News
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Phuket Airport bus forced off the road by repairs
PHUKET: Concerns about whether or not the Airport Bus, which shuttles passengers to and from Phuket Town and Phuket International Airport, had shut down its services this week were answered today with the simplest of answers: one of the buses is off the road for repairs. “We normally have two buses serving the route between Phuket Airport and Phuket Town,”…
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Osotspa clan member alleges B293mn land swindle off Phuket
PHUKET: Saowanee Osathanugrah, a member of the famous Thai “Osotspa” family, has filed a complaint against her husband for allegedly trying to swindle her out of land on Koh Yao Yai, an island off Phuket, valued at 293 million baht. Osotspa Co Ltd, known worldwide for its M-150 and Shark energy drinks, last year reported a total operating income of…
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Phuket Marine Office splashes out B5.8mn on moorings
PHUKET: The Marine Department is spending 5.8 million baht on installing 300 moorings in coastal havens off Phuket in order to protect coral reefs.“We dropped 200 moorings in Chalong Bay on Saturday. They are available to use now, for free,” Phuket Marine Office chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut told the Phuket Gazette today.“We will drop another 100 moorings in Ao Por this…
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Phuket Sports: PIST hooks all as Sunshine Village cleans up
PHUKET: THE eighth Phuket International Sportfishing Tournament, held last weekend, produced a thrilling end to three great days, particularly for two teams. The Danish ‘Clean Team’ trailed by a minnow, which was required to catch ‘Team Captain Hook’ as the boats headed out under gray skies for the final day of competition. Ian Tubby, captain of Thai Two On, implemented…
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International Cricket: Ricky Ponting to end career
PHUKET: Australia’s Ricky Ponting announced his retirement from international cricket today, telling a stunned news conference he would be calling time on his glittering 17-year career after this week’s third test against South Africa. The former Australia captain has scored 13,366 runs in 167 tests – the second highest haul in the long history of the game – and stands…
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Girl, 9, confirmed dead in Phuket tour van crash
PHUKET: Phuket police have named the schoolgirl who died in the tour van crash this morning as Kulnaree Lattuada Lancini, 9 years old, a student at British International School (BIS). Chalong Police Sub Lt Kraisorn Boonprasop told the Phuket Gazette that Kulnaree died at the scene of head trauma. Kulnaree was in the rear seat of a pickup truck that…
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Two new Phuket police stations ready in December
PHUKET: Two new “temporary” Phuket police stations will open by December, ahead of permanent police stations that are slated for completion late next year. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavaviwat on Tuesday inspected the construction site of the new Wichit police station in Soi Na Sua on Chao Fa West Road. “On December 6, the two new police stations at…
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Phuket girl, 12, feared dead in tour van crash
PHUKET: A 12-year-old girl is feared dead after a Phuket tour van reportedly collided with a pickup truck near Chalong Temple on Chao Fa West Road in Chalong this morning. According to initial reports, two others were injured in the accident, which occurred at about 7 am. It is not known at this point whether the driver fled the scene…
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Deadline for listings in Phuket’s yellow pages
PHUKET: Businesses wishing to appear in the 2013 Gazette Guide Business Directory, Phuket’s ‘yellow pages’, have until 12 noon on Thursday, December 6, to enter (or update) their listings – that’s eight (8) days from now. Businesses not listed by that date will not appear in the directory until 2014. The 350-page book, with details of about 2,500 businesses serving…
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Thailand Futsal Premier League: Phuket United eye Colombian star
PHUKET: The island’s pro futsal club, Phuket United, are looking to sign Andres Reyes, one of the up and coming stars showcased at the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2012, held in Thailand earlier this month. Phuket United Assistant Coach Patt Srivijit told the Phuket Gazette that the team is planning to get in contact with Andres Reyes about a possible…
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World Golf: Long putter expected to be outlawed for 2016
PHUKET: With a widely expected ban on anchoring long putters likely to be announced by the game’s ruling bodies today, players have expressed sharply contrasting views ahead of this week’s World Challenge. While 14-times major winner Tiger Woods and putting supremo Steve Stricker are both in favour of such putters being outlawed, 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley says he…
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Loy Krathong Festival honors “Phuket yesteryear’
PHUKET: As communities across Phuket celebrate the Loy Krathong Festival tonight, residents in Srisoonthorn, Thalang, will be drawing to a close their three-day version of the festival. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut officiated at the opening of the Srisoonthorn festival, which this year also honors the area’s tin-mining history, at the Bang Maruan Lagoon – located next to the site of…
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Unbranded drugs suspected in British tourist death at Phuket resort
PHUKET: Police suspect unbranded drugs may have contributed to the death of a British tourist whose body was discovered in his resort guest room this morning in Phuket.The man, a 64-year-old British national, was found dead by his female companion in the couple’s room at a resort at Nai Thon Beach at about 9am, said Capt Prakorp Boonkwan of the…
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World News: Tests to check if Yasser Arafat was murdered using Polonium
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Arafat’s grave opened for poison tests Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Forensic experts took samples from Yasser Arafat’s buried corpse in the West Bank today, trying to determine if he was murdered by Israeli agents using the hard-to-trace radioactive poison, Polonium.Palestinians witnessed the funeral of their hero and…
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Live Wire: Drilling down on landlines
PHUKET: Last week I talked about the general state of internet connections in Phuket. This week I want to drill down on landlines. I wish I could just point you to a web page that has all of the information about the various internet lines available on Phuket, and let you make a choice. Life isn’t that simple. You would…
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Murder fugitive Aldhouse to arrive in Phuket on Saturday
PHUKET: British national Lee Aldhouse, wanted in Phuket for the stabbing murder of former US Marine Dashawn Longfellow in August 2010, will be extradited from the UK and will arrive in Phuket on Saturday. Aldhouse, also known by his kickboxing nickname “The Pitbull”, will arrive at about 7pm, Chalong Police Superintendent Sirisak Wasasiri told the Phuket Gazette today. Chalong Police…
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Phuket Poll: Bringing illegal taxis in from the cold
PHUKET: The Phuket authorities over the past year have taken a combination of measures to bring illegal taxis on the island under regulation. The latest move brought 50 airport taxis into the fold from a “co-operative” that was openly and illegally serving passengers at the airport. However, that move followed a mini-blitz in which 194 drivers were fined for being…
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Phuket Sports: Racing for Rich
PHUKET: They say tragedy brings people together in a meaningful way. This is the case with triathlete Richard Holland and his supportive friends. In the early hours of the morning on Thursday October 11, 2012, Rich (as he’s known to his friends) set out cycling in Dubai to train for the upcoming Laguna Phuket Ironman 70.3. What was supposed to…
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Phuket Prosecutor prepares to file charges against Tiger Disco
PHUKET: The Phuket Public Prosecutor’s Office is in the final stage of preparing its case against the operators of Tiger Discotheque over the fire that broke out at the Patong nightclub on August 17. The popular night venue erupted into flames just before 4am, while hundreds of patrons were still inside. Four people died in the inferno, including two tourists.…
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Phuket Customs raid seizes B1.5mn of pirated goods
PHUKET: Phuket Customs officers today presented to the press almost 2,000 counterfeit items, with an estimated street value of over 1.5 million baht, that were seized in a raid last week. Officers from the Royal Thai Customs Investigation and Suppression Bureau (ISB) raided a transportation company depot on the bypass road after receiving a report that a consignment of counterfeit…
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Australian fall survivor out of Phuket intensive care unit
PHUKET: Two weeks after falling from the 18th floor of a Patong hotel, a 39-year-old Australian tourist has been moved from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to an orthopedic ward at Vachira Phuket Hospital. The man, originally from Sydney, suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung and serious injuries to his left leg when he fell from the balcony adjoining his…
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Police not to post any response to “Evil man from Krabi’ YouTube video
PHUKET: Krabi Provincial Police have confirmed that they will not post any further video response to the “Evil man from Krabi” YouTube music video, which accused them of dereliction of duty in the case of the rape of a Dutch tourist. The original video response posted by the police was in Thai only and has subsequently been taken down. “I…
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Phuket Finance: Using exchange traded funds
PHUKET: In today’s uncertain economy, investors are increasingly seeking diversification, safety and a secure income. Interest rates continue to hover at or near all time lows in many countries, and the continued uncertainty about the strength of the global economic recovery has made many investors extra cautious. Nevertheless, there is one investment option available that can offer risk-adverse investors both…
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Phuket cat burglar fails as roof caves in
PHUKET: A would-be cat burglar bungled his attempt to rob a Phuket minimart after falling through the roof into the store’s stockroom below, leaving him trapped until he was found by staff this morning.Arriving at the scene, a minimart in Pa Klok, police found 38-year-old Thepmongkol Thongsri lying injured in the stockroom.“He gained access to the store by climbing onto…
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Phuket protesters back home after rally in Bangkok
PHUKET: The hundreds of Phuket protesters who joined the Pitak Siam anti-government rally in Bangkok over the weekend have arrived home safe in Phuket. Concerns were raised on Saturday when police officers with riot shields enforcing a cordon around the protest site at the Royal Plaza started firing tear gas into the crowd and clashes between the protesters and police…
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Phuket Sports: Man Utd go top as City stutters; Full football round-up
PHUKET: Barcelona maintained their three-point lead in Spain after an inspired Andres Iniesta pulled the strings in a 4-0 win at Levante and Manchester United reclaimed top spot in the Premier League after a 3-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers. Bayern Munich went nine points clear in the Bundesliga while Serie A table-toppers Juventus slipped up with a 1-0 defeat…
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Phuket protesters home safe after Pitak Siam rally in Bangkok
PHUKET: The hundreds of Phuket protesters who joined the Pitak Siam anti-government rally in Bangkok over the weekend have arrived home safe in Phuket. Concerns were raised on Saturday when police officers with riot shields enforcing a cordon around the protest site at the Royal Plaza started firing tear gas into the crowd and clashes between protesters and police ensued.…
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Phuket Big Buddha pickup truck flips in Karon, 8 injured
PHUKET: Eight people were injured this morning when a pickup truck converted into a small bus flipped onto its side while descending Karon Hill.Phuket City Police Capt Thada Sodarak told the Phuket Gazette that the accident occurred at about 10 am near the sharp “Sator Curve” while the vehicle was descending the hill heading towards Chalong Circle.Officers arrived at the…
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Thailand Futsal: Phuket United fall to Bangkok in home opener
PHUKET: The island’s professional five-a-side soccer club, Phuket United fell 3-5 to the Bangkok Futsal Club, in an exciting and intense match-up in Phuket Town last night.Played in front of nearly 1,000 spectators at Phuket’s new 4,000-seat Indoor Sports Complex in Saphan Hin, the match was both sides’ third match of the 30-fixture, GMM Sport Thailand Futsal Premier League (TFPL)…
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Pitak Siam leader abruptly ends anti-govt rally
PHUKET: General Boonlert Kaewprasit, the leader of the Pitak Siam anti-government protest in Bangkok, admitted to his “loss to evil” after calling off the rally yesterday evening.Retired General Boonlert Kaewprasit said he called off the protest because the number of participants was smaller than expected. He blamed this on efforts by authorities and police to prevent many prospective protesters from…
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