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Asian groups may invest US$150bn in markets abroad
PHUKET: Institutional investors based in Asia could look to invest in excess of US$150 billion in global real estate over the next five years, though not necessarily in domestic markets. According to the latest research from leading global real estate services provider, CBRE, since there is limited investable stock available in Asia, such investors – including banks, insurance companies as…
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Body of missing fisherman washes ashore on Phuket
PHUKET: Relatives have confirmed that the body that washed ashore near the northern end of Kamala Beach yesterday morning is that of 34-year-old Non Boonsopha, who was swept out to sea while fishing with friends and family on Phuket on Sunday.Mr Non was fishing from the rocks on Laem Son, the headland at the southern end of Bang Tao Beach,…
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BBC denies £150k Phuket partying claim
PHUKET: The BBC has denied claims that it wasted more than 7 million baht on a show in Thailand after an episode was reportedly scrapped.The British public service broadcaster issued a statement yesterday after leading UK daily newspapers The Sun and Daily Mail reported the crew for the BBC show Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents spent 10 days “partying” in…
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More escaped Rohingya rounded up in Phuket; search continues
PHUKET: Phuket police have taken nine more Rohingya men back into custody, and back to the immigration detention center they had escaped from early on Saturday morning (story here). “We are still searching for the remaining 23,” said Phuket Immigration Superintendent Col Sanchai Chokhayaikij. “I am sure they are still in Phuket because our officers continue to round them up,”…
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Familiar pattern reveals Phuket meth, not quilt
PHUKET: A man was charged with drug dealing after Phuket City Police pounced on him picking up a package that he claimed was supposed to encase a quilt – not the nearly 8,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills police found.The man, Somsak Srisakul, was presented to the press today at Phuket City Police Station.“We received a tip-off that drugs would be…
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Phuket police force to start growing in November
PHUKET: Phuket’s police force will increase by 700 officers next year, with new officers starting to arrive in November, Royal Thai Police Commissioner Adul Saengsingkaew has announced.The move is to upgrade the island’s force to meet the demands of increasing numbers of tourists and residents on the island.“Phuket will have a bigger and more efficient police force in 2014,” General…
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Phuket Police arrest suspect for stabbing murder of girl, 17
PHUKET: Police yesterday arrested the man suspected of having robbed and stabbed a 17-year-old woman to death early on Sunday morning. “He told us he just wanted her gold necklace,” said Lt Col Prawit Engchuan of the Phuket City Police. Neighbors recognized Somkid Saisema, 33, from CCTV pictures they saw on TV and notified police, who raided his house on…
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Tourism Minister mulls compulsory travel insurance for tourists
PHUKET: The Tourism and Sports Ministry would like to make it compulsory for all foreign tourists to have travel insurance before entering the Kingdom because unpaid bills are putting a huge strain on cash-strapped public hospitals in major destinations, particularly Phuket. However, some tourism-business operators warn that this measure might keep away travellers as well as tarnish the country’s image.…
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Phuket duo win Tourism Thailand competition
PHUKET: A Phuket-based duo, comprising Richard Brownsdon from UK and Vimalin Chalermporn from Thailand, were recently selected as the winners of “The Little Big Project”, a Thai destination promotion and development competition. Mr Brownsdon and Ms Vimalin won the competition with their project, which focused on “responsible eco-tourism and marine conservation in Phuket”, executed in collaboration with openmindprojects.org. Since May…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Ratchanok wins royal praise; Police warned over chat probe; Yingluck tapped on ivory
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ratchanok wins royal praise The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Newly crowned world champion Ratchanok Intanon could not have been happier to receive bouquets of flowers from the Royal family, especially from Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. And the young star has set new goals – to become the…
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Law suits fly in face of DSI Phuket “mafia’ list
PHUKET: Five of the men whose names or businesses appeared on the Department of Special Investigation’s (DSI) “mafia” list have struck back at the DSI’s allegations that they had links to illegal taxis and organized crime (story here). Three have already filed defamation suits. Thammawat Wongcharoenyut and Siwa Siangyom filed their complaints against the DSI in Phuket on Saturday. San…
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Phuket fighting fish gamblers netted in rubber plantation
PHUKET: A Phuket police raid on a gambling den known for fighting fish netted nine men Saturday morning.“I received a report of a place that was open every weekend for fish gambling,” Thalang Superintendent Sirisak Warasiri said. “So I sent my men to investigate.”“They found a well-established location with tables and chairs for the gamblers,” he said.Police raided the den,…
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Rohingya escape from Phuket Immigration
PHUKET: Police scoured mangrove forest around Saphan Hin after having rounded up only four out of 36* Rohingya who to escape from the Phuket Immigration detention center in the early hours of Saturday morning. “We are still searching for the remaining 32 Rohingya. We have contacted all police stations on Phuket and distributed photos of the Rohingya,” Phuket Provincial Police…
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Phuket FC president’s birthday wish granted with win over Nakhon Pathom
PHUKET: The Islanders last night won their first match in the last 50 days – and first at home for 112 days – beating Yamaha League One (YL1) rivals, Nakhon Pathom United 2-0 on a waterlogged pitch at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town.Marking the occasion, Phuket FC President Pamuke Achiriyachai at half time was presented flowers, a birthday cake and…
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Phuket top officials make merit in honor of HM Queen Sirikit’s 81st birthday
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut led top Phuket officials in a celebration of HM Queen Sirikit’s 81st birthday early this morning by donating alms to monks.The Governor, all three vice governors and Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavalviwat, along with 500 officers and local residents, made the dry food offering in front of Queen Sirikit Park.The government officers were all…
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Concern piqued by fetus hammerhead sharks on display at Phuket restaurant
PHUKET: Local concern peaked in Phuket after photos began to circulate of two baby scalloped hammerhead sharks on display in front of a restaurant in Kata last week.“The ones [scalloped hammerhead sharks] at that restaurant clearly show to everybody that they are fetuses – they are not fully grown sharks, so obviously fishermen caught a female shark somewhere, chopped her…
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Phuket Airport gets multilingual makeover, bus to resume full service on Friday
PHUKET: The new Airport Express bus service, operating a “hop on, hop off” service between Phuket International Airport and the prime tourist beach destination Patong, will resume full service on Friday. “The bus service will return to the full schedule on August 16,” Prakob Panyawai, the owner of the bus company, confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. Services were pared back…
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Bar girl delivered B100k to Swedish murder suspects, Phuket Court told
PHUKET: As the murder trial of Tommy Soderlund continued yesterday, a police officer told the court that Mr Soderlund was arrested in the hotel room of a Pattaya bar girl who had delivered 100,000 baht to him and his alleged accomplice Johan Ljung. Mr Soderlund and Mr Ljung are charged with murdering Russian-born Swedish national Maksim Schantz in Phuket on…
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Phuket’s elite captains mark 24 years of dodging rocks
PHUKET: A gathering of Phuket’s elite captains and core sailors of the local yachting community last night marked 24 years of dodging rocks with the launch of the fourth edition of the essential cruising guide, Southeast Asia Pilot, that made it possible. The latest edition covers the area from the Andaman Islands in Indian territorial waters to Darwin, Australia. In…
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Trio of top cops gather to promote Phuket safety, again
PHUKET: The two highest-ranking police officers in Thailand joined Phuket’s top cop in Patong yesterday evening in the latest campaign to safeguard tourism revenue by convincing tourists that Phuket is a safe place to vacation. Over 400 police officers gleaned from every station in Phuket gathered in formation at one end of Soi Bangla to be reviewed by the Royal…
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Phuket FC’s new coach to play ‘Brazilian style’ against Nakhon Pathom
PHUKET: The Islanders’ newly appointed (click here for story) Brazilian head coach, Stefano Rodrigues, or “Coach Teco”, said he is confident in Phuket FC’s chances against Nakhon Pathom United in tomorrow’s match. The game, the Yamaha League One’s 2013 season’s 21st clash of the 34 match campaign, will be played at Surakul Stadium with a 6:30pm kickoff (click here for…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Eiffel Tower bomb alert; Obama calls Putin bored kid; Mona Lisa tomb opened
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Eiffel Tower reopens after bomb scare Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Hundreds of tourists were evacuated from Paris’ Eiffel Tower on Friday afternoon in response to a bomb alert, but it was found to be a scare and the tower was reopened two hours later, police told Reuters.Police…
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Chinese woman, 22, found dead in Phuket resort swimming pool
PHUKET: A 22-year-old Chinese tourist was found dead yesterday morning floating in a resort swimming pool on Koh Lone, a small island about three kilometers east of Rawai.Peng Yu was staying at the Cruiser Island Resort with a Chinese tour group.“A hotel staffer found her floating face down in the swimming pool,” Thada Sodarak of the Chalong Police said.Ms Peng…
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Human trafficker shot, captured in Surat
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand arrests suspected leader of human trafficking gang Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Thai authorities have captured the suspected leader of a human trafficking gang, who confessed to selling Burmese migrants into slavery on Thai fishing boats and possibly murdering as many as seven, a Thai official said…
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Patong Mayor Pian Keesin targetted in DSI’s investigations list
PHUKET: Long-serving Mayor of Patong Pian Keesin, as well as ten other people and suspect locations, has been named on a Department of Special Investigations (DSI) blacklist regarding illegal taxis. The blacklist was presented yesterday as Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Pureesrisak and DSI Director-general Tarit Pengdith arrived on the island to open the ‘Phuket Organized Crime Center’ (story here).…
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Logos Hope announces special events for Phuket
PHUKET: MV Logos Hope, carrying the world’s largest floating library, arrives in Phuket on Wednesday and has already announced two special events to be put on by some of its 460 volunteers. The first of the two events will be the ‘Cultural Cafe’, which showcases a variety of cultures, music and dances from around the globe. The event, during which…
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Phuket Opinion: Italy’s Honorary Consul – respect and enforce laws
Dr Francesco Pensato, 53, became the Honorary Consul of Italy for Phuket and Southern Thailand in May. A director of the Thai-Italian Chamber of Commerce, Dr Francesco has degrees in Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Sound Engineering, and is the CEO of World Pharm, JK Drinks and King manufacturing company. Here, he talks about the most pressing problems facing Italian tourists…
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Special Report: Anatomy of a Phuket taxi driver
Special Report The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has opened an ‘Organized Crime Center’ [sic] at Phuket International Airport to crack down on illegal taxi drivers still operating there. The move follows widespread allegations of mafia operating on the island and illegal taxi drivers overcharging tourists. Here, the Phuket Gazette investigates what it takes to become a Phuket taxi driver.PHUKET:…
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Phuket Opinion: Island paradise – it’s the bomb
PHUKET: News of the the unprecedented bomb explosion outside of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) offices on August 1 (story here) came as just the latest blow to the reputation of Phuket as a safe tourist destination. Fortunately, nobody was physically harmed in the incident, though a number of vehicles were damaged. While the bombing itself was as completely…
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Rohingya riot north of Phuket pre-planned escape attempt, says Immigration
PHUKET: The Rohingya refugees’ rebellion against their captivity during the Muslim holy day Eid-al Fitr yesterday was a pre-planned attempt to escape the facilities and leave Thailand, Phang Nga Immigration Police told the Phuket Gazette today. “The refugees were convinced by visitors to protest and attempt to escape to another country,” Phang Nga Immigration Inspector Neti Khanboon said. Lt Col…
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