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Paris Hilton hails Phuket New Year’s beach party
PHUKET: Hotel heiress Paris Hilton dropped into Bangkok for her first visit to the Kingdom yesterday to publicly endorse the Sydictive Element New Year’s party set for Phuket’s Surin Beach. The New Year’s Eve bash will run from December 30 to the first sunrise of 2013, and has already booked a number of world-class artists and DJs, including Basement Jaxx,…
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Delegation pitches Phuket ICEC review to PM Yingluck in Samui
PHUKET: A delegation from Phuket yesterday lobbied Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to review the decision by Cabinet to shelve the 2.6-billion-baht project to build an international convention and exhibition center (ICEC) in Phuket. As PM Yingluck arrived to attend the mobile Cabinet meeting on Koh Samui this morning, Boonsupaa Tanthai, president of the Rak Phuket Club (“We Love Phuket Club”),…
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Healthy newborn girl abandoned at Phuket Hospital
PHUKET: The Phuket Public Heath Office (PPHO) has made a public appeal for any information that may locate a woman who disappeared from Thalang Hospital shortly after giving birth to a baby girl on Friday. PPHO Deputy Director Dr Wiwat Seetamonotch said that the 32-year-woman presented herself at Thalang Hospital on Thursday. “She gave her name as Patcharaporn Hawang, but…
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World News: Ivory siezure; Poison fumes hit pax at airport; Hit-and-runs kill 1, injures 13 in Wales
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hong Kong confiscates 1,200 pieces of ivory tusks in record haul Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: More than 1,200 pieces of ivory tusks which were being smuggled in containers shipped from Africa were confiscated in Hong Kong last week, making it the region’s largest ever seizure of…
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World News: Young elephant crushes keeper at Sydney zoo
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australian zookeeper crushed by young elephant at Sydney zoo Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: An Australian zookeeper remains in critical, but stable, condition in a Sydney hospital after a young male elephant she had cared for suddenly crushed her during a routine training session. The incident happened…
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Phuket Sports: Islanders topple Crowns, survival a win away
PHUKET: The Islanders are well positioned to secure their Division 1 status ahead of the final game of the season thanks to a 4-1 away victory to Rajpracha FC on Saturday evening. Played at Mahidol University’s Salaya campus, about an hour’s drive west of Bangkok, the 33rd match of the 34-fixture season was attended by about 500 spectators — half…
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Phuket Poll: Should foreigners “pay’ for visa runs with blood?
PHUKET: Last month a contributor to the Phuket Gazette‘s online forum raised a very interesting suggestion concerning blood donations in lieu of visa runs. Even the Acting Director of the Phuket Regional Blood Bank, Pornthip Rattajak, saw merit in the idea, especially considering that foreigners with Rhesus-negative blood groups are especially welcome to make donations, as those types are very…
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Pressure mounts on PM Yingluck to review Phuket ICEC cancellation
PHUKET: Phuket MP Anchalee Vanich Thepabutr and Phuket’s sole representative senator, Thanyarat Achariyachai, are calling for Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to review the decision by Cabinet to cancel the 2.6-billion-baht project to build a Phuket International Convention and Exhibition Center (ICEC). Ms Anchalee posted the news that the decades-old project had been shelved on her Facebook page on Thursday.…
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Phuket hospitals defend fractured pricing
SPECIAL REPORT PHUKET: Top officials at the recently opened Phuket Provincial Hospital this week defended the facility’s practice of charging foreigners greatly inflated fees compared to its prices for Thais. The Phuket Gazette spoke to Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) Vice President Chawalit Na Nakorn, who is also on the Provincial Hospital’s board of directors, about the large gap between…
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AOT freezes boost in taxis at Phuket Airport until June
PHUKET: The requests by two taxi operating companies to boost the number of vehicles operating at Phuket International Airport have been declined until at least June, while plans for the allocation of business and services under the 5.7-billion-baht expansion project at the key tourism portal are finalized. The news was announced by Wing Commander Pratheep Wichittho, Deputy Director of Airports…
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Cruise liner rallies against paying Phuket port extra fees
PHUKET: The representative of a major cruise line operator that brings thousands of tourists to Phuket each week has lobbied Provincial Hall to stop the company from having to pay “extra fees” levied every time the Phuket Deep Sea Port is double-booked. At a meeting headed by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sungkaosuthirak on Wednesday, Thanin Thumsuwan of Thoresen Shipping and…
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Phuket Opinion: When healthcare becomes a social insecurity
PHUKET: The in-depth report of local hospitals charging foreigners more than Thais for all forms of healthcare (click here) should not come as a surprise to any long-term expats living in Phuket. The practice of two-tier pricing is so deeply entrenched into the local social fabric that the national parks have established it as a formal policy. Even the Phuket…
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World Sports: Pietersen to come back with a bang: Flintoff
PHUKET: Kevin Pietersen is likely to come out with all guns blazing when he returns to the England squad for next month’s test series in India, former team mate Andrew Flintoff said yesterday.The South African-born batsman was recalled by England this week after being dropped following a controversial text-message row.“When Kevin’s got a point to prove he usually proves it…
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Phuket death in custody accepted as suicide
PHUKET: A 28-year-old man, with a history of mental illness, was found hanged in the communal bathroom at Phuket’s Bang Jo Detention Center this afternoon. The family of Theerayuth Thorthip, whose body was found at 4:20pm, have accepted the death as suicide, said police. Mr Theerayuth was sentenced on September 10 to serve a minimum 45 days on a minor…
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Nong Som killer forensic test results “imminent’: Police
PHUKET: Phuket Police expect in the coming days to receive the results of forensic tests that will clear the way for bringing to trial the confessed killer of 17-year-old Sunisa “Nong Som” Saiyoy. Nong Som’s parents returned from their fruit stall in Phuket Town on the night of July 10 to find their daughter dead in her bedroom at the…
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Plans unveiled for new, B450mn Phuket Provincial Hall
PHUKET: Plans to spend 450 million baht on a new Phuket Provincial Hall took a leap forward this week with the announcement of official approval to clear the 14-rai site on the corner opposite the current building (click here for map). Construction of the new center of administration for the island is hoped to begin next year. Years in coming,…
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World News: Presses to stop at Newsweek as publication goes digital-only
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Newsweek to end print publication after nearly 80 years Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: Newsweek, one of the largest weekly news magazines in the United States, yesterday announced it plans to end its print publication after nearly 80 years and transition to an all-digital format. The last…
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Phuket Sports: Alonso threatens to appeal to FIFA; Phuket FC relegation looms
PHUKET: Former Phuket FC keeper Alonso Goleiro has threatened to appeal his recent dismissal from the club to the football’s highest international governing body, FIFA, on the grounds of unfair treatment. Alonso, a Brazilian national who is registered in the Thai Premier League under the surname of Carvalho, told the Phuket Gazette that he had initially signed a two-year contract…
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Phuket illegal taxi amnesty to end November 1
PHUKET: All illegal taxis operating in Phuket must be “stickered” and in the process of becoming legal by November 1, said Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen has announced. “There are still 2,882 illegal taxi cars in 186 taxi centers in Phuket. Only 150 have completed the [licensing] procedure and have been issued green plates,” V/Gov Chamroen told a meeting of officials…
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Phuket Sports: King’s Cup Regatta tacks windsurfing onto schedule
PHUKET: THE Phuket King’s Cup Regatta plans to reintroduce windsurfing as one of its competitive classes this year. The newly announced Windsurfing Class is held in cooperation with the Windsurfing Association of Thailand (WATH), with races taking place over four days from December 2 to 5. About 14 sailors from the Thai national team will join the windsurfing competition, including…
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Couple killed in hit-and-run, 4-month-old son survives
PHUKET: Both parents of a 4-month-old boy died last night after a hit-and-run driver struck their motorbike in Chalong. The baby boy, who was also on the motorbike, suffered no serious injuries. Lt Col Boonlert Onklang of the Chalong Police rushed to the scene with officers from the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization tourist rescue center and Phuket Ruamjai Foundation rescue…
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Phuket Business: Why the island continues to buck recession
PHUKET: There is no question that Phuket over much of the last four years has recovered from global recession. However, what is more noticeable is how resilient it has been in terms of tourism, despite a global financial meltdown and political instability on a national level. This resilience allows Phuket to grow while other tourism areas of the world are…
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Phuket Hard Rock punts to reopen tonight
PHUKET: Following the breaking news of a fire at the Hard Rock Cafe in Patong this morning, the Phuket Gazette has learned that the operators of the global brand-name venue are hoping to reopen tonight. The fire was contained to the large neon sign attached to the front of the building. The iconic electric guitar sign and the stage area,…
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Thai Post stamps on 7-Eleven rumors
PHUKET: Readers of Queer News may know someone collecting the “Love Thailand” stamps currently being given out with purchases at 7-Eleven convenience stores across the country. The stamps can be exchanged for a variety of prizes, including light bulbs, whitening cream and even a satellite receiver box from media company True. The one thing they can’t do is send letters.…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival street processions in full swing
PHUKET: Sapam Shrine held their street procession today with some 2,000 spectators lining the route to watch ma song (spirit mediums) and to pay their respects to highly revered Chinese gods. The street procession departed Sapam Shrine at 7am and marched through Phuket Town, ending up at Saphan Hin. Before the procession got underway, Phuket City Municipality had issued a…
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Phuket wildlife officers warn of Bangla slow loris raids to come
PHUKET: The Environmental Conservation Unit of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) Phuket office will conduct more slow loris raids on Soi Bangla in Patong following the discovery of tourist touts still operating on the popular nightlife strip. The raids to come follow a similar nighttime raid on October 4 that netted five touts who were…
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Gambling “spectators’ to appeal to Phuket governor for clemency
PHUKET: A gambling raid on a residential home about 200 meters from Baan Kathu School yesterday netted 21 arrests, but most of the people taken into custody will appeal to the governor to have the charges dropped on the basis that they were “only watching”. Lt Col Serm Kwannimit of the Thung Thong Police told the Gazette that police raided…
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Phuket marine agency checks dead whale shark samples for heavy metal contamination
PHUKET: Staff from the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) were deployed to Koh Lanta Yai on Sunday after receiving a report from the Royal Thai Navy Maritime Security Center that an eight-ton whale shark had washed ashore at Klong Nin Beach. From his office at the PMBC, Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, who heads the Endangered Species Unit (ESU), told the Phuket…
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Thailand News: TDRI hammers 3G auction
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Lacklustre 3G bids slammed by TDRI Phuket Gazette / The NationPHUKET: As expected, Thailand’s first 2.1-gigahertz (GHz) spectrum auction yesterday turned out to be a less-than fiercely competitive affair, with the three highest bidders paying a combined 41,625 billion baht – less than 3 per cent above…
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World News: EU imposes Syrian flight ban, arms embargo and asset freeze
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community European Union bans Syrian flights from its airports Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Passenger and cargo flights operated by Syrian airlines will no longer be allowed to land at airports in the European Union (EU) under new sanctions adopted Monday to further increase pressure on…
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