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Finance: Fancy a punt in the semiconductor market?
PHUKET: The semiconductor industry helps drive technological progress and yet many semiconductor stocks have lagged the performance of the broader technology sector recently. However, small cap MaxLinear, Inc (NYSE: MXL) is an exception as shares are up 134 per cent from the start of 2015 to November, plus shares rallied close to 28 per cent after the company reported third…
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Opinion: Ignorance stokes illegal tour guide problem
PHUKET: The recent arrest and threat of deportation and blacklisting of a tour guide from China comes as little surprise given the preponderance of guides from the ‘Sleeping Dragon’ who operate illegally in Phuket. Tour guiding is one of the many occupations restricted for Thai nationals under the ‘Working of Alien Act’, which was promulgated in 2008. Regardless, foreign guides…
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Fishing boat slaves rescued in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket and Bangkok officials raided a dormitory in Koh Sireh yesterday to rescue 32 illegal Myanmar workers being held captive and forced to work without pay. Officials were alerted to the dormitory after a worker, named only as Nai, escaped from the fishing boat they were forced to work on and swam ashore to call relatives in Myanmar. “Mr…
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Chinese tourist remains unconscious in ICU
KRABI: Krabi Marine Police were called to aid in the rescue of a Chinese tourist who fell unconscious while swimming in Koh Hong yesterday. Cong Xu, 27, was swimming close to shore with friends when they noticed she didn’t come up from under the water, confirmed Krabi Marine Police Chief Anurak Parinyasathiragul. “Her friends pulled her to shore, but she…
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Chanotes issued in 2005 for Rawai sea gypsy land
PHUKET: Representatives from Baron World Trade Co Ltd presented a thick set of documents on Wednesday backing their claim to the land that is currently occupied by Rawai sea gypsies in Phuket. Among the documents presented by Chatree Madsatun, a representative from Baron World Trade, were four Chanote land titles (9613, 78116, 12616, 12592); a letter of permission from the…
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Breaking News: Phuket underpass damaged, roadway cracked
PHUKET: Heavy rains last night left a section of road running alongside the troubled Samkong Underpass, as well as one of its walls, heavily damaged. “Police and rescue workers were on site last night until about 2am to help with the traffic congestion caused by the damaged road,” Lt Col Rungrit Rattanapagdee of the Phuket City Traffic Police told the…
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‘Plane debris’ washes up on Malaysian east coast
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘Plane debris’ washes up on Malaysian east coast Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A metal object believed to be plane wreckage washed up on the Malaysian east coast on Wednesday, prompting speculation for the second time in a week that debris from missing Malaysian Airlines aircraft…
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More airlines ease policies for bookings to Zika-hit areas
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community More airlines ease policies for bookings to Zika-hit areas Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), British Airways (ICAG.L) and JetBlue (JBLU.O) on Thursday became the latest international carriers to offer rebookings or refunds for tickets to areas affected by the Zika virus, as the World…
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WHO says Zika virus spreads explosively, 4 million cases forecast
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community WHO says Zika virus spreads explosively, 4 million cases forecast Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The Zika virus, linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, is “spreading explosively” and could infect as many as 4 million people in the Americas, the World…
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Island readies for 17th annual Old Town Festival
PHUKET: The 17th annual Phuket Old Town Festival, which celebrates Phuket’s unique culture and traditions, is set to kick off on February 13. The festival will get underway on four roads in the heart of Phuket Town: Thalang Road, Thepkrasattri Road, Soi Romanee and Krabi Road. “This is the 17th year that the Old Town Festival has been organized by…
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V/Gov clears Laem Sing Beach of illegal vendors
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat this week removed all the beach chairs and umbrellas set up by illegal vendors on Laem Sing Beach – one of Phuket’s ‘virgin beaches’. The Vice Governor ordered the beach to be cleared after aerial photographs of furniture strewn across its sands were published by the Phuket Gazette, and went viral on social media…
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V/Gov orders Laem Sing Beach cleanup
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat this week has ordered the removal of all furniture on Laem Sing Beach. The Vice Governor imposed the order after aerial photographs showing furniture strewn on the sands went viral on social media earlier this month (story here). “As soon as I received the report, I gave vendors five days to take all of…
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Navy saves Norwegian couple after sailboat capsizes
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy saved a Norwegian couple after the pair’s small catamaran capsized off Koh Lanta yesterday afternoon. The sailors, named by officers as ‘Thongunnor Bue’ and ‘Caron Bue’, but believed to be Thom Bue and Carol Bue, struggled to control the boat after their tiller broke. “Unable to control the boat, a large wave hit them broadside…
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All rock climbing banned on Phi Phi
PHUKET: All rock climbers, including independent climbers, are banned from scaling the bolted rock faces on Phi Phi Don as officials look to regulate safety standards. “We have already explained to nine tour operators offering climbing tours in the Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park area that they must suspend their services until they gain the necessary…
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NATO looks to combat Russia’s ‘information weapon’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NATO looks to combat Russia’s ‘information weapon’ Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: NATO may combat Kremlin “weaponisation of information” used to support action such as the 2014 seizure of Crimea by creating a new more powerful communications section and declassifying more sensitive material, according to draft…
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Chinese man pleads guilty for plot to steal U.S. corn secrets
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Chinese man pleads guilty for plot to steal U.S. corn secrets Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A Chinese man charged with conspiracy to steal high-tech U.S. corn seeds pleaded guilty in federal court in Iowa on Wednesday for participating in the theft of the patented seeds…
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Facebook shares soar as mobile drives big jump in ad sales
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Facebook shares soar as mobile drives big jump in ad sales Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Facebook Inc smashed investors’ expectations with a 52-percent jump in quarterly revenue as it sold more ads targeted at a fast-growing number of mobile users, sending its shares sharply higher…
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Dozens injured in violent clash at Phuket sea gypsy village
PHUKET: More than 30 people were injured in a violent confrontation between private investors and sea gypsies in Phuket today. “At least 100 men came to our village and attacked us. They put up rock blockades to keep us from accessing our village and an area where we perform traditional ceremonies,” alleged Nirund Yangpan, 40, a Rawai sea gypsy representative.…
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Blood surge saves German in Phuket, more donations needed
PHUKET: Though news of the desperately needed A-negative blood to save the life of a German man produced eight units, more is still needed. Bernd Langer, 51, was involved in a single vehicle motorcycle crash in Rawai at about 5am on Sunday. “Witnesses said that Mr Langer fell over while driving his motorcycle,” explained Lt Chollada Chokdeesrijan of the Chalong…
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Central European countries push for back-up EU border plans over migrants
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Central European countries push for back-up EU border plans over migrants Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The European Union should be ready with alternative plans to reinforce its borders until Turkey and Greece do more to reduce the number of refugees streaming into the bloc, the…
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Google files patent for drone
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Google files patent for drone “delivery receptacle” Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Google’s secretive drone delivery project could include a component designed to store packages securely. A patent filed Tuesday in the United States by the company, a unit of Alphabet Inc, describes a “delivery receptacle”…
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Heroin dealer arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: Police arrested a confessed drug dealer yesterday for selling heroin to Phuket teenagers and others in the Thalang area. “Nikom Damrongrit, 40, was arrested with 81.39 grams of heroin and other drug paraphernalia at his house in Paklok,” said Lt Col Kritsana Jannit of the Thalang Police said. “We searched his house after a tip-off led us to find…
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With China weakening, Apple turns to India
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community With China weakening, Apple turns to India Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: As red-hot sales in China show signs of cooling, Apple Inc (AAPL.O) executives are touting India’s growing appetite for iPhones. In an earnings call in which the company reported meager iPhone growth and forecast…
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Surin demolition pushed to next month
PHUKET: The expected demolition of buildings on Surin Beach has been pushed back to next month, announced Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat. “The problem we are facing is with the documentation process,” Vice Governor Chokdee said. “We have to ensure that we are following all legal processes and are being very careful when demolishing government buildings.” V/Gov Chokdee noted that…
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MOTS director lays out strict guidelines for tour operators
PHUKET: Hundreds of tour operators gathered earlier this month to listen in on the government’s plans for Phuket’s tourism industry for the upcoming year. Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Phuket Office revealed his plans, which include the completion of several projects already in the works (story here). “We talked to the tour operators about…
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Phuket airport on high alert for MERS
PHUKET: Health officials at Phuket International Airport have ramped up efforts to identify any Phuket travellers who could be infected with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (Mers-CoV). The news follows Thailand’s second confirmed case of the virus on Saturday (story here). Officials have been checking to ensure that airport screening is being strictly enforced. “All staff members at the airport…
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Tension builds at Phuket sea gypsy village
PHUKET: Tension mounted again at the Rawai sea gypsy village as the local community prevented alleged landowners from blocking access to the area yesterday. “Representatives of Baron World Trade Co, which claims it owns the land, attempted to blockade the area with the help of about 40 officers from the Army, Provincial Office and Chalong Police, said Rawai Mayor Aroon…
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Two fires burn hot in Phuket
PHUKET: Firefighters from five firetrucks spent 30 minutes battling the flames from a house fire in Phuket Town, which was only one of two fires that erupted yesterday. “The 60-year-old homeowner, Sookjai Teerapittayanon, was running errands in the neighborhood when the fire started in her kitchen,” said Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee. “Fortunately, nobody was in the house…
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Probe clears Malaysian PM Najib, says $681 mlllion transfer just a Saudi gift
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Probe clears Malaysian PM Najib, says $681 million transfer just a Saudi gift Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Malaysia’s attorney-general cleared Prime Minister Najib Razak of any criminal offense or corruption on Tuesday, and said a controversial transfer of $681 million into his personal bank account…
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Thailand quarantines 32 people after second MERS case confirmed
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand quarantines 32 people after second MERS case confirmed Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Bangkok, Thailand has quarantined 32 people as it seeks to prevent the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) after a second case of the virus was detected on Friday, a health…
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