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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Phuket’s Burmese community ‘delighted’ with Suu Kyi visit
PHUKET: Aung San Suu Kyi, the famed Burmese pro-democracy leader, arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday night on her first international trip in 24 years. As reported in The Nation, Thailand was a perfect destination for the woman who spent 15 years under house arrest, as it would give her a chance to meet many people from Myanmar, including some of…
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Phuket business: Greece primed to exit the Euro
PHUKET: It is fair to say that recently the world’s markets have been as unstable as a new born baby trying to stand on its own two feet! With the financial woes of the European markets, the rest of the world has been dragged down by a seemingly constant torrent of poor European economic news. We have a new French…
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Phuket live wire: Thailand’s 3G woes
PHUKET: UGH! What a mess. If you’ve been following along over the years, you know that the history of 3G wireless internet access in Thailand has been fraught with competing organizations, lawsuits, government changes, allegations of corruption, political infighting, and a whole lot of money floating around. To understand the quandary we’re in right now, you need to know the…
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Go Team: Phuket swipes second gold in “Go’
PHUKET: Phuket girls Bussarin Raktaengam, Worakluck Kritsachaikan, Sudaphat Khongkaew and Pichakon Kankanok yesterday defeated their Nakhon Ratchasima opponents to win gold in the soft tennis event at the 28th Thailand National Youth Games being held in Phuket.The foursome join the boy’s doubles team of Krit Jamkhajonkiet and Panode Kingtkaew as so far the only Phuket competitors to win gold at…
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Evason Phuket opens books to prove “no capacity to pay’
PHUKET: At a closed meeting today, representatives from the Evason Phuket & Bon Island resort revealed financial statements to prove that the resort company does not have the capacity to pay for demands made by workers summarily dismissed last Tuesday. “The Human Resource Manager and the Accounting Manager from the resort are here today to present financial statements from their…
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Phuket yellow shirts bus to Bangkok to join protest
PHUKET: Phuket members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), also known as the yellow shirts, piled into three buses headed to Bangkok this afternoon to join their PAD counterparts in protest. The PAD will stage a mass rally in the capital tomorrow to protest the reconciliation bill and other bills designed to expunge post-coup court verdicts and offer general…
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FC Phuket lose 3-0 at Ratchaburi, botched ref’s call under review
PHUKET: Fans of FC Phuket, outraged over a red card given to keeper Alonso Jose Carvalho Da Silva in Sunday’s 3-0 loss on the road at Ratchaburi, got a small measure of vindication yesterday when the Thai Premier League (TPL) review board agreed that the Brazilian’s diving kick save wasn’t intended to harm the attacking player and that remedial action…
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Phuket tourism takes a hit over “Trashing Racha’
PHUKET: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has been forced to start taking steps to redress the growing concerns voiced in Phuket about the environmental destruction of Koh Racha Yai by negligent tour operators and tourism business owners.The news comes after a leading figure in local environmental conservation blasted greedy tourism operators and the lax enforcement of environmental…
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Man killed by 6-wheeled truck in Phuket rush hour
PHUKET: A man believed to have been drunk was struck dead by a six-wheeled truck on Phuket’s busy Thepkrasattri Road at about 6pm today.Witnesses told the Phuket Gazette that the man was first seen slowing drivers down on the northbound lanes near the u-turn about 50 meters south of the Tah Reua Chinese Shrine.The man motioned drivers to stop then…
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Phuket wins first medal in 28th Youth Games
PHUKET: Phuket finally bagged its first medal in the 2012 Thailand National Youth Games earlier today, when its cycling team took the bronze in the 70-kilometer road event in Thalang. Teammates Assadeawut Somnam, Suponchai Bangthong, Thaikhom Chittamat and Apiwat Piromrit used tight formation tactics to cut through the gusty monsoon winds to complete the circuit in 1 hour 46 minutes…
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Somjai uncontested in run for Phuket City Mayor re-election
PHUKET: Somjai Suwansupana will run for re-election as Phuket City Mayor uncontested following the closure of candidacy registrations on Friday. Former Mayor Somjai will lead her Khon Noom (Young Turks) party to the polls in the upcoming Phuket City Municipal election on June 16, marking her attempt for re-election to her third consecutive term as Phuket City Mayor. Although running…
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Phuket lifeguards return to beaches
PHUKET: Fully equipped lifeguards are now back on duty at Phuket beaches, ready to rescue swimmers who get into difficulty during the currently treacherous weather. Uten Singsom, head of the Phuket Lifeguard Club unit at Kata-Karon, told the Gazette, “This year we are going to have a new uniform and new flags. Both will be ready next week. Last year…
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Phuket sports: Yes, it’s a game
PHUKET: AT LAST, the 28th National Youth Games has finally arrived. Never before has Phuket been privileged to host such a large and significant sporting event. Hundreds of athletes will compete in 40 sports and games, with thousands more coming to cheer them on. Apart from the usual sports spectators expect to see there will also be a number of…
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Phuket sports: Boxing battle on Patong Beach
PHUKET: WBC Asia Continental Super Flyweight (115 pounds) champion Petchbangborn Sor Tanapinyo will defend his title in the main bout of a major fighting event to be held at Patong Beach tomorrow (May 29). The Thai champ takes on Indonesian challenger Alwi Alhabsyi at the peak of the Boxing and Muay Thai event dubbed “Suk Poon Insee Sataan Lok“, or…
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Phuket AMCHAM highlights Sports Tourism
PHUKET: A collection of industry experts who drive Phuket’s top international sporting events painted a bright outlook for Phuket’s future in the international sporting arena on Thursday. Attendees were told that Phuket is already on the map for major sporting events and that key officials are recognizing the economic benefits. Titled “Identifying and Marketing Brand Phuket – Sports Tourism”, the…
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Wet monsoon blast warning for Phuket, Andaman coast
PHUKET: The 24-hour forecast, issued by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued at noon today, predicts waves as high as four meters along Phuket beaches, as well as strong winds. The southwesterly monsoon winds are expected to reach speeds of up to 45 kilometers per hour. The TMD also issued a flash-flood warning at 4am today and advises all small…
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Phuket worker hurt as tree crashes onto moving vehicle
PHUKET: A Phuket construction worker was injured late yesterday morning when a tree crashed down onto the cab of the pickup truck he was riding in on the coastal road from Patong to Kamala. Kamala Police were notified of the accident, near the access road to the Thavorn Beach Village Spa at 11:15am. Arriving at the scene with Ruamjai Katanyu…
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Poll: English in the Phuket tourism industry
Phuket is among the best-known international tourist destinations in Asia. As such, the new Phuket Gazette polls asks readers to assess the overall English-language ability of local people working in the tourism industry here. To have your say in Phuket’s most popular poll click here. If you have already voted and want to view the latest results click here. If…
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Phuket pickup crashes into Thalang home
PHUKET: A man who crashed his pickup though a guard rail and into a home on Thepkrasattri Road early this morning crawled from the wreckage completely unharmed. Thalang Police were notified at 2:30am of a crash on Thepkrasattri Road southbound near the Tah Reua Chinese Shrine in Srisoonthorn, Thalang.Arriving at the scene with rescue workers, police found a modified black…
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Update: Phuket resort worker denies rape of German tourist
PHUKET: All official sources in Phuket involved in the case of an alleged rape of a German tourist by a Thai resort worker have unequivocally stated that the accused has not confessed to the charge. Sakchai Thongseedam, charged with raping the unnamed German tourist on May 17 at the Centara Karon Resort Phuket resort, has denied the police allegation. The…
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Phuket defense volunteer injured in hit-and-run
PHUKET: A young woman was badly injured in a hit-and-run collision with a passenger van near Phuket’s Heroines’ Monument late last night. The victim, 23-year-old Somying Samart, was riding home from her job as a civil defense volunteer in Muang District at about 11:30pm when the accident occurred, on Srisoonthorn Road westbound in Srisoonthorn subdistrict. As Acting Sub Lt Somying…
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Phuket Police warn of counterfeit Thai banknotes
PHUKET: Police in Phuket are urging the public to check carefully any banknotes they receive, as there have been reports of counterfeit bills being passed across the south of Thailand. The first reported case took place on Tuesday when a fried chicken vendor used a bogus 1,000 baht note to purchase items at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Haad Yai,…
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Phuket Sports: Let the games begin
PHUKET: Starting this weekend, Phuket will host the 28th Thailand National Youth Games, an event expected to bring more than 2,000 student-athletes to the island along with an estimated 14,000 people including coaches, parents, supporters and fans of over 30 different sports and pastimes. Gracious hosting of these games should be a point of pride among all islanders, Thais and…
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Phuket Games 2012 prepared to open as monsoon winds blow
PHUKET: It’s all systems go for the Thailand National Youth Games 2012, which will officially open with an extravaganza today at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town. The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) held its final rehearsal for the opening ceremony at the stadium, which underwent a major renovation including new spotlights for the event. OrBorJor President Paiboon Upatising, who attended…
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Phuket Gazette: Male pill; No side-effects from nuke disaster; Real men cry
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Sperm gene discovery could lead to male contraceptive, infertility treatments Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: The discovery of a gene essential for sperm development could eventually lead to the creation of a new type of male contraceptive in the future, Scottish scientists said yesterday. It…
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Prompong suspects “foreigners’ in Phuket illegal land grab
PHUKET: Government Spokesman Prompong Nopparit today announced that he believes foreigners were involved in the illegal acquisition of protected forest land on the headland south of Patong Beach, on Phuket’s west coast. Leading an entourage of about 20 people, Mr Prompong this morning inspected the 20-rai plot of land in question, located near Freedom Beach. He also led the questioning…
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Phuket Governor expects light-rail investor named by August
PHUKET: Assuring the public that a light-rail project for the island will go ahead, Phuket Governor Tri Augkardacha said he expects the engineering firm to build the project to be named by the government by August. “We have an official committee to oversee the light-rail project in Phuket. The committee comprises local officials and businessmen, as well as representatives from…
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Phuket Island Union takes Evason dispute to Governor
PHUKET: Phuket Island Union members filed a petition with the Phuket Governor’s Office yesterday, requesting that Governor Tri Augkaradacha endorse their plea for a better severance package. The petition was the latest move by the union following an impromptu strike and subsequent sacking of more than 400 staff at the Evason Phuket & Bon Island resort on Tuesday. Union vice…
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Thai, Malaysian navies stage exercises off Phuket
PHUKET: Two Royal Thai Navy warships and one Marine Police patrol boat are taking part in counter-piracy exercises with their Malaysian counterparts off the coast of Phuket. The six-day exercise, which concludes tomorrow, marks the 53rd year that Thailand and Malaysia have conducted their annual “SEAEX Thamal” joint naval drill. Vice Admiral Taratorn Kajitsuwan, Commander of the Third Naval Area…
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Phuket sports: F1 – Gladiators, Glamour and Glitz at Monaco
PHUKET: The Monaco GP is one of the most prestigious races in the world, alongside the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours. These three races form a Triple Crown which only Graham Hill has won. In an irony devised by some god of madness, the Monaco GP and the Indy are to run on the same day this year!…
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