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Phuket Gazette World News: EU proposes sending military force to Central African Republic
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community EU proposes sending military force to Central African Republic Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: European Union officials proposed on Wednesday that the EU move quickly send troops to Central African Republic, either to the capital Bangui or the west of the country, diplomatic sources said.The proposals for an…
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Cruise high over Phuket with the PIMEX lucky draws
PHUKET: Jump into a gorgeous new airplane and get high above Phuket with this year’s PIMEX (Phuket International Boat Show), which opens tomorrow at the Royal Phuket Marina (map here). The Phuket Gazette in conjunction with Phuket Airpark is offering all registered visitors the chance to win a scenic flight over the island. Each daily drawing, from January 9 to…
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PIMEX boat show primed and ready to launch this morning
PHUKET: The heat is on and all are getting ready for this week’s Phuket International Boat Show, which opens today at 11am at the Royal Phuket Marina (map here). All of the major Thai and regional boat dealers and brokers are busy juggling yachts into position for what promises to be an excellent in-water display. Two entries exceed the official…
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Chinese-speaking guides protest Phuket Town travel company
PHUKET: About 100 Chinese-speaking Phuket tour guides protested in front of a travel company yesterday, alleging that the company was hiring illegal Chinese guides. Chaifu Saelee, 43, led the protesters to Tranlee Travel Co Ltd in Phuket Town, where they met with Kritchakorn Roongmongkolnam, the Managing Director of the company. The protest follows the arrest of three Thai guides for…
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Baby elephant illegally imported to Phuket returned to Phang Nga
PHUKET: An elephant camp owner charged in October with illegally bringing an elephant into the province has been fined and the elephant returned to its home in Phang Nga. Prasob Jerkae, 37, paid a 5,000-baht fine for bringing an elephant into the province without a permit, Kathu Livestock Acting Chief Jirayu Nirunwiroj told the Phuket Gazette. A tip-off had led…
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Thanyapura Phuket appoints new Sports Marketing Director
PHUKET: Continuing to gain momentum under new leadership (see story here), the island’s premier sports and wellness destination Thanyapura Phuket has made another key appointment in its quest to export its “active healthy lifestyle” concept globally. Debbie Dionysius, the key figure in transforming the Phuket Triathlon into Southeast Asia’s premier multi-sport event, has joined Thanyapura Phuket as its Director of…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Former Miss Venezuela shot dead in attempted robbery
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Former Miss Venezuela shot dead in attempted robbery Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Gunmen shot dead a former Miss Venezuela and her ex-husband in the latest high profile case of violent crime in the South American nation, authorities said on Tuesday.Monica Spear, 29, a soap opera actress, and…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Obama to consult intelligence leaders, Congress on NSA review
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obama to consult intelligence leaders, Congress on NSA review Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: President Barack Obama will hear from intelligence officials and congressional leaders as he nears the final stages of a review over how much to rein in U.S. surveillance practices in the wake of the…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Record freeze extends to eastern United States, at least nine dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Record freeze extends to eastern United States, at least nine dead Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A deadly blast of arctic air shattered decades-old temperature records as it enveloped the eastern United States on Tuesday, snarling air, road and rail travel, driving energy prices higher and overwhelming shelters…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Bangkok readies for shutdown; Yingluck denies coup call; Corruption costs B300bn a year; DNA confirms another Nui victim
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Retailers gear for shutdown The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Wholesalers and retailers have scrambled to adjust their inventory and logistics strategies to ensure that they have adequate supplies of consumer goods and foods and don’t need to raise prices during the “Bangkok shutdown” planned by anti-government forces…
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Phuket Red Cross winners yet to claim more than B1mn in gold
PHUKET: One lucky person has yet to learn that he has won the top prize of 750,000 baht in gold from the lucky draw at the annual Red Cross Fair, which drew to a close on Sunday night. Even the winner of the second prize has yet to step forward to claim 375,000 baht in gold bars, Sarawut Rukkaw of…
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Chinese tour guide war in Phuket turns violent
PHUKET: Scuffles broke out in front of Wichit Police Station yesterday as tensions boiled over between Chinese-speaking Thai tour guides and Chinese nationals who they accuse of taking their jobs. More than 100 Thai guides gathered at the station in support of Suraphol Saelub, 24; Somchai Saetung, 39; and Ja Saema, also 39, who all face charges of attacking Chinese…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Snowden has more U.S.-Israel secrets to expose – Greenwald
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Snowden has more U.S.-Israel secrets to expose – Greenwald Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden has more secrets to reveal that relate to Israel, the journalist who first brought his leaks to the world’s attention said on Monday.Among allegations aired by Snowden…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Emergency decree a last resort; Tanks out for Kid’s Day; Rice farmers on edge; Panda alert
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Emergency decree would be a last resort: Yingluck The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday that invoking an emergency decree would be the last option in dealing with the current protests.Yingluck, who is also caretaker defence minister, expressed concern over a call…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Fuelled by Syria war, al Qaeda bursts back to life in Iraq
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fuelled by Syria war, al Qaeda bursts back to life in Iraq Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Al Qaeda gunmen seeking to form a radical Islamic state out of the chaos of Syria’s civil war are fighting hard to reconquer the province they once controlled in neighbouring Iraq,…
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Marine Chief sinks Phuket sea taxi rumors
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office chief today trounced rumors that the 240-million-baht budget for an airport-to-Patong “sea taxi” had been approved. “I do not know how the rumor that it was already approved was spread,” Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut told the Phuket Gazette. Director of the Marine Office 5 Wichai Khamkong plans to raise the issue of the…
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National politics dry-docks PIMEX Coastal Waters Safety Summit
PHUKET: Political turmoil has forced Safer Phuket organizers to postpone the Coastal Waters Safety Summit, scheduled to be held at this year’s PIMEX boat show (story here). “We’ve made a huge amount of progress, but with the current political situation, the momentum was starting to dissipate. Everyone is in interim status at the moment,” Safer Phuket founder Duncan Stewart told…
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Phuket Business: Go green, go electric
PHUKET: A new transportation option recently made its debut in Phuket. You don’t have to fill it up out of old whiskey bottles on the side of the road or break a sweat pedaling up the island’s steep hills. All you have to do is plug it in before you go to sleep at night.Electric bikes have undoubtedly been around…
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A beacon of light: Lighthouse Restaurant on Chalong Bay
PHUKET: Located right on Chalong Bay near the Kan Eang pier, the Lighthouse restaurant and bar has earned near historical status among expats, tourists, and yachties alike. After being built in 1988 and managed by American Jimmy Pearson, Jimmy’s Lighthouse Bar and Grill enjoyed years of operation until recently when the doors shut and only a defunct restaurant and memories…
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Phuket Central Festival legal taxi rank in slow lane
PHUKET: The restructuring of the Central Festival taxi rank into a co-operative, part of a campaign to rid Phuket of violent taxi groups, missed its deadline by over a month. However, the process of becoming a legal co-operative should be completed this week. “We’ve gotten certification from the Phuket Provincial Cooperative Office, now the documents just need to be approved…
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Tennis Tip: Taking advantage of the warm-up
PHUKET: When we get onto the tennis court to ready ourselves for a match there are bound to be some type of nerves flowing through our veins. That’s natural.As we hit the first few tennis balls in warm-up we begin to become consumed with how our forehand, our backhand and our serves, for example, are feeling at that moment. That’s…
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Taxi, tuk-tuk drivers save the day for forgetful tourists
PHUKET: A taxi driver and a tuk-tuk driver yesterday made two tourists very happy by returning over half a million baht and other belongings that had been left behind in their vehicles.Italian tourist Alfredo De Santi, 37, left a bag containing an iPad, passport, telephone and 500,000 baht in the taxi he took from the airport to his accommodation in…
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Gang brawl near Red Cross Fair leaves 2 dead, 2 injured
PHUKET: A fight between two rival gangs left two Myanmar nationals dead and two others injured at Saphan Hin last night. Both gangs had attended the final night of the Red Cross Fair. They ran into each other after leaving the event and a battle broke out, said Capt Udom Petcharat of the Phuket City Police. Police called to the…
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Beguiled by jewels
PHUKET: Art gallery owner Eric Smulders is well known on the island for his passion for Asian art, but recently he has taken the plunge into the world of fine jewelry. At his gallery in Surin, Soul of Asia, Eric will be displaying and selling 60 pieces of exquisite jewelry featuring precious stones such as diamonds, emeralds, tanzanites, sapphires, rubies…
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One more challenge for McCormack
PHUKET: From a race track to a company board room – seems like change of pace for a world class athlete. But Chris McCormack proves otherwise. The same passion that let him win over 200 triathlons is about to help him achieve his goals as the new Executive Chairman of Thanyapura.He is certainly not a newcomer to the world of…
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Phuket loses Sek’s appeal
PHUKET: Hundreds of angry anti-government protesters last night forced the organizers of the annual Phuket Red Cross Fair to cancel a live concert by Thai rock star Sek Loso, who was to perform the closing show at the fair. Sek “Seksan Sukpimai” Loso was one of many Thai celebrities who joined a publicity campaign calling on voters to cast their…
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Phuket Gazette World News: China stampede kills 14; Dhaka violence mars polls; Antarctic rescue underway
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Stampede at China religious event kills 14 Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A stampede at a religious ceremony in northwestern China as food was being handed out killed 14 people and injured 10, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.The stampede occurred on Sunday afternoon as traditional…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Bangkok prepares for shutdown; Economic fears grow; Vote me out, dares Yingluck
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PDRC march a warm up for shutdown The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Anti-government protesters from the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) marched through Bangkok yesterday in a warm-up for their “Bangkok shutdown” next week.PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban led thousands of demonstrators from the main rally site at…
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Family rescued from burning bedroom fire in Phuket Town
PHUKET: A family of three were rescued from a burning building after being trapped by an electrical fire in their bedroom above the family shop in Phuket Town late last night.Police and firefighters, along with three fire trucks, were called to the Modern PVC plumbing supplies store on Mae Luan Road at about 11:40pm.“When we arrived, we could see flames…
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Phuket Police aim to ID high-speed crash victim
PHUKET: Police are trying to identify a man who died in a high-speed motorbike accident in Koh Kaew, north of Phuket Town, early this morning. Police were called to the scene, near the entrance of the Inizio Koh Kaew housing estate (map here), after security guard Chamroen Pinamorn witnessed the accident at about 4am. “I saw a man speed by…
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