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Phuket business: A speculative investment
PHUKET: I remember as a young kid growing up in the US often seeing bumper stickers on cars with slogans about freeing Burma. When I was I first planning to move to Phuket, Thailand I still had no idea where Burma was, as the maps now showed some country I had never heard of called “Myanmar” bordering the Kingdom to…
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Phuket Live Wire: Why True and CAT go out to lunch every three hours
PHUKET: This week I’m going back to answering questions. This first one surprised me, but I’ve had confirmation now from all over Thailand. It goes like this: “Woody, I have a new TrueMove-H “3G” account. The wireless service is directly connected into my PC, with a USB stick. I watch financial markets, so I’m online for extended periods of time.…
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Phuket Airport “black taxis’ given ultimatum
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham and Wantha Phummararossukontha, Assistant Director of Phuket Provincial Transport Office (PPTO), have warned illegal taxi drivers to obtain the correct license plate or face stiff fines. Mr Wantha said action was being taken as many passengers had complained of overcharging by “black plate” taxi drivers, and the concerns he had received from legitimate…
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Official corruption: PACC names Phuket “model province’
PHUKET: The ongoing probe into official corruption by government officials in allowing land title deeds to be issued on state land should shore up investor confidence, the Phuket governor says. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha told the state-run MCOT news agency that the probe by the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) began in secrecy six or seven months ago in Phuket,…
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Phuket ready for ‘Battle of Thalang’ re-enactment tonight
PHUKET: In the run-up to the highly-anticipated re-enactment of the Battle of Thalang tonight, Phuket students and local leaders yesterday made offerings to a shrine dedicated to Phuket’s two heroines: Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Srisoonthorn. Yesterday, members of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) and Phuket Rajabhat University (PKRU) joined local residents at a special shrine set up in the…
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Phuket Gazette: Foreigners own 100 million rai
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Foreigners own 100 million rai PHUKET (The Nation): Some 100 million rai of Thailand is owned by foreigners, mostly through their Thai spouses or nominees, Auditor-General Sriracha Charoenpanit revealed yesterday. He said if this situation was “unresolved”, it could lead to later generations of Thais having…
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Andaman Motor Show drives Phuket car sales
PHUKET: The 14th Andaman Motor Show currently under way at HomeWorks, opposite Central Festival Phuket on the bypass road, is enjoying one of its best years in car sales. The six-day event, this year under the theme “Summer on the Beach”, ends on Wednesday. “We don’t have final figures for the overall number of car loan applications yet, but I…
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Phuket lifeguards vow to “not let tourists down’
PHUKET: A re-run of last year’s beach safety scare has emerged following the Phuket Lifeguard Club warning that their contract will terminate on April 2, and that they have not received any official notification of what is to happen next. Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyut “Nut” Chuayuan today told the Phuket Gazette that he had received no information as to…
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Phuket to hand out souvenir shirts for Cabinet meeting
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Office will provide special “souvenir” shirts for Cabinet ministers and VIPs attending the Cabinet meeting in Phuket on March 19-20. Vice Governor Somkiat Sangkaosuttirak announced the decision to have souvenir shirts handed out at a meeting at Phuket City Hall last Thursday. The main points were the shirt style, color, pattern and the number of shirts…
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Krabi Mayor pushes for international school
PHUKET: A move to secure 30 million baht in funding to build an international school in Krabi has been presented as one of the projects to be submitted to the Cabinet for approval during the ministers’ meeting in Phuket on March 19-20.The Krabi Provincial Office of Tourism and Sports proposed the idea, currently labelled the “Andaman International School” project, to…
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Students holidaying in Phuket survive Phang Nga crash
PHUKET: Five medical students on holiday in Phuket escaped with minor injuries when the car they were traveling in struck a tree in Phang Nga yesterday.Lt Eakkapop Phuthong of Takua Thung Police received a report at 5:30pm that a vehicle had overshot a curve on Takua Thung Road at Baan Kuan, Kok Kloy.“Sidan Hayeesamadae, a 25-year-old male, was driving four…
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Phuket sports: Practice makes perfect… almost
PHUKET: One of the shortest courses ever set was organized for the second race of the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC) Irish Times Race Series. From the Ao Makham safe water mark and back, with two short loops around the Ban Nit safe water mark – the total course length was only nine nautical miles. On Saturday, David Liddell from…
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Phuket sports: Fair Play League heads into finals weekend
PHUKET: THE 2012 Fair Play League (FPL) held its penultimate round of matches at British International School last week with both U14 and U11 Divisions in action. All three games in the U14 section were played at the same time on three different pitches at the ground. Thailand put in a fine performance against league leaders France and romped to…
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Phuket sports: Thanachart Bank driven all the way by Honda FC
PHUKET: Only one Premier Division match graced last week’s Adult Futsal League’s Thursday schedule at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC). Honda came agonizingly close to producing a shock result against second placed Thanachart Bank, but clinical finishing in the latter part of the match ensured a spirited Honda performance was unrewarded. Honda v Thanachart Bank: 2-4. The Division One…
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Phuket sport: PowerPlay golf hits Phuket
PHUKET: The worldwide sport phenomenon of PowerPlay Golf has arrived in Thailand. A dynamic nine-hole format, with some twists, has been introduced to the golf-loving nation by exclusive rights and license holder Asian Golf Events Co Ltd. PowerPlay Golf was first played in the UK in 2007 and by 2011 it had expanded to 30 countries and over 600 courses,…
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Phuket sports: TSLC nets ITF event
PHUKET: PHUKET’S international tennis scene received a massive boost following the announcement that Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will host the Chang International Tennis Federation (ITF) Thailand Pro Circuit Women’s event from March 17 to 31. With a growing reputation as a top international sporting destination, this tournament is set to become…
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Phuket business: New tourism and hotel college enrolls for May
PHUKET: In response to swelling demand in the island’s booming services industry, Thalang Technical College will be developing into the Phuket Hotel and Tourism College. The move was announced earlier this week by the college’s director, Suthep Yongyuth.“We first opened in 1997 as the Phuket Technical College number two, and then changed our name to Thalang Technical College in the…
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Transport Minister gives Bt180mn Phuket mangrove flyover green light
PHUKET: With the Thai Cabinet meeting to be held in Phuket a week away, Transport Minister Jarupong Ruangsuwan in Phuket in person yesterday promised that the 180-million-baht elevated road over a mangrove forest at Saphan Hin will be presented to Cabinet for approval. In front of the press, Mr Jarupong even guaranteed that the Klong Koh Pee road project will…
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Bee swarm invades Krabi school
PHUKET: A swarm of wild bees invaded several classrooms at Baan Tabpol School in Krabi’s Khao Phanom District on Friday, stinging 23 students and a teacher.Three of the children – aged 9, 10 and 12 – were taken to hospital for treatment for multiple bees stings, said School Director Bussakorn Hohkul.“Doctors had to inject antihistamine in one of the boys…
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New Phuket Weekend Market opens at Boat Lagoon
PHUKET: The Boat Lagoon Weekend Market opened yesterday to a welcome reception by local vendors and market goers. With pitch rentals as low as 100 baht, vender Jantima Tanpitakpong saw the opportunity to set up a stall of her own. “We buy handmade items, add value to them and sell them on. We don’t have our own shop yet, so…
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Phuket Airport factored into plans for regional aviation hub
PHUKET: A high-level board delegation representing Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT), including six directors of major airports in Thailand, met yesterday at Phuket International Airport to discuss strategies to place Thailand in the top 10 of Asia’s aviation hubs. In line with AOT’s aspirations for Thailand to become a regional aviation hub, the current expansion planned project to…
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Phuket OrBorJor election becomes a two-horse race
PHUKET: Registration closed yesterday for candidates to enter the April 7 Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) presidential election, with a second candidate entering the race and another withdrawing on the grounds that the election was “unfair”. Chayot Wisartpong from Pa Khlok, arrived at Phuket Community Hall with his supporters to register with the Phuket Election Commission shortly after 3pm. Mr…
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Anti-corruption probe uncovers Phuket land deals’ dirty history
PHUKET: A probe into the issuance of land title deeds in Phuket has uncovered widespread encroachment into protected forest areas and identified government officials as playing the key role in facilitating the theft of state property. Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission secretary-general Pol Col Dusadee Arayawuth, in Phuket as part of the investigation, yesterday told the press his office had identified…
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Phuket Poll: Which inbound market has highest growth potential?
PHUKET: By almost all accounts, 2011 was a banner year for Phuket tourism. With 2012 well underway, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and local tourism industry leaders continue to seek out promising new sources of tourists. Phuket tourism representatives tirelessly attend tourism trade shows at home and abroad to present the latest tourism products to the international market, and,…
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Phuket sports: Laguna pillage the Village
PHUKET: Following Laguna CC’s recent loss, the Island Furniture League season was thrown wide open with the in-form Village Cricket Team holding all the cards going into the last round of matches. The fourteenth match of this season saw an undefeated Village team up against Laguna at the ACG on Sunday with the latter still licking their wounds from their…
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Phuket Gazette: 77 kids rescued in major trafficking bust
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Chinese security forces arrest hundreds, rescue 77 children in major trafficking bust PHUKET (News Wires): Chinese police have arrested more than 300 suspects during a nationwide investigation into four child trafficking rings, the government announced yesterday. More than 70 abducted children were rescued. China’s Public Security…
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Phuket Bus Terminal 2 to open ‘after Songkran’
PHUKET: The Administrative Court in Nakhon Sri Thammarat has thrown out a complaint against work on the new turning in front of Phuket Bus Terminal 2, which the Land Transport Office now hopes to have in operation shortly after the upcoming Songkran holiday. Phuket Land Transport Office [PLTO] chief Teerayut Prasertpol told the Phuket Gazette he received a telephone call…
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Weird World News: Fox mugs man, kitesurfer stabs shark and nerds design robo-Cheetah
PHUKET: This has been a week of man taking on wild. From the cobbled and cold streets of England to the warm waters of the Red Sea and at a state-of-the art Massachusetts robotics lab, snarling and snapping animals coming face-to-face with man made headlines this week. Man ‘mugged’ by fox A BRITSH man claims he was mugged by a…
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Phuket Heroines honored at “Battle of Thalang’ re-enactment
PHUKET: Those wanting to catch the re-enactment of the Battle of Thalang, from which the Phuket heroines “Jan” and “Mook” gained their fame, should clear their schedule from March 13 to 15. The official program of events for the annual celebrations will start on Sunday, but the re-enactment of the historic battle at Thalang Victory Memorial Field doesn’t begin until…
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Drug-dealing, sex-buying monk defrocked
PHUKET: A SEX-CRAZED monk in the Northern province of Lamphun has been defrocked and charged by police for allegedly selling ya bah (methamphetamine) to local teenagers. Phra Phichat In-wan of Wat Rongkutai in the province’s Maeraeng Subdistrict spent much of his drug profits on prostitutes that he had sex with on temple grounds, according to police. The disgraced clergyman kept…
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