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World’s oldest liner books a call
PHUKET: The MV Doulos, the world’s oldest ocean-going passenger ship – it was built just two years after the Titanic sunk – is returning to Phuket for the first time in 10 years. The Malta-registered liner is now operated by Gute Bücher für Alle (GBA), a private non-profit organization based in Germany that has worked since 1977 to promote good…
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Crocodile Disco to reopen as go-go bar
PATONG: Crocodile Disco, which was gutted by fire in March, will reopen next year as an a-go-go venue, Amnuay Kuabkum, former Manager of Crocodile Disco, has told the Gazette.The fire, which broke out early on March 13, caused damage estimated at 40 million baht to the three-story complex, located at the end of Soi Moulin Rouge. The soi, more commonly…
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Mövenpick signs up to run Crowne Plaza
KARON: Swiss-based Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts (MH&R) has signed a management agreement with Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI) to run the Crowne Plaza Karon Beach resort, which KHI bought recently for 3.7 billion baht.On June 28, the resort, which has 186 villas and 166 guest rooms, as well as 30 apartments for lease, will become the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon…
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Soi Dog Foundation and Livestock Office bury the hatchet
PHUKET: There was a time, not so long ago, when the Soi Dog Foundation (SDF) and the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office (PPLO) fought like cats and dogs. Now, however, they have buried the hatchet.Members of the board, headed by its new President, Dr Prasit Koeysiripong, met with PPLO chief Dr Sunart Wongvorachart recently for what they described afterward as “extremely…
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Fiberglass “Phuket Dog’ home for good
PATONG: A sculpture of an over-sized dog by a famous Japanese artist has returned, this time permanently, to Patong Beach. The sculpture, known as Phuket Dog, is 3½ meters tall and was originally created for an art exhibition held on the beach last year in commemoration of the tsunami. The artist who made the fiberglass dog, Yoshitomo Nara, explained the…
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Saxberg body sent to Bangkok for autopsy
PHUKET: The body of Canadian Lorne Saxberg, who apparently drowned on Saturday while snorkeling off Koh Khai, in Phang Nga Bay, was sent to Bangkok today for forensic tests to determine what caused his death.An officer of the Phuket Police Station, who spoke to the Gazette on condition of anonymity, said, “We have yet to receive the results of the…
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Sneaky thief
BANGKOK: After waking up to find that their house had been broken into, a high-society couple in Bangkok were left more than a little confused when they discovered that the thief had ignored a selection of diamond and gold jewelry – instead making off with more than 20 pairs of shoes. The crime scene, an elegant European-style house that had…
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Road widening causing traffic delays
WICHIT: Motorists using Chao Fa West Rd are feeling the pinch as work on the Phuket Provincial Highways Office (PPHO) project to resurface and widen the main artery to four lanes progresses.Project contractor SCG Construction Company Ltd is currently working on two stretches of the road. The first starts just south of the Darasamut/Central Festival Intersection and ends approximately 1.5 kilometers south…
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Meechai takes care of his dad
SONGKHLA: Acquaintances of 45-year-old Meechai say he has a history of mental confusion that requires occasional incarceration and treatment; and indeed, as events proved in the early hours of April 16, he has difficulty sorting out questions of right and wrong. Nonetheless, all things considered, his heart seems to be in the right place. Meechai had gone with his aged…
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Judges vote for new general election
BANGKOK (Nation, Gazette): A general election will be held, Judge Ura Wangormklang announced today after the Constitutional Court today declared the controversial April 2 election to be invalid.Judge Ura said that of the 14 judges involved in the ruling, eight to six voted to annul the April 2 snap election on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, and nine judges…
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Veteran CBC broadcaster dies snorkeling
PHUKET: Veteran Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) broadcaster Lorne Saxberg died on Saturday while snorkeling with friends off Koh Khai, Phang Nga. The 48-year-old Ontarian had been holidaying in Phuket. An officer from Phuket City Police Station told the Gazette, “We received a report at about 4 pm on Saturday that a man had died while swimming in Phang Nga Province.…
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Mission to salvage human torpedoes
PHUKET CITY: Chalong-based marine engineer Capt Chris Parton yesterday asked Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura for permission to salvage two World War II Chariots – sometimes know as “human torpedoes” – from the sea floor off Koh Dok Mai.The Chariots – torpedoes powered by batteries and converted to carry scuba divers – were used 62 years ago by Britain’s Royal Navy…
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Company accountant shot while jogging
PHUKET CITY: Police are scratching their heads after company accountant Somporn Pattanakij, 61, was shot dead by a gunman while jogging with his wife near Suan Luang Park early yesterday morning.The gunman shot K. Somporn once in the face with an 11mm pistol before jumping on a motorcycle and being driven away by an accomplice.K. Somporn died while being taken…
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Belgian found hanged
CHALONG: A 66-year-old Belgian man was found dead in his home on Tuesday, apparently having committed suicide. Police reported that the man, whom they named as Jose Wiame, had hanged himself. Two empty beer bottles and a note accusing his wife of cheating him and deserting him were found next to the body. The suicide note, addressed to his wife,…
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New “Mayor’ for Laguna
CHERNG TALAY: Michael Ayling will take over from James Batt next month as Managing Director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels PCL (LRH), the Gazette has learned.Mr Ayling, who was born in Kent, England, is an Associate Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and holds a BA (Hons) in accounting and finance from Manchester Metropolitan…
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Gumballers launch from Phuket
PHUKET: Movie star Darryl Hannah of Kill Bill fame, stuntman extraordinaire Ryan Dunn, Oscar winner Adrien Brody, Jackass’s Bam Margera, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, hip-hop superstar Missy Elliot, singer Pink and many others were among participants in the Gumball 3000 race, which took off with smoking tires from Phuket this morning, headed for Bangkok.The rally participants, driving everything from ancient…
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Officials launch crackdown on smuggled fuel
PATONG: Marine Police and Customs officers are conducting random inspections of ships in the Andaman region while police officers and Department of Energy officials are inspecting gas stations on the island in a crackdown on fuel being smuggled into Thailand.Arthon Keesiri, Director of the Investigation and Suppression Office, Excise Department, Ministry of Finance, announced at a seminar on Saturday, “The…
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Disinterest sinks “swimming with dolphins’ plan
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) and Danish marine biologist Judith Kongsted have announced that plans for a dolphin center at Cape Panwa have fallen through due to the lack of participants in a proposed fund-raising committee. Ms Kongsted had invited PMBC Director Wannakiat Thapthimsang and other potential committee members to attend a meeting at the Pearl Hotel…
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Beware of police impostors – Police Chief
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth yesterday warned people to be on the lookout for gangsters impersonating police officers.“Many rubber plantation owners have complained that thieves are disguising themselves as police, and even carrying pistols, in order to demand money from their Burmese laborers,” Gen Decha said.“Most cases reported have been from labor camps in…
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Chinese official calls for greater safety for tourists
PHUKET CITY: Yao Bomin, China’s Consul-General in Songkhla, has called for the Thai government to help make travel to Phuket safer for Chinese tourists following the deaths of three Chinese nationals from accidents in Phuket earlier this year.“The Chinese government is very concerned about the safety of Chinese tourists, especially as three have died as a result of accidents in…
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Publisher assassinated
PHUKET CITY: Opas Noothong, 59, owner of the recently-launched newspaper Fahkumnod (“Natural Order”) and of the Jao Khun Karaoke on Luang Por Rd, was gunned down by two teenagers while walking back to his office about 11:30 pm on Saturday.Pol Capt Rassada Kluengwong, of Phuket City Police Station, told the Gazette, “Witnesses said that K. Opas was walking from Chatuchak…
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Saudi giant buys Crowne Plaza
KARON: The Crowne Plaza Karon Beach Phuket resort has been bought by Dubai-listed hotel and resort investment company Kingdom Hotel Investments (KHI), which is headed by Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.KHI paid US$98.5 million (3.7 billion baht) for the property, including US$30.5 million (1.1 billion baht) in debt.The Prince was listed by Forbes magazine earlier…
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THAI, Bangkok Airways sign cooperation deal
BANGKOK: Rivals Thai Airways International (THAI) and Bangkok Airways signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Thursday aimed at helping THAI coordinate its flights with services to Koh Samui and give it better access to destinations in China.THAI Acting President Somchainuk Engtrakul said that the signing of the MOU signifies development of network coordination between the two carriers.“This has an…
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Work permits renewed in 15 minutes
PHUKET CITY: Work permits are being renewed in just 15 minutes and new work permits approved faster than ever thanks to streamlined procedures recently introduced at the Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO).PPEO Chief Boonchok Maneechot explained, “We have been using the new system for two weeks. I consulted with work permit officers for a month to find out the best…
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On yer bikes – Gov tells officials
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura this morning urged government officers to ride bicycles instead of using motor vehicles in order to save fuel, in light of the recent price hikes at Phuket gas pumps.At the monthly meeting of provincial chief officers, Gov Udomsak said, “We have to save fuel and save money. Please think of ways to do this.…
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Phuket delegation heading for Dubai
PHUKET: Vice-Governor Niran Kalayanimit will lead a delegation of government officials, tourism industry experts and the press to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a bid to lure investment to Phuket from the UAE’s booming commercial capital, Dubai. The four-day trip, from May 6 to 10, will be paid for by the Governor’s Office. A total of 30 people are…
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Tsunami warning system “90% complete’ – Smith
KATA: Dr Smith Thammasaroj, who was appointed to establish the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) after the 2004 tsunami, today expressed satisfaction with progress on the country’s disaster warning system.“Tourists can sure of traveling safely in the Andaman region. Ninety percent of the warning towers are complete. The rest will be finished in the next three months,” he said.“The towers…
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Jammin’ to reopen Friday
PHUKET CITY: The popular Jammin’ nightclub will reopen Friday, following a month of rebuilding after the club caught fire early on April 1, causing an estimated 2 million baht in damage. The fire is believed to have been started by an electrical fault in the DJ pit. (See earlier story here.) Co-owner Mel Perdue told the Gazette today, “It’s all…
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Controversial plan for dolphins to “treat’ disabled people
CAPE PANWA: The Phuket Marine Biological Office (PMBC) is considering building a 200-million-baht “Dolphin Center” near its aquarium as a way of treating people with disabilities and promoting tourism. The project, which has already been approved in principal by Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura, would be run jointly with Danish marine biologist and dolphin expert Judith Kongsted. PMBC Director Wannakiat Thapthimsang…
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“Mick the Pom” jumps bail
PHUKET: When British murder suspect Michael John Taylor failed to make a scheduled court appearance yesterday, Phuket Provincial Court issued a warrant for his arrest and seized the land title document he posted as bail.Taylor, aka “Mick the Pom”, is on trial for the August 17, 2005, stabbing murder of his 28-year-old live-in girlfriend Jantra Weangta. He was released on…
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