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Phuket police step up student road safety campaign
PHUKET: Officers at Phuket’s Kathu Police Station today stepped up their campaign to have students at Kathu Witthaya School use the pedestrian bridge instead of risking life and limb by crossing the busy road in front of the school. Tung Tong Police Superintendent Col Kraitong Chantongbai told the Phuket Gazette that nearly every day he receives reports of students being…
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U.S. FAA chief on leave after drunk driving arrest
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Randy Babbitt out of the cockpit for now Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Randy Babbitt took a leave of absence yesterday afternoon after police revealed he was arrested for drunk driving over the weekend, officials said. Babbitt was arrested…
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Pardoned: Phuket Prison population to plummet 10%
PHUKET: More than 200 inmates at Phuket Provincial Prison will be back on the streets soon, following the Royal Pardon decreed by HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the occasion of his 84th birthday yesterday. Phuket Provincial Prison Director Rapin Nichanon said prison officials were still reviewing the paperwork and could not give an exact figure on how many inmates would…
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Phuket Marine Office to set up holiday safety center
PHUKET: To ensure tourist safety during the upcoming New Year holiday period, the Phuket Marine Department office will step up inspections and open a safety center at its office in Wichit, the agency has announced. Phuripat Theerakulpisut, chief of the Marine Department Region 5 office, said his agency is gearing up for an expected large influx of tourists over the…
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Raelert and Rollison reign supreme at Laguna Phuket Ironman
PHUKET: Michael Raelert’s dazzling performance and character shone through at a wet and overcast Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship for the German to take the 2011 title at Laguna Phuket and in the process demolished the course record. When most consider a cautious approach to navigating Phuket during inclement conditions, the two-time Ironman 70.3 world champion powered through the 1.9km swim,…
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Thai Division 1 football: FC Phuket 0 – 2 Chanthaburi FC
PHUKET: FC Phuket lost their third home game of the season yesterday, going down 2-0 to Chanthaburi FC in front of a smaller-than-expected crowd of about 2,400 fans at Surakul Stadium. In a match that saw both sides enjoy good scoring chances in both halves, it was Chanthaburi FC that drew first blood at 36 minutes, when Rattaphon Sae-tan jumped…
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Phuket news: 26,000 prisoners get Royal Pardon
PHUKET: In a show of compassion, HM The King today issued a royal command pardoning some 26,000 prisoners nationwide. The decree, signed by His Majesty, was based on the one initiated last year by the Democrat Party-led government. In a statement published in the Royal Gazette, His Majesty said the convicts should be given a second chance. This year’s pardon…
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Phuket united in birthday wishes for HM The King
PHUKET: Scores of civil servants dressed in pink gathered at Queen Sirikit Park in Phuket Town this morning to take part in an alms-giving ceremony to honor the 84th birthday of Thailand’s beloved monarch HRH King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The ceremony, which got underway at 7am, was presided over by Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and his wife Mrs Nalinee Augkaradacha in…
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Boats to show at PIMEX 2012 valued at US$50mn
PHUKET: Boats confirmed for display at the Phuket International Boat Show 2012 (PIMEX) have a combined value of more than US$ 50 million (approx 1.5 billion baht). To be held at the Royal Phuket Marina from March 29 to April 1 2012, this ninth edition of PIMEX is organized by Informa Yacht Group. PIMEX brings leading boat brands, yachting products…
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Kings Cup Regatta to generate B600mn for Phuket
PHUKET: This year’s Kings Cup Regatta is expected to rake in 600 million baht for Phuket. Presiding over a press conference to promote this year’s event, Phuket Governor Tri Aukaradacha last week said that this year’s revenue for the province is likely to exceed that of last year’s edition. Noting that last year’s regatta generated about 550 million baht for…
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Phuket Business: Uncertain future for electronic billboards
PHUKET: Commuters in Phuket have witnessed a gradual upgrade in roadside scenery over the last few years. Advertising and media communications are steadily evolving, and many will have noticed traditional print billboards gradually being replaced with animated, digital versions at various traffic junctions around the island. Indeed, the emergence of Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology represents a sign of the…
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Korean tour operators to partner with Phuket
PHUKET: Korean honorary consul Tossaporn Thepabutr recently warned local officials to prepare for an influx of Korean tourism operators coming to set up shop in Phuket. “More Korean company owners are looking at moving their operations to Phuket because of the floods in Bangkok. Phuket is considered much safer,” he said. “Many Korean businesses will join Thai operators to form…
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Dewa Phuket wins 7 awards
PHUKET: Dewa Phuket, the boutique resort at Nai Yang beach, bagged seven awards at the ‘2011–2013 Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards’, or HAPA. The HAPA Southeast Asian regional ceremony, which took place on November 17 and 18 in Singapore, welcomed hospitality sector representatives from Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Created by World Asia Publications in 2002, HAPA recognizes…
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Phuket marks HM The King’s Birthday
PHUKET: Thousands of people turned out at Queen Sirikit Park for the morning service to honor the 84th birthday of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej today. Offering their blessings were 85 monks from temples across Phuket as well as Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and his wife Mrs Nalinee, who is also president of Phuket Red Cross. Proceedings began at 7am, with…
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MP questions love for flood victims
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Love motel floated boats for flood relief Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An opposition MP Friday came up with “new information” to support his allegation of irregularities involving the government’s Flood Relief Operation Centre (FROC). Phuket Gazette partner newspaper The Nation reports that at a press conference at…
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Phuket Property: Corrupt land ownership cannot be ‘revoked’
PHUKET: While the Andaman Travel Trade 2011 expo was winding to a close at Phuket Rajabhat University last Saturday, a sinister irony pervaded the venue and brought conflict to ‘Brand Phuket’. Tucked away in a small conference room in the same building as the jovial expo was Pheu Thai Party Spokesman and MP Prompong Nopparit, who was holding a public…
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Survival of Phuket tourist snorkeler in doubt
PHUKET: Doubts linger over the survival of a man pulled from the water at Yanui Beach, on Phuket’s southwestern coast, this afternoon after he failed to regain consciousness en route to hospital. Jula Nontree, chief lifeguard for Kata, Karon, Nai Harn and Patong Beaches, told the Phuket Gazette he was notified of the incident at 2:50pm. “When I arrived, lifeguards…
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Ironman 70.3 champions ready for Phuket challenge
PHUKET: Organizers of the 2011 Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship welcomed athletes and officials for the start of the second annual triathlon being held at Laguna Phuket on December 4. President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) Paiboon Upatising led the guest speakers and said he was particularly pleased with the organization of the event. “On behalf of the OrBorJor,…
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Phuket marks international day for the disabled
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) yesterday held an event to mark International Day for Persons with Disabilities, observed by the United Nations and countries around the world today, December 3. “The annual observance of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities on December 3 was established by the International Year for Disabled Persons 1981,” said Phuket Provincial Chief…
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Delhi Viceroys get their revenge over Phuket
PHUKET: The Delhi Viceroys, on the final day of their hastily rearranged cricket tour due to the flooding in Bangkok, gained vengeance over revised hosts the Phuket Cricket Group today. After a comprehensive defeat on day one, by all ten wickets in a Twenty20 match at the Alan Cooke Ground, the Viceroys got revenge in very similar fashion, though in…
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Phuket Vice Gov calls for Patong to “be nice’ to tourists
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak has called on the people of Patong to not “take advantage” of tourists during this year’s Patong Carnival, the annual festival that marks the start of high season for tourism in Phuket. “I want everyone to be good hosts and welcome the tourists. Be goodwill ambassadors. I don’t want anyone taking unfair advantage of…
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Phuket blood bank calls for foreign blood
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center is calling for blood donations from foreigners to restock dwindling supplies at the Phuket repository. The blood is urgently needed to restock supplies of blood types common among foreigners, says Pornthip Rattajak, acting director of the center. “We are asking for Rh-negative blood because this is the tourism high season. Many foreigners come to…
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Phuket Tsunami Wall of Remembrance ready for memorial service
PHUKET: The addition of a new section to the Tsunami Wall of Remembrance in Mai Khao has been completed in time for the memorial ceremony on December 26. The original wall bore images of all the countries whose nationals died in Thailand in the 2004 tsunami. However, planning permission to allow the construction of a police building meant that a…
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Weird World News: Animals trump humans as dog shoots man, cobras strike tax office and toads predict earthquakes
PHUKET: It’s often said in journalism, “If a dog bites a man, that’s not news. But if a man bites a dog, now that’s news.” The more unusual and infrequent events gets Weird World News’ vote every time. So we think a dog shooting a man, toads predicting earthquakes and cobras scaring tax officials are in the right vein of…
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Thai Navy re-floats stranded Phuket King’s Cup boats
PHUKET: More than 20 officers from Kata-Karon Municipality along with volunteers and lifeguards stationed at the Royal Thai Navy Sea Rescue unit heaved together this afternoon to refloat two King’s Cup Regatta boats into the water at Kata Beach. The two boats were left stranded on the sand this morning after strong winds pushed them onshore last night. Supachai Janphet,…
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Russian man run over by Phuket parasailing boat
PHUKET: A 51-year-old Russian man on holiday in Phuket was rushed to hospital today after suffering severe injuries when he was run over by a parasailing speedboat at Kata Beach. The man, Nikolai Nefedov, suffered a broken left leg and cuts on the back of both thighs. Some of the cuts were were down to his bones, said Chaiwat Sittidet,…
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FC Phuket ready to pluck Chanthaburi “Hares’ on Sunday
PHUKET: FC Phuket Head Coach Sompong Wattana has resumed his duty as “chief of the tribe” – just in time for the Southern Sea Kirin’s long-awaited home match against Cash Today Chanthaburi FC, nicknamed “The Hares”, on Sunday. The coach, who goes by the nickname “Rock Rhino”, rejoined the team on Wednesday following a leave of absence he took last…
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Phuket’s Ironman 70.3 brings in the champs
PHUKET: Current Ironman 70.3 World Champion Melissa Rollison will participate in the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship at Laguna Phuket on Sunday – in addition to a stellar line-up of elite professional triathletes heading to the island. Rollison, of Australia, completed her first Ironman 70.3-distance race in September 2010, and in just 12 months has gone on to claim three 70.3…
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Anti-graft alliance vows to keep close watch
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community “Clean Thailand DIY” campaign The NationThe Anti-Corruption Network (ACN), an alliance of private watchdog groups, yesterday launched the “Clean Thailand DIY” campaign to monitor the government’s spending of Bt800 billion earmarked for post-flood recovery efforts. ACN chairman Pramon Sutivong said the group is inviting people to…
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Phuket misses out on Dance Festival as it moves to Chiang Mai
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Dance Festival moves to Chiang Mai due to flooding The Nation Thanks to the flooding, the Dance Center has not only postponed its International Dance Festival but relocated it from Bangkok and shortened it. It’s set for tomorrow. “This is the 11th edition and the first…
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