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Bepy passes away
PHUKET: Well-known restaurateur and local resident “Bepy” Graziano di Ceneda passed away about 9:30 last night after succumbing to lung cancer.A native of Florence, Italy, Bepy had lived in Phuket for 15 years and was well known here, especially in Cherng Talay where his popular Toto restaurant stands at Tinlay Place on the road into the Laguna resort complex.Bepy was…
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Jetstar and Tiger slash Singapore-Phuket route
PHUKET: Citing a lack of demand, Jetstar Asia Airways has ditched its service between Phuket and Singapore, while Tiger Airways has halved its service of the same route.Only 18 months after introducing a Phuket-Singapore air link, Singapore-based Jetstar Asia announced on March 30 that it has suspended its service of six flights a week. Low demand and a reallocation of…
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Navy boys are good to Phuket
PHUKET: Three US Navy warships – USS Hopper, USS Ingraham and USS Port Royal – are currently in Phuket, marking the first time that the three have anchored in the same port to give the 900-plus enlisted personnel and officers some well-earned R&R.While the ships are in port, many of the seamen can be seen around the island, letting loose at some…
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Destination Air flies on
PHUKET: The managing director of Destination Air has described Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit’s order to suspend flight service to Patong as “anticlimactic”, saying the airline had for months been scheduled to wrap up operations in Patong because of unsafe monsoon-season conditions now setting in. Pat James told the Gazette that the governor’s decision, taken in the wake of complaints about noise…
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Gov suspends Patong seaplane service
PHUKET: Citing complaints of noise pollution and threats to public safety, Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit yesterday ordered Destination Air to stop its seaplane shuttle flights to and from Patong Bay until the company complies with all Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) regulations.At a two-hour meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday, Gov Niran called a halt to the flights after conferring with three…
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Registration van makes slow progress
PHUKET CITY: The introduction of a high-tech mobile registration van late last year has recorded an increase of 16,000 in Phuket’s official population, only a small fraction of the island’s “hidden population” of about 300,000.The project is the brainchild of Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit, who announced that tackling the hidden population problem would be a top priority after he was…
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Tourist Police call for Songkran volunteers
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Tourist Police have appealed for Swedish- and Russian-speaking volunteers as the force prepares for Songkran.“There are now many Swedish and Russian tourists in Phuket, so we should be prepared to take care of them,” said Phuket Tourist Police Inspector Col Sathaporn Sangaunsuk.“We have about 100 officers, including 18 foreigners,” he added.With the holiday period looming, about 100 Tourist Police…
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Trang man executed on Koh Sireh
KOH SIREH: A man was fatally shot by a single bullet to the mouth as he was riding his motorbike on Koh Sireh early yesterday morning. Phuket City Police Inspector Lt Col Sarit Butnongsang identified the victim as Reab Paothong, 46, of Kantang district, Trang province. The murder happened on Theppratan Rd near the Koh Sireh Community Health Office about…
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Gov Niran vows to stamp out “underage prostitution’
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit has ordered Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonnak, Kathu District Chief Khantee Silapa and Patong Municipality officials to work together to immediately put a stop to underage girls working as prostitutes on the island.The order follows recent sweeps of nightlife entertainment venues in Phuket as part of a crackdown ordered by Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobumrung.…
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Man stabbed to death in Soi Romanee
PHUKET CITY: A sound technician tidying up after a jazz event in Soi Romanee was stabbed to death early Monday morning over a reported “misunderstanding”.Lt Col Adul Nirapai of Phuket City Police said that police received a call at 2:10 am, reporting that a man had been stabbed in Soi Romanee, which connects Dibuk and Thalang roads in the heart…
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Hilton staff bus overturns on Karon Hill
KATA: A bus carrying 32 staff of the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa to work yesterday morning overturned after its brakes failed.Lt Rattaket Manmuang of Karon Police Station said, “The bus driver, 34-year-old Paitoon Panbuddee, said that he lost control of the bus after the brakes failed as he was driving down the hill.”The accident happened about 7:40 am, he…
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Sweden mulls issuing travel warnings
PHUKET CITY: The Swedish Consulate in Phuket and the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok are considering posting warnings on their official websites, advising Swedish women of potential dangers when traveling in Thailand.The move follows sexual assaults and killings of female foreign tourists in recent years, most recently the stabbing murder of 26-year-old Swedish tourist Hanna Backlund on March 15 at Mai…
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“Bogus cops’ slay Burmese in failed extortion bid
KATHU: A Burmese laborer was executed by a shotgun blast to the face last night after refusing to pay money demanded by two Thai men posing as undercover police officers, Tung Tong’s police chief told the Gazette today.Tung Tong Distict Police Superintendent Col Arayapan Pukbuakhao identified the victim as So Sung, 25, a construction worker living at a workers’ camp…
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Emotions run high as arrested fugitive faces family
SAMUT PRAKAN: More information about the crimes of arrested fugitive Kriengkrai “Krieng” Saelee came to light Saturday morning when police in Samut Prakan told a press conference the suspect was wanted for the shooting murder of a 14-year-old girl in the waning hours of 2006. Krieng was arrested about 10:30 pm on March 27 while selling clothes at a stall…
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Gov flames MNRE for lack of environmental protection
PHUKET: Citing examples of deforestation and encroachment across the island, Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit yesterday criticized the Phuket office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) for failing to report any encroachment or make arrests, despite evidence that encroachment was continuing in some areas.At the monthly meeting of the Phuket Provincial Security Committee at Phuket Provincial Hall, Gov…
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Fugitive arrested in Patong
PATONG: Kathu Police took into custody on Thursday night a fugitive wanted for murder and other crimes committed in Samut Prakan in December 2006.Kathu Police Inspector for Investigations Lt Col Chalermchai Hernsawat identified the suspect as Kriengkrai “Krieng” Saelee, 26, a native of Tambon Paknam, Muang District, Samut Prakan.Kriengkrai was arrested about 10:30 pm while selling clothes at a stall…
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Heartbroken man commits suicide
PHUKET CITY: A young Thai man was found dead early this morning after falling from his 19th floor room at the Royal Phuket City hotel.Maj Wicharn Suwannasit, Inspector at Phuket City Police Station, said that police received a call at 2 am from hotel staff reporting that a man had been found dead on the fourth-floor outdoor deck of the hotel.Police…
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Wichit Municipality Offices open
WICHIT: Wichit Municipality yesterday officially opened its new, three-story office building with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by some of the island’s highest-ranking officials.The new building, completed at a cost of just over 96 million baht, sits on five rai on Chao Fa East Rd, next to Wat Thepnimit.The ceremony was attended by Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima, Senators Phummisak Hongsyok and Thanyarat…
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Police net 10,000 ya bah pills in post office sting
PHUKET: Phuket Police intercepted a package containing 10,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills with an estimated street value of 5 million baht at the Phuket City Post Office on March 21. The drug seizure followed the arrest the day before of two men in Phuket City for possession of illegal firearms, Region 8 Police commander Lt Gen Thanee Thawisri announced at a…
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Police nab motorcycle thief
PHUKET CITY: A prolific motorcycle thief was arrested on Sunday after stealing four motorbikes in Phuket within about four weeks.About 5 pm on March 23, a passing police officer spotted Nakhon Ratchasima native Sankom Krai-am, 21, by the side of the road outside Soi Tawee Sup in Wichit removing a number plate from a Honda Click motorcycle, said Phuket City Police…
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The CCTV firm and the house of Porn
SAMUT PRAKAN: A man was arrested March 15 after police found a wire leading from his house to a tiny camera hidden in the ceiling of the bathroom of the house next door where six women lived. The camera, which had apparently been in place for five months, was discovered only when the voyeur was overcome with desire and rang…
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Sakoo OrBorTor: “no action’ on Nai Thon dumping
NAI THON: More than a month after being given photographs showing a truck belonging to Vasi Construction Co Ltd dumping trash near Nai Thon Beach, the Sakoo Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) says it cannot press charges because nobody has been caught in the act.The photos were sent to the Gazette in January by a concerned reader. The site is about 200…
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Seized land earmarked for botanical gardens
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Provincial Land Reform Office plans to establish botanical gardens on plots of agricultural reform (SorPorKor) land previously held by three Phuket tycoons.The land was returned to the state last year in three separate Supreme Court rulings that found the tycoons did not qualify to occupy the land because they were not poor farmers.Land Reform Office Chief…
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Phummisak named Austrian Consul for the South
PHUKET: Phuket Senator Phummisak Hongsyok, a former Phuket City Mayor and a major businessman on the island, has been appointed Austrian Honorary Consul for Southern Thailand. K. Phummisak replaces his younger brother Chuchai Hongyok, who has held the position for more than 10 years. “K. Chuchai just wants to retire,” K. Phummisak told the Gazette. “I’m very happy that the…
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Vanity plates auction raises B14m
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Provincial Transport Office (PPTO) held its fourth annual vanity car-registration plate auction over the weekend, raking in 14 million baht from 301 special plates auctioned off at the two-day event.Bidding kicked off at 9:30 am Saturday in the Phrapitak Grand Ballroom of The Metropole hotel, where a line of professional presenters – attractive young women in…
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Food Fest draws big weekend crowds
SAPHAN HIN: The 11th annual Phuket Food Festival kicked off on Wednesday with an official ceremony presided over by Phuket Vice-Governor Smith Palawatwichai.Seventy food and drink stands from Phuket and neighboring provinces are serving food at the event, organized by the Phuket Food Vendors’ Club and the Phuket City Municipality.The first day featured a competition to find the tastiest “Hor Mok…
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Hanna Backlund memorial
MAI KHAO: About 50 people gathered at Mai Khao Beach this morning to attend a memorial service for slain Swedish tourist Hanna Backlund, who would have been 27 yesterday.Akkaradej “Chon” Tankae, 31, has confessed to stabbing Miss Backlund to death on the morning March 15, less than 500 meters from the Mai Khao Bungalows where she had been staying with…
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Patong to expand CCTV surveillance
PATONG: Kathu Police plan to install about 10 more closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in Patong to increase security and fight crime there, the police chief has announced.Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonnak told the Gazette that more CCTV cameras are needed in Patong, as the 16 cameras that went into operation there in early 2007 are effective for traffic control,…
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Patong vendors nabbed in counterfeit goods raid
PATONG: Kathu Police on Wednesday afternoon arrested several vendors caught selling counterfeit goods, seizing 300 items of clothing and handbags illegally bearing designer labels including Chanel, Burberry and Prada.Kathu Police Crime Suppression Inspector Lt Col Worawat Sitthinoon led the sweep along the beach road and Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd, accompanied by Pol Maj Serm Kwannimit and four officers from the…
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Hot-headed soldiers shoot up police station
NAKHON RATCHASIMA: Dealing with the police can be a frustrating experience in any country. Minor traffic offenses are often ignored and when a crime is reported, often nothing seems to be done. Weeks or months can go by with no apparent effort to arrest perpetrators and put them behind bars. Most people can do little but sit and fume at…
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