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- Phuket News
Phuket Smart City Innovation Park launched
PHUKET: The Phuket Smart City Innovation Park officially opened at Saphan Hin yesterday. “The four-storey building is a symbol that the pioneer smart city project in Phuket is becoming a reality. The venture is supported by the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA),” Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada said at the launch. The building houses an ASEAN Tourism Software Excellence Center, IOT…
- Phuket News
Showers, high surf expected next week
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office confirmed they have issued no warnings for boats leaving shore due to the recent spate of weather yesterday. “The waves and wind are still stable and suitable for boating,” said Phuket Marine Chief Surat Sirisaiyas. “However, we have issued a notice urging all boats to proceed with caution as their vision may be impaired during…
- Thai Life
Profile: Naphatwong Niyomadul – entrepreneur, connoisseur and philanthropist
PHUKET: Bangkokian Naphatwong Niyomadul holds the prestigious title of Owner’s Representative at Centara Blue Marine Resort & Spa Phuket, operated by Patong Cliff View Co Ltd. Well, you could say he is entitled to it and has a vested interest in the resort, which his family established in 2002. At age 36 years, Mr Naphatwong already has a wealth of…
- Phuket News
Tougher driving tests down the road
PHUKET: Thailand has the second worst death toll from road accidents in the world, according to the World Health Organization. With more than 20,000 people killed annually throughout the country, Phuket officials have announced their support for more stringent guidelines before issuing would-be motorists with a driver’s license. Earlier this month, the Department of Land Transport (DLT) announced an initiative…
- Opinion
Opinion: Addressing road safety in Phuket
PHUKET: A proposal under consideration by the Department of Land Transport that would privatize driver education nationwide correctly recognizes and attempts to address the horrific state of road safety in the Kingdom. Unfortunately, the root causes of the problem run at a far deeper level than any bureaucratic reform could ever hope to reach, let alone rectify. It seems that…
- Phuket News
Born to be wild: Baby gibbons repopulating Phuket
PHUKET: “Gibbons released back into the wild several years ago have already begun to reproduce,” Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand (WARF) secretary-general Thanaphat Payakkaporn told the Phuket Gazette on Monday. “We released three gibbon couples into the wild several years ago but hadn’t seen them around for almost two years, so we were worried about them and wondered if…
- Property
Across the land: Age of the robotic butler
PHUKET: Robot butlers could soon be seen in modern homes. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly building an artificial intelligence system to operate and control his entire home, and the system will apparently be ready to perform a demo in the very near future. When we think of butlers, we usually envisage a man traditionally dressed in a white-wing collar…
- Business News
Local vendors cash in on Pokemon trend
PHUKET: Local vendors at popular Pokemon catching spots in Phuket have experienced a boost in income since the launch of Pokemon GO in Thailand. However, some vendors expect this spike to be short lived. For those who are wondering what Pokemon GO is, it is Nintendo Company’s mobile phone game which marries a classic 20-year-old franchise with augmented reality, and…
- Phuket News
Still no leads on fake bombs in Krabi
KRABI: Two devices, similar in design to the ones used in last month’s bombings (story here), were found in Krabi Town last week. Authorities believe that the devices, which consisted of wires connected to an electronic circuit board, were left to scare passersby and to test the emergency response capabilities of police. Police currently do not have any leads after…
- Phuket News
Tourists flee stinking trash on Koh Tao
KOH TAO: Tourists are checking out of their hotels on Koh Tao in droves – fleeing the stink of a 45,000-ton mountain of garbage that is growing by the day after the island’s incinerator broke down three weeks ago. With trash piling up at a rate of 30 to 40 tons a day on the island off Surat Thani, and…
- Phuket News
Phuket blood center needs AB supplies
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) is holding blood donation sessions across Phuket throughout September to replenish blood stocks, especially AB blood types. Under the banner ‘Give Blood to Fellowmen’, the September blood donation drive is in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s 84th birthday anniversary and His Majesty the King’s 70th anniversary of his accession to the throne.…
- Business News
Prime Minister to visit Phuket this month
PHUKET: Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha is to visit Phuket on September 16 for the regional launch of a new nationwide initiative aimed at helping budding local businesses get off the ground and into the international arena of digital commerce. The Startup Thailand 2016 campaign was launched by the prime minister in Bangkok in April as a joint government and…
- Phuket News
Medical schools join forensic probe into land suspect’s death
PHUKET: Forensic teams from medical schools have joined the investigation into the mysterious death of a former land department official – a major suspect in an illegal land-title registration case – while in police custody. Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya said yesterday that to ensure transparency in the case, forensic teams from Chulalongkorn University, Ramathibodi Medical School, and Siriraj Medical…
- Opinion
Opinion: Easing the migrant registration process
PHUKET: Pitool Dumsakorn, 54, is the current chief of the Phuket Employment Office. Originally from Phatthalung, he has a master’s degree in Public Administration from Prince of Songkla University in Hat Yai. He has taken up this position to manage unemployment on the island. Here he talks about how employment laws must not only be strictly applied, but also be…
- Thai Life
Profile: Montree Todtan – Rescuing nature’s gentle giants
PHUKET: Phuket native Montree Todtan is the CEO of the soon-to-open ‘Phuket Elephant Sanctuary’ in Pa Khlok. The sanctuary is a dedicated last home for Asian elephants rescued and rehabilitated from life in the captive elephant tourism industry. Now 46 years old, Mr Montree grew up in Phuket and after completing high school went to Ramkamheang University for three years…
- Property
CPN invests B20bn into new Central Phuket
PHUKET: Central Pattana PCL (CPN) recently confirmed long-awaited expansion plans for Phuket, announcing a 20 billion baht investment to build a second mega complex opposite Central Festival Phuket shopping mall. The new world class mega project in Phuket, to be named Central Phuket, is part of a 60 billion baht plan to develop and renovate 10 shopping centers nationwide between…
- Property
By The Book: The British love affair with Phuket
PHUKET: For a long time, the British have been coming to Phuket on vacation, for their retirement, and to set up businesses here. For a lot of Brits coming from aboard, Phuket is an attractive location for a holiday home or investment property, and UK buyers have established themselves as a permanent segment of the island’s property market. For the…
- Phuket News
Darasamuth Underpass southbound lane closed
PHUKET: The southbound lanes of the Darasamuth Underpass have been temporarily closed and the traffic light system shut down. “We found out about a problem with the lane indicators this afternoon so we shut down the lanes to prevent any confusion that could lead to accidents,” Patiwetwottisak Sookhii, director of the Phuket Highways Office, told the Phuket Gazette this afternoon.…
- Phuket News
“Suicide’ of Land Department official now called into question
PHUKET: The autopsy on a former land department official who allegedly hanged himself in custody yesterday revealed that the man suffered an injured liver and internal bleeding, his brother said this afternoon. Tawatchai Anukul, a retired senior official of the Phang Nga Provincial Land Department, was found dead inside a detention room at the Department of Special Investigation yesterday (story…
- Phuket News
Police blame Russian for theft of B3mn in ATM hacks
PHUKET: Police have asked for an international arrest warrant for a Russian national believed to be involved in the theft of more than 12 million baht from ATMs across Thailand, including Phuket. Chief investigator Panya Mamen said Rustam Shambasov, 29, was caught on surveillance video footage after stealing more than 3 million baht from over a dozen ATMs last month.…
- Hua Hin News
Police: Europeans behind nationwide ATM scam
PHUKET: Royal Thai Police believe a group of thieves that have so far stolen more than 12 million baht from ATMs around the country to be Europeans based in Phuket. Police believe that an ATM located in Wichit was used to perpetrate the nationwide fraud. Royal Thai Police’s General Panya Maman briefed reporters on the extent of the losses while…
- Thai Life
Law, Life and Society: The real cost of incarceration
PHUKET: Last month, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya announced that methamphetamine will be removed from the list of Category 1 hard narcotics. It was met with controversy but it is a welcome change to a policy that has devastated Thai society. According to the Corrections Department, Thailand has a prison population of 371,347 which is the 8th largest prison population in…
- Thai Life
Volunteers clean beaches, reefs in honor of HM’s birthday
PHUKET: Though irreparable damage has been done to many of the reef systems along the Andaman, especially those near major tourist destinations such as Phuket, dive sites in the region continue to offer extraordinary experiences to rookie and veteran divers. Within the Phi Phi archipelago, a popular day-trip destination for dive companies out of Phuket, as well as those based…
- Opinion
Opinion: Promoting sporting events in Phuket
PHUKET: Sirawee Waloh, originally a native of Pattani, was appointed as the new director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Phuket Office (MOTS) on July 25, 2016. She had previously been working as a human resource developer and nurse at Pattani Provincial Public Health Office for 18 years. She is a graduate of the College of Nursing, Songkhla. Here,…
- Cannabis News
Rise in Phuket’s troubled teens
PHUKET: The director of the Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Center (JOPC) said she believes teenagers across Phuket are becoming more aggressive. Rawee Kuhamooka told the Phuket Gazette that every year JOPC staff have to work harder to control their detainees. Ms Rawee’s comments come after a riot at the center earlier this month left the building’s grounds, cafeteria, therapy…
- Phuket News
Public outcry sends Vachira wing back to the drawing board
PHUKET: Public outcry over plans to demolish an eight-story, 100 year-old building, along with a grove of old mahogany trees, has lead management at Phuket Vachira Hospital to reconsider the development of a new hospital wing. The issue came to public attention on August 25, when a Facebook user posted a statement in Thai. “Vachira Hospital will demolish this 100-year-old…
- Property
Supicha targets locals with Sino style
PHUKET: Local developer Supicha Property is set to begin construction of a mixed-use commercial and residential development near the British International School (BIS) in Koh Kaew in December. The construction company has sunk 300 million baht into the Supicha Sino Koh Kaew project, situated on eight rai opposite the international school in Koh Kaew and backing on to a lake.…
- Phuket News
Phuket International Hospital launches new services, expat card
PHUKET: Phuket International Hospital announced the launch of three new departments, as well as its ‘Expat Privilege Card’, last week. Wassana Tipayapongtada, chairwoman of the Provincial Red Cross Phuket Chapter, presided over the grand opening event, that was held under the theme ‘We’re Family’. BDMS Southern Group management and staff, Thai and foreign dignitaries, local authorities and local business representatives…
- Cannabis News
Wichit marijuana dealer apprehended, bought stash through Facebook
PHUKET: Provincial police arrested a 28-year-old man yesterday after a raid of his home turned up 1.3 kilograms of marijuana. Nopparut Tongserikun was arrested after police found the category 5 drugs, along with drug paraphernalia at his house on Wirat Hong Yok Road in Wichit sub-district. Police received a tip from an informant that Mr Nopparut was allegedly selling marijuana…
- Phuket News
Police arrest six in another big krathom drug bust
PHANG NGA: Police arrested six members of an alleged krathom drug distribution network on Monday. The gang is charged with possession of 326 kilograms of the category 5 drug, which police estimate has a street value of 300,000 baht. A joint task force comprised of Thalang administrative officers, Khok Kloi police and civil defense volunteers reportedly detained two suspects after…
