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Finance: Are we in for a rough ride this year?
PHUKET: The past few years have been difficult, or mixed at best, for many investors in the stock market, with 2015 largely ending in another flat line performance – leading to predictions for more of the same in 2016. However, most predictions about 2015 from the start of last year were bullish and turned out to be off the mark,…
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British expat found dead at Kamala home
PHUKET: A British expat was found dead in front of his home in Kamala this morning. A neighbor discovered Thomas Robert Putnam, 52, hanging by his neck from a beam in his front yard. “We received a call from Mr Putnam’s landlord, Jarin Sattaman, whose father found him hanging in front of the house,” confirmed Lt Navin Petchjan of the…
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Resort employee beat by taxi driver for hailing tuk-tuk
PHUKET: Police arrested a taxi driver Wednesday after he was caught on CCTV cameras assaulting a Holiday Inn Resort Phuket employee in Patong on Tuesday. Officers used the footage to identify Chamni Khaiduang, 50, who was seen viciously attacking Human Resources Director Tawatchai Kwanchum, 37, after he hailed a tuk-tuk for hotel guests. “Mr Tawatchai flagged down a tuk-tuk at…
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Police hunt driver in fatal hit-and-run
PHUKET: Police are hunting the driver of a vehicle that struck and killed a woman in Paklok this morning. Obrom Daengprapai, 68, was dropping her 5-year-old granddaughter off at school when her motorbike was hit by a car while changing lanes, confirmed Lt Kraisorn Boonprasop of the Thalang Police. “Witnesses told us that Ms Obrom attempted to change from the…
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Open house to be held by Phuket Homeschooling Network
PHUKET: The Phuket Homeschool Network will be staging an all day open house at Rajabhat Univeristy’s Arts and Cultural Center on January 24 to present the achievements of the homeschooling network throughout the island. The event aims to present an alternative education system to the public and display the achievements of homeschooled children, explained Pakawan Chaimaneekorn, representative of Phuket Homeschool…
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Thailand offers condolences after Jakarta bombings
PHUKET: Thailand has expressed regret and sadness over yesterday’s bombings in Jakarta that resulted in the loss of several lives and left many injured. Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said in a statement that he was deeply saddened to learn of the blasts and shootings in the Indonesian capital (story here). “On behalf of the Royal Thai Government and the…
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Indonesia says attack underlines emergence of Islamic State threat
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indonesia says attack underlines emergence of Islamic State threat Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Indonesia must strengthen its defenses against Islamic State and work with neighboring countries to fight it, Jakarta’s police chief said on Friday, a day after an attack by suicide bombers and gunmen…
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Police continue to pursue riot suspects
PHUKET: Officials announced this week that they have apprehended 17 suspects wanted in connection with October’s Thalang Police Station riot that saw more than 6 million baht worth of damage to the station and nearby vehicles (story here). Region 8 Police Commander Tesa Siriwato confirmed that most suspects were arrested on unrelated drug charges and will be dealt with through…
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Officials to mandate international driving licence for foreigners
PHUKET: Officials will soon require all foreign drivers on Phuket’s roads to be in possession of an international driving licence, confirmed Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat on Tuesday. In an effort to protect tourists, renters and business owners, as well as to lower road accidents and fatalities, Vice Governor Chokdee established a committee whose aim is to help monitor the…
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Phuket Governor declares war on trash
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada openly declared war on island rubbish in a meeting on Monday. “I would like to improve CCTV on the island to the point that we can use the footage to document people littering and charge them accordingly,” Governor Chamroen said. “In this fight against trash, members of the public must use social media to raise…
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Phuket named richest province
PHUKET: Data compiled by the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has dubbed Phuket the richest among Thailand’s 77 provinces. The NESDB list, headed “Human Achievement Index (HAI) 2015, shows that Phuketians not only have the highest income but also relatively low poverty in comparison with the rest of the country. Following Phuket on the list…
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Snake show halted pending municipality approval
PHUKET: Officials have shut down a snake show in Chalong this week after finding that it did not hold proper documentation from the municipality to operate. The show, held at the Phuket Bio Technology Co Ltd, came under fire on Saturday after a 2.5-meter-long python bit a Chinese tourist when she attempted to kiss it (story here). Chalong Municipality Deputy…
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Suspects arrested in Finnish assault case
PHUKET: Police arrested two suspects yesterday wanted for attacking a female Finnish tourist and stealing her handbag on Saturday. Nat Roongrojchanakorn, 18, and Thanathip Siriwat, 19, confessed to the snatching as well as the assault on Mari Inkeri Ruohonen, noting that they were high on a kratom-based drink at the time. Ms Ruohonen was attacked and seriously wounded when she…
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Failed underpass company to continue project with hefty fines
PHUKET: Construction on the long awaited Samkong underpass will continue under its current contractor despite a 2 million baht-per-day fine. Wiwat Construction Co Ltd was given a December 21 completion date for the more than 800-million-baht project before the per diem fine was to be levied. However, due to mandatory closure during the Songkran and New Year holidays, a 30-day…
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Snake show python that attacked tourist in Phuket ruled illegal [video]
PHUKET: The owner of a snake that bit a kissy Chinese tourist in Phuket was charged for the illegal possession of a protected species today. Officials launched an in-depth inspection of Phuket Bio Technology Co Ltd in Chalong after the 2.5-meter-long python bit 29-year-old Jin Jing on the nose when she attempted to kiss it (story here). According to the…
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Body found with throat slit off Phuket
PHUKET: The body of a man with his throat slit was found offshore Phuket by a local fisherman this morning. Police have yet to identify the corpse, which was found in Ao Makham Bay by 43-year-old Sayan Thanakarnjana. Wichit Moo 8 headman Sontaya Audsaha confirmed to police that the body wasn’t that of a local. “At this point, we presume…
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Illegal Phuket tour guides to be deported, blacklisted
PHUKET: A Chinese national working as an illegal tour guide in Phuket will be the first to be deported and blacklisted in Thailand as the country takes a staunch stance on the ever-growing issue, confirmed officials. “Starting today, any foreigner caught working as a tour guide will be deported,” Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS)…
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Boat Lagoon’s Children’s Day an event for all
PHUKET: To catch a wave and surf in Phuket, you’ll need some patience, with the windy ‘Surf Season’ a good couple of months ahead. But for the island’s businesses, the waves are always there waiting to be spotted and ridden to success. “It’s all about noticing a trend”, says Kanittha Prasopsirikul from By Kanittha, the company responsible for Boat Lagoon…
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Japan to patrol disputed islands if China sails too close
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Japan to patrol disputed islands if China sails too close Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Japan will respond to any intrusion by Chinese naval vessels into the waters around the disputed Senkaku islands, known in China as the Diaoyus, by ordering its Self-Defence Force ships to…
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New app to help police in Kenya to jail child rapists
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New app to help police in Kenya to jail child rapists Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A new phone app will help Kenyans secure justice for children who have been raped by explaining the steps the police should take when investigating rape and enabling the victims’…
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BISP swimmer wins six golds at Thailand National Games
PHUKET: After a successful first day in the pool at the Thailand National Games in Nakhon Sawan, where she won two gold medals, British International School Phuket (BISP) JSA Swim Academy member Phiangkhwan ‘Eing’ Pawapotako won the 100m Back on day two of the competition in a time of 65.44, making it three wins from three events. However, she didn’t…
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Illegal gibbon touts spotted on Phi Phi again [video]
PHUKET: Officers are hunting more gibbon touts on Phi Phi Island after receiving a video of a man using the protected species as a photo prop for tourists. “The video was taken on Saturday, but we’ll send someone out to see if the touts are still there or not,” said Phi Phi Police Chief Jetsada Junphum. Though officers have struggled…
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Finnish tourist slashed while fighting off bag thieves
PHUKET: A Finnish tourist was seriously wounded when she attempted to fight off bag snatchers in Phuket on Saturday night. “Two men drove by on a motorbike and attempted to swipe the bag off the shoulder of Mari Inkeri Ruohonen, 31,” explained Karon Police Superintendent Sompong Boonrat. “However, when she resisted, they pulled a box cutter out and attempted to…
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Police arrest drug runners with meth
PHUKET: Region 8 Police arrested two drug runners and seized nearly 70,000 ya ba (methamphetamine) pills in Phang Nga on Friday. Jiraporn Promnoo, 42, and Somnuek Rammani, 51, were arrested with 10,000 ya ba pills after a tip off from another drug suspect led police to intercept a scheduled delivery, confirmed Region 8 Police Commander Tesa Siriwato. The pair denied…
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TAT sets sights on Vietnamese, Indonesian tourists
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently announced its plans to promote Phuket’s image as a tourist destination in Vietnam and Indonesia. Anoma Wongyai, director of TAT Phuket, touched on the positive response seen from tourists during this holiday season, with an 83 per cent increase in visitor numbers and 4.2 million baht of revenue generation. “We now aim…
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Marine Police increase safety checks after death of French tourist
PHUKET: Phuket and Krabi Marine Police are ramping up safety checks in order to get tour operators to comply strictly with marine regulations. The boost comes hard on the heels of the death of a French tourist who was killed last week after being struck in the head by a speedboat propeller while snorkelling near Poda Island (story here). Phuket…
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Diver rescued in Similans by navy [video]
PHUKET: A medical student was saved by the navy after he fell unconscious during a dive in the Similan Islands on Saturday. The Royal Thai Navy was called to aid in the rescue of Thai national Tossawat Tassaworn, 24, a student at Rangsit University. According to a navy report, Mr Tossawat gave his dive master a distress signal at a…
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Video Report: Phuket snake bites tourist after attempted kiss, officials review safety measures
PHUKET: Officials are scrambling to reevaluate snake show safety measures after a Chinese tourist was bitten by a 2.5-meter-long python that she attempted to kiss in Phuket on Saturday. “After the show, I took the python out for the tourists to take photos with as usual. Then suddenly, a woman tried to kiss the snake without informing me of what…
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U.S. flies B-52 over S.Korea after North’s nuclear test
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. flies B-52 over S.Korea after North’s nuclear test Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The United States deployed a B-52 bomber on a low-level flight over its ally South Korea on Sunday in a show of force following North Korea’s nuclear test last week. North Korean…
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France pays tribute to 2015 terrorism victims in silent ceremony
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community France pays tribute to 2015 terrorism victims in silent ceremony Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: France honored the victims of Islamist militant attacks last year in a thinly attended silent ceremony on Sunday, almost a year to the day when more than a million people marched…
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