Search Results for: cat

  • Thai LifePhuket Lifestyle – wreck diving in Khao Lak

    Phuket Lifestyle – wreck diving in Khao Lak

    PHUKET: The descent line disappeared below us after we splashed in above the Sea Charter, one of the few diveable wrecks off the coast of Khao Lak. There is a long moment between leaving the sunny surface of the Andaman Sea and the first hint of the ship’s shadow blackening the blue water below us. In that moment I found…

  • Thai LifeMixed messages: Phuket short on teachers, or schools short on job ads?

    Mixed messages: Phuket short on teachers, or schools short on job ads?

    PHUKET: Last month the Gazette ran a headline that read, “Phuket schools relax rules for hiring English teachers“. The opening sentence of that story read, “The Phuket Primary Education Area Office has relaxed the requirements for foreigners to be hired as English-language teachers at government schools in Phuket.” Almost immediately after publishing the story, optimistic job seekers flooded the Gazette‘s…

  • Thai LifePhuket Gardening – beautiful bauhinias

    Phuket Gardening – beautiful bauhinias

    PHUKET: I was recently asked to offer my advice about landscaping the entrance area to an up-scale estate. After studying photographs of the site area and making a long list of possible plants, I paid a visit to my favorite nursery to discuss tactics, availability and prices with the Thai owner. She knows what she is talking about as her…

  • Phuket NewsMan on ledge claims being Phuket hitman target for two days

    Man on ledge claims being Phuket hitman target for two days

    PHUKET: Traffic screeched to a halt on Phisit Gorani Road near Patong Temple about 7pm yesterday as motorists and other passers-by watched a team of Phuket rescue workers snatch a man from the ledge of a three-story building while he was preparing himself to jump. The man, 25-year-old tattoo artist Surasak Buranaphanit, later told Phuket police he was being hunted…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Dancer: Matt Harding to jig around Siam

    Phuket Dancer: Matt Harding to jig around Siam

    PHUKET: Internet sensation Matthew “Dancing Matt” Harding was in Phuket yesterday to record his latest video and promote the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s most recent promotional campaign: “Go Thailand: All That Is Missing Is You”. Perhaps the world’s most well-known globetrotter, Matt was in Phuket for just one day. He met with the media at Mission Hills Phuket Golf Club…

  • Phuket NewsLunar eclipse tonight, with supernatural warning

    Lunar eclipse tonight, with supernatural warning

    PHUKET: Skies are partly cloudy over Phuket this afternoon, but stargazers should stand a good chance to enjoy tonight’s lunar eclipse – if they dare. While lunar eclipses are far easier on the eye than their solar counterparts, a famous Thai astrologer is warning people born on Sunday, Monday or Wednesday nights that viewing the celestial phenomenon could bring them…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s Sniffer and Shark put best foot forward for World Record attempt

    Phuket’s Sniffer and Shark put best foot forward for World Record attempt

    PHUKET: Athletes of the highest caliber have graced Phuket over the past two weekends at Laguna’s week-long triathlon festival, but their efforts pale in comparison to what lies ahead for Russell Distance Russell and Jay leShark on Saturday. At 1pm on December 10, Russell (aka “Sniffer”) and Jay will begin their attempt to stomp their mark on history by walking…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket, Krabi road show ‘refloats’ tourism from Middle East

    Phuket, Krabi road show ‘refloats’ tourism from Middle East

    PHUKET: A consortium of Phuket and Krabi tourism representatives have just returned from the Middle East where they spearheaded a road show to boost tourists’ confidence in visiting Thailand.“The floods scared so many tourists who planned to visit Thailand. Many of them even canceled their trips since they thought it was that bad,” said Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President…

  • Thai LifePhuket lifestyle – organic fashion is cool

    Phuket lifestyle – organic fashion is cool

    PHUKET: Most people know that organic food is good for our health and great for the environment. This idea is spreading quickly from our pantries to our closets as more consumers become aware of the benefits of organic fashion. Major labels are now offering organic lines and top designers are hitting the runways with eco-friendly fibers. By participating in this…

  • Phuket NewsPatong cricket clinic open for Phuket league

    Patong cricket clinic open for Phuket league

    PHUKET: The fourth match of the Island Furniture League season saw last year’s champions, Patong, take on Island Cricket Club (ICC) on Sunday at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG).Following an upset against Laguna in the first match of the season, Patong were determined to get their league campaign back on track.However, a number of key players were not on the…

  • Thai LifePhuket cinema – purrfect family fun

    Phuket cinema – purrfect family fun

    PHUKET: From the Shrek movies comes the popular Puss in Boots character voiced by Antonio Banderas with the addition of Kitty Softpaws (Selma Hayek) and Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zack Galifianakis) who are trying to avoid Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris). The usual funny scenes and lines with cat references are there, but there are also many dramatic,…

  • Cannabis NewsPhuket Police need help from tourists: investigator

    Phuket Police need help from tourists: investigator

    PHUKET: Foreign tourists who are victims of crime in Phuket all too often leave the country before police can investigate their claims, allowing perpetrators to continue roaming the streets in search of new victims, a Patong Police investigator has said. “I want foreign tourists who are victims of crimes in Phuket to cooperate with us when we investigate their cases,…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Media: Gazette iPad App goes ‘top of chart’ for Phuket

    Phuket Media: Gazette iPad App goes ‘top of chart’ for Phuket

    PHUKET: With close to 4,000 downloads since it’s launch, the Phuket Gazette‘s latest iPad App has soared to the top of the App store’s search results for “Phuket”. The new version (1.1), launched just ten days ago, on November 28, is rated 4.5 and boasts greatly expanded content over its predecessor (1.0) launched in March of this year. Among the…

  • Thai LifePhuket Lifestyle – the legend of Dark Fiber

    Phuket Lifestyle – the legend of Dark Fiber

    PHUKET: Dark Fiber is every telecom executive’s nightmare. “When the internet works, fiber optic cables light up but when it is down or is unused it is known as ‘dark fiber’ and that’s not good news.” says Gary Crause. He’s an ex- telecoms expert whose office, at the entrance of Boat Lagoon, is next to Telecom company 3BB where rolls…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s Klong Krata reservoir project delayed by rain

    Phuket’s Klong Krata reservoir project delayed by rain

    PHUKET: Work on Phuket’s third major reservoir is behind schedule, but officials expect the Klong Krata project in Chalong to be completed on schedule by January next year. Project engineer Nattakom Nookhom of the Region 15 Irrigation Office in Surat Thani said rain has put the work significantly behind schedule. “According to the work schedule we should be near the…

  • Thai LifePhuket Gardening – Wattle it be, mate?

    Phuket Gardening – Wattle it be, mate?

    PHUKET: Ask any Australian gardener about the Acacia and they will either look puzzled, or reply: “Aw, you mean a wattle, mate”. And they should know, because these ornamental trees come mostly from Oz. To confuse things further, the Acacia used to be classified in the genus of Mimosa, and in Mediterranean regions is still referred to by this name.…

  • Phuket NewsAustrian tourist stabbed, robbed by Phuket youth gang

    Austrian tourist stabbed, robbed by Phuket youth gang

    PHUKET: An Austrian tourist is recovering from a punctured lung and other injuries sustained in a brutal robbery attack by four knife-wielding youths in Phuket yesterday. Patong Police identified the victim as Rupert Wilhelmstatter. Mr Wilhelmstatter, in his 50s, was returning by motorbike to his hotel in Patong at 1:45pm when the attack occurred. He was returning from Paradise Beach,…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Yacht Haven staff praised for averting marina fireball

    Phuket Yacht Haven staff praised for averting marina fireball

    PHUKET: A power boat berthed at Yacht Haven Marina in Phuket went up in flames last night, but heroic action by staff at the facility minimized the damage to surrounding vessels as they were able to tow it safely out to deeper water. No injuries were reported. Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation emergency rescue workers, called to the scene at 7:45pm, watched…

  • Phuket NewsPrompong returns, inspects Phuket mangrove encroachment

    Prompong returns, inspects Phuket mangrove encroachment

    PHUKET: Pheu Thai Party spokesman and party list MP Prompong Nopparit, who is also the vice president of the parliamentary anti-corruption committee, returned to Phuket on Saturday to inspect alleged encroachment on a protected mangrove forest in Rassada. The inspection visit follows Mr Prompong heading a public meeting at Phuket Rajabhat University on November 26. At the meeting, Mr Prompong…

  • World NewsU.S. FAA chief on leave after drunk driving arrest | Thaiger

    U.S. FAA chief on leave after drunk driving arrest

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Randy Babbitt out of the cockpit for now Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Randy Babbitt took a leave of absence yesterday afternoon after police revealed he was arrested for drunk driving over the weekend, officials said. Babbitt was arrested…

  • Phuket NewsRaelert and Rollison reign supreme at Laguna Phuket Ironman

    Raelert and Rollison reign supreme at Laguna Phuket Ironman

    PHUKET: Michael Raelert’s dazzling performance and character shone through at a wet and overcast Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship for the German to take the 2011 title at Laguna Phuket and in the process demolished the course record. When most consider a cautious approach to navigating Phuket during inclement conditions, the two-time Ironman 70.3 world champion powered through the 1.9km swim,…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket united in birthday wishes for HM The King

    Phuket united in birthday wishes for HM The King

    PHUKET: Scores of civil servants dressed in pink gathered at Queen Sirikit Park in Phuket Town this morning to take part in an alms-giving ceremony to honor the 84th birthday of Thailand’s beloved monarch HRH King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The ceremony, which got underway at 7am, was presided over by Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and his wife Mrs Nalinee Augkaradacha in…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Live Wire – Need for speed

    Phuket Live Wire – Need for speed

    PHUKET: From time to time, I get messages from people who have looked at the Phuket Internet Speed Reporting site and wonder why we’re measuring international download speeds, using one specific test (DSLReports) to one destination, Los Angeles. Here’s a typical comment: Woody, why should I care how fast this test runs to Los Angeles? I’m happy. My torrents download…

  • Business NewsKings Cup Regatta to generate B600mn for Phuket

    Kings Cup Regatta to generate B600mn for Phuket

    PHUKET: This year’s Kings Cup Regatta is expected to rake in 600 million baht for Phuket. Presiding over a press conference to promote this year’s event, Phuket Governor Tri Aukaradacha last week said that this year’s revenue for the province is likely to exceed that of last year’s edition. Noting that last year’s regatta generated about 550 million baht for…

  • Business NewsDewa Phuket wins 7 awards

    Dewa Phuket wins 7 awards

    PHUKET: Dewa Phuket, the boutique resort at Nai Yang beach, bagged seven awards at the ‘2011–2013 Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards’, or HAPA. The HAPA Southeast Asian regional ceremony, which took place on November 17 and 18 in Singapore, welcomed hospitality sector representatives from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Created by World Asia Publications in 2002, HAPA recognizes…

  • Thailand NewsMP questions love for flood victims | Thaiger

    MP questions love for flood victims

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Love motel floated boats for flood relief Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An opposition MP Friday came up with “new information” to support his allegation of irregularities involving the government’s Flood Relief Operation Centre (FROC). Phuket Gazette partner newspaper The Nation reports that at a press conference at…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Property: Corrupt land ownership cannot be ‘revoked’

    Phuket Property: Corrupt land ownership cannot be ‘revoked’

    PHUKET: While the Andaman Travel Trade 2011 expo was winding to a close at Phuket Rajabhat University last Saturday, a sinister irony pervaded the venue and brought conflict to ‘Brand Phuket’. Tucked away in a small conference room in the same building as the jovial expo was Pheu Thai Party Spokesman and MP Prompong Nopparit, who was holding a public…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket marks international day for the disabled

    Phuket marks international day for the disabled

    PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) yesterday held an event to mark International Day for Persons with Disabilities, observed by the United Nations and countries around the world today, December 3. “The annual observance of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities on December 3 was established by the International Year for Disabled Persons 1981,” said Phuket Provincial Chief…

  • Thailand NewsWeird World News: Animals trump humans as dog shoots man, cobras strike tax office and toads predict earthquakes

    Weird World News: Animals trump humans as dog shoots man, cobras strike tax office and toads predict earthquakes

    PHUKET: It’s often said in journalism, “If a dog bites a man, that’s not news. But if a man bites a dog, now that’s news.” The more unusual and infrequent events gets Weird World News’ vote every time. So we think a dog shooting a man, toads predicting earthquakes and cobras scaring tax officials are in the right vein of…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s Ironman 70.3 brings in the champs

    Phuket’s Ironman 70.3 brings in the champs

    PHUKET: Current Ironman 70.3 World Champion Melissa Rollison will participate in the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship at Laguna Phuket on Sunday – in addition to a stellar line-up of elite professional triathletes heading to the island. Rollison, of Australia, completed her first Ironman 70.3-distance race in September 2010, and in just 12 months has gone on to claim three 70.3…