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Phuket number plate auction raises B22mn for crash victims
PHUKET: The sale of lucky licence plates raised 22 million baht this week to fund road safety campaigns and rehabilitation programs for traffic accident victims. More than 300 lucky licence plates were auctioned off at the 11th annual two-day event organized by the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) and held at the Phuket Merlin Hotel on May 21 and 22.…
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Russian expat dead in Phuket with needle in arm
PHUKET: The body of a Russian man with a needle embedded in his left arm was discovered at an apartment near Khao Rang in Phuket City yesterday. The man has been identified as a 38-year-old computer programmer. The Gazette is withholding his name until his family has been notified of his death. The body was discovered by a concerned colleague,…
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Rohingya detainee shot dead in escape bid
PHANG NGA: A male Rohingya migrant was shot to death during an escape bid from the Phang Nga Immigration Detention Center this morning. The escapee was one of 21 Rohingya who broke out of the center at 3am and split into two groups. Fifteen of them made their way down a waterway leading to Phang Nga Bay. The other six…
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Body of missing man found off Nai Thon
PHUKET: The body of a man who was swept out to sea at Nai Thon Beach last night was found washed up on a private beach this afternoon about two kilometers south of the spot where he disappeared. “Staff from the Andaman White Beach Resort spotted the body of Wichit Sophon, 30, who was reported missing at about 8pm last…
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Appeal underway for Koh Tao double murder suspects
SAMUI: The mothers of two Myanmar migrant workers sentenced to death for the murder of two British travellers on Koh Tao in 2014, arrived in Samui yesterday to file an appeal against their sons’ convictions. Phyu Shew Nu and May Thein, mothers of suspects Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin respectively, came armed with about 200 pages of documentation to state…
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Andaman storm to batter Phuket, Southern Thailand
PHUKET: The Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) on Saturday issued a storm warning about heavy rains and increasingly strong winds for the remainder of this week in Phuket and other areas in the Andaman and Southern Thailand. The following areas are placed on high alert: Phuket, Ranong, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang and Satun. Residents are warned to remain cautious due…
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Man dragged out to sea by body-snatching wave at Nai Thon Beach
PHUKET: A search and rescue operation is underway to locate a man dragged out to sea at Nai Thon Beach last night. He was reportedly pulled out by a wave while walking along the beach and dragged away by the strong currents. “Wichit Sophon, 30, was reported missing by his girlfriend Sompong Noinak, 30, at about 8pm. Ms Sompong was…
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At least 17 children killed, five injured in boarding-house fire
CHIANG RAI: A schoolgirl boarding-house in Chiang Rai burned down late last night, killing 17 girls between the ages of five and 12. Five others were injured and two were still unaccounted for, police said. The fire broke out at the facility of the Pithakkiart Witthaya School in Wiengpapao district at 11pm, police said. After the blaze started, officials could…
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Manhunt launched for karaoke killer
PHUKET: Police are hunting for the murderer of a man who was stabbed outside a karaoke bar in Thalang yesterday. “We found the body of Chaiyuth Innsathorn, 35, outside Panan karaoke bar in Thalang at about 3:20am. His throat was slashed and there was blood on his head and clothes,” confirmed Thalang Police Lt Suporn Muangkai. “Another man named Rachane…
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Phuket crisis negotiators stop suicidal woman from jumping off clifftop
PHUKET: Crisis negotiators last night talked down a woman threatening to commit suicide by jumping from the top of Promthep Cape. Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos and municipality staff learned of the impending suicide attempt when the distraught woman posted her plans on Facebook while commemorating Visakha Bucha Day. The Facebook post by Noo Noi Nang Fa (Little Angel), written in…
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Tour boats warned to steer clear of dolphins off Phuket
PHUKET: Officials have warned tour guides and boat operators to stay at a safe distance from marine life, after a large pod of dolphins was spotted near Koh Mai Thon off the southeast coast of Phuket. Suchat Rattanaruengsri, head of the Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Division Region 6, was joined by marine experts and officials as they looked into…
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First Pracharat Marine Protection Institute opens in Phuket
PHUKET: General Surasak Kanjanarat, head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, chaired the opening ceremony of the first marine protection institute in Thailand on May 15. The Pracharat Marine Protection Institute, located in Sirinat National Park, is based on the ‘Pracharat’ ideology of economic partnerships among the people, the government and the private sector. “The institute is located…
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Second Thailand Yacht Show dates announced
PHUKET: The dates for the second edition of the Thailand Yacht Show (TYS) have now been confirmed for December 15-18, with the massive event to be held once again at Phuket’s prestigious Ao Por Grand Marina. In making the announcement, managing director Andy Treadwell of show organizers SYE Pte Ltd, explained that as a joint venture with the Government of…
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EXCLUSIVE: Phuket Prison’s female inmates talk about their lost lives
PHUKET: Behind the walls of Phuket Provincial Prison are more than 2,000 inmates. About 350 of them are women; most of them doing time for drug dealing. The Gazette takes you behind the bars of Phuket’s cramped prison for exclusive insights into the lives and circumstances of two women, ‘Wan’ and ‘Bee’, locked up for drug-related crimes in a facility…
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Island View: Learning to accept your mistakes
PHUKET: I must admit that my knowledge of Phuket is limited to what I’ve experienced in the year that I’ve been here, but I can easily say that I like what I’ve seen so far. Admittedly, Phuket has its fair share of problems, but for an island with a rapidly growing population and countless visitors all year round, that is…
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Business Buzz: Social media on the rise
PHUKET: I have been talking about the power of social media for over a year now, but there is no better way to showcase this power than to look at the US Presidential circus that is unfolding right before our eyes. As an avid follower of social media and how it is used both successfully and unsuccessfully, it is always…
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Opinion: Young lives forever ruined by drugs
PHUKET: Despite the recent effort to ‘restart’ Thailand as a more civil and corruption-free society, continued reports of drug-related arrests indicate that our nation still has a long way to go in curbing the chronic problems of illicit drugs. The reflections of two female inmates serving lengthy sentences at the dangerously overcrowded Phuket Provincial Prison should serve as cautionary tales…
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Grand (re)opening of Surin Beach announced
PHUKET: After years of delays and last minute attempts to save illegal beach businesses from the wrecking ball, Surin Beach has finally been restored to its ‘natural’ state. In what seems to be a rather quick rise from the rubble, officials have announced the beach’s grand opening set for June 9. It is now being called the ‘Beach of Honor’…
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Severe coral bleaching threatens popular Phi Phi dive spots
PHUKET: Coral bleaching is rife in Phi Phi national park – the worst ever recorded in Thailand – alarmed conservation officials reported yesterday. Many varieties of coral have been affected by the bleaching, which is due to the sea temperature rising to between 31 to 35 degrees Celsius, said an official from the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant…
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Paradise Beach club to fight demolition notice
PHUKET: Paradise Beach Management Co Ltd this afternoon vowed to appeal a Patong Municipality demolition notice of the property they currently occupy at Paradise Beach, claiming that their land document is legal. Nituch Prasertnetikul, the lawyer speaking on behalf of the company and the current land owner Sophon Eakwanit, said that news of the demolition notice, handed down last Wednesday,…
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BREAKING: Tattooed body washes up on Karon Beach
PHUKET: The body of a man wearing only underpants washed up on Karon Beach last night. A foreign tourist was shocked to discover the body while walking along the beach at 7:30pm and contacted the police. The deceased was aged 35-40 and was about 165-170cm tall. He has a bald head and appears, by the dark color of his skin,…
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Weather men predict rain over Phuket by weekend
PHUKET: As many Phuketians run low on water following an extended period of drought this year, the heavens are predicted to open by the end of the week and bring forth a long-awaited downpour or two. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has promised rain as early as Thursday, according to an announcement on the TMD’s website today. Phuket is among…
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Phuket Marine Police seize illegally imported boat equipment
PHUKET: Marine police seized boat engines and other heavy machinery with a total value of five million baht, stored at a lockup in Rassada on Monday. “We received a tip from an anonymous source that machinery was being stored in a fishing industry warehouse in Rassada,” Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana said. “During an early morning raid on the…
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Russian deputy consul for Phuket dies in crash
PHUKET: The Russian Federation’s Deputy Honorary Consul for Phuket died in a car crash early this morning in the Wichit sub-district. Authorities believe Santi Udomkiratak, 50, fell asleep at the wheel after they found no signs of attempted braking on the roadway. Police say the crash between Mr Santi’s Mercedes and a six-wheel truck occurred near the Jor Soo Kong…
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On Deck: Lessons from the Top of the Gulf Regatta
PHUKET: I’ve spent the last week in Pattaya at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club, reporting on the 12th Top of the Gulf Regatta. I find it’s always good to look outside your ‘home’ town to learn, get some new ideas and a fresh perspective, and the Top of the Gulf Regatta can provide some great lessons for all. Firstly, it…
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Intoxicated man burns BMW
PHUKET: A drunk man allegedly poured a gallon of gasoline onto a BMW and set it on fire early yesterday morning, officials confirmed. The Kathu Municipality Fire Department rushed to put out the blaze at the entrance to Irawadee Kejho village. “Locals reported the fire to the station at about 3am, after which firefighters arrived at the scene and put…
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Thousands pawn valuables to cover back to school costs
PHUKET: Phuket’s pawn brokers said transactions on May 10 totalled nearly 12 million baht, as families pawned valuables to cover their children’s school costs. Phuket City Municipality Pawnshop representative Apirat Chaiyakul said transactions between May and June are expected to increase by as much as 30 per cent over last year. Mr Apirat said his store will do around 180mn…
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Body of missing swimmer washes up at Nai Harn
PHUKET: A Myanmar man who was reported missing at Nai Harn Beach yesterday, was found dead this afternoon, officials confirmed. Joe Ye Bai, 22, reportedly went to Nai Harn with two of his friends and was washed away by waves at around 6:20pm, May 15. His body washed ashore on Nai Harn Beach at about 2:10pm today. “The clothes on…
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A Decade Ago: General elections, traffic woes and mayor of Laguna
PHUKET: Politics were again on the front page of the Phuket Gazette in May 2006, following the Constitutional Court’s May 8 ruling against the snap elections for parliament on April 2. With the island burning a bright yellow, the big question was which member of the Democratic Party would be put forward to represent the island after clearing Thai Rak…
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Zurich Bread: Engineering the perfect loaf
An engineer by trade, Singhathep Thepkanjana only spent six months working full-time in the field he studied for seven years, leaving university with a bachelor’s from Chulalongkorn University and a master’s degree in engineering management in Washington DC. Since then, this Bangkokian has pursued the perfect loaf – an endeavour that has taken him across continents. “I can count on…
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