against Nakorn Wongsrithong, Chan Pongpa and Anoma Fangsen for encroaching on national park land,” said Sirinath National Park…

  • Thai LifeEnvironment: Coastal erosion protection system could save Phuket’s shore

    Environment: Coastal erosion protection system could save Phuket’s shore

    PHUKET: Whether people remain in denial or have accepted the inevitability of the effects of global warming, there is no denying that glaciers and ice caps are melting and sea levels are rising. It’s no longer a question of whether or not these factors are happening at the hand of man or by natural processes, but rather a question of…

  • Phuket NewsVideo goes viral of Phuket beach club emptying trash bags in sand

    Video goes viral of Phuket beach club emptying trash bags in sand

    PHUKET: A video posted on YouTube showing Surin beach club staff burying the contents of black garbage bags in the sand is not a matter of concern, says Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-ann Samran. “I saw the video a long time ago and had my staff check it out,” Mayor Ma-ann told the Phuket Gazette today. In the video, taken a…

  • Phuket NewsBrazil 2014 strong contender as best-ever World Cup

    Brazil 2014 strong contender as best-ever World Cup

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World sport selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community RIO DE JANEIRO – The 2014 World Cup provided an unmatched level of football, outstanding individual moments, shocks, some controversy and it all took place in stadiums packed with knowledgeable and passionate fans. Taken as a whole, the 64 games in Brazil, were unparalleled as a…

  • World NewsEgypt launches initiative to halt Israel-Palestinian conflict

    Egypt launches initiative to halt Israel-Palestinian conflict

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Egypt launches initiative to halt Israel-Palestinian conflict Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Egypt launched an initiative on Monday to halt fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants, proposing a ceasefire to be followed by talks in Cairo on settling the conflict in which Gaza authorities say more…

  • Thai LifePlunge into Penang

    Plunge into Penang

    PHUKET: First of all, no, panang curry is not from Penang. And yes, of course, it is debated. It’s ok though, because the northern Malaysian island is overflowing with taste-bud dazzling dishes. When or if you find yourself in this hotpot of ethnic diversity and boundless character, you will find a wondrous assortment of flavors far beyond the food. Although…

  • Thailand NewsEC defends its proposals to overhaul political system

    EC defends its proposals to overhaul political system

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community EC defends its proposals to overhaul political system The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Election Commission (EC) yesterday denied that its reform plan put to the National Council for Peace and Order last week came at the expense of politicians, saying its intentions were above-board…

  • Thai LifeThe great gibbon fly-out

    The great gibbon fly-out

    PHUKET: A network of light aircraft owners known as the Flying Scouts are pitching in to save the environment through a number of innovative projects, one of which was a recent “gibbon airlift” from Phuket to the animals’ new home in Chiang Mai. Most island residents are familiar with the good work done by the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (GRP) in…

  • PropertyProperty Watch: Life in the days of future past

    Property Watch: Life in the days of future past

    PHUKET: In my lifetime, small men in white suits have walked on the moon. Well, at least they seemed tiny on the television screen. Now, strangers’ voices come out of an iPhone acting as a personal concierge. I still can’t figure out how they fit a tiny person into the iconic Apple device. Yes, technology is a fast-moving landscape that…

  • Phuket NewsDNP chief locked and loaded: targets high-ranking officials over Phuket land snatching

    DNP chief locked and loaded: targets high-ranking officials over Phuket land snatching

    PHUKET: More than 1,000 rai of Phuket land illegally owned by former ministers, deputies and provincial governors will be returned to the public, said Samak Donnapee, director of the Bureau of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). “The 92 plots being taken back are in Sakoo and Cherng Talay,” confirmed Sirinath National Park Chief Kitiphat Tharapiban to the Phuket…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket police hunt human smugglers after rescuing debt-trapped Burmese fishermen

    Phuket police hunt human smugglers after rescuing debt-trapped Burmese fishermen

    PHUKET: Fast action by the Phuket Marine Police freed two Myanmar nationals who were trapped in indentured labor on a fishing vessel as Thailand continues its campaign to rebut its downgrade to the lowest tier on the US State Department’s “Trafficking in Persons” report. “We take this issue very seriously,” Lt Col Panya Chaichana of Phuket Marine Police told the…

  • Phuket NewsSpeedboat rescues Phuket captain found floating at sea in life jacket

    Speedboat rescues Phuket captain found floating at sea in life jacket

    PHUKET: A boat captain bobbing at sea in a life jacket was rescued by a speedboat 20 minutes after his boat sank near Koh Yao Yai yesterday afternoon. Apichart Lawthong, 51, was the only person on board when the boat, which was carrying construction supplies, foundered in rough seas. “I left Phuket at about 11am, headed to Phi Phi,” Mr…

  • OpinionPhuket Opinion: It’s up to all of us to save the foolish from Phuket’s rips

    Phuket Opinion: It’s up to all of us to save the foolish from Phuket’s rips

    PHUKET: A friend and I who were surfing in Kata last year came across two young Phuket natives who had gotten into trouble when they were pulled into deep water. We put them on our boards and swam them in to shore, only to watch one of them fade away in front of our eyes. The sight of the 20-year-old’s…

  • OpinionBan monkey business

    Ban monkey business

    PHUKET: The recent introduction of two gibbons rescued in Phuket into the wilds of Northern Thailand is a landmark achievement for the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand (WARF) and the many affiliated groups and volunteers who played roles in making it happen. We join the rest of the island in thanking them all and wishing them the best of…

  • Phuket NewsMarine Police ramp up inspections to promote Phuket boat safety

    Marine Police ramp up inspections to promote Phuket boat safety

    PHUKET: Marine police are in the midst of a blitz on Phuket tourist boats and crew to promote safety over the four-day holiday weekend. “It’s our responsibility to continually check on the boats and strictly enforce regulations to ensure the safety of passengers, especially during the long holidays, when more people are expected to be in Phuket,” said Lt Col…

  • Phuket NewsPolice suspect kickstand played role in fatal Phuket motorbike crash

    Police suspect kickstand played role in fatal Phuket motorbike crash

    PHUKET: A helmet-less Myanmar national was killed after losing control of his motorbike on a curve while driving with his kickstand down in Phuket yesterday. When police arrived at the scene on Phra Phuket Kaew Road, they found 27-year-old Phyo Maung Maung’s motorbike, with the kickstand down, on the median and Mr Phyo’s body in a lane of oncoming traffic.…

  • Phuket NewsMilitary silent on ‘cash for clearance’ at Phuket Airport

    Military silent on ‘cash for clearance’ at Phuket Airport

    PHUKET: Navy officers have fallen silent over their investigation into immigration officials at Phuket International Airport who allegedly solicit cash payments from tourists to clear immigration queues. On Wednesday, one of the top-ranking officers who led a Monday raid of the airport declined to reveal to the Phuket Gazette whether or not his officers were continuing their investigation into the…

  • Phuket NewsTwin Sharks turns turtle, to rejoin regatta racing tomorrow

    Twin Sharks turns turtle, to rejoin regatta racing tomorrow

    PHUKET: Hot favorite Twin Sharks, which capsized during practice in strong winds off Phuket yesterday, is expected to begin its campaign in the Firefly Sport 850 class in the Multihull Solutions Regatta tomorrow. The racing catamaran turned turtle in Chalong Bay yesterday afternoon amid strong winds gusting up to 25 knots (story here). Skipper and owner John Newnham and his…

  • Phuket NewsArgentina and Germany start final preparations

    Argentina and Germany start final preparations

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Argentina and Germany start final preparations Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Argentina and Germany were both back at work on Thursday, secretly hatching their plans for Sunday’s World Cup final at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. While their contrasting styles promise a classic battle between…